The Professor - The Coaching Career of James Xavier

[Captain Canada]

Top coordinator in nation weighing options from Kentucky, Syracuse, etc.

AMHERST, MA -- When you power a team with no real identity to a nationally-ranked offense and a shocking 12-0 record, days before playing in the first round of the College Football Playoff in your second year coaching college football, you're going to have suitors wanting you.

Add in a scandal that shook campus and caused you to hide out from the media for about a month, and you have the James Xavier sweepstakes.

The offensive coordinator of the upstart UMass Minutemen has remained silent about where he will be coaching next season, instead choosing to focus on their first round matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs - a team they played tough last season on the way to an 8-5 record and their first Division I bowl game and victory.

Reportedly, the Kentucky Wildcats and the Syracuse Orange have conducted virtual interviews with Xavier and offered him their head coaching positions, hopping to the front of the line of teams yearning for his services. Also reportedly booking interviews with Xavier is Vanderbilt, Charlotte, and Virginia, though not much news has been heard on that front.

Boston College, led by head coach Bill O'Brien has reportedly vacated their offensive coordinator position, angling to steer Xavier away from their Massachusetts' rival that beat them in the first week of the season, but that has not been confirmed. It is also worth noting that Michigan allegedly interviewed Xavier last year for their quarterbacks coach position and could be rallying back to fill their now vacant offensive coordinator position. The Wolverines are Xavier's alma mater.

The Minutemen remain adamant on retaining the services of their offensive coordinator, holding his contract for a few more seasons, but after resigning coach of the year Don Brown to a three-year deal, it seems as though that ship has indeed sailed.

[Captain Canada]

College Football Playoff Round 1 Preview: vs #5 Georgia


Record: 10-2, 6-2 SEC
Head Coach: Kirby Smart
Offensive Scheme: Pro Style
Defensive Scheme: 3-3-5

Team Leaders
Passing: Ryan Puglisi (302-435, 4,049 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, 9 interceptions)
Rushing: Trevor Etienne (191 carries, 996 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns)
Receiving: Dillon Bell (69 receptions, 1,123 receiving yards, 12 touchdowns)
Blocking: 14 sacks allowed, 43.3 PPG
Defense: Daylen Everette (46 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 12 pass deflections)

Injuries
DE Jordan Hall, Jr - Dislocated Ankle (Out)
DE Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Sr - Dislocated Ankle (Out)
LT Moses Long, Fr - Complete PCL Tear (Out for season)

Georgia Projected Starters
QB #12 Ryan Puglisi, Rs Fr | 6’3”, 210 lbs | 84 overall
HB #1 Trevor Etienne, Sr | 5’9”, 205 lbs | 90 overall
WR #16 London Humphreys, Jr | 6’2”, 200 lbs | 89 overall
WR #86 Dillon Bell, Sr | 6’1”, 210 lbs | 88 overall
WR #5 Anthony Evans III, Rs Jr | 5’11”, 170 lbs | 82 overall
TE #4 Oscar Delp, Sr | 6’5”, 245 lbs | 91 overall
LT #79 Nyier Daniels, So | 6’8”, 345 lbs | 79 overall
LG #53 Dylan Fairchild, Rs Sr | 6’5”, 315 lbs | 99 overall
C #74 Drew Bobo, Rs Jr | 6’5”, 305 lbs | 81 overall
RG #56 Micah Morris, Rs Sr | 6’4”, 330 lbs | 91 overall
RT #57 Monroe Freeling, Rs So | 6’7”, 315 lbs | 86 overall
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DE #52 Christen Miller, Rs Jr | 6’4”, 305 lbs | 87 overall
DE #99 Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, Rs Fr | 6’4”, 275 lbs | 90 overall
DT #55 Jamaal Jarrett, Jr | 6’5”, 350 lbs | 89 overall
OLB #11 Jalon Waler, Sr | 6’2”, 245 lbs | 93 overall
MLB #3 C.J. Allen, Jr | 6’1”, 235 lbs | 91 overall
OLB #18 Chris Cole, So | 6’3”, 235 lbs | 83 overall
CB #6 Daylen Everette, Sr | 6’1”, 190 lbs | 90 overall
CB #7 Daniel Harris, Jr | 6’3”, 195 lbs | 90 overall
Slot #12 Julian Humphrey, Rs Jr | 6’1”, 195 lbs | 90 overall
FS #8 Joenel Aguero, Rs So | 5’11”, 205 lbs | 87 overall
SS #27 Chris Peal, Rs So | 6’1”, 195 lbs | 78 overall
K #91 Peyton Woodring, Rs Jr | 5’10”, 185 lbs | 87 overall
P #92 Brett Thorson, Sr | 6’2”, 235 lbs | 86 overall
KR #2 Nitro Tuggle, Rs Fr | 6’1”, 190 lbs | 99 overall

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Coach James Xavier's Offensive Gameplan

"This is far and away the best team we've played all year. Hell, we win this thing, and it may still end up being the best team we play throughout all of this. Their defense is immaculate, one could argue its even better than last year. They swarm to the ball. Their secondary is just as good as their front seven which is really saying something. We need to take our gameplan and play it to perfection. There's no other choice. We have to prove we belong."

