By Ryan Barry
NEFJ Correspondent
Kickoff: The UMass Minutemen head south to take on an unfamiliar foe in the Arkansas State Red Wolves of the Sun Belt Conference. While last week’s 27-10 loss to UConn has supporters split on whether anything positive can be taken from it, the Minutemen take on a team that’s also had their fair share of struggles this season. Regardless of circumstance, it’s yet another opportunity for UMass to lay down a foundation they can build upon going into the offseason.
First Down: The Minutemen have tried just about every formula this season on offense, doing their utmost to find some kind of equation that presents their best path to success. Against the Huskies, it looks like they might’ve found at least one piece to the puzzle in sophomore quarterback Brady Olson (41/79, 413 YDS, 1 TD, 4 INT). His 266 passing yards were not only the most any Minutemen quarterback has thrown in a single game this season, they were also more than every other player at the position this year. With time in the pocket, Olson showed a lot of poise, making some of the best throws by any Minuteman this season. While he struggled at times finding open players after his first read, Olson showed things that no other UMass quarterback has demonstrated in 2022. It’s likely the program will bring in someone from the transfer portal to pair with the highly touted recruit Ahmad Houston, but healthy competition can’t hurt, so head coach Don Brown should give Olson every remaining start at quarterback the rest of the season to build momentum for 2023.
Second Down: It’s understandable to look at the quarterback when an offense struggles, but this Minutemen receiving and tight end core have certainly had their issues this season. Concerns with drops, difficulty getting separation, and staying healthy have all been a challenge. However, a huge positive last week was senior wide receiver Cameron Sullivan-Brown (18 REC, 253 YDS, 2 TDS) who had a career best 124 receiving yards. The Penn State transfer has had some injury issues this season, but in just a single game he exceeded his total yards already caught combined in 2022. Junior tight end Josiah Johnson (15 REC, 84 YDS) has seen more targets as well, with nine of his 15 receptions this season coming in the last two games that Brady Olson has started. With the Red Wolves ranked 96th in the nation in passing yards allowed, this could be another opportunity for the Minutemen to grow this element of their offense.
Third Down: The Minutemen defense put in another performance that has been akin to what we’ve seen so far this season. With a solid secondary taking away the pass, they were gashed for a season high 274 yards on the ground. With just three games to go on the schedule, injuries and a lack of depth inside is certainly a challenge to overcome, but it’s a phase of the game that needs to be addressed to limit opposing offenses from sustaining drives. Lucky for the Minutemen, the Arkansas State rushing attack is one of the least efficient in the nation. Ranked 124th in the FBS in rushing yards, the Red Wolves haven’t had a single back rush for more than 50 yards in a game since their October 1st win over Louisiana-Monroe. This is the ultimate “get right” game for a unit that sorely needs a break in the trenches.
Fourth Down: Contrary to their poor rushing attack, Arkansas State boasts graduate student James Blackman (171/254, 1,872 YDS, 11 TDS, 1 INT) at quarterback. If his name sounds familiar, the college football bell ringing in your head is correct. Thrust into the starting role at Florida State as a true freshman in 2017 after an injury to Deandre Francois, Blackman got the Seminoles out of their 2-5 start and brought them to a 6-6 finish. In 2018 he’d revert to the back-up role with a healthy Francois under center, but in 2019 he’d start again and lead the Noles to a 6-6 record and bowl game appearance. A shaky 2020 start saw him hit the bench and declare for the transfer portal, where he’d eventually wind up with the Red Wolves from 2021 on. His lone interception is tied for the fewest in the Sun Belt Conference, so this will be a true test for this solid UMass secondary.
Extra Point: This is the first ever match-up between the Red Wolves and the Minutemen. It’s the first of two games scheduled for the two schools, with Arkansas State making the return trip to Amherst in 2023. While not one of college football’s biggest programs, they always seem to keep themselves in the headlines, most notably with those who have been under the headset in the past 11 years. Current Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze had a 10-2 record in his lone season in charge before heading to Ole Miss, then was followed by Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Mahlzahn who also stayed for a year going 9-3, before heading right back to the plains as head coach. Brian Harsin would follow with another one and done 7-5 season before being snatched up by Boise State, though they’d finally get some stability for seven years from Blake Anderson who did eventually leave for Utah State in 2021. Leading the helm now in his second season is Butch Jones, a three time head coach who climbed the coaching ladder from Central Michigan, to Cincinatti, to Tennessee, where he’d eventually be let go after a mostly underwhelming campaign.
Final Drive: One of the best parts about college football is the lack of incentive to tank a season. Every game means something for a program, even in the late stages of the year with no bowl eligibility on the line. A win for the Minutemen can inspire hope and confidence that can be built upon regardless of the fact the season closes at the end of the month. Getting Don Brown his first win against an FBS team would also be a big feat, and something he for sure would rather get off his back before the start of 2023 as well. The Minutemen line-up pretty well against the Red Wolves, as much as the line of this game may tell you otherwise. If UMass can come out throwing like they did last week and get better complimentary football from their running game, it’s not inconceivable for them to be in this all the way to the fourth quarter. Whether or not there will be a happy flight back to New England come Saturday evening will come largely down to two things: can Brady Olson repeat his Husky magic, and can this secondary live up to the hype.