Massachusetts Opens 2021 Season At Pittsburgh On Saturday

University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information
Game 1	Massachusetts (0-0) at Pittsburgh (0-0)
Date \| Time	Saturday, September 1 \| 4 p.m.
Location	Pittsburgh, Pa. \| Heinz Field \| Directions & Parking \| Clear Bag Policy
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Here
Series History	First Meeting
Game Notes & Team Information	Massachusetts: Game Notes \| Game Program \| Record Book Pittsburgh: Game Notes \| Media Guide
Watch	ACC Network
Listen	WHMP 101.5 FM, 1240AM & 1400AM \| 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

AMHERST, Mass. -- The 138th season of Massachusetts football commences on Saturday as the Minutemen head to Pittsburgh for the first-ever meeting between the two programs at 4 p.m. on the ACC Network.

LOOK AT ALL THESE NEW FACES

UMass football features 35 different student-athletes across its offensive, defensive and special teams depth charts. It includes nine on the offensive depth chart, four on the defensive and one on special teams. Of the 54 total student-athletes featured on the depth chart, 31 are sophomores (7), redshirt freshmen (6) or freshmen (18).

BORN AND BRED IN THE COMMONWEALTH

This season's rosters features 31 student-athletes from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the most since the 2016 season:

2021 - 31
2020 - 29
2019 - 30
2018 - 25
2017 - 27
2016 - 31

STARTING WITH A BANG

Saturday marks the sixth time since UMass elevated to FBS in 2012 that the Minutemen will open the season against a Power 5 opponent:

2021 - at Pittsburgh
2020 - at Rutgers
2016 - at No. --/25 Florida
2015 - at Colorado
2014 - vs. Boston College
2013 - at No. --/23 Wisconsin

Next week's home game against Boston College will also mark just the third time since 2012 that Massachusetts began the season with back-to-back games against Power 5 opponents (2014 and 2016).

FAMILIAR FACE

Pittsburgh offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple served two tenures as head coach at UMass (1998-2003 and 2014-18). Whipple is the program's all-time wins leader (65) and guided the Minutemen to the 1998 NCAA I-AA National Championship in his first year while making two more postseason appearances in the following five years (1999 and 2003).

HIGH CALIBER TRANSFERS

Massachusetts has 31 transfers on the 2021 roster, including 10 from Power 5 institutions:

Kay'Ron Adams - Rutgers
Willie Allen - Michigan
Devin Baldwin - Rutgers
Noah Boykin - Notre Dame
Eric Collins - NC State
Jay Larosa - Ole Miss
Tyler Lytle - Colorado
Bryson Richardson - North Carolina
Mike Saliba - Arizona
Bryce Watts - North Carolina

THE QB ROOM: A MIX OF YOUNG AND OLD

The Minutemen's quarterback room features two freshmen (Zamar Wise and Brady Olson), two redshirt freshmen (Garrett Dzuro and Luke McMenamin) and one graduate student (Tyler Lytle).

Lytle (6'5'', 225-pounds from Redondo Beach, Calif.), who will be making his first collegiate start on Saturday, played the 2017-19 seasons at the University of Colorado, appearing in seven career games, including four during 2018 and three in 2019.

Olson (6'4'', 200-poinds from Bellingham, Mass.), meanwhile, arrived at UMass as a three-star pro-style quarterback rated the No. 20 player in Massachusetts according to the 247Sports Composite listing, and a three-star QB according to ESPN and rated as the 15th-highest player in Massachusetts.

1-2 PUNCH IN THE BACKFIELD

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 will be aided 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.

O-C, TRIPLE O-C

Wide receiver Jermaine "OC" Johnson, Jr. has recorded a catch in 16 straight games, which encompasses his entire collegiate career. It is the longest active streak of at least one reception in consecutive games on the team currently. He was second on the team with 14 catches for 96 yards in four games last season.

In 2019, Johnson Jr. caught 37 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns to become the only true-freshman in the history of UMass football to lead the team in total receptions.

AVIEN TAKES FLIGHT

Graduate defensive lineman Avien Peah had 6.0 TFLs for 18 yards lost among his 19 tackles in 2020, and is the second-leading returning tackler on the team this season behind only Tanner Davis (24).

