UMass finishes with more points than their opponent for the first time this season, allowing Don Brown to collect a personal milestone.
UMass’ close win over Central Connecticut State shows scores can be deceptive.
The Minutemen (1-3) dominated on offense and defense, outgaining the Blue Devils (2-2) 450-247 in total yards. However, poorly-timed mistakes on special teams and an ill-advised interception had the Minutemen fighting until the final quarter in a 35-31 win.
The victory, which the faithful at McGuirk Alumni Stadium witnessed on Saturday afternoon, was the 100th career win for head coach Don Brown. Brown is in the middle of his second stint in Amherst, previously coaching the squad from 2004-08, and holds a 48-42 as the head coach of the Minutemen.
Arguably, the greatest aspect of the Minutemen’s win was the play of their offensive line. The line kept Taisun Phommachanh upright, only allowing one sack compared to the 14 sacks they allowed in their first three games. The running back room showed outstanding depth too. Jalen John and Jackson Paradis combined for 119 yards. Paradis announced his arrival after two carries in UMass’ first three games, proving to be a viable power alternative to Brandon Campbell, who only notched 13 yards on nine carries.
The passing game looked efficient with Phommachanh completing 20-of-30 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Jakobie Keeney-James continued his outstanding start to the season with five catches for 95 yards. Like in the running game, a new face emerged in the receiver room. Kick returner T.Y. Harding caught two passes for 72 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown. Harding can be a weapon in the deep play action game should the run game and offensive line improve more.
On defense, the secondary looked improved, allowing Brady Olson to complete only 12 of his 26 passes— though he did burned the UMass secondary for a 56-yard play. Nonetheless, the Minutemen forced Brady Olson to beat them and kept him at bay.
Defensive linemen Tim Grant-Randall (five tackles, half-TFL) and Tyler Rudolph (four tackles) led the Minutemen in tackles. Leondard St, Gourdin led the team with two pass break-ups from the corner spot. Gerrell Johnson had two QB pressures on a day where the Minutemen struggled to generate pass rush. Despite those struggle, UMass made the Blue Devils’ run game inefficient, allowing 90 yards and less than four yards per carry.
The Minutemen were fighting for their lives until the last minute in this contest, due in part to special teams miscues.
An interception gifted the Central Connecticut State the ball on the UMass two-yard line, while a 53-yard kick return gave Central Connecticut State the ball on the UMass 27. The box score indicates a game that should have been a 35-17 win, but these mistakes kept Central Connecticut State in the game. UMass has minimal margin for error against its remaining schedule. Mistakes like this will force crucial losses against better teams.
But a win is a win, and UMass is finally 0-fer no more. The Minutemen made strides on offense and defense, but mistakes show they played down to Central Connecticut State’s level at times. The Minutemen can build upon their improvements in the offensive line and secondary, but must clean up special teams mistakes and turnovers against better competition.
UMass is next set to take on the Miami RedHawks for their last “conference” match of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, with streaming coverage exclusively on ESPN+.