It’s the season opener on the gridiron in the Big Easy as one of the nation’s last remaining independent programs takes on a team from the AAC. The UMass Minutemen are on the road as they make the trip down to the bayou to face the Tulane Green Wave Saturday night. UMass finished last season 1-11 to clearly miss out on a bowl game, continuing their miserable play since their return to the FBS back in 2012. Tulane ended the 2021 campaign with a dismal 2-10 mark, snapping their run of bowl appearances at three. These programs have met just once as FBS opponents with the Green Wave taking a 31-24 road victory in that meeting on October 1, 2016.
UMass put together a miserable 1-11 mark in 2021 as they continue to struggle at the FBS level. Walt Bell was fired with the team sitting 1-8 last season and finished his run at the school 3-23. He’s now the offensive coordinator at Indiana: in his stead is Don Brown, who was 43-19 coaching here from 2004-08, including an appearance in the FCS National Championship Game back in 2006, when they fell to Appalachian State. Brown inherits a team with low expectations and not a ton of talent returning. It’s going to be an uphill climb for the Minutemen again this season. They do bring back arguably their best offensive weapon but will it be enough to help them have any success on the field?
Last season, UMass was 123rd in passing offense with 152.7 yards per contest while they were 79th in rushing offense with 147.7 yards per game. The Minutemen finished tied for 126th in the FBS in scoring offense with an average of 16.3 points per game while they were a dismal 130th in scoring defense by allowing 43.1 points per contest. Brady Olson saw the most reps under center last season as he was 104 of 215 passing for 1,145 yards with eight touchdowns against seven interceptions on the year while adding 28 yards on the ground. Garrett Dzuro (23 of 47, 246 yards, two TD, three INT, 139 rushing yards) and Zamar Wise (six of nine, 22 yards, 136 rushing yards, TD) are also back and in the mix. Ellis Merriweather is the team’s top offensive weapon. He finished last season with 218 carries for 1,138 yards and five scores. Kay’Ron Adams (39 carries, 114 yards, TD) is the second back in the system. Rico Arnold led the team with 27 receptions for 461 yards plus three scores. Melvin Hill (12 receptions, 171 yards, TD), tight end Josiah Johnson (11 catches, 115 yards, three TD) and Merriweather (22 grabs, 165 yards, TD) are other secondary options when the Minutemen go to the air. Cameron Carson hit 22 of 24 extra point attempts and knocked through eight of 11 field goal attempts on the year with a long of 45.