University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Liberty
Football Prepares For Road Game At Liberty On Saturday
November 13, 2023 | Football
Minutemen face off against the Flames at Williams Stadium at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
| University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 11 | Massachusetts (3-7) vs. #25 Liberty (10-0) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, November 18 | 1 p.m. |
| Location | Lynchburg, Va. | Williams Stadium |
| Tickets | Purchase Tickets Here |
| Series History | Liberty leads, 4-1-0 Last Meeting | Oct. 8, 2022 | McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Amherst, Mass. | Liberty 42, Massachusetts 24 |
| Game Notes & Team Information | Massachusetts: Game Notes | Don Brown Presser | Game Program | Record Book Liberty: 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 | StatBroadcast |
| @UMassFootball | @FBCoachDBrown | |
| UMass Football | |
| UMass Football | |
AMHERST, Mass. -- University of Massachusetts football returns to the field with a Saturday afternoon road contest at Liberty. The Minutemen kickoff against the Flames on November 18 at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
SERIES HISTORY
Liberty leads the all-time series 4-1-0, with the teams having met in each of the last five seasons.
The first meeting between the two teams on Nov. 3, 2018 was one of the more memorable games in recent history for the Minutemen as they won a triple overtime shootout 62-59 on Homecoming Weekend at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Wide receiver Andy Isabella recorded 303 receiving yards and two touchdowns on only nine receptions, which made Isabella the first receiver in FBS history with 300 or more receiving yards on fewer than 10 catches. He accomplished the feat despite not playing any of the three overtime periods due to injury. The 303 receiving yards set a program record.
Liberty then evened the series on Nov. 2, 2019 with a 63-21 win at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
The series shifted to Lynchburg, Virginia for 2020 and 2021, with the Flames posting wins of 45-0 (Nov. 27, 2020) and 62-17 (Oct. 30, 2021).
Last season on Oct. 8, 2022, Liberty came away with a 42-24 win at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Greg Desrosiers Jr. led the Massachusetts offense with 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns. On defense for UMass, Jalen Mackie had a sack, while Nahji Logan recorded his first career sack. Jalon Ferrell added a career high nine tackles, with six solo and three assisted
KAY'RON RUNNING WILD
Redshirt junior Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams is putting together a breakout season as the lead back for the Minutemen, rushing for 1,014 yards on 201 carries this season. He has also added 16 catches for 90 receiving yards. His 1,014 rushing yards ranks 14th in FBS (first among independents), while his 101.4 rushing yards per game ranks 17th in FBS (first among independents). He also has nine rushing touchdowns this season (t-31st in FBS). He is the second Minutemen to rush for over 1,000 yards in the FBS era, joining Ellis Merriweather (2021).
Top Rushing Season in the FBS Era (yards):
1,138 – Ellis Merriweather (2018)
1,014 – Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams (2023)
982 – Marquis Young (2017)
Lynch-Adams lead the Minutemen to the win at Army, rushing 34 times for 234 yards (6.9 yards/carry) and adding three rushing touchdowns – each of which was a career-high mark. He became 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 and the first Minuteman to eclipse the 200-yard mark since Marquis Young had 240 yards on Nov. 27, 2015 at Buffalo.
Against Toledo (Oct. 7), Lynch-Adams rushed 20 times for a then career-high 157 yards including a 47-yard touchdown to put UMass ahead 7-0 in the first quarter.
Against New Mexico State to open the year (Aug. 26), Lynch-Adams totaled two touchdowns, marking his first career multiple touchdown game. He posted 101 yards on 14 carries at Auburn, including a 28-yard run, for his first career 100-yard game. At Eastern Michigan (Sept. 16), Lynch-Adams carried the ball 26 times for 129 yards.
A 2023 Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent Second Team member, Lynch-Adams joined the Minutemen for the 2021 season after spending two years at Rutgers. Last season, he rushed 84 times for 297 yards and a career-long, 66-yard touchdown.
PICK SIX
Massachusetts has a pair of pick sixes this season. Isaiah Rutherford grabbed an interception and returned it for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the season-opening win at New Mexico State (Aug. 26), while Dashaun Jerkins returned an interception for a touchdown against Miami (Sept. 9). The two defensive touchdowns are tied for 18th in FBS.
All told, the Minutemen have seven interceptions this season with Tyler Rudolph (vs. Miami), Michael Oppong (at New Mexico State), Juan Lua (vs. Toledo in his first career start and at Army) and Jeremiah McGill (at Army) also posting interceptions.
