The Minutemen look to get on the left side of the win column for the first time this season against a NEC foe.
In an ideal world, UMass would easily defeat Central Connecticut State. The Blue Devils come from the Northeast Conference, one of the FCS’ weakest leagues, and lost to the UMass’ future conference mate Central Michigan 66-10. However, college football is far from ideal. Several factors outside the box score make UMass’ clash with Central Connecticut State more difficult than first thought.
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Amherst, Massachusetts
- Viewing options: The game will be available exclusively on ESPN+. A valid subscription is required for viewing. Jay Burnham (play-by-play) and Andy Gresh (color) will provide the commentary.
- Radio options: For UMass, Adam Frenier (play-by-play) and Matt Goldstein (color) will provide the call for WCRN-AM 830.
- All-time series: UMass leads the all-time series 3-0, and holds a 42-26 victory from their last exchange on Oct. 8, 2011.
Central Connecticut State’s defense is its backbone. Opposing teams have scored 26 points on the Blue Devils’ defense. Remove the Central performance, and CCSU has allowed just 23 points thus far in the season.
Their greatest strength is their pass rush— notably UMass’ Achilles heel on offense. Central Connecticut State notched nine sacks against Fordham in Week 2. The Minutemen, meanwhile, have allowed 14 sacks in their first three games. The Blue Devils’ nine-sack output against Fordham could have been an anomaly, but the Minutemen must respect the Blue Devil front seven, which includes all-NEC hybrid safety/linebacker Kimal Clark (28 tackles in three contests), linebacker Malachi Wright (16 tackles, sack) and defensive lineman Jalen Howard (12 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, five sacks.)
A familiar face to Minutemen fans leads the Central Connecticut State offense. Brady Olson played in 19 games for UMass from 2021 to 2023, and threw for over 1900 yards and ten touchdowns. Olson has a fresh start at Central Connecticut State but has struggled so far. Olson is averaging a little over five yards per attempt. In last week’s win over St. Francis, Olson mustered 163 yards on 42 passes.
Central Connecticut State wants to run the ball. Elijah Howard ran for 102 yards in the Blue Devils’ win over St. Francis last week. UMass must stop the run and force Brady Olson and company to play from behind. Luckily, UMass’ run defense has been excellent so far, holding every opponent below four yards per carry.
Two factors could make this game difficult for the Minutemen. Playing against his old team could lead Brady Olson to play the game of his life and loosen UMass’ defense for the run. The Central Connecticut State fanbase could also play a role. This is an easy trip for Blue Devil fans to make and it is easy to imagine fed-up UMass fans writing off this game, leading to a light home crowd. Although a small NEC school, Central Connecticut State fans could impact the atmosphere at UMass.
There is no excuse for UMass to lose to Central Connecticut State.
Still, Kent State likely thought the same before losing to the Blue Devils’ conference mate, St. Francis [PA]. Though UMass is the better team on paper, the Blue Devils’s defensive strength matches up well with UMass’ struggling offensive line. Fan turnout and extra motivation for the Blue Devils signal-caller could make this a more intriguing affair than anticipated.