The UMass football team seeks its first win of the 2024 season on Saturday, when it hosts Central Connecticut State at 3:30 p.m. in the annual homecoming game.

After three double-digit losses against MAC schools to start the year, the Minutemen have their best chance of the season for a win on Saturday. Their schedule doesn’t get any easier after homecoming — UMass goes on the road to face Miami (OH) and No. 23 Northern Illinois before returning home to play No. 7 Missouri on Oct. 12.

“Just for self-confidence, just self-knowing. Getting that win, especially at home, especially homecoming, we have to get that done,” safety Tyler Rudolph said on Monday. “Especially with players that we played with last year – Brady (Olson), Tristan (Armstrong), they’re going to come ready.”

Olson, a Bellingham native, spent the past three seasons in Amherst before transferring to CCSU and winning the starting quarterback job this fall. In 2021, Walt Bell’s final season with the Minutemen, Olson was UMass’ leading passer as a true freshman. He started eight games, seven of them under Bell. and threw for 1,145 yards and eight touchdowns with seven interceptions.

When Don Brown took the head coaching job, in 2022, Olson served as a backup in the early part of the season before starting the final five games. He appeared in just one game last season and did not record any stats. 

“Looking forward to seeing him and looking forward to the challenge,” Brown said on Monday. “I know we’ll get his best shot.”

In three games so far as CCSU’s starter, Olson has 477 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The Blue Devils lost 66-10 to Central Michigan in their opener before wins against Fordham and Saint Francis the past two weeks.

Rudolph said that Olson has changed “a lot” since he left UMass. He mentioned that Olson looks defenders off a lot more and the Minutemen defense has to look at him differently from the quarterback they practiced against the past three years.

“Brady is going to come in here and give us his all,” Rudolph said. “And Brady is no slouch, so we’ve got to be ready for Brady for sure.”

Armstrong spent four seasons at UMass before transferring to CCSU as a graduate student this offseason. He appeared in 21 games across those four seasons, recording 24 tackles. So far this year, he’s tallied nine tackles in three games.

In addition to Olson’s arm, CCSU’s offense is led by running back Elijah Howard, a 5-foot-11, 176-pound back Brown called a “very good player” with dangerous change of direction skills and speed. Howard ran for 102 yards last week against Saint Francis.

UMass heads into the matchup looking to rebound from a 34-3 loss to Buffalo on Saturday. The Minutemen were down just 10-3 at halftime before a scoring run by Buffalo — accentuated by a 106-yard interception return touchdown — sunk them in the second half.

In the loss, they were without No. 1 receiver Anthony Simpson, who struggled in week one before getting hurt week two. No. 1 tight end Dominick Mazotti was also hurt in week two and didn’t play in week three.

Taisun Phommachanh totaled 436 yards in the air and 101 on the ground through the first two weeks before a dud in week three. He completed 14-of-29 passes for just 121 yards and managed only two rushing yards against Buffalo.

In the absence of Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams and Greg Desrosiers, none of the three running backs in the Minutemen committee have separated themselves thus far. Jalen John has gotten the most usage — 39 carries for 118 yards — but has struggled to just three yards per carry. CJ Hester (21 carries for 74 yards) and Brandon Campbell (16 carries for 57 yards) haven’t been effective either.

The Minutemen are 3-0 all time against the Blue Devils, though all three of those matchups came when UMass played at the FCS level. The game will be broadcast on ESPN +.