University of Massachusets Athletics

Saturday, September 9
Amherst, Mass.
3:30 P.M.

University of Massachusetts

1-2 , 0-0

28
vs
41

Miami University (OH)

1-1 , 0-0

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Miami (OH)
21
7
3
10
41
Massachusetts
0
7
14
7
28
Mark Pope - Miami

Massachusetts Falls 41-28 To Miami (OH) In Home Opener

September 10, 2023 | Football

AMHERST, Mass.– The University of Massachusetts football team opened the home schedule, faltering to Miami University (Ohio) 41-28 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium after a near six-hour cumulative severe weather delay.  
 
The game was kicked off by a ceremonial coin toss from UMass chancellor, Javier Reyes.  

In his
first career FBS start, quarterback Carlos Davis was 22-for-32 in the passing game, throwing for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Davis threw for an impressive 69% completion percentage, while recording a 163.7 quarterback rating.  

Junior quarterback Brady Olson made his 2023-24 season debut midway through the fourth quarter. 
 

Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams led UMass' offensively on the ground with 57 yards of his own on 16 rushing attempts. 

G
eorge Johnson III hauled in a team-high seven receptions, accumulating 50 yards and a touchdown. Greg Desrosiers Jr. followed behind with 40 total yards off of one reception and three rushing attempts, while Mark Pope paced the Minutemen with four receptions for 70 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown reception. 

Dashaun Jerkins tallied his first touchdown and interception as a Minuteman, adding three total tackles and a pass break up. 

Defensively,
Jerkins pulled down a pick six, one of two turnovers recovered on the game. Gerrell Johnson led UMass in tackles, (8) while Billy Wooden added a forced fumble and fumble recovery.  
 
How It Happened   

The
RedHawks came out with a quick four-play scoring drive to take a 7-0 lead. After the game's second severe weather delay, Miami answered back with pair of touchdowns to complete the first quarter, highlighted by a 99-yard reception by the RedHawks' Gage Larvadain. 

Deshaun Jerkins
put the Minutemen on the board to start the second quarter. Jerkins picked off a deflection at the UMass 37-yard line, to rush for a 63-yard touchdown; his first interception and touchdown with UMass.  

Miami
's Larvadain collected his third touchdown on the day in a six-play drive to close the first half, 28-7. 

UMass
tightened the contest with quarterback Carlos Davis completing a 32-yard touchdown pass to Greg Desrosiers Jr. in a brisk 2:17, five-play drive.  
Continuing off this momentum, the Minutemen cut the Redhawks lead to seven in the waning minutes of the third quarter. Mark Pope caught Davis' 50-yard touchdown pass to sew up the nine-play, five-minute drive for a 28-21 score.  

The RedHawks
added a field goal capping off a 2:32, six-play drive late in the third quarter. 

Billy Wo
oden kick started the final frame with a forced fumble and recovery after Miami (OH) quarterback, Brett Gabbert's sack. The play catapulted the Minutemen to an efficient two-play, 43 second drive, highlighted by a five-yard touchdown pass caught by George Johnson III.  

Miami (OH) responded
immediately with a 69-yard completion to Gage Larvadain. Larvadain fumbled the ball into the endzone, which was recovered by Cade McDonald for a RedHawks touchdown, extending their lead to 38-28.  

The RedHawks made
it 41-28, converting a 44-yard field goal with 3:32 remaining in the fourth quarter. 
 
Notes 
  • Billy Wooden and Josh Atwood served as the Massachusetts captains. 
  • The start of the game was delayed two hours due to lightning within an eight-mile radius of the stadium with the game officially kicking off at 5:39 p.m. 
  • The game was stopped with 2:42 left in the first quarter due to an additional lighting strike within eight miles. 
  • The game resumed at 9:42 p.m. for a 3:38 delay. 
  • Redshirt senior quarterback Carlos Davis made his first start with the Minutemen. 
  • Tyler Rudolph's first quarter interception was the third of his career (first of the season). 
  • Dashaun Jerkins posted his fifth career interception and first at UMass (3 INT's with Vanderbilt, 1 INT with Ole Miss).   
  • It was the second pick six of the season for UMass, with Isaiah Rutherford having returned an interception for a TD at New Mexico State.  
  • Greg Desrosiers Jr. caught his first career receiving touchdown (third career touchdown overall). 
  • Mark Pope caught his fifth career receiving touchdown and first at UMass (four at Miami)
  • Billy Wooden recorded his third forced fumble and fumble recovery over his five-year UMass career. 
  • George Johnson III recorded his second career receiving touchdown. 
  • Junior quarterback Brady Olson made his first appearance of the season midway through the fourth quarter. 
     
Next Up
The Minutemen head to
Ypsilanti, Michigan, to take on Eastern Michigan at 2 p.m., on Saturday, September 16 on ESPN+. 

Team Stats

UMU
UMA
Total Yards
446
306
Pass Yards
302
244
Rushing Yards
144
62
Penalty Yards
70
82
1st Downs
17
18
3rd Downs
2
6
4th Downs
0
0
TOP
30:59
29:01
1st Quarter
Logo

UMU 7, UMA 0

UMU - Larvadain,Gage 26 yd pass from Gabbert,Brett (McLaughlin,Kellan kick) 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:46

Logo

UMU 14, UMA 0

UMU - Larvadain,Gage 99 yd pass from Gabbert,Brett (Nicholson,Graham kick) 2 plays, 99 yards, TOP 01:02

Logo

UMU 21, UMA 0

UMU - Hilton,Kobe 0 yd fumble recovery (Nicholson,Graham kick)

2nd Quarter
Logo

UMU 21, UMA 7

UMA - Jerkins,Dashaun 53 yd interception (Carson,Cameron kick)

Logo

UMU 28, UMA 7

UMU - Larvadain,Gage 13 yd pass from Gabbert,Brett (Nicholson,Graham kick) 6 plays, 52 yards, TOP 02:51

3rd Quarter
Logo

UMU 28, UMA 14

UMA - Desrosiers,Gregory 32 yd pass from Davis,Carlos (Carson,Cameron kick) 5 plays, 62 yards, TOP 02:17

Logo

UMU 28, UMA 21

UMA - Pope,Mark 50 yd pass from Davis,Carlos (Carson,Cameron kick) 9 plays, 89 yards, TOP 05:00

Logo

UMU 31, UMA 21

UMU - Nicholson,Graham 33 yd field goal 7 plays, 44 yards, TOP 02:32

4th Quarter
Logo

UMU 31, UMA 28

UMA - Johnson,George 5 yd pass from Davis,Carlos (Carson,Cameron kick) 2 plays, 2 yards, TOP 00:43

Logo

UMU 38, UMA 28

UMU - McDonald,Cade 1 yd pass from Gabbert,Brett (Nicholson,Graham kick) 1 plays, 70 yards, TOP 00:11

Logo

UMU 41, UMA 28

UMU - Nicholson,Graham 44 yd field goal 7 plays, 25 yards, TOP 03:31

Game Leaders

CMP
22
TD
3
YDS
244
INT
0
CMP
0
TD
0
YDS
0
INT
1

Players Mentioned

OL
/ Football
QB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
S
/ Football
DT
/ Football
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