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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Army
Football Closes Out Season By Hosting Army
November 19, 2022 | Football
Army travels to Amherst for the first time
| University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 12 | Massachusetts (1-10) vs. Army (4-6) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, November 26 | Noon ET |
| Location | Amherst, Massachusetts | McGuirk Alumni Stadium |
| Tickets | Purchase Tickets Here |
| Series History | Army leads, 4-0 Last Meeting | Army W, 37-17 on Nov. 20, 2021 @ West Point |
| Game Notes & Team Information | Massachusetts: Game Notes | Game Program | Record Book Army: Game Notes |
| Watch | ESPN+ |
| Listen | WEEI 105.5 FM | WCRN 830 AM App: Download The Varsity Sports Network on your mobile device |
| Live Statistics | Live Stats |
| @UMassFootball | @FBCoachDBrown | |
| UMass Football | |
| UMass Football | |
AMHERST, Mass. -- Massachusetts will close out the season by playing host to Army in a noon game on Saturday, November 26 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium (ESPN+).
The game will feature a ceremony to honor the UMass seniors and will also be Military/First Responders Appreciation Day. For tickets, click here.
SERIES HISTORY
Massachusetts and Army have played four times previously, but Saturday will mark the first time the Black Knights of the United States Military Academy play at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
Last season, Army defeated the Minutemen 33-17 on Nov. 20. Ellis Merriweather accounted for 110 rushing yards on 17 carries in that contest, contributing to UMass's 199 yards on the ground. Josiah Johnson scored in his third straight contest for the Minutemen on a one yard run for the score.
Prior to last season's meeting, Army earned home wins on November 9, 2019 (63-7), November 12, 2005 (34-27) and September 10, 1977 (34-10). Don Brown was head coach of the Minutemen for that narrow defeat in 2005 (UMass was Division I-AA).
GETTING DEFENSIVE
The Minutemen have held opponents to a 36-for-125 mark on third down (.288), which ranks ninth in FBS. Some impressive third down performances have included the Minutemen holding Texas A&M to a 2-for-10 mark, holding Arkansas State (Nov. 12) to 0-for-8 and holding New Mexico State to a 0-for-12 mark on third down (Oct. 29).
Massachusetts is tied for 26th in the FBS with two defensive touchdowns this season, both by Jordan Mahoney.
UMass allows 185.1 passing yards per game, which ranks 15th in FBS.
The Minutemen rank 57th in total defense in the FBS, allowing 367.7 yards per game.
FORCING THE ISSUE
Massachusetts has forced opponents into 18 turnovers this season, including nine interceptions and nine fumble recoveries with the 18 turnovers gained ranked tied for 37th in FBS. Most recently, the Minutemen forced the Aggies into three fumbles (Nov. 19).
UMass is +2 in turnover margin for the season, which ranks tied for 52nd in FBS. The Minutemen are one of 64 FBS teams with a positive turnover margin this season.
In the Temple game (Sept. 24), Jordan Mahoney and Noah Boykin each had an interception and Nahji Logan and Ethan Dumont had fumble recoveries. It marked the first time Massachusetts forced an opponent into four turnovers since the 62-59 triple overtime win over Liberty on Nov. 3, 2018.
Massachusetts had two interceptions against Stony Brook (Jordan Mahoney and Josh Wallace), at Temple (Mahoney and Noah Boykin) at Eastern Michigan (Jalen Mackie and Tyler Rudolph) and versus Buffalo (Mahoney and Wallace).
Mahoney has accounted for three interceptions, including a 94-yard interception return for a touchdown in the win over Stony Brook (Sept. 17), two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries including a 22-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown versus Liberty (Oct. 8).
Mahoney's three fumble recoveries are tied for third in FBS, while his three interceptions are tied for 29th.
Rudolph grabbed his second interception of the season at Arkansas State giving the Minutemen three players with at least two interceptions this season including Rudolph (2), Mahoney (3) and Wallace (2) -- Massachusetts had two total interceptions all last season
QUICK HITS
Massachusetts ranks 14th in FBS with an average time of possession of 32:56.
Greg Desrosiers Jr.'s 569 combined kick return yards rank seventh in FBS.
MERRIWEATHER CARRIES THE MAIL
Redshirt senior running back Ellis Merriweather rushed for a season-high 122 yards in UMass' 35-33loss at Arkansas State last Saturday (Nov. 12) while also scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns and adding a two-point conversion. He totaled 122 yards on 29 carries for a 4.2 yards per carry clip and added two catches for 14 yards.
It marked Merriweather's 10th career 100-yard rushing game and he tied his single game career-high with the two touchdowns, doing it for a third time.
CAM'S CAREER DAY
Cameron Sullivan-Brown posted a breakout game at UConn last Friday night (Nov. 4), totaling a career-high 124 receiving yards, including a career long 53-yard touchdown catch.
Sullivan-Brown became the first UMass receiver with 100+ yards in a game since Nov. 17, 2018 when Andy Isabella had 219 yards at fifth-ranked Georgia.
Sullivan-Brown now has 253 receiving yards on the season to go along with a pair of touchdowns in seven games played.
DAVIS A BURLSWORTH NOMINEE
Tanner Davis was named one of 81 FBS nominees for the 2022 Burlsworth Trophy.
In the award's thirteenth year, the Trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, former University of Arkansas Walk-On and All-American offensive lineman. The award is given to the most outstanding football player in American who began his career as a Walk-On and has shown outstanding performance on the field.
WELCOME BACK COACHHead coach Don Brown returns to Massachusetts for his second stint with the football program. Brown was named head coach on Nov. 22, 2021, by Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford, after spending a season with Arizona as the defensive coordinator.
