2024 Missouri Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 6: UMass

MizzouCentral takes a first look at each of the Tigers' upcoming opponents this season. Up next is the UMass Minutemen.

Oct 14, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Massachusetts Minutemen quarterback Taisun Phommachanh (3) looks to throw a pass during a warm up prior to the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

In UMass' last three games against SEC opponents, the Minutemen have been outscored 145-to-44.

In the last five seasons, the Minutemen have won a combined six games.

UMass's 2024 schedule is SEC heavy though, playing against Missouri, Mississippi State and Georgia. The Minutemen will host the Tigers on Saturday, Oct. 12 in week 7 of the college football season. In 2025, UMass will travel to Faurot to complete the two-year agreement.

UMass did add 28 transfers, however, and could be more of a challenge to their SEC opponents. Here's an early look at Missouri's final non-conference opponent.

Offense

The UMass offense averaged 356.3 yards per game last year, 88th amongst all FBS schools and 96th with 23.2 points.

UMass does have some stability at the quarterback position with Taisun Phommachanh, a returning starter. After playing at Clemson from 2019-'21 and at Georgia Tech in 2022, Phommachanh transferred to UMass in January of 2023.

He started in nine games for the Minutemen, missing weeks 3-5 with a knee injury. He threw for 1,507 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. Before the knee injury, Phommachanh was a dual-threat, rushing for 96 and 34 yards in weeks 1 and 2 respectively.

Phommachanh will have an interesting receiving core to throw to. His favorite target in 2023, Anthony Simpson, will return after a 792-yard and three-touchdown season. Through the transfer portal, UMass added Miami wide receiver Frank Ladson Jr., a former four-star prospect. At 6'3" and 205 lbs, Ladson has the potential to be an exciting deep threat.

Frank Ladson one handed snag 😤 pic.twitter.com/Rrc0qXS0aJ

— Clemson Highlights (@ClemsonRT) August 12, 2023

Two UMass running backs left via the portal this offseason, including last year's starter, Kay'Ron Lynch Adams, a 1,157-yard rusher in 2023. The Minutemen did add CJ Hester, Wyoming, and Brandon Campbell, Houston, to the backfield through the portal. Both were three-star prospects out of high school.

Defense

The Massachusetts defense was one of the worst amongst all FBS teams last season, averaging 427 yards per game, ranked 117th, and a FBS low of 37.8 points per game.

The UMass' secondary underwent an extreme makeover fit for the HGTV channel; six cornerbacks transferred out and seven transferred in. The seven additions are headlined by Ryan Barnes from Notre Dame and Lake Ellis from Bryant. One of the few returning starters in the UMass secondary, Isaiah Rutherford, recorded 22 tackles and an interception last season.

On the front seven, Massachusetts added Georgia Tech transfer Etinosa Reuben, a Kansas City native who brings 6-foot-3 and 295 lb size to the defensive line. Reuben has seen limited playing time in his college career but was ranked the No. 7 prospect in Missouri in 2019.

Head coach Don Brown's defense employs a viper position, a hybrid between linebacker and defensive end - a staple of the Michigan defense. Jadrian Gibbs, a 6-foot, 200 lb, a JUCO transfer, is expected to fill that role in 2024.

What's at Stake?

This is an odd game on Missouri's schedule. It is sandwhiched between a road trip to Texas A&M and a home game against Aubrun. Anything besides a dominant win would be a disappointing, if not concerning, outcome for Missouri. The Tigers can not allow the travel cause this game to become a trap game that causes their playoff homes to stumble.

Game Details

Date: Oct. 12

Time: TBA

TV: TBA

Location: McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Amherst, Massachusetts

Series History: Will be the first matchup between the two teams.

Opponent at a Glance

Coach: Don Brown, entering his 43rd year of coaching college football.

Oct 14, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Massachusetts Minutemen head coach Don Brown looks on from the sideline during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Coordinator: Shane Montgomery, hired by UMass in February of 2024.

Defensive Coordinator: Keith Dudzinski, in his third stint at UMass, a combined 13 seasons since 1998.

2023 Record: 3-9

Biggest Question: Can a school without a massive football fanbase even survive in the modern college football landscape? They're becoming an endangered species. Even though the team has added many players through the transfer portal since the implementation of NIL, they're losing nearly just as many to bigger schools.

Program History

Last Conference Championship: Co-Champions of the Coastal Athletic Association in 2007

Conference Championships: 21

National Championships: D-II Champions in 1998

Bowl History: 1-2 (1964, 1972, 1978). One of three D-I teams to not make a bowl game since joining.

Read more Missouri Tigers news:

2024 Missouri Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 5: Texas A&M

Meet the Transfer: Michigan Linebacker Jeremiah Beasley

2024 Missouri Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 4: Vanderbilt