2024 UMass Minutemen football team explained

Year:	2024
Team:	UMass Minutemen
Sport:	football
Conference:	Independent
Record:	2–10
Head Coach:	Don Brown
Hc Year:	8th
Hc Games:	first 10 games
Head Coach2:	Shane Montgomery
Hc Games2:	interim; remainder of season
Off Coach:	Shane Montgomery
Oc Year:	1st
Off Scheme:	Pro spread
Def Coach:	Keith Dudzinski
Dc Year:	10th
Def Scheme:	4–3 or 4–2–5
Stadium:	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium

The 2024 UMass Minutemen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium located in Hadley, Massachusetts and compete as an FBS independent. They were led by head coach Don Brown in his third season since he was rehired, his eighth overall as head coach. He was fired on November 18, with offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery serving as interim head coach for the final two games.^[1]

This season marked the Minutemen's last season competing as an independent, as UMass rejoined the Mid-American Conference (MAC) as a full member beginning in 2025.^[2] ^[3]

Schedule

^[4] ^[5]

Game summaries

Eastern Michigan

Statistics	EMU	MASS
First downs	21	24
Total yards	375	329
Rushing yards	134	152
Passing yards	241	177
Turnovers	0	0
Time of possession	26:37	33:23

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Eastern Michigan	Passing		17/28, 241 yards, TD
Rushing	Delbert Mimms III	12 rushes, 60 yards, TD
Receiving	Oran Singleton	8 receptions, 89 yards, TD
UMass	Passing	Taisun Phommachanh	20/30, 177 yards
Rushing	Taisun Phommachanh	16 rushes, 57 yards
Receiving	Jalen John	5 receptions, 42 yards

at Toledo

Statistics	MASS	TOL
First downs	23	12
Total yards	384	258
Rushing yards	125	83
Passing yards	259	175
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	44:21	15:39

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UMass	Passing	Taisun Phommachanh	26/40, 259 yards, TD, INT
Rushing	Taisun Phommachanh	22 rushes, 44 yards, TD
Receiving	Jakobie Keeney-James	6 receptions, 93 yards, TD
Toledo	Passing		8/23, 175 yards, 3 TD
Rushing	Tucker Gleason	3 rushes, 34 yards
Receiving	Junior Vandeross III	3 receptions, 115 yards, TD

at Buffalo

Statistics	MASS	UB
First downs	11	15
Total yards	193	314
Rushing yards	72	129
Passing yards	121	185
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	32:04	27:56

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UMass	Passing	Taisun Phommachanh	14/29, 121 yards, INT
Rushing	Brandon Campbell	8 rushes, 36 yards
Receiving	Jacquon Gibson	4 receptions, 58 yards
Buffalo	Passing	C. J. Ogbonna	14/22, 185 yards, TD
Rushing	Lamar Sperling	16 rushes, 86 yards, TD
Receiving	J. J. Jenkins	2 receptions, 44 yards, TD

Central Connecticut (FCS)

Statistics	CCSU	MASS
First downs	11	27
Total yards	247	450
Rushing yards	90	163
Passing yards	157	287
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	22:14	37:46

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Connecticut	Passing	Brady Olson	12/26, 157 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing	Elijah Howard	14 rushes, 46 yards, TD
Receiving	Michael Plaskon	3 receptions, 65 yards
UMass	Passing	Taisun Phommachanh	20/30, 287 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing	Jalen John	13 rushes, 65 yards
Receiving	Jakobie Kenney-James	5 receptions, 95 yards, TD

at Miami (OH)

Statistics	MASS	M-OH
First downs	15	19
Total yards	344	349
Rushing yards	171	168
Passing yards	173	181
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	30:51	29:09

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UMass	Passing	Taisun Phommachanh	9-22 173 Yards 1 TD
Rushing	Taisun Phommachanh	18 carries 80 Yards
Receiving	Jakobie Keeney-James	4 Receptions 150 Yards 1 TD
Miami (OH)	Passing	Brett Gabbert	16-25 181 Yards 1 TD 1 INT
Rushing	Keyon Mozee	9 carries 114 Yards 1 TD
Receiving	Javon Tracy	5 Receptions 49 Yards 1 TD

at Northern Illinois

Statistics	MASS	NIU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UMass	Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Northern Illinois	Passing
Rushing
Receiving

No. 21 Missouri

Statistics	MIZ	MASS
First downs	22	13
Total yards	461	237
Rushing yards	231	95
Passing yards	230	142
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	31:41	28:19

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Missouri	Passing		14/19, 219 yards, 2 TD
Rushing	Marcus Carroll	15 carries, 91 yards, 3 TD
Receiving	Joshua Manning	2 receptions, 68 yards, TD
UMass	Passing	Taisun Phommachanh	12/22, 132 yards, INT
Rushing	Te'Rai Powell	1 carry, 39 yards
Receiving	Jakobie Keeney-James	6 receptions, 80 yards

Wagner (FCS)

Statistics	WAG	MASS
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Wagner	Passing
Rushing
Receiving
UMass	Passing
Rushing
Receiving

at Mississippi State

Statistics	MASS	MSST
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UMass	Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Mississippi State	Passing
Rushing
Receiving

Liberty

Statistics	LIB	MASS
First downs	27	26
Total yards	423	426
Rushing yards	309	263
Passing yards	114	163
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	27:50	32:10

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Liberty	Passing		9/16, 114 yards, INT
Rushing		20 carries, 147 yards, 3 TD
Receiving	Treon Sibley	1 reception, 34 yards
UMass	Passing	AJ Hairston	13/25, 163 yards
Rushing	Jalen John	15 carries, 119 yards, 2 TD
Receiving	Jakobie Keeney-James	6 receptions, 75 yards

at No. 10 Georgia

Statistics	MASS	UGA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UMass	Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Georgia	Passing
Rushing
Receiving

UConn (rivalry)

Statistics	CONN	MASS
First downs	22	22
Total yards	434	390
Rushing yards	253	184
Passing yards	181	206
Turnovers
Time of possession	29:05	30:55

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UConn	Passing	Joe Fagnano	15/26, 181 yards, 3 TDs, INT
Rushing	Cam Edwards	18 carries, 142 yards, 1 TD
Receiving	Louis Hansen	4 reception, 73 yards, 1 TD
UMass	Passing	AJ Hairston	13/21, 134 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing	Jalen John	18 carries, 78 yards, 1 TD
Receiving	Jakobie Keeney-James	5 reception, 68 yards, 1 TD

Notes and References

Web site: Rittenberg . Adam . UMass fires head coach Don Brown after 6-28 stint . ESPN . 18 November 2024.
Web site: . UMass will rejoin Mid-American Conference as a full sports member in 2025, MAC commissioner says. Tom. Withers. February 27, 2024 . February 27, 2024.
Web site: . UMass to join MAC conference, including previously independent football, per reports. Victoria. Hernandez. February 26, 2024 . February 27, 2024.
Web site: 2024 UMass Football Schedule . FBSchedules.com . January 29, 2024.
Web site: Massachusetts Minutemen Schedule 2024 . ESPN . January 29, 2024.