UMass HC Harasymiak | "We Have A QB Issue"
UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak acknowledged the Minutemen aren't playing well enough at quarterback right now.
AMHERST, Mass. - The UMass quarterback competition, which looked to be over at the end of August, has continued through the start of October and will continue moving forward.
Brandon Rose won the competition during camp over AJ Hairston and Grant Jordan during preseason camp, earning the right to start the opener against Temple. Rose went down with an injury in the second game of the season against Bryant. He missed the rest of that game as well as the next two, at Iowa and at Missouri.
Jordan started in his place against the Hawkeyes and Hairston earned the nod against the Tigers.
With Rose healthy again, he started the 21-3 loss to Western Michigan here at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Saturday.
UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak declined to announce a starter coming into the game, deciding to force Western Michigan to prepare for Rose as well as Hairston and Jordan.
At the start of the week, Harasymiak noted that the players around UMass’ starting quarterback would be more important than the quarterback himself.
The Minutemen head coach proved prophetic on that.
“Everybody who’s surrounding the quarterback, whoever it is, has to step up their game,” Harasymiak said on Monday. “We’ve got to catch the ball, We’ve got to protect, We’ve got to run the ball more effectively.”
UMass’ offensive line protected for the most part and it also paved the way for the Minutemen running backs to present the most consistent offensive threat of the season - at least for the first half- despite starter Rocko Griffin being out with a turf toe injury.
On the other side of the ball, the Minutemen defense played its best game of the season by far.
But, UMass did have multiple drops and penalties that prevented the Minutemen from scoring more than the three points they did.
An illegal formation penalty wiped out a touchdown in the first quarter and a holding penalty wiped out a run that would have set the Minutemen up with a first down inside the red zone in the second.
Rose played OK; he had some good moments as well as a couple throws he probably wants back along with a couple sacks when he should have thrown the ball away.
But, OK wasn’t good enough for Harasymiak and Rose was replaced by Hairston toward the end of the third quarter.
Hairston definitely provided a bit of a spark for the Minutemen offense, although it did not result in any points.
Rose finished 9-for-17 for 72 yards. Hairston was 11-for-18 for 131 yards and an interception in a little over a quarter.
The Minutemen have played multiple quarterbacks in every game this season.
“We’re just not playing well enough no matter who it is,” Harasymiak said during Saturday’s postgame press conference. “We have a quarterback issue right now. We’ve got to figure it out.
“All three guys have had opportunities. At some point someone’s got to take it and go. So that’s what I’m looking for.”
Still, the quarterbacks weren’t the only problems with the offense on Saturday.
Rose put UMass in position to score touchdowns on two of UMass’ first three possessions of the game and aside from a bad sack toward the end of the first half, he did a good job keeping the Minutemen in position to move the chains.
It seemed like every time the UMass offense was on the verge of breaking free of its shackles, a penalty or a dropped pass was there to keep them firmly in place.
Or an injury.
Rose looked sharp from the start, completing a pair of deep outs to Jacquon Gibson on the game’s opening drive for 22 and 17 yards, respectively, to help set up a UMass field goal. He also had a six-yard carry on a designed run, but did overshoot Gibson on a shorter out-route and a formation penalty wiped out what would have been a touchdown.
Rose had a pair of incompletions and a sack on UMass’ second drive, but both balls probably should have been caught and the sack looked to be the result of running back Juwaun Price going the wrong way on a playaction fake.
UMass’ third drive ended with a missed field goal after being short-circuited by a drop and a holding penalty. Rose connected with Gibson on a tight eight-yard out early on the following possession, but were forced to punt after Rose was pressured on third down and needed to throw the ball away.
Rose took a bad sack on UMass’ final possession of the half for a 10-yard loss, but bounced back with a rope to Gibson to pick up 15 yards. His 3rd-and-5 pass sailed high, but nothing was really open and it may have been a good decision not to force the ball elsewhere with less than a minute to play in the half.
Rose finished the first half 6-for-12 for 70 yards with all six completions going to Gibson.
But Gibson was lost for the game to an ankle injury just before the half.
Early in the second half, Rose played it safe with some checkdowns and when he did hook up with Jake McConnachie for a deep completion on 3rd-and-long over the middle, it was called back because of an illegal shift penalty and UMass was ultimately forced to punt.
Hairston came in and immediately zipped a 15-yard completion to Kenyon Massey on his first snap. He missed on consecutive attempts to Donnie Gray when Western Michigan had tight coverage.
UMass was set up in the red zone when Western Michigan muffed the ensuing punt, but Hairston was sacked for a 10-yard loss on first down. The Minutemen would eventually go for it on 4th and 5, but Hairston’s fade to McConnachie fell incomplete.
With UMass trailing 21-3 and only eight minutes to play, Hairston returned to the game and continued to flash the arm talent that has made him a fan favorite. Hairston fired off four completions, eventually marching the Minutemen all the way into the red zone, but he was picked off when a screen pass was blown up by a Bronco defensive lineman who made a one-handed interception.
Hairston returned for UMass’ final possession of the game and again completed multiple passes to push UMass into scoring possession, but eventually took a sack on fourth down to end the threat.
“We can’t take a sack on fourth down on the last play of the game,” Harasymiak said. “I mean just get the ball in the end zone.
“Again, I love him. We’ve just all got to keep growing.”
Hairston had more opportunities to throw with UMass down multiple scores, but there is no denying that the offense seems more lethal with him at quarterback, especially if the offensive line is able to give him some time.
But he needs to find a way to get the ball out of his hands when they don’t. As for Rose, he needs to find a balance between taking care of the ball and going ahead and letting it rip when the opportunity presents itself.
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