Harasymiak Previews Temple
UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak looks at his first opponent in Amherst.
We are just days away from the beginning of the Joe Harasymiak era. Months of anticipation are finally coming to an end Saturday against the Temple Owls, and we are here to preview it for you.
Just like the Minutemen, Temple is entering 2025 with a brand new head coach. K.C. Keeler is entering his first season with the Owls after 11 years with Sam Houston where he won the FCS championship in 2020. Previously in 1981, Keeler held an assistant position at Amherst College.
“They're all new,” UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak said in a Monday press conference. “Coach Keeler’s background is certainly one that has won everywhere he has been. He’ll have them ready and prepared. He’s been doing it for a very long time.”
Throughout the years of the historic Atlantic 10 rivalry between UMass and Temple, they have only matched up in football three times, with the Owls taking all three. Harasymiak and the Minutemen are attempting to grab their first win with a brand new roster.
Both teams are entering Saturday’s matchup in similar scenarios. Both squads had three or less wins last season, made a coaching change, witnessed a hard-fought starting quarterback battle and have high expectations for the new season. These variables make getting off to a hot start that much more important.
“All new coaches there as well, just like here,” Harasymiak said. “I haven’t looked at their depth chart but I’m sure their roster has changed since before they got there so it’s exciting. I know from (Keeler’s) reputation that they will be ready to go and we will be ready to go on our end.”
A brand new team can present challenges for a coaching staff when studying film and helping put their players in the best position to succeed. Harasymiak and his staff found that with Temple, but used different strategies to prepare.
“A lot goes into it,” Harasymiak said. “Sometimes you go down rabbit holes that you just keep going down. Sometimes you look at where coordinators have been…and their tree, but you just don’t know until someone actually does it at a new place. The big message for us is just to control what we can control.”
Temple’s first depth chart listed two quarterbacks, Gevani McCoy and Evan Simon. McCoy played in 10 games last year with Oregon State in its first year removed from the original Pac-12, completing 123 passes for 1,300 yards. He also provided dual-threat ability, running for 328 yards and five touchdowns.
Simon, a redshirt-senior, played the majority of last year as the Owls starting quarterback. He became the first Temple player to score six touchdowns in a game in the last seven years. He finished the year with 181-for-308 for 2,032 passing yards 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 20 yards during the entirety of the campaign.
The assumption is that Keeler will use both of them throughout the game.
“I was with (Simon at Rutgers),” Harasymiak said. “I know (McCoy) a little bit. They are going to have their plan. I’m sure they will have different plays for each guy, but that’s why it comes back to us to just be prepared, especially defensively just having rules for our guys.”
The first UMass depth chart was released yesterday with defensive size and speed at the forefront to attack Keeler’s spread offense.
According to their new depth chart, the Owls are starting Colin Chase, Kajiya Hollawayne and Jojo Bermudez out wide to attack a mostly new UMass secondary. Bermudez, the speedy 5-foot-9, 170-pound receiver is someone to look out for. The redshirt-junior played a big role for Delaware last year grabbing 25 receptions for 216 yards. Bermudez also rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown.
On the other side, UMass’ offense experienced lots of change, but the returners have been a major part of the culture shift in the program. The depth chart projected returners Jacquon Gibson, T.Y. Harding and Ryan Mosesso to start on Saturday. Gibson and Harding showed flashes last season offensively under head coach Don Brown, and they have displayed even more growth in offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian’s offense. Mosesso is the only major offensive line piece from last year returning, and will have the responsibility of leading a line full of transfers and first-year starters.
“We are right where we need to be,” Harasymiak said. “The growth of our program and the togetherness has come a long way just in terms of the way we practice and the way we take care of each other. They are ready, but we have to manage all of those things that come with the first game as well.”
A player who will have to manage the whole offense is new quarterback Brandon Rose. The redshirt-junior, previously at Utah, beat out a competitive quarterback room for the starting job. His ability to complete passes efficiently, complimented with a touch of mobility when facing pressure, made him the best possible fit for his pass catchers, according to the coaches.
“It’s been a week or so since we announced (the starting quarterback),” Harasymiak said. “All three of them have leadership, it’s just now that he is the one getting with that group and the timing with the receivers has been really good. I’m excited for him, he’s been wanting this.”
On the other side of the ball, Harasymiak’s defense has historically been very good in the red zone. This is a key if the Minutemen want to be successful this year.
“What we really try to express is doing your job,” Harasymiak said. “Our goal in the red zone is to force field goal attempts. The difference between six and three ultimately is a really big difference over the course of a game. I think in camp we did a really good job on that.”
UMass will also take time to honor Matthew W. Bullock. He was a former head coach for the Minutemen back in the early 1900’s, and is believed to be the first ever African American head coach for a college or university that wasn’t historically black.
Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. with the game streaming on ESPN+.
Stay tuned on the Minuteman Command website and our socials for pregame and postgame coverage.
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