UMass football: Minutemen defense will be tested with 3 SEC opponents on the schedule

UMass defensive back Arsheen Jiles (1) makes a play on the ball during preseason training camp at McGuirk Stadium in Amherst.

UMass defensive back Arsheen Jiles (1) makes a play on the ball during preseason training camp at McGuirk Stadium in Amherst. PHOTO BY MASSACHUSETTS ATHLETICS/CHRIS TUCCI

By GARRETT COTE

Staff Writer

Published: 08-05-2024 5:03 PM

AMHERST — The UMass football team traveled to Auburn and Penn State in 2023, losing both by a combined score of 122-14, and in 2024, the Minutemen’s schedule features three more big-time opponents in Missouri, Mississippi State and Georgia. Those three games make up 25 percent of UMass’ regular season slate.

In order for the Minutemen to have improved results against their Power 5 foes, several areas needed to be addressed in the offseason. A banged up, uncertain secondary was one of them, and defensive coordinator Keith Dudzinski – who is now in his third season in Amherst – made it a priority to bring in players to increase the competition in that position group.

Facing quality quarterbacks like Georgia’s Carson Beck, Missouri’s Brady Cook and Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen is going to test UMass’ defensive backs, but the key additions of Jashon Watkins, Leonard St. Gourdin and Arsheen Jiles to accompany veterans Te’Rai Powell, Tyler Rudolph and Isaiah Rutherford has the coaching staff feeling much better about the back half of the defense this season.

“That was a huge emphasis for us going into the off-season,” Dudzinski said Monday of the defensive backs. “That’s a group that has a lot of new faces out there. And so far, every guy that we’ve brought in – I don’t think we’ve made any mistakes in terms of decisions. We’ve created a lot of competition at that third level… We’re just trying to get more competitive with our players, create as much competition within the program, and let’s see who rises to the top when we get ready to play.”

During head coach Don Brown’s press conference following the first practice of the summer last Friday, the third-year Minutemen coach voiced how he enjoys playing games against Power 5 opponents – because he doesn’t have to say anything extra to his players to motivate them. They’re ready to go from the start.

Several of UMass’ players either transferred out of Power 5 programs because they felt they weren’t given the proper opportunity, or they felt they didn’t get the attention they deserved during the recruiting process out of high school. Regardless, the Minutemen say they will play with a chip on their shoulder.

“I personally love it. I enjoy the challenge,” senior linebacker Jalen Stewart said. “There’s a lot of guys in here that, quite frankly, we feel like we were slighted in the recruiting ranks. We feel like we’re just as good, if not better than some guys that we play on some of those teams. It gives us an opportunity to show we do belong with the big guys. We don’t walk into those stadiums scared at all. We walk into them with confidence, because really believe we’re gonna win every game.”

UMass has been close to knocking off Power 5 schools in recent history. In 2022, the Minutemen hung close with Texas A&M before a 20-3 loss at Kyle Field. The 2017 season saw UMass fall by just four points at Tennessee (17-13) before a close call with Mississippi State (34-23) later that year. The prior season, the Minutemen were within one score of Florida in the second half before losing 24-7 and they then dropped a 34-28 heart-breaker to South Carolina.

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The common occurrence in each of those games? UMass generated turnovers – something it’ll have to do to hang with some of the top programs in the country in 2024.

“It’s the same stuff [game-plan wise],” Dudzinski said. “We’re not gonna change our game plan. We’re gonna go in on Sunday, prepare, try to find some weaknesses. We always try to create turnovers. That’s the important thing in those types of games. If you can create some turnovers early, get the confidence going. If you come out of the first quarter and you’re in the ballgame, I think that starts to carry over. If all of a sudden they come in and start driving the ball down the field, you could be in for a long afternoon.”

Typically UMass hits the road for its contests with Power 5 schools. But this fall the Minutemen will welcome Missouri, a team that finished 11-2 and knocked off No. 7 Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. Playing at McGuirk Alumni Stadium will add another layer of motivation for UMass come Oct. 12.

“I hope it’s loud in here, I’ll tell you that. I hope it’s really loud in here,” Stewart said. “We [want to] give them a taste of what Amherst looks like and how we get down. I look forward to that. I look forward to protecting home turf. Because that’s rule No. 1, you can’t let anyone come in here and take what’s yours. So I look forward to that one.”

As has been the case in the past, UMass is excited for the challenge that SEC teams provide.