UMass’s Minutemen have just undergone their second loss of the season by a margin of 45 points in a 10-55 loss against the Toledo Rockets. It’s easy to lose hope after Don Brown’s offense scored just 20 points over two games despite having 97 points scored against them. However, UMass has a few upcoming games on their schedule that just might help to put the Minutemen in stride. Let’s take a look at what Don Brown’s UMass Minutemen need to do to contend for a successful 2022 season.
Use Ellis Merriweather
Ellis Merriweather is the center of UMass’s offense, but his sheer size and athleticism need to be capitalized on for UMass to really take advantage of his potential. With a lower-tier quarterback with essentially no experience in the FBS, the running game is essential to UMass’s offense. Campiotti went 5-14 for just 27 yards in last night’s game. The team likely would have seen far more success by handing the ball off to Merriweather, who took 17 carries for 54 yards. Brown needs to stop putting trust in Campiotti to pull off miraculous plays and start giving more snaps to Merriweather who can guarantee yardage, first downs, and points.
Give Campiotti Time To Adjust
Gino Campiotti is brand new to UMass’s playbook, his teammates, and the FBS as a whole. He may have had time to get to know his teammates and the playbook throughout the offseason and fall camp, but he has had little game action under legitimate pressure to perform. He needs more time to adjust to the new play style, and spend less time in his comfort zone of russing. Sure, he averages a few yards per play on runs, but he needs to make more large-tier plays now that he’s going up against large-tier teams. He has the arm strength and receivers to make big plays for large drives with points at the end of them.
Breaking his habit of only running is a task that requires time, adjustment, and a good offensive line: all three of which UMass has.
Take Advantage of Lower Tier Opponents
Unlike last year’s tough schedule, UMass has a few games against lower-tier and FCS teams on this year’s schedule. If they take advantage of wins against opponents such as Stony Brook, UCONN, and Northern Arizona and build up momentum, the mental performance of the team will increase significantly. One of UMass’s biggest struggles is a lack of confidence, but taking home wins against these lower-tier teams will help to improve the psychological aspect of the team.
The Minutemen of UMass may have had a tough start to the season, and the future may not look bright, but by taking advantage of the team’s talent and combining it with a better, more positive attitude, the team might be able to see results and success.
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