University of Massachusetts football faces Arkansas State at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Saturday, September 30, at 3:30 p.m., on ESPN+.

SERIES HISTORY
UMass and Arkansas State will be meeting for the second time in program history, with the Red Wolves posting a narrow 35-33 home win last season in the teams' first meeting (Nov. 12, 2022). Isaac Ross and the Minutemen scored a touchdown with 18 seconds remaining in that contest but could not convert the two-point try to tie it.  

Cameron Sullivan-Brown and George Johnson III led the team with 72 receiving yards, including a career long 53-yard catch for Johnson III to go along with his first collegiate touchdown.  On the ground, Ellis Merriweather registered a season-best 122 yards. At quarterback, Brady Olson completed 14-of-28 passes for 178 yards, while Garrett Dzuro came in after Olson went down and Dzuro finished 10-of-14 for 129 yards. Both Olson and Dzuro threw one touchdown.  

On defense, Jalen Stewart had a team-high seven tackles (three solo). Stewart added one sack and .5 tackles for loss. Jalen Mackie followed with six tackles of his own and a tackle for loss. Tyler Rudolph registered his second interception of the season.   

SIMP CATCHING ON
A junior wide receiver, Simpson posted touchdowns in back-to-back games to open the season and now has 19 catches for 393 receiving yards (78.60 yards/game). His 393 receiving yards rank 19th in FBS (first among independents). Simpson also has eight carries for 68 yards this season.

In the win at New Mexico State, the Arizona transfer had a 10-yard TD run for the game's first score. At Auburn, he took a swing pass 58-yards for his second TD of the season. It marked the first two career touchdowns for the Bloomfield, Connecticut native. 
Simpson posted 101 receiving yards at Eastern Michigan (Sept. 16), including a career-long 67-yard connection in the second half. His third touchdown of the season came late in the fourth quarter against New Mexico when he hauled in a 65-yard TD catch from Ahmad Haston to help send the game to overtime (Sept. 23). 

QUICK HITS
Massachusetts held Eastern Michigan and New Mexico scoreless in the third quarters and the Minutemen have held the opposition off the scoreboard in three of five third quarters this season.

At 14.53 yards per completion, UMass ranks 19th in the country in passing yards per completion.  

WOODEN LEADING THE D
Senior defensive lineman Billy Wooden ranks tied for second on the team with 21 tackles (14 solo), has a team-best seven tackles for loss and a team-best 4.0 sacks on the season. His 4.0 sacks this season rank tied for eighth-most in FBS (first among independents).

Wooden also has a pass breakup, two quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles (37th in FBS) and two fumble recoveries (t-2nd in FBS).  

KAY'RON RUNNING WILD
Redshirt junior Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams is putting together a breakout season as the lead back for the Minutemen. A 2023 Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent Second Team member, Lynch-Adams has logged 463 rushing yards on 97 carries so far this season. He has also added seven catches for 55 receiving yards.

Against New Mexico State to open the year, he totaled two touchdowns, marking his first career multiple touchdown game. He posted 101 yards on 14 carries at Auburn, including a 28-yard run, for his first career 100-yard game. 

At Eastern Michigan (Sept. 16), Lynch-Adams carried the ball 26 times for a career-high 129 yards. His 463 rushing yards on the season ranks ninth in FBS (second among independents), while his 92.6 rushing yards per game ranks 23rd in FBS (second among independents).

According to PFF, Lynch-Adams is tied for the national lead in breakaway runs (15+ yards) with 10, along with Darius Taylor of Minnesota. Also according to PFF, Lynch-Adams leads the country in forced missed tackles with 36 (Audric Estime of Notre Dame is second with 32).

Lynch-Adams joined the Minutemen for the 2021 season after spending two years at Rutgers. Last season, he rushed 84 times for 297 yards and a career-long, 66-yard touchdown.