During his first stint as head coach with the Minutemen, he led UMass to the winningest five-year stretch in program history from 2004-2008, accumulating a 43-19 record and making two postseason appearances. He spent the previous 13 years guiding defenses at Maryland, Connecticut, Boston College, Michigan and Arizona.
The Spencer, Massachusetts, native has 45 years of coaching experience to his credit, beginning at Hartford High School in 1977. As a head coach, Brown combined for a 95-45 overall record between Plymouth State, Northeastern and Massachusetts. He also totaled four postseason appearances.
PICK 6
Jordan Mahoney had a 94-yard interception return for a touchdown in UMass' win over Stony Brook, marking the fourth longest interception return for a touchdown in program history:
1. 100 yards: Matt Parent vs. UNH 2008; Nov. 15, 2008
2. 100 yards: Tehran Hunter; at Univ. at Buffalo; Oct 18, 1997
3. 96 yards: Anton McKenzie; at New Hampshire; Nov 09, 2002
4. 94 yards: Jordan Mahoney vs. Stony Brook; Sept. 17, 2022
MINUTEMEN IN THE NFL
Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers is in his third season playing for the Indianapolis Colts. Rodgers was selected by the Colts in the sixth round (211th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft
Offensive lineman Larnel Coleman was selected was a seventh-round pick (231st overall) by the Dolphins in the 2021 NFL draft and made his NFL debut in Miami's week three win over Buffalo (Sept. 25).
Wide receiver Andy Isabella is in his fourth season with Arizona after the Cardinals selected him in the second-round (62nd overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was waived mid-season and joined the Baltimore Ravens.
Offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson is in the midst of his sixth NFL season and first with the Atlanta Falcons. An undrafted free agent signee, he played the first four years of his career with Denver before playing the 2021 season for Chicago.
Offensive lineman Jack Driscoll is playing his third season with Philadelphia. Having played for the Minutemen from 2015-17, Driscoll was a fourth round pick (145th overall) by the Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft.
100 ON THE GROUND
Redshirt junior Gino Campiotti broke the 100-yard rushing plateau for the first time in his career when he rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown in the loss at Eastern Michigan (Oct. 1).
Campiotti became the first UMass player with 100 yards since Ellis Merriweather had 168 yards at New Mexico State on Nov. 27, 2021. He also became the first UMass quarterback in the FBS era to rush for 100 yards.
COACHING AT THE ALMA MATER
UMass employs four alumni in a full-time coaching role in 2022 in assistant head coach/special teams coordinator/defensive lines coach, Ben Albert, defensive line coach, Valdamar Brower, associate head coach/offensive line coach, Alex Miller and tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator, Jeff Moore. Albert is a 1995 graduate of the University of Massachusetts and was an All-Conference defensive lineman. During the 2002 and 2003 seasons, he served as the inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator, where he aided the Minutemen to the 2003 Atlantic 10 Conference championship.
Brower, a 2004 graduate of UMass, was a star defensive lineman for Massachusetts from 1999-2003, playing for then-defensive coordinator Don Brown during the 1999 season.
Miller developed into one of the most celebrated offensive lineman during his playing days at Massachusetts. His four years starting on the line culminated with multiple first team all-America awards following the team's appearance in the 2006 National Championship Game. Miller cemented his legacy as a durable and reliable centerpiece for the Minutemen with starts in all 50 games played during the 2003-06 seasons
A 2012 graduate of UMass, Moore played receiver for the Minutemen from 2008-12 as a walk-on.
Two additional coaching staff members earned a degree from UMass in analyst Randall Jette '15 and Jesse Monteiro '17.
COEN INDUCTED IN UMASS ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
UMass football's Liam Coen (2004-08) was one of four inductees to the UMass Athletics George "Trigger" Burke Hall of Fame with the ceremony taking place on Friday, September 16.
Coen was the starting quarterback for the 2005-08 seasons for head coach Don Brown and was a team captain during his redshirt senior year in 2008. The Minutemen were 37-14 overall and 25-7 in conference play (2005 – Atlantic 10; '06-08 – CAA) during his four seasons as the starting quarterback. Coen was selected Atlantic 10 All-Conference Third Team (2006) and CAA All-Conference Second Team (2007, '08). At the time of graduation, he was one of 21 quarterbacks in FCS history with 10,000 or more passing yards in a career. He was 18th all-time in FCS/I-AA history for career passing yards (11,031) and 20th for touchdowns thrown (90).
Coen is currently the career record-holder for passing yards (11,031), pass attempts (1,303), pass completions (830), touchdown passes (90), completion percentage (.639), passer efficiency (152.92), yards per pass attempt (8.47). He holds the UMass single-season record-holder for completion percentage (.650; 2006) and passing efficiency (160.52; 2006).
He helped lead Massachusetts to the 2006 NCAA FCS National Championship Game by going 69-of-109 for 837 yards with six touchdowns during the playoff run. Coen also led the Minutemen to an NCAA postseason appearance in 2007 and won conference championships in 2006 and 2007, as well. He tied the program record for most passing touchdowns in one game (5 at Towson, 2006; vs. Bryant, 2008), and is one of only two quarterbacks to throw five touchdowns in a single game.
Coen spent two seasons as an assistant coach at UMass under then-head coach Mark Whipple in 2014 and 2015. After leaving UMass to serve as the offensive coordinator and QBs coach at the University of Maine (2016-17), Coen then coached in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018 and 2019, helping the team reach the Super Bowl during his first season as an assistant wide receiver's coach. In March of 2022, Coen was named the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams.
