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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Toledo
Massachusetts Football Travels To Toledo On Saturday
September 02, 2024 | Football
The Minutemen and Rockets kickoff at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
| University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 2 | Massachusetts (0-1) at Toledo (1-0) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, September 7 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Location | Toledo, Ohio | Glass Bowl |
| Tickets | Purchase Tickets Here |
| Series History | Toledo leads, 7-1-0 Last Meeting | Oct. 2, 2023 | McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Amherst, Mass. | Toledo 41, Massachusetts 24 |
| Game Notes & Team Information | Massachusetts: Game Notes | Game Program | Record Book Toledo: 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 heads to Toledo, Ohio, on Saturday, September 7, for a matchup with the Toledo Rockets at the Glass Bowl. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
SERIES HISTORY
The Minutemen and the Rockets will be meeting for the ninth time in series history, with Toledo holding a 7-1-0 advantage. Toledo also leads the series, 4-0, when playing at home.
Last season, the Rockets posted a 41-24 win on October 7 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The Minutemen held a 21-17 lead at halftime in that contest, but the Rockets pulled away in the second half with three touchdowns and a field goal. Both teams racked up a lot of yards, including 514 for the Rockets and 439 for the Minutemen.
Taisun Phommachanh finished 20-for-31 for 272 yards to go along with a pair of touchdowns and an interception. Wideout Anthony Simpson had a big game through the air, hauling in seven receptions for a career-high 140 yards.
The Massachusetts win in the series came on Sept. 11, 1976, in Amherst as the Minutemen defeated the Rockets, 28-14, to open that campaign. The teams also met in 1983, 1999, 2014 (MAC), 2015 (MAC), 2021 and 2022.
BORN AND BRED IN THE COMMONWEALTH
This season's rosters features 24 student-athletes from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
2024 - 24
2023 - 25
2022 - 27
2021 - 31
2020 - 29
2019 - 30
2018 - 25
2017 - 27
2016 - 31
QUICK HITS
Senior punter CJ Kolodziey put both his punts against Eastern Michigan inside the 10-yard line including drive starts at the eight- and three-yard line, respectively (averaged 39.5 yards on those punts).
Graduate transfer Tim Grant-Randall is one of five FBS defensive linemen with multiple pass breakups on the season, joining Cal's T.J. Bollers, Alabama's James Smith, Marshall's Chris Thomas and Tennessee's Omari Thomas.
Redshirt junior running back Jalen John scored his first career touchdown, a one-yard rushing TD, in the third quarter of the season-opener against Eastern Michigan
POWER FOUR TRANSFERS FOR 2024
Massachusetts added 14 transfers into the program with previous power four experience:
Owen Anderson - Illinois
Brandon Campbell - Houston/USC
Sterling Galban - Texas Tech
Mao Glynn II - Cincinnati
Jaylen Hudson - Wake Forest
Frank Ladson Jr. - Miami/Clemson
Jaelyn Lay - Clemson
Jacob Lurie - Vanderbilt
Brandon McElroy - Arizona State
Etinosa Reuben - Georgia Tech/Clemson
Brayden Rohme - California
Benjamin Roy Jr. - UCLA
Sam Staruch - Michigan\
Paul Tchio - Georgia Tech/Clemson
Additional players on the 2024 roster who previously joined from the Power Four include:
Ryan Barnes – Notre Dame
John Burton – Arizona
RJ Edwards – Arizona
Jalen Harrell – Miami
Zukudo Igwenagu – Rutgers
Shambre Jackson – Florida State
Jalen John – Arizona
Steven Ortiz – Arizona/Minnesota
Taisun Phommachanh – Clemson/Georgia Tech
Tyler Martin – Arizona
Tyler Rudolph – Penn State
Isaiah Rutherford – Notre Dame
Anthony Simpson – Arizona
Matt Smith – Duke
Tyson Watson – Michigan State
Jermaine Wiggins Jr. – Arizona
SIMP SUPREME
Wideout Anthony Simpson returns for his final season, looking to build off an impressive 2023 campaign – his first with the Minutemen. A 2023 Phil Steele All-Independent First Team selection and College Football Network's All-Independent's Wide Receiver of the Year, Simpson made all 12 starts for the Minutemen last year while totaling 57 receptions for 792 yards and three touchdown catches.
Simpson, a transfer from Arizona, recorded four games with 100-plus yards receiving last season (101 - at Eastern Michigan, 9/16; 104 - vs. New Mexico, 9/23; 140 - vs. Toledo, 10/7; 107 - vs. UConn, 11/25). He also had 11 rushes for 93 yards and a touchdown (at New Mexico State 8/26).
MINUTEMEN ON THE MAP
Two Minutemen in graduate students Frank Ladson Jr. and Dominick Mazotti earned a spot on the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000, as announced in July.
Additionally, Ladson Jr., landed on 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List, the organization announced in August.
DUDES WITH DEGREES
Thirty-two Minutemen open the season having already earned undergraduate degrees. Seven of the 32 have degrees from UMass including Josh Atwood, Ethan Mottinger, Aaron Beckwith, Zukudo Igwenagu, Te'Rai Powell, Tyler Rudolph and Myles Turner.
Additional players with undergraduate degrees include Will Jones, Luke Painton, Brayden Rohme, Paul Tchio, Sterling Galban, Jakobie Keeney-James, Frank Ladson, Sam Staruch, Dom Mazotti, Jaelyn Lay, Matt Smith, Taisun Phommachanh, Ben Roy, Tim Grant-Randall, Brandon McElroy, Jaylen Hudson, Etinosa Reuben, Macklin Ayers, Leonard St. Gourdin, John Burton, Lake Ellis, Arsheen Jiles, Isaiah Rutherford, Jay Watkins and Jacob Lurie.
COACHING AT THE ALMA MATER
UMass employs two alums in full-time coaching roles in 2024, including assistant head coach/special teams coordinator/defensive lines coach, Ben Albert, 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.
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
An additional coaching staff member earned a degree from UMass in Graduate Assistant Garrett Dzuro '23.