WOODEN LEADING THE D
Senior defensive lineman Billy Wooden ranks tied for third on the team with 43 total tackles and ranks third on the team with 19 solo tackles. He has a team-high nine tackles for loss and a team-best 5.5 sacks on the season (tied for 63rd in FBS/first among independents).
Wooden also has a pass breakup, six quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries (tied for third in FBS).
A Towson, Maryland native, Wooden is in his fifth season with the UMass program and has served as a game captain in each of the team's first 10 games this season.
SIMP CATCHING ON
Junior wide receiver Anthony Simpson scored touchdowns in back-to-back games to open the season and now has 45 catches for 637 receiving yards (67.1 yards/game) this season. His 637 receiving yards ranks 68th in FBS (first among independents). Simpson also has 11 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown this season.
Simpson's 637 receiving yards ranks 10th in UMass' FBS era (seventh among wide recievers):
1,698 – Andy Isabella (2018)
1,319 – Tajae Sharpe (2015)
1,281 – Tajae Sharpe (2014)
1,020 – Andy Isabella (2017)
808 – Adam Breneman (2016/TE)
801 – Andy Isabella (2016)
764 – Adam Breneman (2017/TE)
680 – Tajae Sharpe (2013)
642 – Jean Sifrin (2014/TE)
637 – Anthony Simpson (2023)
In the season-opening win at New Mexico State, the Arizona transfer had a 10-yard TD run for the game's first score. At Auburn, he took a swing pass 58-yards for his second TD of the season. It marked the first two career touchdowns for the Bloomfield, Connecticut native.
Simpson posted 101 receiving yards at Eastern Michigan (Sept. 16), including a career-long 67-yard connection in the second half. His third touchdown of the season came late in the fourth quarter against New Mexico when he hauled in a 65-yard TD catch from Ahmad Haston to help send the game to overtime (Sept. 23).
Simpson then had seven catches for a career-high 140 yards and a 71-yard touchdown against Toledo. The 71-yard touchdown catch was UMass' first 70-plus yard reception since Ross Comis connected with Andy Isbella on a 75-yard touchdown at Georgia on Nov. 17, 2018. The 140 yards was also UMass' highest single-game total since Isabella finished that game at Georgia with 218 yards.
With that showing against the Rockets, Simpson posted a third 100-yard receiving game of the season, the most since Isabella turned in six such performances in 2018.
DESROSIERS DELIVERING RETURNS
Redshirt sophomore running back Greg Desrosiers Jr. has combined with Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams to provide the offensive firepower in the Massachusetts backfield.
The Lawrence, Massachusetts native had a career-day against Merrimack while scoring on touchdown runs of eight yards, 46 yards and 57 yards en route to a career-high 162 yards and career-high three touchdowns.
Desrosiers Jr. totaled 244 all-purpose yards against Arkansas State (Sept. 30), including 75 rushing yards, 27 receiving yards and 142 yards on kickoff returns. In that game against the Red Wolves, he posted his first career two-touchdown game including a career-long, 60-yard TD run and his second TD catch of the season.
A 2023 Phil Steele Preseason Independent Team First Team Kick Returner selection, Desrosiers Jr. has 31 rushes for 285 yards and four touchdowns this season to go along with 12 catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns. He also has 466 kickoff return yards this season, which ranks 15th in FBS.
Desrosiers Jr. joined the UMass program last season after two years at Louisville (appeared in six games for the Cardinals).
POWER FIVE TRANSFERS FOR 2023
Massachusetts added 15 transfers into the program with previous power five experience:
JB Brown - Arizona
RJ Edwards - Arizona
Jalen Harrell - Miami
Shambre Jackson - Florida State
Dashaun Jerkins - Ole Miss/Vanderbilt
Jalen John - Arizona
Tyler Martin - Arizona
Steven Ortiz - Minnesota
Taisun Phommachanh - Georgia Tech/Clemson
Mark Pope - Miami
Jerry Roberts Jr. - Arizona
Isaiah Rutherford - Arizona
Anthony Simpson - Arizona
Matt Smith - Duke
Jermaine Wiggins Jr. - Arizona
COACHING AT THE ALMA MATER
UMass employs three alums in full-time coaching roles in 2023, including assistant head coach/special teams coordinator/defensive lines coach, Ben Albert, defensive line coach, Valdamar Brower and associate head coach/offensive line coach, Alex Miller.
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
Two additional coaching staff members earned a degree from UMass in analyst Jesse Monteiro '17 and Graduate Assistant Garrett Dzuro '23.