Peah converted to defensive end from tight end/fullback ahead of the 2019 season but missed the year due to injury. He played on the defensive front for the first time in 2020 after previously appearing at tight end and fullback as a redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore in 2017 and 2018.

IT TAKES ALL OF US

Massachusetts had 32.0 TFLs and 9.0 sacks in four games in 2020, an average of 8.0 TFLs and 2.3 sacks per game. It's a marked improvement over the 4.0 TFLs (48 total) and 1.0 sacks per game (12) in 2019. The 32.0 TFLs went for 132 yards (4.12 yards per TFL) while the 9.0 sacks covered 67 yards lost (7.44 yards per sack).

FORCING THE ISSUE

UMass has at least one takeaway in 23 of the last 26 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 and Nov. 27, 2020 at RV/RV Liberty.

DECKERS NAMED TO PATRICK MANNELLY AWARD WATCH LIST

Evan Deckers has been named to the Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List, announced August 9 by the organization. The award is presented to the top senior long snapper in FBS football.

In a 2020 season abbreviated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Deckers served as Massachusetts' primary long-snapper in all four games. He saw action for each of the team's three field goal attempts as well as on punts and extra points. Deckers was also named Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent First Team in June 2021.

EARNING IT

Two members of the team played as walk-on student-athletes before receiving scholarships in sophomore safety Tanner Davis and freshman linebacker Zack Magdis.

Davis appeared in eight games as a reserve defensive back and as a member of the kickoff and punt coverage units in 2019. He made 10 total tackles, including 2.0 TFLs, and recovered a fumble before earning a scholarship following the season. He followed it up with 24 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 1.0 sacks, three quarterback hurries and a blocked punt in four games in 2020.

Magdis appeared in all four games in 2020, seeing time at linebacker and on special teams coverage and making each of his seven tackles on the season at No. 16 Marshall.

QUARTET TABBED PHIL STEELE PRESEASON ALL-INDEPENDENT

Massachusetts placed four members of the team on the 2021 Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent Team, including long snapper Evan Deckers, tight end/quarterback Josiah Johnson, defensive lineman Avien Peah and defensive back Te'Rai Powell. Deckers earned First Team accolades, while Johnson, Peah and Powell each were named Second Team.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

UMass head coach Walt Bell is among the youngest head coaches in the country. At 37 years old entering the season, he is fifth-youngest in the nation behind only Kane Wommack (South Alabama; 34), Sean Lewis (Kent State; 35), Jake Spavital (Texas State; 36) and Will Healy (Charlotte; 36).

BAYLARK TO BE INDUCTED IN UMASS ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME

UMass football's Steve Baylark (2003-06) is one of five inductees to the UMass Athletics George "Trigger" Burke Hall of Fame. The Class of 2021 will be inducted on Friday, September 10 at 6 p.m. on the UMass campus.

Baylark was a four-year starting running back for former head coaches Mark Whipple (2003) and Don Brown (2004-06). He accomplished the rare feat of rushing for 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons with 1,177 as a freshman, 1,138 as a sophomore, 1,057 during his junior year and 1,960 in his senior campaign. He was one of only three Division I-AA/FCS running backs to do so at the time of graduation. Baylark won all-America second team (2006), Atlantic 10 Conference Offensive Player of the Year (2006) and Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team (2004, '05, '06).

Baylark finished second all-time in program history for career rushing yards (5,332), all-purpose yards (6,098), all-purpose yards per game (122.0) and rushing attempts (1,104), and third in rushing touchdowns (42), rushing yards per game (106.6) and total touchdowns (47). He spent time in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals (2007) and Denver Broncos (2008) following graduation.

Scoreboard

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Players Mentioned

Willie Allen

Devin Baldwin

Noah Boykin

Eric Collins

Tanner Davis

Evan Deckers

Garrett Dzuro

Josiah Johnson

Jay Larosa

Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams

Tyler Lytle

Zack Magdis

Luke McMenamin

Ellis Merriweather

Brady Olson

Avien Peah

Te'Rai Powell

Bryson Richardson

Mike Saliba

Bryce Watts

Zamar Wise

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics