The Professor - The Coaching Career of James Xavier

[Caesar]

Team's playing well down the stretch. What's the plan? Stay at UMass or go looking for a bigger job?

[Captain Canada]

Team's playing well down the stretch. What's the plan? Stay at UMass or go looking for a bigger job?

The idea is to stay a little longer but if there is an interesting enough offer in the off-season...

[Captain Canada]

‣ CFB 2024 Regular Season, Week 10 - Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Hadley, Massachusetts
(2-6, 0-5 SEC) Mississippi State Bulldogs at UMass Minutemen (6-2, 0-0 IND)

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MASS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7
MSST | 7 | 21 | 3 |0 | 31

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Minutemen left floundering in rain game, offense goes ice cold against Bulldogs

Three costly turnovers committed by UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh destabilized their offense during what felt like a torrential downpour, as the Minutemen crumbled against SEC foe Mississippi State by the score of 31-7 in their Week 10 matchup.

Bulldogs quarterback Blake Shapen managed their offense well, starting the game with a quarterback sneak to give the team a 7-0 lead in the only score of the first quarter. The Minutemen constantly stalled before getting into field goal range, even going for a fourth-down conversion that saw running back Jalen John stuffed behind the line of scrimmage.

Neither John nor potent backup C.J. Hester were able to get going, proving inconsequential against the Bulldogs' potent defensive front. John managed 80 yards on the ground behind 15 carries while Hester only touched the ball six times for a meager 22 yards.

What turned the tide in the Bulldogs' favour was the unfortunate three interceptions the Minutemen's senior quarterback threw, one being returned 43 yards the other way by Mississippi State cornerback Brice Pollock for a touchdown in the third quarter, pushing their lead to 28-0.

"It was really unfortunate, after such a string of positive play from [Taisun Phommachanh]," commented a frustrated offensive coordinator, James Xavier, in the post-game presser. "Consistency has been the one key thing we've been missing on offense, and that was fairly disastrous. Blaming the weather isn't going to be something that flies either. They executed perfectly fine."

Backup quarterback Ahmad Haston came into the game late in the third quarter, but couldn't muster up any late-game heroics. He did manage an impressive statline despite this, completing 11 of 14 of his passes for 141 passing yards and connecting with Jacquon Gibson for a touchdown.

The team faces off against Conference USA leader Liberty at home next week, looking to get back on track.

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Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
Blake Shapen, 1-yard run (Kyle Ferrie kick) [3:01]

2nd Quarter
Kelly Akharaiyi, 68-yard pass from Blake Shapen (Kyle Ferrie kick) [8:17]
Creed Whittemore, 1-yard run (Kyle Ferrie kick) [2:19]
Brice Pollock, 43-yard returned interception (Kyle Ferrie kick) [1:54]

3rd Quarter
Kyle Ferrie, 47-yard field goal [6:57]

Quarter 4
Jacquon Gibson, 16-yard pass from Ahmad Haston (Riley Moore kick) [0:53]

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Player Stats
QB Taisun Phommachanh: 16-32, 130 passing yards, 3 interceptions
QB Ahmad Haston: 11-14, 141 passing yards, touchdown
QB Blake Shapen: 6-12, 158 passing yards, touchdown, 5 carries, 10 rushing yards, touchdown

HB Jalen John: 15 carries, 80 rushing yards
HB C.J. Hester: 6 carries, 22 rushing yards
HB Davon Booth: 16 carries, 68 rushing yards

WR Starling Galban: 6 receptions, 64 receiving yards
TE Dominick Mazotti: 5 receptions, 57 receiving yards
WR Jacquon Gibson: 4 receptions, 73 receiving yards, touchdown
TE Seydou Traore: 2 receptions, 38 receiving yards
WR Kelly Akharaiyi: 2 receptions, 98 receiving yards, touchdown

DE Etinosa Reuben: 7 tackles, tackle for loss, sack
CB Isaiah Rutherford: 5 tackles
CB Arsheen Jiles: 4 tackles
FS Isaac Smith: 7 tackles, interception
CB Brice Pollock: 7 tackles, tackle for loss, interception, touchdown
DT Trevion Williams: 5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks

[Captain Canada]

Despite horrific performance, Xavier and UMass grab their first recruit in Connecticut’s Volk

AMHERST, MA -- The University of Massachusetts Minutemen have landed their first recruit of the 2024 recruiting cycle, adding one-star offensive lineman Tanner Volk out of Bridgeport, Connecticut. According to ESPN, Volk is the #3478 offensive tackle in the country.

Volk, a 6-foot-4, 304-pound prospect from the Bridgeport Central Hilltoppers, decided to go with UMass over UConn, Duke, and Toledo and is the first collegiate commitment for offensive coordinator James Xavier. During the spring, Coach Xavier was expressive about fixing the roster by building a pipeline with the northeast region, namely within the trenches.

Despite his low ranking, many credit Volk with being a big fish in a smaller pond, being one of the more dominant offensive tackles in the Connecticut region, despite his team's lowly ranking. They have gone winless in the last two seasons, winning only one game the year before. Volk, however, has been one of the brightest spots.

"Losing that often, it's really hard to get off your psyche. You want to be a part of something bigger. To have the opportunity to grow and be around guys who want to be the best," Volk mentioned in an article announcing his commitment to the Minutemen. "Coach Xavier challenged me to dig into the adversity and grow with this team, and I'm excited to get going."

For Coach Brown and UMass, it hasn't been the easiest cycle, seeing many of their higher-ranked recruits opt for greener pastures despite UMass' upturn in their record. The team remains very much in the race for three-star receiver George Stewart out of New Jersey, battling it out with Navy and Rutgers.

Commitments
#3478 OT Tanner Volk | 6’5”, 304 lbs | Bridgeport, CT | 1-star | Committed to Massachusetts

2024 UMass Recruiting Board
#650 HB JaMichael Mooney | 6’1”, 188 lbs | Kingston, NY | 3-star | RUTGERS, UCONN, TEMPLE, UMASS, TOLEDO
#2804 HB Andy Greisen | 6’0”, 185 lbs | Bronx, NY | 2-star | 2-star | RUTGERS, UCONN, TEMPLE, UMASS, KENT STATE
#690 WR George Stewart | 6’5”, 211 lbs | Sparta, NJ | 3-star | RUTGERS, NAVY, UMASS, TEMPLE, UCONN
#549 TE Gabe Colombo [JUCO] | 6’2”, 242 lbs | Wilton, CT | 3-star | UMASS, UCONN, TEMPLE, AKRON, WESTERN KENTUCKY
#1029 TE Callum Wishnowsky | 6’3”, 231 lbs | Watertown, CT | 3-star | UCONN, UMASS, NORTHWESTERN, RUTGERS, TOLEDO
#508 OT Malcolm O’Neil | 6’7”, 308 lbs | Milford, MA | 3-star | UCONN, KENT STATE, TEMPLE, UMASS, AKRON
#1361 OT Prince Mamula | 6’7”, 322 lbs | Bronx, NY | 3-star | RUTGERS, NAVY, TEMPLE, UMASS, UCONN
#1486 OT Dalton McClain | 6’4”, 284 lbs | Hammonton, NJ | 3-star | RUTGERS, UCONN, TEMPLE, UMASS, KENT STATE
#3811 OT Ezekiel Ozougwu | 6’5”, 274 lbs | Cherry Hill, NJ | 1-star | UCONN, TEMPLE, UMASS, TOLEDO, JMU
#1065 OG David Rossi | 6’3”, 306 lbs | Hightstown, NJ | 3-star | RUTGERS, TEMPLE, NAVY, BUFFALO, KENT STATE
#2692 OG Eric Hurns | 6’1”, 320 lbs | Ashland, PA | 2-star | KENT STATE, NAVY, UCONN, LIBERTY, EAST CAROLINA
#3573 OG Donte Finger | 6’3”, 279 lbs | Wallingford, CT | 1-star | UCONN, DUKE, JMU, TEMPLE, BUFFALO
#2662 C George Vela | 6’0”, 288 lbs | Catawissa, PA | 2-star | NORTHWESTERN, UAB, RUTGERS, LIBERTY, MINNESOTA
#516 DE Tyler Tongue | 6’4”, 278 lbs | Sudbury, MA | 3-star | UCONN, DUKE, TEMPLE, RICE, UMASS
#3276 DE Maxwell Brooks | 6’0”, 231 lbs | New Canaan, CT | 1-star | UCONN, UMASS, DUKE, TOLEDO, TEMPLE
#3245 DE Jamarcus Elkins | 6’4”, 248 lbs | Everett, MA | 1-star | UCONN, UMASS, DUKE, TOLEDO, TEMPLE
#610 MLB Callum Cantrell | 5’11”, 218 lbs | Lynbrook, NY | 3-star | RUTGERS, NAVY, TEMPLE, UMASS, UCONN
#2985 MLB Jeremiah Mauro | 5’11”, 216 lbs | Jackson, NJ | 2-star | RUTGERS, UCONN, TEMPLE, UMASS, KENT STATE
#1145 CB Matt Yates | 6’2”, 199 lbs | Egg Harbor City, NJ | 3-star | RUTGERS, NAVY, TEMPLE, UMASS, UCONN
#2647 ATH Alex Pilgrim | 6’4”, 225 lbs | Massapequa, NY | 2-star | RUTGERS, TEMPLE, UCONN, UMASS, AKRON
#691 ATH Tavares Holiday | 6’0”, 295 lbs | Romeo, MI | 3-star | MICHIGAN, CENTRAL MICHIGAN, TOLEDO, MIAMI(OH), SOUTH ALABAMA

Committed Elsewhere
#2316 QB Vai Keke | 5’11”, 208 lbs | Avon, CT | 2-star | Committed to Boston College
#1135 OLB Vinny Kinder | 5’11”, 229 lbs | Wayne, NJ | 3-star | Committed to Rutgers
#2609 OG Julius Braham | 6’0”, 290 lbs | Reading, PA | 2-star | Committed to Liberty
#567 CB Mike Leamon | 5’11”, 180 lbs | Gibsonia, PA | 3-star | Temple, Rutgers, Charlotte
#2981 OT Darian Riggs | 6’7”, 326 lbs | Suffield, CT | 2-star | Committed to Syracuse
#2997 HB Carter Gainwell | 6’0”, 197 lbs | Jersey City, NJ | 2-star | Committed to Temple
#76 DT Ryan Carney | 6’2”, 290 lbs | North Andover, MA | 4-star | Committed to Rutgers
#1851 DE Cam Hager | 6’1”, 227 lbs | Red Bank, NJ | 3-star | Rutgers, Temple, UConn, Buffalo, Navy
#282 OG Saul Donahue | 6’3”, 298 lbs | Bridgeport, CT | 4-star | Penn State, Boston College, Syracuse
#2057 OLB Imani Ojabo | 6’1”, 247 lbs | Scituate, MA | 2-star | Committed to Syracuse
#1244 TE Roderick Winbush | 6’3”, 224 lbs | Hightstown, NJ | 3-star | Committed to Western Kentucky
#2842 QB Dalton Byard | 6’4”, 225 lbs | Milford, MA | 2-star | Committed to Boston College
#1065 OG David Rossi | 6’3”, 306 lbs | Hightstown, NJ | 3-star | Committed to Temple
#2530 DE Connor King | 6’5”, 274 lbs | Bayonne, NJ | 2-star | Committed to Syracuse

[Captain Canada]

Week 10 Top Stories
Fans in University Park are celebrating after #8 Penn State defeats rival #6 Ohio State despite 155 yards from Jeremiah Smith
Which team will continue to derail off the path and what team will get back into the competition? #23 Alabama or #21 LSU
6 catches, 150 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns from Trebor Pena led Syracuse to a 28-24 victory over Virginia
#10 Louisville knocks off Clemson 45-28, causing them to fall to #18 in the CFP Top 25

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Heisman Watchlist
QB Dillon Gabriel » 22-31, 332 passing yards, 4 touchdowns
WR Traeshon Holden » 5 receptions, 93 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 rush touchdown
QB Cam Ward » 14-18, 243 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 5 carries, 36 rushing yards
QB Haynes King » No Stats
QB Grayson McCall » 21-29, 225 passing yards, 6 touchdown, 10 carries, 35 rushing yards

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF TOP 25

Ranking	Team	Record	Opponent
#1		9-0	vs #4 Maryland
#2		8-0	vat #7 Ole Miss
#3		9-0	vs Duke
#4		8-0	at #1 Oregon
#5		8-0	vs BYU
#6		6-2	vs Washington
#7		8-1	vs #2 Georgia
#8		7-2	at Georgia Tech
#9		7-2	vs Purdue
#10		7-2	BYE WEEK
#11		6-2	vs Florida
#12		6-2	vs #15 Florida State
#13		6-2	vs Iowa State
#14		8-1	vs Michigan
#15		6-3	at #12 Notre Dame
#16		7-2	vs #18 Clemson
#17		6-2	vs Minnesota
#18		5-3	at #16 Virginia Tech
#19		6-3	at TCU
#20		6-2	at Boston College
#21		5-3	vs #23 Alabama
#22		8-0	at Utah State
#23		5-3	at #21 LSU
#24		6-3	BYE WEEK
#25		6-2	vs Virginia

Dropped from Rankings: #14 Michigan, #19 Texas A&M, #22 Texas Tech, #23 Wisconsin

Players of the Week
WR Jeremiah Hunter (Washington): 10 receptions, 217 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns
OLB Jeffrey Bassa (Oregon): 5 tackles, 4 sacks

[Agent]

Mississippi St showed you what SEC football is all about in that loss

[Soapy]

i told you about Taisun (ignore the last game) smh tried to get my dawg out the paint

[Captain Canada]

Mississippi St showed you what SEC football is all about in that loss

Even the shitty SEC teams still come correct

i told you about Taisun (ignore the last game) smh tried to get my dawg out the paint

That boy bordering on fraudulent at this point

[Captain Canada]

Week 11 Top Stories
Rivals Maryland and Rutgers are preparing for a ranked contest in College Park
The #15 Utah Utes collapse, falling to BYU, 38-30, in a major intra-conference upset
#4 Maryland’s number one receiver, Shaleak Knotts, puts up 175 yards and two scores, but is unable to knock down #1 Oregon
#1 prospect in the country, 5-star DE Kona Talavou has committed to Washington over USC, Michigan, and Ohio State

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Heisman Watchlist
QB Dillon Gabriel » 17-31, 193 passing yards
QB Cam Ward » 23-29, 168 passing yards, touchdown, 13 carries, 42 rushing yards, touchdown
QB Grayson McCall » 20-29, 237 passing yards, 3 touchdowns
WR Traeshon Holden » 4 receptions, 38 receiving yards
QB Haynes King » 17-27, 209 passing yards, touchdown, 7 carries, 23 rushing yards

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF TOP 25

Ranking	Team	Record	Opponent
#1		10-0	vs Wisconsin
#2		9-0	vs Tennessee
#3		10-0	BYE WEEK
#4		7-2	at Purdue
#5		8-2	BYE WEEK
#6		8-1	vs #14 Rutgers
#7		7-2	at Northwestern
#8		7-2	at Arkansas
#9		7-2	at Stanford
#10		7-2	at BYU
#11		8-2	BYE WEEK
#12		9-1	BYE WEEK
#13		7-2	vs Virginia
#14		7-2	at #6 Maryland
#15		8-1	at Colorado
#16		6-3	at Pittsburgh
#17		6-3	vs Boston College
#18		6-3	FCS Team
#19		7-3	BYE WEEK
#20		9-0	at New Mexico
#21		6-3	vs Houston
#22		6-3	at South Carolina
#23		7-3	BYE WEEK
#24		8-1	at UMass
#25		8-2	at Navy

