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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Miami University (OH)
Massachusetts Football Sets For Home Opener Against Miami (Ohio)
September 04, 2023 | Football
Minutemen host the Redhawks at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday on ESPN+.
| University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 3 | Massachusetts (1-1) vs. Miami (Ohio) (0-1) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, September 9 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Location | Amherst, Mass. | McGuirk Alumni Stadium |
| Tickets | Purchase Tickets Here |
| Series History | Miami (Ohio) leads, 3-1-0 Last Meeting | Nov. 21, 2015 | McGuirk Alumni Stadium | Miami (Ohio) 20, Massachusetts 13 |
| Game Notes & Team Information | Massachusetts: Game Notes | Game Program | Record Book Miami (Ohio): 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 hosts Miami University (Ohio) for its home opener at McGuirk Alumni Stadium at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 9, on ESPN+.
SERIES HISTORY
Massachusetts and Miami (Ohio) have met four times, with the RedHawks holding a 3-1 series lead. All four previous meetings came when both teams were part of the Mid-American Conference, with the Minutemen posting their win in in 2013:
Sept. 22, 2012: L, 27-16 @ Miami (MAC)
Oct. 12, 2013: W, 17-10 @ UMass (MAC/Foxboro, Mass.)
Oct. 4, 2014: L, 42-41 @ Miami (MAC)
Nov. 21, 2015: L, 20-13 @ UMass (MAC/Amherst, Mass.)
In that 2013 victory, A.J. Doyle threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns to lead Massachusetts to the 17-10 win at Gillette Stadium. UMass had 376 yards of total offense and 23 first downs and Doyle was 19-of-35 on the day. Jamal Wilson rushed 23 times for 82 yards and Rob Blanchflower led the UMass receiving corps with five catches for 98 yards and touchdown.
The high-scoring game in 2014 features in the UMass records book as the Minutemen tied for the most passing first downs in a game (23) and Sam Martin tied the record for most touchdown receptions in a game (four). Quarterback Blake Frohnapfel attempted the third-most passes in a UMass game (60) and completed the second-most (35).
HOME OPENERS
Massachusetts is 6-0 in home openers under head coach Don Brown. Last season, the Minutemen posted a 20-3 victory over Stony Brook in Brown's return to McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
During Brown's previous tenure as head coach at UMass, the Minutemen went 5-0 in home openers including wins over Colgate (2004 and 2006), Albany (2005 and 2008) and Holy Cross (2007).
QUICK HITS
Massachusetts is one of 17 FBS teams with a defensive touchdown this season (Isaiah Rutherford pick six at New Mexico State).
Massachusetts is tied for 8th in FBS with three turnovers gained (two interceptions and a fumble recovery).
Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams has 180 rushing yards through the first two games, which ranks seventh in FBS.
The Minutemen have 28 first downs this season, which ranks tied for 26th in FBS.
UMass is averaging 17.00 yards per punt return, which ranks tied for 18th in FBS.
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.
