University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
0-11 , 0-7
Ohio
7-4 , 5-2
Footballs Falls At Ohio
November 18, 2025 | Football
Freshman wide receiver Elijah Pedro caught a touchdown in his first career start.
ATHENS, Ohio – University of Massachusetts football fell to Ohio University, 42-14, at Peden Stadium on Tuesday night (12,438).
The start of the game was delayed by roughly 15 minutes due to lightning, with another delay coming with 3:52 remaining in the second quarter.
Massachusetts starting quarterback AJ Hairston helped take the Minutemen down the field on the game's opening drive before sustaining an injury that knocked him out of the game. Brandon Rose came in an tossed a touchdown pass to Owen Anderson, but Rose was lost later in the game as well. Grant Jordan finished at QB for UMass, finishing 10-of-21 with a touchdown and interception while adding 17 yards on the ground.
Defensively for the Minutemen, Tyler Martin led with 13 tackles (five solo, eight assisted), followed by Rashad Henry and Derrieon Craig with 12 and 11, respectively. David Onuoha registered a career-best two sacks for 15 yards, as Martin added 1.5 tackles for loss. Marques White forced a fumble, marking the second time this season, with Shymell Davis recovering the fumble for the first time in his career.
How It Happened
On the opening drive, Brandon Hood rushed for 20 yards to move the Minutemen down the field. After a roughing the passer penalty on the Bobcats gave UMass a first-and-10 in Ohio territory, quarterback AJ Hairston scrambled up the middle for a 19-yard gain. With an injury on the QB scramble, Brandon Rose entered the game for Hairston. Rose then connected with Owen Anderson for a 10-yard touchdown at the 12:05 mark to give Massachusetts a 7-0 lead.
Ohio answered back on its first drive of the game, finishing an 11-play, 70-yard drive with a two-yard QB keeper by Parker Navarro to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:03 remaining in the first quarter.
The Minutemen moved the ball into Ohio territory on their second drive of the night, but a bad snap turned into a Bobcat recovery on a fourth and one play from the Ohio 35-yard line with just under a minute to play in the first quarter.
Massachusetts answered with a defensive stop following the turnover. Marques White forced a Navarro throwaway with a quarterback hurry on third and three from the UMass 31. Tyler Martin and Derrieon Craig then stuffed Navarro on the fourth down rush.
Ohio converted on a fourth-and-one to keep its next drive going, capping it with a Duncan Brune 13-yard touchdown run to pull ahead 14-7 at the 7:12 mark of the second quarter.
With the Bobcats driving, lightning forced another delay at the 3:52 mark of the second quarter.
Upon return from the delay, Sieh Bangura extended Ohio's lead, 21-7, on a three-yard scamper up the middle.
Facing a fourth and one on its own 47, Grant Jordan handed off to Jacquon Gibson, who turned up field for a gain of 12. That play kept the drive alive for a 55-yard field goal attempt by Derek Morris, whose kick fell just short with 53 seconds left in the half.
The Minutemen came up with another fourth down stop and got the ball back in Ohio territory. Jordan took a sack on the first play, and the Minutemen were stopped but a roughing the passer call enabled Morris to attempt a 47-yard field goal on an untimed down that went wide left.
After a three-minute break for halftime due to the previous delay, Ohio received the second half kickoff. Navarro scrambled for a big third down gain, but Marques White tracked back to force a fumble that Shymell Davis was able to dive on for the turnover.
Massachusetts started its next drive on the Ohio 48 and put together another scoring drive. Hood rushed for 19 yards on a third-and-three from the 19-yard line to give UMass a first-and-goal. On second down, Jordan scrambled and found freshman wideout Elijah Pedro in the endzone for his first career touchdown on his first career reception at 8:56 to cut the deficit to seven at 21-14.
A 25-yard rush by the Bobcats placed them into UMass territory, before a 24-yard run put Ohio at first-and-goal on its next drive. Bangura rushed for two yards up the middle to add to Ohio's lead, 28-14.
Ohio added to its total with 6:46 left in the fourth quarter, as a four-yard QB keeper from Navarro put the Bobcats ahead, 35-14. The Bobcats continued to pull ahead, 42-14, as Brune ran for a one-yard touchdown at the 2:11 mark.
Notes
- The game was delayed roughly 15 minutes after lightning was detected in the area during warmups. A second delay began at the 3:52 mark of the second quarter.
- Rocko Griffin, Jacquon Gibson, Jovoni Borbon and Keegan Andrews served as the UMass game captains.
- Owen Anderson had his first touchdown of the season and second of his career, after a 10-yard reception in the first quarter.
- Anderson now has five career catches; two of which have been touchdowns.
- Marques White forced his second fumble of the season (third career forced fumble), while Shymell Davis came away with his first career fumble recovery in the third quarter.
- Elijah Pedro recorded his first career touchdown on his first career reception – a nine-yard catch at the 8:56 mark of the third.
- David Onuoha had a career-best two sacks for 15 yards on the night
Next Up
Massachusetts hosts Bowling Green for its final #MACtion game of the season at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium (ESPNU).
Team Stats
UMA 7, OHI 0
UMA - Anderson,Owen 10 yd pass from Rose,Brandon (Morris,Derek kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:55
UMA 7, OHI 7
OHI - Navarro,Parker 2 yd run (Dellenbach,David kick), 11 plays, 70 yards, TOP 06:00
UMA 7, OHI 14
OHI - Brune,Duncan 13 yd run (Dellenbach,David kick), 7 plays, 64 yards, TOP 04:23
UMA 7, OHI 21
OHI - Bangura,Sieh 3 yd run (Dellenbach,David kick), 5 plays, 27 yards, TOP 02:10
UMA 14, OHI 21
UMA - Pedro,Elijah 9 yd pass from Jordan,Grant (Morris,Derek kick) 10 plays, 48 yards, TOP 04:27
UMA 14, OHI 28
OHI - Bangura,Sieh 2 yd run (Dellenbach,David kick), 10 plays, 73 yards, TOP 04:59
UMA 14, OHI 35
OHI - Navarro,Parker 4 yd run (Dellenbach,David kick), 7 plays, 55 yards, TOP 03:39
UMA 14, OHI 42
OHI - Brune,Duncan 1 yd run (Dellenbach,David kick), 7 plays, 31 yards, TOP 03:56
