UMass folds under the pressure in winnable game against Liberty.
UMass (2-8) had the formula for a potential program-altering upset over the perpetual non-Autonomous power program Liberty (7-2, 4-2 Conference USA), but two late special teams miscues left the Minutemen on the wrong side of the record column in a 35-34 overtime loss to the Flames in the friendly confines of Amherst, Massachusetts.
The Minutemen controlled the first half against Liberty and fought back when the Flames took the lead, but ultimately fell short 35-34. The loss was heartbreaking but there was plenty of things for UMass fan to feel optimistic about.
The Minutemen rumbled for 263 yards, led by Jalen John’s 119 yards and two touchdowns, to help shoulder the load on an offense acclimating a new signalcaller in AJ Hairston, who took the place of injured starter Taisun Phommachanh. Ahmad Haston, the Minutemen’s other young quarterback, ran for 62 yards on just six carries as a Wildcat specialist. The pass rush looked lively with three sacks of Kaidon Salter.
UMass took an early advantage, going up 10-0 on John’s first rushing touchdown and a Jacob Lurie field goal from 22 yards out with 7:20 left in the second quarter. After a Liberty response in the form of a Quinton Cooley rushing touchdown to cut the deficit to three points, the Minutemen would score 10 points in 1:22 of game clock to push the lead out to 20-7 at the halftime break, with AJ Hairston’s two-yard touchdown run with 10 seconds remaining capping off the first-half action.
However, the Minutemen allowed the Flames to stay in their comfort zone on offense, a factor which proved crucial to bridging the 13-point deficit in the second half and keeping the tension high as the clock ticked down.
Quinton Cooley gashed UMass for 147 yards and three touchdowns, while the Flames ran for 309 yards total, allowing Kaidon Salter to manage the game with 16 passes for 114 yards. When the Minutemen needed to widen the gap, they instead were forced to punt twice, allowing Liberty to score 14 unanswered points and take a 21-20 lead midway through the third quarter.
The two teams traded scores in the fourth quarter, with the Minutemen turning the tide of the game with about seven minutes remaining, when Ahmad Haston scored from two yards out and Dominick Mazotti hauled in the two-point conversion to take the 28-21 lead.
Liberty marched right down the field in reply, needing three minutes for Kaidon Salter to cross the goal line and tie the game back up with 3:49 remaining.
The teams exchanged three-and-out drives with the game on the line, but UMass would open up a golden opportunity to win the game on third-and-five from their own 30-yard line with 1:08 remaining and three timeouts, as Jacobie Keeney-James made a play on a tipped ball in traffic on a 15-yard reception to get near midfield and extend the drive. Dominick Mazotti would haul in back-to-back 10+ receptions soon after to set up the Minutemen in scoring position.
However, special teams undid the Minutemen like in the Toledo and Miami (OH) games earliuer this season as Jacob Lurie hooked a game-winning field goal from 43 yards to the right, forcing the overtime period.
The Minutemen would start overtime with possession and end it quickly, as Jalen John picked up 23 yards on the first play from scrimmage to set up his own two-yard touchdown run and put UMass up at a crucial point in the game— but Lurie’s yips would show up once again, as his extra point clanged off the right goalpost and back into the field of play, keeping the score at 34-28.
Liberty would convert the game-winning touchdown and extra point on their overtime possession, with Cooley scoring his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon and placekicker Colin Karhu notching the walk-off winning point-after try.
This could be one of the toughest seasons in recent memory for UMass fans with heartbreaking losses to quality teams in Miami (OH) and Liberty. However, these performances show the Minutemen could be ready to compete in the MAC immediately. With more experience in close games, the Minutemen should be on the winning end of games like these soon enough.
UMass will once again take a trip south of the Mason-Dixon line this week, as they take on #13 Georgia in Sanford Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for next Saturday at 12:45 p.m. Eastern time.
Liberty will host a reeling Western Kentucky as both schools try to stay alive in the CUSA title race. Kickoff is scheduled for next Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern time.