AMHERST — The UMass football team had one play to beat Miami (Ohio) on Saturday afternoon. Down by a single point, the Minutemen lined up for a 2-point conversion after driving 91 yards for a chance at a victory at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
The 2-point conversion attempt saw the Minutemen run a Philly Special type play with Reece Adkins getting tackled at the 15-yard line, failing the attempt leading to a 20-19 loss to the RedHawks in a Mid-American Conference (MAC) game.
“Certainly, a lot of pain right now,” UMass coach Joe Harasymiak said. “Guys responded, we were down 10 with 11 (minutes) or something left in the game. Defense did a great job keeping us in it.”
True Freshman Aedan McCarthy got the start at quarterback with Pop Watson out with an ankle injury. Watson was on the sideline with a walking boot on his right foot. He was walking up and down the sideline with a headset and even helped warm up McCarthy before the beginning of an offensive possession.
“Pop is going to be evaluated next week,” Harasymiak said. “He kind of tweaked it and injured it at (Sacramento State), ” Harasymiak said. “The decision came down that we have to get him healthy. I don’t think he was in a position to play. The young man did everything possible to try and go…I probably won’t know until we get off the plane in Buffalo and probably Saturday if he can go, but he’ll back. He’ll definitely be back.”
McCarthy went down in the fourth quarter with six minutes, 17 seconds left in the game. He needed assistance off the field and went immediately into the injury tent. Logan Inagawa entered the game for the Minutemen. McCarthy left the tent in crutches.
Inagawa then got the ball at his own 9-yard line and directed a miracle drive to get UMass in position to possibly win the game with two minutes, 22 seconds left. Inagawa finished 6-for-6 for 83 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore found Max Dowling for a 21-yard touchdown before the Minutemen lined up for the conversion.
“I am here to be aggressive,” Harasymiak said. “I am here to win games. I am not going to play scared…I trust our guys. We practice that play a lot, I was told there was a backside run through in the A gap or the B gap that got penetration, got to live with it. But I would do it again, I trust our guys to go do it.”
McCarthy finished 15-for-29 for 171 yards. UMass amassed 319 yards of total offense against the RedHawks. T.Y. Harding had nine catches for 91 yards. Down to a third string quarterback, it was up to the defense to keep UMass in the game. The unit did that, holding Miami to 260 total yards. UMass travels to Buffalo on Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
“First time this year we had to respond to a deficit,” Harasymiak said. “We talked at halftime about how we have to grind this out.”
Linebacker Tyler Martin had seven tackles including a tackle for a loss. Martin loved the team going for the win on the 2-point conversion.
“I have full faith in what (Harasymiak) decides and what those offensive coaches decide,” Martin said. “We play to win. The momentum of going on a 90 plus yard drive, to go in punch one in and they are reeling driving to defense three yards on a 2-point conversion play. I would have done the same thing. We had what felt like all the momentum in the world. Go try to win the game…it just didn’t go out way today. It sucks right now. But this could be a very different conversation with you guys if it was successful. That’s part of football.”
McCarthy directed a nine-play, 83-yard drive on the second offensive possession of the game. Curtis Kimmons IV finished the drive with a 23-yard rushing touchdown. The score gave UMass a 7-0 lead with 6:36 seconds left in the first quarter.
Miami quickly tied the game on a five-play, 73-yard drive. Scoop Smith took a handoff left and found the end zone on a 20-yard touchdown for the RedHawks.
UMass made the decision to go for a fourth and short at its own 34-yard line on its third drive. Miami made the stop and immediately made the Minutemen pay with a 9-yard rush touchdown by quarterback Caleb Heavner.
Derek Morris nailed a 56-yard field goal in the second quarter for UMass. The kick set a program record for the Minutemen. A UMass fumble in the third quarter gave the RedHawks possession at the 21-yard line. Miami took advantage with a 27-yard field goal by Kellan McLaughlin.
McLaughlin hit a 47-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. Morris hit a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to cut the Miami lead down to 20-13 with 6:41 left in the game. Harding left the game with an injury in the fourth quarter. Joe Griffin Jr. also missed the game with an injury, but the team hopes to have him back for the Buffalo game.
Listed attendance for the game was 13,887.