Dropped from Rankings: #15 Florida State, #20 Syracuse, #21 LSU, #25 Pittsburgh

Players of the Week
WR Kenny Johnson (Pittsburgh): 10 receptions, 213 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns
DE Chad Stephens (East Carolina): 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries

[Captain Canada]

Week 12 Preview: vs #24 Liberty


Record: 8-1, 5-1 CUSA
Head Coach: Jamey Chadwell
Offensive Scheme: Spread Option
Defensive Scheme: 4-2-5

Team Leaders
Passing: Kaidon Salter (141-212, 2,057 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 0 interceptions)
Rushing: Quinton Cooley (166 carries, 1,031 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns)
Receiving: Tyson Mobley (32 receptions, 613 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns)
Blocking: 12 sacks allowed, 36.3 PPG
Defense: Teylor Jackson (53 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 8 deflections)

Injuries
No Injuries

Liberty Projected Starters
QB #7 Kaidon Salter, R-Junior | 6’1”, 200 lbs | 91 overall
HB #20 Quinton Cooley, R-Senior | 5’7”, 220 lbs | 91 overall
WR #21 Treon Sibley, R-Senior | 6’1”, 205 lbs | 83 overall
WR #8 Tyson Mobley, R-Junior | 6’0”, 185 lbs | 78 overall
WR #9 Donte Lee Jr., R-Sophomore | 6’3”, 185 lbs | 75 overall
TE #15 Bentley Hanshaw, R-Senior | 6’4”, 245 lbs | 81 overall
LT #78 Blake Heckmann, Freshman | 6’5”, 300 lbs | 66 overall
LG #53 Jordan White, R-Junior | 6’2”, 300 lbs | 86 overall
C #61 Aaron Fenimore, R-Freshman | 6’1”, 295 lbs | 80 overall
RG #50 James Chapman, Senior | 6’4”, 305 lbs | 68 overall
RT #63 Xavior Gray, R-Junior | 6’8”, 340 lbs | 79 overall
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DE #3 TJ Bush Jr., Sophomore | 6’2”, 265 lbs | 83 overall
DE #11 CJ Bazile Jr., Junior | 6’1”, 260 lbs | 82 overall
DT #99 Bryce Dixon, Junior | 6’1”, 280 lbs | 77 overall
NT #4 Jay Hardy, R-Senior | 6’3”, 310 lbs | 76 overall
WLB #6 Teylor Jackson, Senior | 6’1”, 230 lbs | 78 overall
MLB #25 Joseph Carter, R-Junior | 6’0”, 235 lbs | 77 overall
Rover #0 Jerome Jolly Jr., R-Senior | 5’11”, 220 lbs | 77 overall
CB #26 Amarian Williams, R-Junior | 5’10”, 175 lbs | 80 overall
CB #20 Dexter Ricks Jr., R-Sophomore | 5’11”, 180 lbs | 79 overall
FS #15 Brylan Green, Junior | 5’9”, 180 lbs | 83 overall
SS #29 A’Khori Jones, Junior | 5’10”, 205 lbs | 77 overall
K #42 Nick Brown, R-Junior | 6’4”, 165 lbs | 76 overall
P #37 Max Morgan, R-Junior | 6’2”, 225 lbs | 70 overall
KR #1 Julian Gray, R-Junior | 5’11”, 195 lbs | 94 overall

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Coach James Xavier's Offensive Gameplan

"We're playing a ranked Liberty team that wants to continue to climb into the College Playoff, and we're sitting in their way at the moment. The way that Kaidon [Salter] has been absolutely crushing defenses all season long, it feels as though we've got an offensive shootout on our hands. We need to limit the offense's opportunities and limit the turnovers. That's of the utmost importance. They have a stout defensive front with a lot of athleticism. We're going to need guys like Jakobie [Keeney-James] and Jalen [John] to really come alive. Our best players have to play their best games. We've beaten one ranked team; we can do it again."