Missouri Tigers football at UMass: Five things to know before New England kickoff
Time to bounce back.
Mizzou’s perfect season took a hit, as did the Tigers’ AP Top 25 ranking in college football, with a 41-10 loss to Texas A&M last weekend in College Station, Texas. MU fell 12 spots in the poll and now ranks No. 21 for Saturday morning’s road game against the UMass Minutemen.
in an unusual non-conference game at this point in the season.
The Minutemen (1-5) are coming off their second straight loss, a 34-20 road defeat against Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Ill. The Huskies won by scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter.
Here’s what to know about this week’s Mizzou game:
Mizzou football vs. UMass game details
Kickoff: 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12
Where: Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium (Amherst, Massachusetts)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Tiger Radio Network
Betting line: Mizzou is a 27.5-point favorite (via FanDuel)
Over/under: 54.5.
Five Things to Know
UMass is ranked 92nd in the country in rushing defense. Expect a solid game out of Tigers RB Nate Noel this week.
The Minutemen are 25-117 since moving up to FBS in 2012. In fact, since making the jump UMass has yet to record more than four wins in a season.
This is UMass’ last year as an FBS independent. The Minutemen will rejoin the MAC starting in 2025. UMass had left the conference after declining a full-membership offer in the wake of the 2015 season.
Coach Don Brown has long a long Division I history. Back for a second stint as head coach of the Minutemen (2004-8, 2022-present), Brown has spent the majority of his career as a defensive coordinator for multiple major programs — such as Maryland (2009-10), Boston College (2013-15), Michigan (2016-20) and Arizona (2021).
QB Taisun Phommachanh is a dual threat. Phommachanh, too, made a few stops in collegiate career, including at Clemson and Georgia Tech, before coming to UMass. The senior has thrown for 1,280 yards with seven TDs this season while also leading the team in rushing yards (253).
