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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Arkansas State
Football Faces Arkansas State At McGuirk On Saturday
September 25, 2023 | Football
Kickoff between the Minutemen and Red Wolves for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
| University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 6 | Massachusetts (1-4) vs. Arkansas State (2-2) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, September 30 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Location | Amherst, Mass. | McGuirk Alumni Stadium |
| Tickets | Purchase Tickets Here |
| Series History | Arkansas State leads, 1-0-0 Last Meeting | Nov. 12, 2022 | Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro, Ark. | Arkansas State 35, Massachusetts 33 |
| Game Notes & Team Information | Massachusetts: Game Notes | Don Brown Presser | Game Program | Record Book Arkansas State: 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 faces Arkansas State at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Saturday, September 30, at 3:30 p.m., on ESPN+.
SERIES HISTORY
UMass and Arkansas State will be meeting for the second time in program history, with the Red Wolves posting a narrow 35-33 home win last season in the teams' first meeting (Nov. 12, 2022). Isaac Ross and the Minutemen scored a touchdown with 18 seconds remaining in that contest but could not convert the two-point try to tie it.
Cameron Sullivan-Brown and George Johnson III led the team with 72 receiving yards, including a career long 53-yard catch for Johnson III to go along with his first collegiate touchdown. On the ground, Ellis Merriweather registered a season-best 122 yards. At quarterback, Brady Olson completed 14-of-28 passes for 178 yards, while Garrett Dzuro came in after Olson went down and Dzuro finished 10-of-14 for 129 yards. Both Olson and Dzuro threw one touchdown.
On defense, Jalen Stewart had a team-high seven tackles (three solo). Stewart added one sack and .5 tackles for loss. Jalen Mackie followed with six tackles of his own and a tackle for loss. Tyler Rudolph registered his second interception of the season.
SIMP CATCHING ON
A junior wide receiver, Simpson posted touchdowns in back-to-back games to open the season and now has 19 catches for 393 receiving yards (78.60 yards/game). His 393 receiving yards rank 19th in FBS (first among independents). Simpson also has eight carries for 68 yards this season.
In the 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).
QUICK HITS
Massachusetts held Eastern Michigan and New Mexico scoreless in the third quarters and the Minutemen have held the opposition off the scoreboard in three of five third quarters this season.
At 14.53 yards per completion, UMass ranks 19th in the country in passing yards per completion.
WOODEN LEADING THE D
Senior defensive lineman Billy Wooden ranks tied for second on the team with 21 tackles (14 solo), has a team-best seven tackles for loss and a team-best 4.0 sacks on the season. His 4.0 sacks this season rank tied for eighth-most in FBS (first among independents).
Wooden also has a pass breakup, two quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles (37th in FBS) and two fumble recoveries (t-2nd in FBS).
KAY'RON RUNNING WILD
Redshirt junior Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams is putting together a breakout season as the lead back for the Minutemen. A 2023 Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent Second Team member, Lynch-Adams has logged 463 rushing yards on 97 carries so far this season. He has also added seven catches for 55 receiving yards.
Against New Mexico State to open the year, he 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 a career-high 129 yards. His 463 rushing yards on the season ranks ninth in FBS (second among independents), while his 92.6 rushing yards per game ranks 23rd in FBS (second among independents).
According to PFF, Lynch-Adams is tied for the national lead in breakaway runs (15+ yards) with 10, along with Darius Taylor of Minnesota. Also according to PFF, Lynch-Adams leads the country in forced missed tackles with 36 (Audric Estime of Notre Dame is second with 32).
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.
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.
