Summer Reading - Know Your Opponent: UMass Minutemen

On October 14th, the Penn State Nittany Lions will welcome the UMass Minutemen to Beaver Stadium. The Minutemen are coming off a 1-11 season in which they were one of the worst teams in the FBS. Unfortunately for the Minutemen, there is little reason to expect things to improve this fall.

Former Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown is prepping to enter his second season as the team's head coach. This is Brown's second stint as head coach at UMass. The Massachusetts native was also the head coach at UMass from 2004-2008, posting a 43-19 record during the best five-year stretch in program history.

Unfortunately for the Minutemen, since moving to the FBS starting in the 2012 season they have been one of the worst programs in the country. In their 11 FBS seasons, UMass has posted a woeful 21-103 record and they have never won more than 4 games in a season.

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Last season, UMass averaged just 12.5 PPG, which was the second lowest in the country. Quarterback Brady Olson returns after completing 50.3% of his passes last season for 791 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. However, the starting quarterback this season may very well be former Clemson and Georgia Tech signal caller (and one-time Penn State target) Taisun Phommachanh.

There are a lot of questions about both their receiver room and the offensive line. Ellis Merriweather was the team's leading rusher last season, but he is off to the New Orleans Saints training camp. Ka'Ron Adams, who rushed for 297 yards and a touchdown last season, is expected to become the team's top running back. At wide receiver, Geoge Johnson III will lead the way, while Maimi transfer Mark Pope will look to make an instant impact.

While Brown does not have the players he wants/needs to run his defensive system, it's still a Don Brown defense. That means it is one that will look to be very aggressive. In year one under Brown the UMass defense made big strides forward, especially in the second year. However, they were still very poor against the run.

Jordan Mahoney and his 3 interceptions from a year ago return this fall. However, their secondary suffered a big blow when Josh Wallace transferred to Michigan. Former Penn State safety Tyler Rudolph also returns as a starter after recording 62 tackles, 5 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions last season.

While their secondary could be strong again the big concern is the front seven. UMass recorded just 19 sacks last season, and two of their three top sack leaders from last season are gone.

Their defensive line is not very big, and the linebacker play leaves a lot to be desired. Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen, and the rest of the running back room should have a huge day when the Minutemen come to town.

Sophomore Cameron Carson returns as the place kicker for the Minutemen. Last season, Carson was 13/18 on field goals with a long of 47 yards and 13/13 on extra point attempts At punter, C.J. Kolodziey also returns after averaging 336.6 yards per punt last season.

This is the worst team Penn State will play this season. To be honest, UMass could be the worst team in the FBS this season. This game should serve as nothing more than a very soft landing spot coming out of the bye week, a good opportunity to get young players plenty of reps, and a chance to rest players to get ready for the following weekend's showdown with the Buckeyes.

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