Football Clashes With Connecticut On Saturday To Conclude Season

University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information
Game 12	Massachusetts (3-8) vs. Connecticut (2-9)
Date \| Time	Saturday, November 25 \| 12 p.m.
Location	Amherst, Mass. \| McGuirk Alumni Stadium
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Here
Series History	Massachusetts leads, 38-36-2 Last Meeting \| Nov. 4, 2022 \| Pratt & Whitney Stadium, East Hartford, Conn. \| Connecticut 27, Massachusetts 10
Game Notes & Team Information	Massachusetts: Game Notes \| Don Brown Presser \| Game Program \| Record Book Connecticut: 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
Twitter	@UMassFootball \| @FBCoachDBrown
Instagram	UMass Football
Facebook	UMass Football

AMHERST, Mass. -- University of Massachusetts football hosts rival Connecticut for a Saturday afternoon showdown at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. on ESPN+.

SERIES HISTORY

Massachusetts and Connecticut will be meeting for the 77th time in series history, with the Minutemen leading 38-36-2. At 76 previous meetings, Connecticut is the second most common opponent for UMass, trailing only Rhode Island (87).

Last season, Massachusetts was stymied on the road, 27-10, by Connecticut at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field (23,430). Cameron Sullivan-Brown totaled a career-high 124 receiving yards, including a career long 53-yard catch for a touchdown, while Ellis Merriweather registered 33 yards on the ground. At quarterback, Brady Olson completed 19-of-34 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, Tyler Rudolph led the Minutemen with 10 tackles (five solo). Jalen Mackie followed with nine tackles of his own, including a team-best seven solo tackles. Marcus Cushnie had 1.5 tackles for loss and added one sack.

In 2021, the Minutemen posted a 27-13 win over UConn on October 9, 2021, at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Ellis Merriweather rushed for 171 yards and added two touchdowns to lead UMass to the victory.

The teams first met on Nov. 6, 1897 with M.A.C. prevailing, 36-0. Massachusetts also picked up the 100th win in school history against Connecticut, posting a 28-0 win on Oct. 2, 1920. The teams were charter members of the Yankee Conference, which was announced on Dec. 3, 1946.

Another notable game in the series came on Nov. 16, 1996, and is called The Miracle at McGuirk. Jeff Smith hit Erik Henry on a 20-yard touchdown strike with 31 seconds remaining to complete a 20-point fourth quarter comeback and lead UMass to a 39-38 victory over Connecticut in the final game in Yankee Conference history. The comeback is the greatest in school history.

Then on Nov. 20, 1999, the Minutemen posted an emphatic 62-20 over UConn at McGuirk Stadium in the Huskies last game as a I-AA school. Massachusetts claimed its 18th Atlantic 10 Conference title in the process as Marcel Shipp rushed for three touchdowns in the victory to break Rene Ingoglia's single-season record of 19. Shipp went on to finish the season with 24 rushing scores.

Looking ahead, the Minutemen will play host to the Huskies at McGuirk Alumni Stadium again on November 30, 2024 and on October 16, 2027. Massachusetts is slated to head back to Rentschler Field for games on November 29, 2025, and October 24, 2026.

KAY'RON RUNNING WILD

Redshirt junior Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams is putting together one of the most prolific rushing seasons in the UMass records book as the lead back for the Minutemen, rushing for 1,106 yards on 218 carries this season. He has also added 18 catches for 90 receiving yards. His 1,106 rushing yards ranks 14th in FBS (first among independents), while his 100.5 rushing yards per game ranks 15th in FBS (first among independents).

Lynch-Adams also has 10 rushing touchdowns this season (t-30th in FBS), the most rushing TDs in Massachusetts' FBS era (Marquis Young had nine in 2017 and 2018).

Lynch-Adams is the second Minuteman 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)
1,106 – 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).

All told, the Minutemen have eight 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), Jeremiah McGill (at Army) and Gerrell Johnson (at Liberty) also posting interceptions.

WOODEN LEADING THE D

Senior defensive lineman Billy Wooden ranks tied for third on the team with 46 total tackles and ranks third on the team with 20 solo tackles. He has a team-high nine tackles for loss and a team-best 5.5 sacks on the season.

Wooden also has a pass breakup, seven quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries (tied for fourth 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 11 games this season.

SIMP CATCHING ON

Junior wide receiver Anthony Simpson has 51 catches for 685 receiving yards (62.3 yards/game) this season. His 685 receiving yards ranks 71st in FBS (first among independents). Simpson also has 11 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown this season.

Simpson's 685 receiving yards ranks eighth in UMass' FBS era (seventh among wide receivers):
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)
685 – Anthony Simpson (2023)
680 – Tajae Sharpe (2013)
642 – Jean Sifrin (2014/TE)

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 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 34 rushes for 291 yards and four touchdowns this season to go along with 13 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He also has 510 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.

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