University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Auburn
Football Heads To Auburn
August 28, 2023 | Football
Kickoff between the Minutemen and Tigers is set for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
| University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 2 | Massachusetts (1-0) at Auburn (0-0) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, September 2 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Location | Auburn, Ala. | Jordan-Hare Stadium |
| Tickets | Purchase Tickets Here |
| Series History | First Meeting |
| Game Notes & Team Information | Massachusetts: Game Notes | Game Program | Record Book Auburn: Game Notes | Media Guide |
| 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 travels to Auburn on Saturday, September 2, to face the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.
SERIES HISTORY
Massachusetts and Auburn will be meeting for the first time.
The Minutemen most recently faced an SEC opponent last season when they traveled to College Station, Texas and dropped a 20-3 decision to the Aggies. UMass had three fumble recoveries in that game to keep it close into the fourth quarter.
Prior to the visit to Kyle Field, the Minutemen last faced an SEC opponent on November 17, 2018 when they fell at fifth-ranked Georgia 66-27. In 2017, UMass played at Tennessee (Sept. 23) and at 21st-ranked Mississippi State (Nov. 4), nearly pulling off the upset at Neyland Stadium but falling 17-13 in a game that saw UMass total 12 TFLs against the Volunteers. The Bulldogs were then able to earn a 34-23 victory.
After a two-year transition period, UMass formally joined the FBS ranks in 2013 and are 0-9 against the SEC since moving to FBS.
BORN AND BRED IN THE COMMONWEALTH
This season's rosters features 25 student-athletes from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
2023 - 25
2022 - 27
2021 - 31
2020 - 29
2019 - 30
2018 - 25
2017 - 27
2016 - 31
SEASON-OPENING ROAD WIN
Massachusetts opened the season with a 41-30 win at New Mexico State including putting up an impressive 28 points in the fourth quarter to pull away.
In his UMass debut, redshirt junior quarterback Taisun Phommachanh threw for 192 yards on 10-for-17 passing, while rushing for a team-high 96 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown.
Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams totaled 79 yards on 15 carries and found the end zone twice. Anthony Simpson also contributed a TD and had 27 yards on the ground to go along with three receptions for 65 yards.
Defensively Isaiah Rutherford pulled down a pick six, one of three turnovers recovered by UMass on the day.
Tyler Rudolph led the squad with eight tackles and a sack, while Marcus Bradley had six tackles, including five solo stops. Michael Oppong grabbed an interception and Billy Wooden recovered a fumble to help the Minutemen win the turnover battle, 3-0.
The 28-points UMass scored in the fourth quarter matched the most points the team has posted in one quarter in the program's FBS era. The Minutemen also scored 28 vs. Charlotte in the first quarter on September 22, 2018 and 28 in the first quarter vs. Georgia Southern on October 21, 2017.
The 41 points marked the highest offensive output for UMass since defeating Liberty 62-59 in 3OT on November 3, 2018 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
Massachusetts improved to 1-0 to start the season for the first time since 2018 when it beat Duquesne 63-15 to open the year on August 25 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium (second time UMass has been 1-0 in its FBS era).
It was also the first road win for the Minutemen since 2018 at UConn (24 games).
REVAMPED QB ROOM
The Minutemen added four quarterbacks in the offseason including redshirt senior transfer Carlos Davis from Western Carolina, redshirt junior transfer Taisun Phommachanh from Georgia Tech/Clemson, freshman Ahmad Haston and walk-on freshman Conner Whitson.
Davis Played in seven games for Western Carolina in 2022 while compiling a 149.59 passer rating, throwing for and 16 touchdowns while also finishing as the team's third-leading rusher with 221 yards on the ground.
A Bridgeport, Connecticut native and former four-star recruit, Phommachanh appeared in two games for Georgia Tech last season and in 13 games for Clemson from 2019-21.
Haston joined the Minutemen as an early enrollee in January 2023 after leading Palm Beach Central to a 12-2 record and the school's first regional championship in 2022 as a senior captain (posted 2,150 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns on the season).
Junior Brady Olson is the lone returning quarterback as the Bellingham, Massachusetts native appeared in nine games in 2022, recording 77 pass completions for 791 yards and two touchdowns.
MAHONEY ON NAGURSKI WATCH
Junior cornerback Jordan Mahoney has been named to the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List as announced by the Football Writers Association of America on Tuesday (Aug. 1).
Mahoney had a knack of making big plays on the defensive side of the ball last season, totaling a team-best three interceptions while adding six pass breakups, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 42 tackles (28 solo).
The Rock Hill, South Carolina native returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown against Stony Brook and had a scoop-and-score for two defensive touchdowns on the season.
His three fumble recoveries ranked third in the FBS.
His brother, Jaylen, is a defensive back on the Vanderbilt football team, which also plays week zero.
The FWAA selected 94 defensive standouts from 70 schools in all 10 Division I FBS conferences plus Independents to comprise the 2023 watch list.
SIXTEEN STRONG
Sixteen University of Massachusetts football players earned Phil Steele 2023 Preseason Independent Team honors it was announced on June 12.
The list of honorees included First Team selections George Johnson III (WR), Billy Wooden (DT), Jerry Roberts Jr (LB), Jordan Mahoney (CB), Cameron Carson (K) and Greg Desrosiers Jr (KR).
The Second Team honorees included Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams (RB), Mark Pope (WR), Josh Atwood (C), Cole Garcia (OG), Marcus Bradley (DE), Gerrell Johnson (LB), Tyler Rudolph (S), CJ Kolodziey (P), Isaac Ross (PR) and Ethan Dumont (LS).
UMass ranked second with the 16 selections, trailing only Notre Dame (18) but finishing ahead of Army West Point (13) and Connecticut (11)
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.
