After its second bye week of the season, the Massachusetts football team looks ahead to its last three games of the season, kicking off with Liberty University on Saturday, Nov. 16.
“[We] had a good week of practice in the bye week. I liked the way the guys approached it and how hard they worked,” head coach Don Brown said. “Now we’re back to a game week.”
For the final three matchups, redshirt senior quarterback Taisun Phommachanh is ruled out after sustaining an injury in the second half against Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 2. His 2024 season ends with 132 passing completions for 1590 yards, 107 rushing attempts for 317 yards, eight passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns.
“Teams that grow and lead from within, [Phommachanh’s] the guy that leads from within,” Brown said. “I’m a big believer that the players should set the message of the practice day, every day, and he did that for us. He’s just a tremendous leader, great player and a guy that you trust. And I value the word ‘trust.’”
A combination of redshirt freshman Ahmad Haston and true freshman AJ Hairston will step up under center for the remainder of the season. Both quarterbacks saw time on the field before the bye week after Phommachanh left the field against the Bulldogs. Hairston completed seven of 11 passing attempts for 62 yards with one passing touchdown, and Haston completed four of five attempts for 25 yards against Mississippi State.
“I thought both of them went in, did the right stuff for the most part and [I] thought they handled themselves really well in a game situation,” Brown said. “The bottom line is we [have] two guys that are both vying for playing time and, trust me, it was a good time for the bye … For this time of the year, the one good thing with [Haston and Hairston] is they’re both healthy, so that’s a positive. So, we can really run them around and do some things and get them ready.”
This is the sixth time the two teams have met, with Liberty (6-2, 4-2 Conference USA) leading 5-1 against the Minutemen (2-7). In 2023, they met at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, VA, where the Flames beat UMass 49-25.
Overcoming a strong offense will be the main focus heading into Saturday’s battle with a dual-threat quarterback supported by two strong running backs, Quinton Cooley and Billy Lucas. Cooley leads the team with 851 net rushing yards, logging a high of 174 yards against Florida International University on Oct. 8. He completed eight attempts against UMass in 2023, for 102 total yards.
“[Liberty is] a very talented group and the nice thing is we’re playing at home,” Brown said.
Flames’ quarterback Kaidon Salter leads his team in passing yards and is second in rushing yards, being a stable force under center for Liberty. Salter completed 11 of 15 passing attempts for 154 yards against Middle Tennessee State University on Nov. 9 with two passing touchdowns. On the ground, he gained 94 yards on nine rushes with a 41-yard run and one touchdown.
“When you’ve got the quarterback, you know, that’s a beautiful thing … [Salter’s] definitely a dual-threat guy, he can whip it around good, but he can run [it] as equally as well,” Brown said. “He’s a good leader and obviously we’re [going to] have to try to make it tough on him for sure.”
As the 2024 season has progressed, the rotation of UMass running backs has secured more success on the ground. With Jalen John, Brandon Campbell, Jackson Paradis and CJ Hester logging in time on the field, the four have given the run game a boost. Especially with quarterback changes late in the season, having a solid group of running backs will give the Minutemen security as they adjust to offensive changes.
“You got to put it on the table and compete and play,” Brown said. “I feel very good about our mindset, how we go about our business … I feel really confident in our team’s ability to get ready for these final three games for sure.”
Saturday’s kickoff is set for 12 p.m. at McGuirk Alumni Stadium and can be watched on ESPN+.
Sydney Ciano can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @SydneyCiano.
