The final non-conference game of the UMass football slate is perhaps the Minutemen’s toughest contest on their schedule, as UMass will travel to Missouri this Saturday (7:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPNU) trying to avoid its first 0-4 start since 2021 before MAC play begins next week.
The Minutemen enjoyed their first of two byes this past week, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Between the mounting injuries to many UMass starters and the poor performances on offense and defense, a week off was needed for a variety of reasons.
Head coach Joe Harasymiak and the coaching staff took the time to do plenty of self-evaluating and self-correcting.
“That’s all we did,” Harasymiak said. “So we [self-scouted], really all the things we can do better. Obviously the explosive play part, we’ve given up 16 and only had five… And then just [looking at] three games of data on our team and how we can win with this team moving forward. So, [we did] a lot of good work. Really focused on us.”
But this week has been all about Missouri for UMass. Sure, traveling to a Power 4 in front of nearly 70,000 fans is a tough task for a Group of 5 school to have to do once. Well, the Minutemen are doing it for a second consecutive game as they head to Memorial Stadium for a return game of a scheduled home-and-home with the Tigers that began last fall with Missouri coming to Amherst.
UMass is going to have its hands full with the 20th-ranked team in the country. Defensively, edge rushers Zion Young and Damon Wilson are havoc-wreaking players who can change a game by themselves. Minutemen quarterback AJ Hairston, who is starting his first game this season on Saturday, is going to have to get the ball out quick, and be aware of where these two are at all times.
“He’s going to have to create something,” Harasymiak said of Hairston. “Because their two defensive ends are havoc creators, and that’s really what their defense has been doing here. He’s going to have an opportunity to create the second play. Certainly, I think the things we ask him to do, we have to put him in the best position possible. So hopefully we can do that and just let him go play.”
Linebackers Josiah Trotter and Nicholas Rodriguez add to a deep and talented Missouri front seven that flies all over the field.
Through four games, the Tigers (4-0) are ranked eighth in the country in total defense — giving up just 223 yards per game on average.
“Just the speed at which they play [stands out],” Harasymiak said of the defense. “You watch the tape, it’s silent and there’s no noise. But it’s very loud.”
Unfortunately for UMass, it doesn’t just stop with Missouri’s defense. The Tigers offense has been just as dominant. They’re averaging 46 points per game and are sixth in the country in total yards per game (554.3).
Quarterback Beau Pribula has a terrific completion percentage of 72.4 and has thrown for 962 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions in four starts. He’s also added 148 yards and three scores on the ground. UMass has done well with limiting opposing quarterbacks’ rush yards, giving up an average of 18 yards per game to them. That’ll have to continue if they want a shot at beating Missouri, as keeping Pribula in the pocket is a must.
However Pribula’s legs aren’t the Minutemen’s biggest concern. Running back Ahmad Hardy has rushed for 100 yards or more in each game this season, and is averaging a whopping 7.6 yards per carry. He put up 250 yards and 3 TDs against Louisiana-Lafeyette back on Sept. 13. As a team, Missouri rushes for nearly 300 yards per game.
UMass run stoppers Timmy Hinspeter, Derrieon Craig, Shymell Davis and Tim Grant-Randall better be up for the task on Saturday.
“They’re rushing almost 300 yards a game,” Harasymiak said. “[Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz] has been there. I think this is his seventh year. So he’s got his stuff established. They’re just extremely violent, extremely physical and I like their commitment to running the ball on offense. That puts them in position to have explosive plays over the top.”
When Harasymiak took the job, he preached that he wanted his team to win the turnover battle and win the explosive play comparison. Those two aspects are huge when determining the outcome of a football game.
On the road as a heavy underdog, those keys are even more important. Each mistake is heightened against a team like Missouri.
Offensively, UMass is going to have to lean on its ground game led by Rocko Griffin. With wide receiver T.Y. Harding out for the year and Jake McConnachie banged up as well, Hairston has limited options to throw the football to. Getting Griffin and fellow backfield mate Brandon Hood going is a must.
Minutemen fans certainly don’t expect a win, but after three brutal losses a full week off, there’s no excuse for UMass to not be ready to play on Saturday.
“Ultimately, we got to take care of now, and we have to have growth in this game.”
UMass hc joe harasymiak
“Ultimately, we got to take care of now, and we have to have growth in this game,” Harasymiak said. “We got to play a clean game. I feel like at times we certainly haven’t done that. Everybody knows that. Be we’ve got to have growth. We have to do things right. We have to execute the right way. We have to make Missouri earn everything they get. Because it’s going to be hard enough. So we got to make sure that we play a clean game and try to get it somewhere where we can execute with an opportunity to put some pressure on them.”