The Massachusetts football team found itself on the wrong side of momentum late in Saturday’s game, falling to the University of Toledo 38-23.
“I thought our guys really competed hard,” head coach Don Brown said. “Our second quarter and into the third quarter performance of our offense, I thought we did some good things.”
With 4:08 left in the third quarter, Toledo (2-0) found a way to change the momentum after UMass (0-2) kept the Rockets off the scoreboard for nearly one quarter. As quarterback Taisun Phommachanh looked up the middle, sending the ball towards Sterling Galban, Toledo’s Braden Awls dove forward and reached out to intercept the pass.
Immediately after the Rockets’ offense took the field, quarterback Tucker Gleason found Junior Vandeross III on a 73-yard deep pass. Running from the 47-yard line, Vandeross III found his way into the endzone and gave Toledo a cushion heading into the fourth quarter, 24-16.
Small errors continued to cost the Minutemen.
In the second quarter after UMass scored its first touchdown, Jacquez Stuart hauled in the kickoff from CJ Kolodziey back at the two yard line. With open space and Toledo holding the Minutemen off, Stuart took the ball all the way down the field for a 98-yard touchdown run.
After Gleason completed a 39-yard pass that Vandeross III took to the 4-yard line in the fourth quarter, Willie Shaw III rushed left to get the final four yards to step into the endzone after Isaiah Rutherford hesitated to follow the running back and make the tackle.
Phommachanh took it upon himself to drive the Minutemen down the field to try and shorten Toledo’s lead as minutes ticked down in the fourth quarter, but the Rockets could not be stopped as they continued to make their way down the field and added another touchdown for security.
“Two big plays that really hurt us,” Brown said. “We’ve got to eliminate the mistakes.”
To open the afternoon, neither team could weave its way through traffic to complete a first down. With under four minutes in the first quarter, the Rockets’ Jerjuan Newton hauled in a 40-yard pass from Gleason and capitalized on the opportunity to put up the first six points.
With Toledo’s defense swallowing up UMass’ run game, Phommachanh kept his eye out for his receivers down the field looking to capitalize on the passing game to put points on the board.
On the Minutemen’s first touchdown drive, the passing game dug them out of another four-and-out scenario. Wide receiver Jakobie Keeney-James was the main target to push UMass down the field. Phommachanh’s first pass to Keeney-James for seven yards set the tone for the rest of the drive as he continued to find his receiver, tight end Jaelyn Lay and running back Jalen John.
Phommachanh’s 23-yard pass put the Minutemen in promising field position at the Toledo 2-yard line. Turning back to the run game to pick up some key six and eight yard gains, UMass turned back to Keeney-James. The 14-yard touchdown pass launched into the air, falling into the wide receiver’s hands as his feet hit the endzone. Securing the extra point, the Minutemen evened out the score, 10-10.
The graduate student ended his afternoon with six receptions for 93 yards and one touchdown.
“[Jacquon Gibson] and [Keeney-James] solidified themselves to be on the field and be playing in critical times now,” Brown said.
The passing game, though, could not withstand Toledo’s defense as UMass neared the end zone. Three of five scoring drives for the Minutemen resulted in field goals after Phommachanh and his offense worked their way down the field, eventually getting stopped in Toledo territory on fourth down.
The Minutemen stay on the road as they head to Buffalo, New York, on Saturday, Sept. 14. Kickoff against the Bulls is set for 1 p.m. and can be watched on CBSSN.
“We’ve got a young team and we’re trying to bring them together,” Brown said. “I believe in them.”
Sydney Ciano can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @SydneyCiano.
