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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Football Hosts Homecoming Against Rhode Island On Saturday
November 03, 2021 | Football
Minutemen and Rams meet at McGuirk Alumni Stadium for 3:30 p.m. kickoff.
| University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 9 | Massachusetts (1-7) vs. Rhode Island (5-3) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, November 6 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Location | Amherst, Mass. | McGuirk Alumni Stadium |
| Tickets | Purchase Tickets Here |
| Game Notes & Team Information | Massachusetts: Game Notes | Game Program | Record Book Rhode Island: Game Notes | Record Book |
| Watch | NESN | FloSports |
| Listen | WEEI 105.5 FM | WCRN 830 AM App: Download The Varsity Sports Network on your mobile device |
| Live Statistics | StatBroadcast |
| @UMassFootball | @CoachWaltBell | |
| UMass Football | |
| UMass Football | |
SERIES HISTORY
The Minutemen and the Rams are meeting for the 87th time in program history, with UMass holding a 48-36-2 advantage in the all-time series.
The two programs are meeting for the first time in Amherst, Mass. (UMass leads, 27-16-2), since the 2011 season.
Through eight games, UMass quarterbacks have already completed passes to 18 different receivers, led by 19 catches for 285 yards by Rico Arnold. It marks the most receivers with at least one catch in a season since 2015 when 19 different Minutemen recorded a reception on the year.
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.
As a freshman at Charlotte, Arnold put up 302 yards on 22 receptions over 11 games.
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, 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 improved upon that performance with a monster showing in the win over UConn, carrying the ball 39 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns, his first two rushing TDs of his career and first multi-touchdown game.
At Florida State, Merriweather was limited on the ground, but was UMass' top receiver with 65 yards on four catches.
The Alpharetta, Georgia native ran for 149 yards on 24 carries at Liberty with two plays for 20+ yards. Out of UMass' eight rushing plays going for 20 or more yards this season, Merriweather has six of them.
Merriweather's new career single game bests (39 attempts, 171 yards) are more than double his single game highs from last season (16 attempts at Georgia Southern on 10/17/20 and 48 yards at FAU on 11/20/21). He's nearly doubled his average yards per carry and has 416 yards on 97 attempts over seven games compared to 155 yards on 42 attempts in four games in 2020.
Merriweather is the only player on the UMass roster with a 100- yard rushing game to his name and now has three on the year.
O-C, TRIPLE O-C
After seeing his streak of 17 straight games with a catch come to an end against Boston College on Sept. 11, wide receiver Jermaine "OC" Johnson, Jr. got back on track with a grab against Eastern Michigan and two more at No. 17 Coastal Carolina. He has at least one catch in 20 of his 23 career games.
BIG PLAYS
Through eight games, UMass already has 29 plays go for 20 or more yards on offense (eight rushes, 14 passes, seven kick returns).
BALL!
The Minutemen have been quick to pounce on the loose ball so far this season, recording two fumble recoveries in each of the first two games, and one each against EMU, UConn, at Florida State and at Liberty.
It was the first time in the FBS era, and first time overall since 2009, that Massachusetts has logged two fumble recoveries in each of its first two games of the year.
It was also the first time since Oct. 21, 2017 (Georgia Southern) and Oct. 28, 2017 (Appalachian State) that the Minutemen recorded at least two fumble recoveries in consecutive games.
Avien Peah, Uchenna Ezewike, Bryson Richardson, Javon Batten, Viczaril Alobwede and Gerrell Johnson all have recoveries this season for UMass, making the Minutemen tied for 19th in the nation in fumble recoveries.
UMass has at least one takeaway in 29 of the last 34 games dating back to Sept. 8, 2018 at Georgia Southern. The lone exceptions in the span is the Sept. 14, 2019 game against Charlotte, Nov. 7, 2020 at No. 16/15 Marshall, Nov. 27, 2020 at RV/RV Liberty, Sept. 25, 2021 at No. 17/17 Coastal Carolina and Oct. 2, 2021 vs. Toledo.
Gerrell Johnson forced two fumbles at Florida State, the first time a Minuteman did so since Jovan Santos-Knox had two vs. Akron on Nov. 7, 2015.
