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2020 UMass Minutemen football team

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2020 UMass Minutemen football
ConferenceIndependent
Record0–4
Head coach
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorTommy Restivo (2nd season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumWarren McGuirk Alumni Stadium
Seasons
← 2019
2021 →
2020 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 11 BYU       11 1  
No. 17 Liberty       10 1  
Army       9 3  
New Mexico State       1 1  
UMass       0 4  
  • Note: Due to COVID-19, UConn canceled the 2020 football season; New Mexico State was the only FBS school to play a spring schedule.
Rankings from AP Poll.

The 2020 UMass Minutemen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Minutemen competed as an independent. They were led by second-year head coach Walt Bell.

UMass originally announced on August 11, 2020, that they would not play football in the fall over concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision was reversed on September 21, as UMass announced that opponents would be announced "as they become official".[1] Although the Minutemen's home stadium was Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium, all games there were cancelled; the team played only away games in 2020.

The Minutemen finished the abridged season winless, at 0–4, and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 161 to 12.

Preseason

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Award watch lists

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Listed in the order that they were released.

Award Player Position Year
Outland Trophy[2] Larnel Coleman OL RS SR
Wuerffel Trophy[3] Cole McCubrey LB SR
Solomon Siskind TE RS JR

Schedule

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UMass went 0–4, scoring 12 total points while allowing 161 points by their opponents.

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
October 174:00 p.m.at Georgia SouthernESPN2L 0–414,856
November 72:30 p.m.at No. 16 MarshallESPN+L 10–5111,711
November 208:00 p.m.at Florida AtlanticCBSSNL 2–245,554
November 2712:00 p.m.at LibertyESPN3L 0–45250

Game summaries

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At Georgia Southern

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Massachusetts at Georgia Southern
1 234Total
Minutemen 0 000 0
Eagles 14 14103 41
   
Pregame line Over/under
GASO −31 62[4]
Statistics UMass Georgia Southern
First downs 10 20
Total yards 191 436
Rushing yards 111 308
Passing yards 80 128
Turnovers 2 1
Time of possession 29:09 30:51
Team Category Player Statistics
UMass Passing Mike Fallon 7/12, 41 yards, 1 INT
Rushing Will Koch 4 carries, 41 yards
Receiving Samuel Emilus 4 receptions, 28 yards
Georgia Southern Passing Shai Werts 11/16, 128 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing Wesley Kennedy III 6 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Malik Murray 4 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD

At Marshall

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Massachusetts at Marshall
1 234Total
Minutemen 7 300 10
• No. 16 Thundering Herd 14 17137 51
  • Date: November 7, 2020
  • Location: Joan C. Edwards Stadium
    Huntington, WV
  • Game start: 2:30 p.m. EST
  • Elapsed time: 2 hours and 55 minutes
  • Game attendance: 11,711
  • Game weather: Clear and Sunny • Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Wind: Calm
  • Referee: Rodney Burnette
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Mark Martin (play–by–play) and Jake Griffith (analyst)
      
Pregame line Over/under
MRSH −44.5 55.5
Statistics UMass Marshall
First downs 12 33
Total yards 190 495
Rushing yards 41 267
Passing yards 149 228
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 26:53 33:07
Team Category Player Statistics
UMass Passing Will Koch 12/18, 99 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Ellis Merriweather 10 carries, 31 yards
Receiving Taylor Edwards 1 reception, 37 yards
Marshall Passing Grant Wells 21/30, 228 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing Brenden Knox 14 carries, 118 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving Artie Henry 5 receptions, 71 yards

At Florida Atlantic

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Massachusetts at Florida Atlantic
1 234Total
Minutemen 0 020 2
Owls 7 0143 24
  
Pregame line Over/under
FAU −32.5 50.5[5]
Statistics UMass Florida Atlantic
First downs 8 16
Total yards 147 368
Rushing yards 62 140
Passing yards 85 228
Turnovers 2 1
Time of possession 25:10 34:50
Team Category Player Statistics
UMass Passing Will Koch 12/22, 67 yards, 1 INT
Rushing Ellis Merriweather 11 carries, 48 yards
Receiving Josiah Johnson 8 receptions, 42 yards
Florida Atlantic Passing Javion Posey 13/27, 203 yards
Rushing Javion Posey 19 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD
Receiving TJ Chase 4 receptions, 79 yards

At Liberty

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Massachusetts at Liberty
1 234Total
Minutemen 0 000 0
Flames 14 17140 45
  • Date: November 27, 2020
  • Location: Williams Stadium
    Lynchburg, VA
  • Game start: 12:05 p.m. EST
  • Elapsed time: 2 hours and 55 minutes
  • Game attendance: 250
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 62 °F (17 °C) • Wind: E 4 MPH
  • Referee: Riley Johnson
  • Television network: ESPN3
    
Pregame line Over/under
LIB −35.5 57.5[6]
Statistics UMass Liberty
First downs 12 31
Total yards 227 629
Rushing yards 55 378
Passing yards 172 251
Turnovers 2 0
Time of possession 25:50 34:10
Team Category Player Statistics
UMass Passing Garret Dzuro 9/22, 172 yards, 1 INT
Rushing Cam Roberson 5 carries, 17 yards
Receiving Samuel Emilus 4 receptions, 82 yards
Liberty Passing Malik Willis 16/24, 223 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Peytton Pickett 10 carries, 125 yards, 1 TD
Receiving DeMario Douglas 4 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD

References

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  1. ^ "UMass reverses call, to play limited fall schedule". ESPN.com. September 21, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  2. ^ "2020 Outland Trophy Watch List Unveiled". July 21, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  3. ^ "The Wuerffel Trophy 2020 Watch List (Non AP)". July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  4. ^ "Massachusetts Minutemen vs Georgia Southern Eagles". Odds Shark. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  5. ^ "Massachusetts Minutemen vs Florida Atlantic Owls". Odds Shark. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  6. ^ "Massachusetts Minutemen vs Liberty Flames". Odds Shark. Retrieved November 27, 2020.