Maroon Edges White In UMass Spring Game

Maroon beat White 18-17 in the first spring game of the Joe Harasymiak Era.

AMHERST, Mass. - Fans got their first look at UMass Football’s Joe Harasymiak Era with the Minutemen’s annual Spring Game on Saturday here at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

The format of the game split the rosters in half - Maroon and White - with limited special teams and no tackling. So, the outcome of the game - an 18-17 win for White - and individual plays and drives aren’t as critical as they would be during the season.

But the game did provide a chance for players to show what they can do in an elevated atmosphere from a typical spring practice and actually had some intrigue in the end.

One player who took full advantage of that opportunity was quarterback Grant Jordan. He opened the game with a deep connection to receiver Jake McConnachie, who also stood out in the game.

Jordan threw multiple sharp passes and displayed a command of the offense with his decision-making, finishing finished 13-for-23 for 165 yards.

Fellow quarterback AJ Hairston didn’t look quite as sharp as Jordan early, but ended up with impressive numbers at the end of the day.

Hairston finished 13-for-26 for 164 yards with two touchdowns, including a deep touchdown to Dallas Elliott to give the White a 17-10 lead in the fourth quarter..

In addition to McConnachie, who finished with four catches for 55 yards, fellow receiver Tyree Kelly also made multiple plays, perhaps showing a glimpse of a matchup weapon for the Minutemen this fall.

Kelly led the group with five receptions for 79 yards while Jacquon Gibson finished with six catches for 81 yards. Elliott had four catches for 57 yards and the touchdown.

The running backs - Rocko Griffin, Brandon Campbell, Da’Marion Alberic, Godson Ofonagoro and Cookie Desiderio - split carries and each showed plenty of burst throughout the exhibition, although the rules certainly called for quick whistles on runs when they likely had opportunities for big gainers.

Desiderio led all rushers with 64 yards on 10 carries while Griffin finished with 51 on nine attempts.

Campbell caught a pair of passes, including a one-yard touchdown from Hairston in the first half to tie the game 7-7 after Ofongaro scored the game’s first touchdown from one yard out on the previous possession.

Even with the aforementioned limits on special teams, the specialists, looked flawless…until the end.

Punter Keegan Andrews displayed the big leg that has been contained in the bubble all spring while kickers Marcus Lye and Derek Morris connected on each of their field goal and extra point attempts in the first half.

After White took the lead in the fourth quarter, Jordan led Maroon back down the field and ultimately scrambled in from four yards out for a touchdown. Maroon elected to go for two to go ahead and Griffin hauled in Jordan’s pass on a tipped ball to put them on top 18-17.

White had a chance to win in the final seconds, but Lye’s 48-yard field goal was no good.

Your one-stop-shop for all your sports marketing needs… Owned and Operated by UMASS Grads.

We specialize in providing top-quality marketing & printing services for coaches, athletic directors, and sports marketing professionals.

Get Fan Ready!