Minutemen Host UConn Saturday Afternoon On Band Day

University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information
Game 6	Massachusetts (0-5) vs. Connecticut (0-6)
Date \| Time	Saturday, October 9 \| 3:30 p.m.
Location	Amherst, Mass. \| McGuirk Alumni Stadium \| New Parking Information \| Gameday 101
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Here
Game Notes & Team Information	Massachusetts: Game Notes \| Game Program \| Record Book Connecticut: Game Notes \| Media Guide
Watch	NESN \| FloSports
Listen	WEEI 105.5 FM \| WCRN 830 AM App: Download The Varsity Sports Network on your mobile device
Live Statistics	SIDEARM
Twitter	@UMassFootball \| @CoachWaltBell
Instagram	UMass Football
Facebook	UMass Football

THE SERIES WITH CONNECTICUT

The Minutemen and Huskies are meeting for the 75th time in program history, with Massachusetts owning a 37-35-2 advantage in the all-time series. The teams are meeting for the 42nd time in Amherst (UMass leads, 22-18-1), as the Minutemen look for their first win over the Huskies since 2018.

HILINSKI'S HOPE

College Football Mental Health Week runs from October 2-9, coinciding with Mental Illness Awareness Week and culminating on World Mental Health Day on October 10.

This week, UMass is one of more than 60 colleges and universities joining the mission of the Hilinski's Hope Foundation (H3H) by using helmet stickers, raising three fingers in the third quarter, and prioritizing a campus engagement strategy. The goal of this week is to raise mental health awareness, destigmatize mental illness, and provide quality resources to student athletes nationwide.

The Hilinski's Hope Foundation (H3H) was founded in 2018 by Mark and Kym Hilinski to honor the life of their son Tyler. H3H helps colleges and universities save lives, eliminate stigma, and scale mental wellness programs for student-athletes. H3H does this by sharing Tyler's story, connecting students with mental health resources, and assisting universities to institutionalize best practices.

AIRING IT OUT

Through just five games, UMass quarterbacks have already completed passes to 16 different receivers, led by 15 catches for 225 yards by Rico Arnold.

On Sept. 11 against Boston College, Brady Olson connected with Arnold for a 56-yard touchdown strike, the longest passing touchdown for the Minutemen since Nov. 9, 2019 at Army (Andrew Brito to Kyle Horn). The score was the longest of Arnold's career and his first touchdown since the 2018 season when he was playing at Charlotte.

MOVING THE CHAINS
The Massachusetts offense showed its ability to move the ball early this season, highlighted by stacking up 519 yards of total offense on Sept. 18 against Eastern Michigan. It was the most total offense in a game since Nov. 3, 2018 in a triple overtime win against Liberty, and the most in regulation against an FBS opponent since Dec. 2, 2017 vs. FIU (548 yards).

UMass also recorded 30 first downs against the Eagles, which hasn't happened since that Liberty game, and hasn't happened in regulation against an FBS opponent since Oct. 21, 2017 against Georgia Southern (33).

ELLIS MERRI' GO 'ROUND

Redshirt junior Ellis Merriweather carried the load in the backfield for the Minutemen in 2020, rushing 42 times for 115 yards (42% of the team's total rushing yards) in his first season after transferring from Garden City Community College.

Merriweather was aided earlier this season by Rutgers transfer Kay'Ron Adams. Adams played two seasons with the Scarlet Knights in 2019 and 2020, compiling 320 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 83 carries in 18 career games, in addition to six catches for 120 yards and a touchdown.

With Adams seeing limited action before being declared out for the season with an ankle injury earlier this week, Merriweather has been the go-to back yet again, and ran for a career-high 144 yards on 23 carries against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 18. It was the most yards on the ground since Bilal Ally against UConn on Oct. 26, 2019 (159 yards). Merriweather is the only player on the UMass roster with a 100-yard rushing game to his name.

TO THE HOUSE! (TWICE)

Josiah Johnson had a pair of touchdowns for Massachusetts on Sept. 18 against Eastern Michigan: a one-yard dash into the end zone in the second quarter before hauling in a 29-yard pass from Brady Olson late in regulation.

He was the first Minuteman with a rushing and a receiving touchdown in the same game against an FBS opponent since Marquis Young on Dec. 2, 2017 vs. FIU.

ON THE HUNT

Freshman linebacker Gerrell Johnson had a game-high 13 tackles (five solo, eight assisted) on Sept. 11 against Boston College, and followed it up with another double-digit day against Toledo on Oct. 2 (two solo, eight assisted)

He and Da'Shon Ross (14 tackles vs. Toledo) are the only active players on the roster with a 10+ tackle game in their careers.

SATURDAY OF GEORGE

Junior punter George Georgopoulos punted eight times for 423 yards (52.9 yards/punt) against Toledo on Oct. 2, including five of 50+ yards, three inside the 20-yard line and a long of 66-yards.

Scoreboard

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Players Mentioned

Rico Arnold

Andrew Brito

George Georgopoulos

Gerrell Johnson

Josiah Johnson

Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams

Ellis Merriweather

Brady Olson

Da'Shon Ross

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics