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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
2-7 , 0-0
Army
2-6 , 0-0
Massachusetts Defeats Army 21-14 In West Point
October 28, 2023 | Football
Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams rushed for 234 yards and three touchdowns.
WEST POINT, N.Y.– The University of Massachusetts football team defeated Army West Point, 21-14, on Saturday afternoon at Michie Stadium (29,625). The win marked the first against Army in program history.
Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams completed the day with a career-high 234 yards rushing on a career-best 34 attempts, while adding a career-high three touchdowns.
Lynch-Adams becomes Massachusetts' first 200-yard rusher since Marquis Young had 240 yards on Nov. 27, 2015 at Buffalo.
Taisun Phommachanh threw for an efficient 121 yards on 17-for-23 passing, while Anthony Simpson totaled seven receptions for 36 yards. George Johnson III followed with 33 receiving yards of his own on four catches and an important two-point conversion grab, with Gino Campiotti hauling in a 20-yard catch on the afternoon.
For the Minutemen defense, Te'Rai Powell led the way with eight tackles, including five solo. Nahji Logan, Billy Wooden and Jerry Roberts Jr. Recorded seven tackles apiece. Wooden added one sack for a loss of four-yards, two QB hurries and a fumble recovery. Roberts Jr., had one tackle-for-loss, as Jalon Ferrell and John Burton combined for one.
Juan Lua came up with his second interception of the season and of his career, while Jeremiah McGill recorded his first career interception with a 27-yard return.
How It Happened
The Minutemen took the opening kickoff and marched down the field with a nine play, 75-yard drive culminating in a 34-yard touchdown scamper by Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams.
Leading 6-0, Massachusetts held the Black Knights to a 49-yard field goal attempt on their first drive, which was missed wide right. The Minutemen took over and put together another scoring drive that ended in a nine-yard rushing touchdown from Lynch-Adams. CJ Kolodziey then tacked on the extra point for a 13-0 lead.
Army cut UMass' lead to six with a two-yard run from quarterback Bryson Daily, which capped a 17-play drive that covered 76 yards and took 8:37 off the clock in the second quarter.
A big third down stop by Nahji Logan forced the Black Knights into punt formation on their first drive of the second half. Army ran a fake punt that Jalon Ferrell and John Burton combined to stop, giving the Minutemen the ball on offense at the Army 30-yard line. A six-play, 30 yard drive completed by a three-yard rushing touchdown by Lynch-Adams and a successful two-point conversion from George Johnson III put UMass ahead 21-7.
Army began its next drive and went for it on a fourth and two from the UMass seven. Daily rolled out and passed into the endzone with the ball being tipped and picked off by Juan Lua with a minute and 29 seconds remaining in the third quarter to maintain the Minutemen's 14-point lead.
With a drive starting at the 13:21 mark of the final quarter, a third and eight, 13-yard pass to Johnson III kept the Massachusetts drive alive after Jeremiah McGill picked off the ball in the endzone on a second-and-10 play for Army.
UMass was forced to punt on a 4th-and-12, giving the Black Knights a 1st-and-10 from their own 17-yard line. Army finished its five-pay, 83-yard drive with a 36-yard run by Champ Harris to get back within one possession, 21-14, but the UMass defense held including a final play that saw Billy Wooden recover a fumble.
Notes
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Billy Wooden and Josh Atwood served as the Massachusetts captains for the ninth consecutive game, while quarterback Taisun Phommachanh was a captain for the third game in a row.
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Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams posted a career-high three rushing touchdowns to become the first UMass player to rush for three touchdowns in a game since Bilal Ally had three versus Georgia Southern on Oct. 21, 2017
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Lynch-Adams finished with a career-high 234 rushing yards (previous high was 157 yards against Toledo on Oct. 7, 2023). Lynch-Adams became Massachusetts' first 200-yard rusher since Marquis Young had 240 yards on Nov. 27, 2015 at Buffalo.
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Lynch-Adams registered 114 rushing yards alone in the first quarter.
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Juan Lua posted his second interception of the season/of his career.
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Jeremiah McGill recorded his first career interception.
Next Up
Massachusetts returns to McGuirk Alumni Stadium next Saturday when it hosts Merrimack for Homecoming at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
Team Stats
MAS 6, AWP 0
MAS - Adams,Kay'Ron 34 yd run (), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:28
MAS 13, AWP 0
MAS - Adams,Kay'Ron 9 yd run (Carson,Cameron kick), 9 plays, 68 yards, TOP 05:14
MAS 13, AWP 7
AWP - Daily,Bryson 2 yd run (Maretzki,Quinn kick), 16 plays, 76 yards, TOP 08:37
MAS 21, AWP 7
MAS - Adams,Kay'Ron 3 yd run (Johnson,George pass), 6 plays, 30 yards, TOP 03:42
MAS 21, AWP 14
AWP - Harris,Champ 36 yd run (Maretzki,Quinn kick), 5 plays, 83 yards, TOP 01:30
