The University of New Mexico Lobos (UNM) will make a 2,162-mile journey to McGuirk Alumni Stadium for the first-ever meeting between UNM and UMass. The Minutemen are coming off of a closely contested game this past Saturday that saw them fall short. UNM is also coming off of a loss to New Mexico State this past weekend, whom the Minutemen beat to start the season.
UMass began with a slow start this past Saturday that saw them down 10-3 at the half. They rallied to take a 17-12 lead late in the fourth, but a touchdown in the final two minutes sealed the game for Eastern Michigan. Kay’ron Lynch-Adams boasted his best performance of the season touching the ball 28 times for 154 yards.
Carlos Davis tossed the ball for 340 yards in the air but threw three interceptions, leading UMass to lose the turnover battle 3-1. Marcus Bradley and Billy Wooden of UMass combined for 3.5 tackles for a loss on a solid day overall for the defense.
Backfields beware ⚔️
Billy Wooden is tied for 2nd nationally in fumble recoveries and ranks T-12th in total sacks 💪#Flagship 🚩 pic.twitter.com/Orlozplun1
— UMass Football (@UMassFootball) September 19, 2023
UMass Attempts to Get Back on Track
The status of Taisun Phommachanh remains in the air for Saturday’s game but the Minutemen have missed his presence since the week 1 victory against New Mexico State.
“Everything is going smoothly,” said Head Coach Don Brown about Phommachanh’s status. “Right now everything seems to be moving in the right direction.”
This news bodes well for the Minutemen if they can get their offense back to full health.
UMass sits at 112th overall this season in terms of points allowed on defense with an average of 37.3 per game. However, this number may be over-inflated by the Auburn loss where UMass allowed 59 points. On the offensive side, they are only scoring 25 points per game which has made keeping up with the opposition’s scoring difficult.
UNM Looks For Their First Win Against UMass
New Mexico State and Texas A&M boast double-digit victories over UNM this season. Their lone victory came in a 46-point blowout over FCS team Tennessee Tech. New Mexico is coming off of a 2-10 season in 2022. They are led by new quarterback Dylan Hopkins who has aired the ball out for 635 yards and added five touchdowns along with two interceptions. Hopkins’ favorite target this season has been fourth-year player Deuce Jones who has totaled 125 receiving yards this season.
The Lobos have only forced two turnovers this season which is T-119th lowest in the FBS this season. Although UNM has not recorded an interception this season they have recorded 13 pass breakups. Zach Morris, a second-year cornerback, leads the team with three pass breakups.
Keys to the Game
In order for the Minutemen to end their three-game losing streak they will need to win the turnover battle. If Davis gets the nod to start for the third time in a row, keeping the ball out of the defender’s hands will be a necessity. Former four-star wide receiver Mark Pope was invisible last week, and he needs to get back into the stat column to give Davis or Phommachanh their best chance to lead UMass to victory.
The Minutemen have forced seven turnovers this season and will be able to continue to get into the line of scrimmage as they have all season. If the offense plays smart and protects the ball, they will be able to get back into the win column on Saturday.
The Minutemen are averaging almost eight penalties in a game, the 109th-highest amount in the country. However, the Lobos average 8.5 per game. If UMass can combine a turnover battle victory and play disciplined football they will pick up their second victory of the season. A victory for UMass would give them two wins for the first time since 2018.
