Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 8 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Penn State and Massachusetts don't have much shared history, having met just once before, in 2014. That doesn't mean, however, that these two seem- ingly disparate programs are entirely unfamiliar with each other. UMass' top returning tackler is a for- mer Nittany Lion — safety Tyler Ru- dolph, who made 62 stops and added 2 interceptions and 5 pass breakups in his first season in Amherst after spend- ing his first three years at Penn State. Also, the Minutemen's second-lead- ing receiver last year (since departed) was Cam Sullivan-Brown, a four-year member of PSU's receiving corps. And then there's Massachusetts' sec- ond-year coach, Don Brown. The for- mer Michigan assistant will be familiar to Penn State followers as the architect of some of the more vexing defenses the Lions have faced during the James Franklin era. Brown was hired in November 2021 following five seasons in Ann Arbor and a year at Arizona. He had previously coached the Minutemen from 2004- 08, going 36-19 back when the team was still competing at the FCS level. Since his arrival, Brown has been building the program via the transfer portal. The current roster includes eight former Big Ten players, as well as five from Arizona, and there are additional players from Notre Dame, Florida State and Clemson. The Minutemen struggled in Brown's first season, winning just one game and ranking next-to-last in the FBS in scor- ing offense at 12.5 points per game. This year, much will hinge on the outcome of the team's quarterback battle. Sophomore Brady Olson played in nine games last fall but completed just over 50 percent of his attempts and tossed 8 interceptions while throwing only 2 touchdown passes. Needing bet- ter production, the Minutemen have brought in Taisun Phommachanh, a former four-star recruit whose career at Clemson was waylaid by an Achilles tendon injury. Phommachanh spent an uneventful year at Georgia Tech in 2022 and is now looking for a reset. He'll have every opportunity to do just that at his new school. In the backfield, former Rutgers run- ning back Kay'Ron Adams is returning after rushing for 297 yards last year, and Brown is excited about the potential of Arizona transfer Jalen John. On defense, Massachusetts brings back some playmakers in Rudolph and fellow safety Dashaun Jerkins, corner- back Jordan Mahoney and linebacker Gerrell Johnson. The Minutemen have gone 1-11 five times since moving up to the FBS level in 2012 and have yet to win more than four games in any season. Nevertheless, Brown said this spring that he believes his staff has amassed enough manpower to start changing the program's trajec- tory. "It's pretty obvious we're much better than a year ago, especially on the of- fensive side," he said. "I think we have a chance to play complementary football, and that's what we're shooting for." — Matt Herb O C T . 1 4 | 3 : 3 0 P. M . | T V T B A | B E A V E R S T A D I U M | U N I V E R S I T Y P A R K Safety Tyler Rudolph, a former Penn State player, is the Minutemen's top returning tackler with 62 stops last year. PHOTO COURTESY MASSACHUSETTS ATHLETICS GAME 6 MASSACHUSETTS WHAT COULD GO RIGHT Transfer quarterback Taisun Phommachanh has a chance to elevate an offense whose struggles last year proved impossible to overcome. WHAT COULD GO WRONG The schedule, which includes visits to Au- burn, Penn State and Liberty, and home dates against Mid-American Conference frontrun- ners Miami (Ohio) and Toledo, could over- whelm even an improved UMass squad. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Penn State leads 1-0 Last Meeting: Penn State defeated the Min- utemen 48-7 on Sept. 20, 2014 Head Coach: Don Brown (44-30 in six nonconsecutive seasons at Massachusetts; career coaching record: 96-56) 2022 Record: 1-11 Returning Starters: 12 (5 offense, 8 de- fense, 2 specialists) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Kay'Ron Adams (297 yards, 1 TD) Passing: QB Brady Olson (791 yards, 2 TD) Receiving: WR George Johnson III (402 yards, 1 TD) Tackles: S Tyler Rudolph (62) Sacks: DT Marcus Bradley (2.5) Interceptions: CB Jordan Mahoney (3) 2023 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2022 Result Aug. 26 New Mexico State L, 23-13 Sept. 2 at Auburn — Sept. 9 Miami (Ohio) — Sept. 16 at Eastern Michigan L, 20-13 Sept. 23 New Mexico — Sept. 30 Arkansas State L, 35-33 Oct. 7 Toledo L, 55-10 Oct. 14 at Penn State — Oct. 28 at Army L, 44-7 Nov. 4 Merrimack — Nov. 18 at Liberty L, 42-24 Nov. 25 Connecticut L, 27-10