University of Massachusets Athletics
Wednesday, November 12
Amherst, Mass.
7 PM
University of Massachusetts
vs
Northern Illinois
Massachusetts Football Hosts Northern Illinois For Wednesday Night Matchup
November 09, 2025 | Football
Minutemen and Huskies kickoff at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
| University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 10 | Massachusetts (0-9, 0-5 MAC) vs. Northern Illinois (3-6, 2-3 MAC) |
| Date | Time | Wednesday, Nov. 12 | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Amherst, Mass. | McGuirk Alumni Stadium |
| Tickets | Purchase Here |
| Series History | Northern Illinois leads, 3-0 Last Meeting | Oct. 5, 2024 | DeKalb, Ill., Huskie Stadium | Northern Illinois 34, Massachusetts 20 |
| Game Notes & Team Information | Massachusetts: Game Notes | Game Program | Record Book Northern Illinois: Game Notes |
| Watch | ESPNU |
| Listen | WHMP 101.5 FM & 1400AM App: Download The Varsity Sports Network on your mobile device |
| Live Statistics | StatBroadcast |
| @UMassFootball | |
| UMass Football | |
| UMass Football | |
AMHERST, Mass. -- MACtion continues with a Wednesday night matchup, as the University of Massachusetts football team hosts Northern Illinois at McGuirk Alumni Stadium at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
SERIES HISTORY
- Massachusetts and Northern Illinois have met only three times, with the Huskies holding the series lead 3-0.
- On defense, Donovan Dyson scooped the first fumble recovery of his career, while Isaiah Rutherford came away with his second career interception.
- Quarterback Taisun Phommachanh was 15-for-30 for 263 yards and two touchdowns.
- Harding added a career-high two touchdowns on the day.
- On offense for the Minutemen, Jakobie Keeney-James and TY Harding had four receptions each for 87 yards and 85 yards, respectively.
- Massachusetts cut the lead to 27-20 with 3:16 to play in the fourth, but the Huskies were able to tack on the insurance touchdown after a long kickoff return to seal the win.
- Last season at NIU on October 5, the Huskies hung on to defeat the Minutemen 34-20.
- Wednesday night's game will mark the first meeting between the two teams at McGuirk Alumni Stadium, with games in 2012 and last season in DelKalb, Illinois and a game on Nov. 2, 2013 taking place at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts (NIU won, 63-19).
BRANDON BREAKS AWAY
- Redshirt freshman running back Brandon Hood rushed for a career-high 179 yards in the narrow loss to Buffalo, including a career-long rush of 90 yards, which also went for a touchdown (10/18).
- Hood is a Colorado transfer from McDonough, Georgia and his brother, Colton, is a defensive back at Tennessee.
- All told, Hood carried the ball 28 times for a 7.5 yards per carry mark and had a pair of catches for an additional eight yards.
- The 90 yard-rush marked the fourth longest rush in program history.
- The 179 yards were the most by a Minuteman since Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams had 234 in a win at Army on Oct. 28, 2023.
MORRIS MAKING HISTORY
- Sophomore kicker Derek Morris is re-writing the Massachusetts records book, most recently connecting on a program-best 55-yard field goal at Akron (11/4).
- Morris broke the record previously held by Sandro Vitiello (vs. Boston College, 1978) and Denis Gagnon (vs. New Hampshire, 1971) who each kicked 52-yard field goals.
- Morris set the program record earlier this season against Bryant with a 53-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter (9/6).
QUICK OUTS
- Marques White is averaging 0.56 sacks per game to rank fifth in the MAC and 53rd nationally (his five total sacks are also tied for 53rd nationally).
- A McNeese State and Dartmouth transfer, White also has 10.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a pass breakup and three quarterback hurries this season.
- His three tackles for loss at Central Michigan on Oct. 25 was the most by a Minuteman since Louce Julien had three TFLs against Wagner on Oct. 26, 2024.
- Keegan Andrews' 46.70 yards per punt ranks first in the MAC and ninth nationally.
- Despite battling injuries, Jacquon Gibson's 393 receiving yards ranks 11th in the MAC (missed two full games and portions of two others).
- Gibson's 56.1 receiving yards per game ranks sixth in the MAC, while his 6.00 catches per game ranks third (16th nationally).
- Timmy Hinspeter, who has missed the last 2.5 games with an injury, is averaging 9.9 tackles per game to rank fourth in the MAC and 11th in the nation.
- Tyler Martin has moved into the top-10 in the MAC in tackles per game, as he is up to 8.0 to rank eighth in the MAC (47th nationally).
- Derrieon Craig, who missed the Central Michigan game with an injury, is averaging 7.6 tackles per game to rank 12th in the MAC (73rd nationally).
- Martin (a pick six) and DD Snyder II each had an interception against Bryant, marking the first two interception game by the Minutemen since Oct. 28, 2023, when UMass downed Army 21-14 (Juan Lua and Jeremiah McGill had the interceptions on that day).
- Rashad Henry finished the night with a career-high 16 tackles, including nine solo, at Akron.
- The Minutemen rank fifth in the MAC and 33rd overall in fewest penalty yards (435).
- Massachusetts has lost four fumbles this season, which ranks fifth in the MAC and is tied for 34th nationally.
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