Massachusetts Football Heads To Eastern Michigan On Saturday

University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information
Game 5	Massachusetts (1-3) at Eastern Michigan (2-2)
Date \| Time	Saturday, October 1 \| 2 p.m.
Location	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Rynearson Stadium
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Here
Series History	Massachusetts leads, 2-1 Last Meeting \| McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Amherst, Mass. \| Eastern Michigan 42, UMass 28
Game Notes & Team Information	Massachusetts: Game Notes \| Game Program \| Record Book Eastern Michigan: Game Notes
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WHMP 101.5 FM, 1240AM & 1400AM \| WCRN 830 AM App: Download The Varsity Sports Network on your mobile device
Live Statistics	SideArm Stats
Twitter	@UMassFootball \| @FBCoachDBrown
Instagram	UMass Football
Facebook	UMass Football

AMHERST, Mass. -- University of Massachusetts football travels to Eastern Michigan on Saturday, October 1, to face the Eagles at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

SERIES HISTORY

The Minutemen are 2-1-0 all-time against Eastern Michigan, having met last season and in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Last season on Sept. 18 in Amherst, Eastern Michigan earned a 42-28 victory at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Ellis Merriweather posted his first career 100-yard rushing game in that contest and Brady Olson threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Merriweather ran for 142 yards on 23 carries, the first 100-yard game for a Minuteman since 2019. Josiah Johnson had two TDs, one on the ground and another in the air, matching his single-season career high mark.

Prior to last season's meeting, the teams had last played on November 14, 2015 when Massachusetts posted a 28-17 win in Ypsilanti, Michigan. In that win, UMass ran for 330 yards including 200 rushing yards in the first half. Then freshman Marquis Young led all rushers with 168 yards on 32 carries and he scored UMass' first touchdown of the afternoon. Senior Jamal Wilson collected a career game-high 112 yards rushing and two scores on the ground.

In the first meeting in series history, the Minutemen posted a 36-14 win on Oct. 18, 2014 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Shadrach Abrokwah rushed for a career-high 135 yards and four touchdowns. UMass finished with 562 yards of total offense, recorded four sacks.

WELCOME BACK COACH

Head 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

FORCING THE ISSUE

Massachusetts has forced opponents into seven turnovers this season including four interceptions and three fumbles.

In the game at Temple (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 has two interceptions in each of the last two games (Jordan Mahoney and Josh Wallace versus Stony Brook and Mahoney and Boykin at Temple).

Mahoney's 96 combined return yards ranks third in the FBS, trailing only Chris Jefferson of Purdue (127) and John Torchio of Wisconsin (100).

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 reciever 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.

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.

THE QB ROOM: A MIX OF YOUNG AND OLD

The Minutemen's quarterback room features two sophomores (Brady Olson and Zamar Wise), one redshirt sophomore (Garrett Dzuro) and one redshirt junior (Gino Campiotti).

Olson (6'4'', 200-pounds from Bellingham, Mass.) appeared in nine career games during the 2021 season as a true freshman.

Campiotti (6'3'', 215-pounds from Manteca, Calif.), meanwhile, arrived at UMass after spending the 2021 season at Modesto Junior College, playing in 11 games, and competed at Nothern Arizona in the 2019-2020 seasons.

TOUCHDOWN FIRSTS

Redshirt junior Gino Campiotti scored his first touchdown in a Massachusetts uniform at Tulane (9/3). The Manteca, California, native, found his way into the endzone on a four-yard rush.

Isaiah Holiness rushed one-yard into the endzone at Toledo (9/10) for his first touchdown as a Minuteman.

Jordan Mahoney (94-yard INT return) and Cam Sullivan-Brown (18-yard TD catch) each recorded their first touchdowns of the season in the 20-3 win over Stony Brook. It was the first career TD for both players.

COMMONWEALTH CONNECTIONS

Redshirt sophomore Zukudo Igwenagu is the cousin of former Minuteman Emil Igwenagu '12.

Emil was a fullback and tight end for the program from 2008-2011. He served as a team captain in both the 2010 and 2011 seasons, and was named to the CAA All-Conference First Team (2011) and the CAA Academic All-Conference Team (2009). In the postseaason following his senior season, Emil competed in both the East-West Shrine Bowl and became the sixth player in program history to play in the Senior Bowl (2012)

The former Minuteman went undrafted in 2012 and was part of the Philadelphia Eagles organization.

CAPTURING CAREER MARKS

Isaiah Holiness' first touchdown as a Minuteman marked the first rushing touchdown of his career at Toledo (9/10). In addition, Tim Baldwin Jr., ran for 29-yards at Toledo (9/1), marking the longest rush of his career. Gino Campiotti also recorded a career-long rush of 22 yards at Toledo (9/10).

MAKING OUR DEBUT

In the season opener, 24 Minutemen made their debut . Three were members of the team last season, four are true freshman and 17 transfered into the program for the 2022 season.

MERRIWEATHER NAMED TO MAXWELL AWARD WATCH LIST

Ellis Merriweather was named to the 86th Maxwell Award Watch List, announced July 18 by the Maxwell Football Club. The award is presented to theCollege Player of the Year.

Merriweather completed the 2021 year as Massachusetts' first 1,000-yard rusher in the program's FBS era, while accumulating 1,138 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns. He recorded 218 consecutive carries without any fumbles and totaled a career best 39 carries for 171 yards and two touchdowns, leading UMass to its first victory of 2021. Merriweather received 2021 Phil Steele All-Independent Second Team honors.

FIVE MINUTEMEN TABBED PHIL STEELE PRESEASON ALL-INDEPENDENT

Massachusetts placed five members of the team on the 2022 Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent Team, including running back Ellis Merriweather, tight end Josiah Johnson, offensive tackle Max Longman, defensive tackle Billy Wooden and cornerback Josh Wallace. Merriweather earned First Team accolades, while Johnson, Longman, Wooden and Wallace each were named Second Team.

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 awalk-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.

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