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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
1-7
UConn
2-6
Scoring Outburst Not Enough In UMass Football Loss
October 26, 2019 | Football
Minutemen fall to UConn despite 159 yards, two touchdowns from Bilal Ally
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Andrew Brito went 20-for-40 with 239 passing yards and two touchdowns in his return to the lineup following injury. It was the most completions, attempts, passing yards and touchdowns thrown in one game this season.
Brito connected with freshman Jermaine "OC" Johnson, Jr., and sophomore Samuel Emilus for the scores. Johnson, Jr., led the receivers with a single-game personal-best 92 yards on four receptions, including his 40-yard score. Senior wide receiver Sadiq Palmer added 48 yards over four catches. Emilus' 14-yard score was his only catch of the night.
Senior cornerback Isaiah Rodgers recorded one interception, a pass breakup and two tackles on defense, while he added 141 kickoff return yards over six returns and a blocked field goal. In addition to Miller's 10 stops, senior safety Martin Mangram added seven takedowns and junior defensive lineman Jake Byczko posted six, including an assisted-TFL, and a pass breakup.
Kevin Mensah ran for 164 yards on 19 carries and scored five touchdowns for UConn. Art Thompkins added 135 yards on 13 rushes, including one touchdown. Jack Zergiotis finished 18-of-27 for 198 passing yards with one touchdown and an interception. Cameron Ross caught nine of those passes, one for a touchdown, and covered 120 yards. Jacks Mitchell led the Huskies defense with 13 stops while Ian Swenson had 11 with a fumble recovery.
A pair of UMass fumbles helped UConn take a seven point lead through two series; however, UMass responded and evened the game at 7-all with four minutes, 31 seconds to go in the first quarter.
A blocked field goal by Rodgers generated a seven play, 58-yard series which ended in Ally's fifth rushing touchdown of the season. Brito threaded a 36-yard completion to Johnson, Jr., along the sideline to move the team into the UConn redzone before Ally scored four plays later.
The Huskies moved back in front via one of Mensah's five touchdowns on the day before Massachusetts rallied back to tie it again. One play into the second quarter, Brito uncorked a career-long 40-yard touchdown pass to Johnson, Jr., also a career-long grab for Johnson, Jr.
UConn found the endzone three times in the second quarter as the Huskies jumped back in front, 35-14. It included an Art Thompkins 25-yard run, Mensah's third score of the day and a 57-yard catch for Cameron Ross.
UMass book-ended halftime with back-to-back scoring drives to pull back within 35-28 of the Huskies early in the third quarter.
Emilus tip-toed the South endzone's right boundary and hauled in a 14-yard pass over his defender with 64 seconds remaining before the half to move UMass back within 35-14. After the UMass defense forced a punt on UConn's first series of the third quarter, Ally broke through the middle of the UConn defense and rushed 63 yards into the Huskies' redzone. Four plays later, Ally, snuck in from one yard out for his second touchdown of the day.
The Huskies stifled the comeback effort with three more touchdowns spanning the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth. Jay Rose pulled in a 15-yard reception before Mensah added his fourth rushing score of the day as UConn extended the lead to 49-28. Mensah followed with a three-yard run for his fifth TD.
Redshirt junior running back Gilberto Torres notched his first collegiate touchdown late in the fourth quarter to reach the final score.
Massachusetts plays at home next on Sat., Nov. 2 against Liberty at Noon. The game will be broadcast live on NESN and FloFootball.com.
Follow Massachusetts football on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@UMassFootball).
Team Stats
UCONN 7, UMASS 0
UCONN - MENSAH, Kevin 17 yd run (HARRIS, Clayton kick), 8 plays, 45 yards, TOP 3:22
UCONN 7, UMASS 7
UMASS - ALLY, Bilal 1 yd run (GARCIA, Cooper kick), 7 plays, 58 yards, TOP 2:43
UCONN 14, UMASS 7
UCONN - MENSAH, Kevin 2 yd run (HARRIS, Clayton kick), 5 plays, 73 yards, TOP 2:52
UCONN 14, UMASS 14
UMASS - JOHNSON, Je. 40 yd pass from BRITO, Andrew (GARCIA, Cooper kick) 6 plays, 70 yards, TOP 1:46
UCONN 21, UMASS 14
UCONN - THOMPKINS, Art 25 yd run (HARRIS, Clayton kick), 4 plays, 45 yards, TOP 1:46
UCONN 28, UMASS 14
UCONN - MENSAH, Kevin 5 yd run (HARRIS, Clayton kick), 8 plays, 61 yards, TOP 4:02
UCONN 35, UMASS 14
UCONN - ROSS, Cameron 57 yd pass from ZERGIOTIS, Jack (HARRIS, Clayton kick) 2 plays, 59 yards, TOP 0:52
UCONN 35, UMASS 21
UMASS - EMILUS, Samuel 14 yd pass from BRITO, Andrew (GARCIA, Cooper kick) 14 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:37
UCONN 35, UMASS 28
UMASS - ALLY, Bilal 1 yd run (GARCIA, Cooper kick), 6 plays, 85 yards, TOP 2:17
UCONN 42, UMASS 28
UCONN - ROSE, Jay 15 yd pass from SKANES, Quayvon (HARRIS, Clayton kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:36
UCONN 49, UMASS 28
UCONN - MENSAH, Kevin 14 yd run (HARRIS, Clayton kick), 12 plays, 79 yards, TOP 6:50
UCONN 56, UMASS 28
UCONN - MENSAH, Kevin 3 yd run (HARRIS, Clayton kick), 4 plays, 57 yards, TOP 2:15
UCONN 56, UMASS 35
UMASS - TORRES, G. 19 yd run (GARCIA, Cooper kick), 8 plays, 70 yards, TOP 2:09
