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University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Football Holds Maroon vs. White Spring Game
April 19, 2025 | Football
UMass Football held its annual Spring Game at McGuirk Alumni Stadium
Post-Game Press Conference
By Adam Greene
AMHERST, Mass. — On one of the warmest days of the year thus far in Western Massachusetts, UMass Football held its annual Spring Game at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The matchup featured two squads—Maroon and White—and marked the first spring game under new Head Coach Joe Harasymiak.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian and defensive coordinator Jared Keyte called the plays for their units, while Harasymiak observed from the field, right in the middle of the action.
The game came down to the wire. With 3:14 left in the fourth quarter, graduate transfer quarterback Grant Jordan scrambled into the end zone to bring Maroon within one point at 17-16. Maroon opted to go for the two-point conversion, and on a tip drill, redshirt junior Rocko Griffin came down with the ball to put Maroon on top, 18-17. The White team did not convert during its two-minute drill, and Maroon secured the victory.
After the game, Harasymiak said, on building evenly matched teams, "I think we did a pretty good job. 18-17, can't get much better than that."
One of the standout performers was junior Tyree Kelly. Transferring to UMass from USF, Kelly got his first taste of football in Amherst and led the White team with 79 receiving yards. In the first quarter, quarterback AJ Hairston connected with Kelly on a 34-yard reception, setting up their first touchdown.
"The biggest thing is to keep improving, learning the playbook, and believing in that Coach system," Kelly said post game. "It's the culture. The brotherhood we have here—that's the biggest thing. We've got real camaraderie."
Harasymiak described Kelly as having "our best catch radius on the team; he can go out and get it. There were guys that flashed today, and he certainly did." Kelly's long, athletic frame allowed him to make several impressive catches and move the chains for the Maroon team.
On the other side of the ball, senior defensive lineman Joshua Nobles also earned high praise from Harasymiak. "I probably could've had him for three sacks," Harasymiak said. "He was someone that flashed today." Nobles consistently brought pressure off the edge. "What he's able to do on the edge … being able to consistently get home is going to be huge for us," Harasymiak added.
Since being hired in December, Harasymiak has emphasized the importance of improving special teams. "Special teams is a third of the game," he said. "That's somewhere we need to drastically improve." He specifically highlighted Keegan Andrews, who punted for both teams, saying, "With the additions of him and that whole crew, we're going to be able to [improve]."
The score wasn't the only tight statistic—each side recorded nearly identical numbers, something the coaching staff has to be pleased with. Both teams completed 15 passes: Maroon for 184 yards and White for 174. White edged out Maroon in total offense, 274 yards to 238. Both squads converted on every red zone opportunity. QBs AJ Hairston and Grant Jordan finished 13-26 for 164 yards and 13-23 for 165 yards, respectively.
Notable plays included a fantastic over-the-shoulder touchdown catch from wide receiver Dallas Elliott at the start of the fourth quarter. Rocko Griffin broke free for a 32-yard rush in addition to his two-point conversion. Wideout Kenyon Massey brought the White team into field goal range with under a minute left via a 22-yard grab. The other two touchdowns came from running backs Godson Ofonagoro and Brandon Campbell, each punching it in from one yard out in the first half.
Next, Harasymiak will have his team rest up, finish the semester strong, and prepare for the season ahead. He'll continue to preach belief, ownership and sacrifice, stating "with the energy in the building, I think we're finally starting to come together. That's what I told them after—I said, 'I know that you guys care about each other. Come August 30th, we all play on the same team.'"
The final note Harasymiak had on today's game was on maintaining their team identity. Ensuring players are playing for the right reason and not focusing too hard on individual results.
"I care about our purpose. Every day they've come in here and worked. If we create a purpose-based identity, when things get hard, we'll fall back on that. I'm happy with where we're at today."
By Adam Greene
AMHERST, Mass. — On one of the warmest days of the year thus far in Western Massachusetts, UMass Football held its annual Spring Game at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The matchup featured two squads—Maroon and White—and marked the first spring game under new Head Coach Joe Harasymiak.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian and defensive coordinator Jared Keyte called the plays for their units, while Harasymiak observed from the field, right in the middle of the action.
The game came down to the wire. With 3:14 left in the fourth quarter, graduate transfer quarterback Grant Jordan scrambled into the end zone to bring Maroon within one point at 17-16. Maroon opted to go for the two-point conversion, and on a tip drill, redshirt junior Rocko Griffin came down with the ball to put Maroon on top, 18-17. The White team did not convert during its two-minute drill, and Maroon secured the victory.
After the game, Harasymiak said, on building evenly matched teams, "I think we did a pretty good job. 18-17, can't get much better than that."
One of the standout performers was junior Tyree Kelly. Transferring to UMass from USF, Kelly got his first taste of football in Amherst and led the White team with 79 receiving yards. In the first quarter, quarterback AJ Hairston connected with Kelly on a 34-yard reception, setting up their first touchdown.
"The biggest thing is to keep improving, learning the playbook, and believing in that Coach system," Kelly said post game. "It's the culture. The brotherhood we have here—that's the biggest thing. We've got real camaraderie."
Harasymiak described Kelly as having "our best catch radius on the team; he can go out and get it. There were guys that flashed today, and he certainly did." Kelly's long, athletic frame allowed him to make several impressive catches and move the chains for the Maroon team.
On the other side of the ball, senior defensive lineman Joshua Nobles also earned high praise from Harasymiak. "I probably could've had him for three sacks," Harasymiak said. "He was someone that flashed today." Nobles consistently brought pressure off the edge. "What he's able to do on the edge … being able to consistently get home is going to be huge for us," Harasymiak added.
Since being hired in December, Harasymiak has emphasized the importance of improving special teams. "Special teams is a third of the game," he said. "That's somewhere we need to drastically improve." He specifically highlighted Keegan Andrews, who punted for both teams, saying, "With the additions of him and that whole crew, we're going to be able to [improve]."
The score wasn't the only tight statistic—each side recorded nearly identical numbers, something the coaching staff has to be pleased with. Both teams completed 15 passes: Maroon for 184 yards and White for 174. White edged out Maroon in total offense, 274 yards to 238. Both squads converted on every red zone opportunity. QBs AJ Hairston and Grant Jordan finished 13-26 for 164 yards and 13-23 for 165 yards, respectively.
Notable plays included a fantastic over-the-shoulder touchdown catch from wide receiver Dallas Elliott at the start of the fourth quarter. Rocko Griffin broke free for a 32-yard rush in addition to his two-point conversion. Wideout Kenyon Massey brought the White team into field goal range with under a minute left via a 22-yard grab. The other two touchdowns came from running backs Godson Ofonagoro and Brandon Campbell, each punching it in from one yard out in the first half.
Next, Harasymiak will have his team rest up, finish the semester strong, and prepare for the season ahead. He'll continue to preach belief, ownership and sacrifice, stating "with the energy in the building, I think we're finally starting to come together. That's what I told them after—I said, 'I know that you guys care about each other. Come August 30th, we all play on the same team.'"
The final note Harasymiak had on today's game was on maintaining their team identity. Ensuring players are playing for the right reason and not focusing too hard on individual results.
"I care about our purpose. Every day they've come in here and worked. If we create a purpose-based identity, when things get hard, we'll fall back on that. I'm happy with where we're at today."
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