The UMass football team lost 55-10 in its second game of the season in a lob-sided blowout against Toledo on Saturday. The Minutemen (0-2) were overwhelmed by the Rockets (2-0) on both sides of the ball, totaling only 48 passing yards and 205 yards on the ground.
Toledo opened up the night with a productive first quarter, scoring 14 unanswered points. Despite putting more of an emphasis on the air attack Saturday than it did against Tulane, UMass had trouble moving the ball downfield, totaling only 27 passing yards in the first half. The Rockets defense suffocated any attempts by the Minutemen to gain momentum and put together a lengthy drive.
The Rockets continued to pile on points closing in on halftime, amassing a 28-0 lead. UMass scored only one touchdown, which came late in the second quarter, on a 59-yard drive capped off by an Isaiah Holiness TD from one yard out. The Minutemen found some success running the football, totaling 205 yards on 54 attempts.
Through the first two games of the season, UMass has relied heavily on its ground game. It has not found any rhythm from its quarterbacks dropping back in the pocket, making it easier for opposing defenses to suffocate the middle of the field.
The Minutemen kept the game competitive in the first half, but the second half turned into a one-sided affair. They continued to look flummoxed coming out of the locker room, giving up another 27 points. They broke double digit scoring on a 24-yard field goal from kicker Cameron Carson to end the game 55-10.
UMass shot itself in the foot with 14 penalties, totaling 133 yards. UMass head coach Don Brown did not mince his words regarding his team’s play.
“Far too many penalties, far too many areas of a lack of execution,” Brown said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The Massachusetts starter Gino Campiotti was able to make a few accurate throws against Toledo, an improvement from his week one performance of only two completions. Campiotti finished the day with five completions for 27 yards. He also added 65 yards on the ground, which allowed him to open up the middle of the field for his seldom pass attempts.
UMass’ defense struggled mightily to keep the Rockets off the board, allowing 234 rushing yards and 177 passing yards. Toledo’s sophomore quarterback Dequan Finn threw for 177 yards and added 74 yards with his legs, including two rushing touchdowns.
The lone bright spot on the defensive side of the ball for the Minutemen was their pass rush, which generated consistent pressure on Finn throughout the evening. However, that rush wasn’t able to take down the agile quarterback, who used his speed and vision of the field to find running lanes and scramble away from the maroon-and-white jerseys.
The disparity between the Rockets and the Minutemen on third and fourth down conversions tells the true story of this game. Toledo converted five out of eleven third downs and both fourth down tries. On the other hand, UMass went 7-21 on third down and three out of four on fourth down. Toledo amassed 27 first downs, which allowed them to dominate the time of possession.
UMass looks to get its first win of the season in its home opener against Stony Brook at McGuirk Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
Judah Katz can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @judah_katz.