[djp73]

[redsox907]

Don't sleep on Syracuse. I was surprised with how many good recruits came out of the New York area. Plus the ACC is weak, easy pickin

Also, a showdown with Georgia is rough. I think the Cinderella story ends here

[Agent]

Kentucky

[Captain Canada]

We BELIEVE!

Don't sleep on Syracuse. I was surprised with how many good recruits came out of the New York area. Plus the ACC is weak, easy pickin

Also, a showdown with Georgia is rough. I think the Cinderella story ends here

Who knows? Might just squash the beef and run it back with Ahmad Haston

Kentucky

Kentucky blue ain't bad, huh?

[Soapy]

stay true to the soil.

Boston College here we come.

[djp73]

BC would be interesting, not sure we have seen them used at all

[Captain Canada]

stay true to the soil.

Boston College here we come.

O'Brien AND Xavier? Unstoppable

BC would be interesting, not sure we have seen them used at all

I don't think so either. We're still weighing our options. We're focused on Georgia.

[Captain Canada]

‣ CFB 2025 Postseason, College Football Playoff Round 1 - Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia
(12-0, 8-0 MAC) # 12 UMass Minutemen at #5 Georgia Bulldogs (10-2, 6-2 SEC)

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MASS | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7
UGA | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35

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Dominant Bulldogs defense sends UMass packing in first round, Haston throws three picks

The miracle UMass season has officially ended without the storybook ending they were looking for, getting stomped out by the Georgia Bulldogs in the first round of the College Football Playoffs, 35-7. The Bulldogs' defense swarmed all game long, intercepting UMass quarterback Ahmad Haston three different times and returning one of them for a touchdown.

The Minutemen offense could never seem to catch a rhythm from the consistent Bulldogs' pass rush, getting multiple defensive pressures from their front seven. After jumping to an early 14-0 lead over UMass, the deflation on their sideline was palpable.

"It front like we were just getting socked in the face over and over again," said senior running back Jalen John, who despite his bruising running style that UMass leaned on with great success all season long was stuffed all game. "It took everything in us not to quit that game, and I'm sure there was a few of us who didn't want to come out of that locker room at half-time."

A 70-yard pick-six from Chris Peal all but closed the door on any momentum the Minutemen were trying to build despite scoring a short yardage touchdown from All-American running back C.J. Hester to close the first half.

"It was disappointing coming out of that locker room," said quarterback Ahmad Haston, tears evident in his eyes. "Everyone always talks about David versus Goliath until you have to be David. It was a tough loss to swallow. We felt so good coming into this game and we got mollywhopped."

Two more touchdowns from the Bulldogs paced them to a relatively easy victory to advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face off against the Arizona Wildcats, who are coming off a bye.

The Minutemen face an off-season of uncertainty with the sweepstakes of their star offensive coordinator James Xavier expected to intensify.

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Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
Anthony Evans III, 8-yard pass from Ryan Puglisi (Peyton Woodring kick) [4:53]

2nd Quarter
Trevor Etienne, 4-yard run (Peyton Woodring kick) [5:11]
Chris Peal, 70-yard returned interception (Peyton Woodring kick) [0:33]
C.J. Hester, 3-yard run (Riley Moore kick) [0:17]

3rd Quarter
Dillon Bell, 59-yard pass from Ryan Puglisi (Peyton Woodring kick) [3:18]

4th Quarter
Roderick Robinson II, 1-yard run (Peyton Woodring kick) [5:51]

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Player Stats
QB Ahmad Haston: 23-32, 260 passing yards, 3 interceptions
QB Ryan Puglisi: 11-21, 199 passing yards, 2 touchdowns

HB C.J. Hester: 20 carries, 69 rushing yards, touchdown
HB Trevor Etienne: 17 carries, 82 rushing yards, touchdown

WR Kezion Dia-Johnson: 6 receptions, 65 receiving yards
WR T.Y. Harding: 5 receptions, 42 receiving yards
TE Noah Staples: 4 receptions, 50 receiving yards
WR Anthony Evans III: 4 receptions, 57 receiving yards, touchdown
WR Dillon Bell: 4 receptions, 98 receiving yards, touchdown

OLB Derrieon Craig: 7 tackles, tackle for loss, sack
OLB Dominic Schofield: 6 tackles
CB Jerrod Cameron: 4 tackles
FS Chris Peal: 7 tackles, 2 interceptions, touchdown
OLB Jalon Walker: 5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, sack
DE Christen Miller: 4 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack, interception