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ATHENS, Ohio— The Ohio football program is set to continue "midweek MACtion" when it returns to Athens on Tuesday, Nov. 18, to host the Massachusetts Minutemen for the final home game of the 2025 campaign. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium and can be seen on CBS Sports Network with Fran Charles and Taylor McHargue on the call. 

The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield, presented by Holzer Health System. Veteran Ohio radio personality Marty Bannister is reprising his role as Ohio's play-by-play broadcaster. Bannister will be joined by color analyst Rob Cornelius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for more than two decades.

SERIES HISTORY VS. UMASS
The Bobcats are 4-0 against the Minutemen, meeting four times from 2012-18.

This matchup marks the first time the programs will face off following UMass's return to the Mid-American Conference. En route to the Bobcats' 58-42 victory in Athens in 2018, quarterback Nathan Rourke rushed for a career-high 189 yards, scoring one touchdown, while running backs Maleek Irons and A.J. Ouellette accounted for the other three rushing touchdowns.

SCOUTING UMASS
TThe Minutemen are currently 0-10, posting a 0-6 record against conference opponents. They are coming off a 45-3 loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies. UMass averages 10.5 points on 79.5 rushing yards and 166.80 passing yards per game. The Minutemen's opponents average 37.6 points per game. 

Redshirt freshman quarterback AJ Hairston has appeared in nine games this season, going 107-for-215 with four interceptions and four touchdowns. Hairston threw his longest pass of the year against Buffalo (Oct. 18), connecting with redshirt junior tight end Max Dowling to take a 21-17 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter. 

Redshirt junior quarterback Brandon Rose and graduate student quarterback Grant Jordan have both appeared in five games this season. Rose is currently 47-for-82 with two interceptions, while Jordan is 31-for-54 with one interception. Notably, Jordan is fourth on the team in rushing yards (61), claiming two of UMass's six rushing touchdowns. 

Redshirt freshman running back Brandon Hood leads the Minutemen, logging 83 touches and two touchdowns on 320 yards across 10 games. Redshirt junior running back Rocko Griffin has accounted for 221, finding the end zone twice in 48 carries. In total, 13 Minutemen have contributed to UMass's ground game. 

Both dual threats, Hood and Griffin have logged 88 and 53 receiving yards so far this season, respectively. Redshirt junior wide receiver Jacquon Gibson leads the team in both receiving yards (457) and receptions (48). Also a threat on the ground, Gibson has net 15 rushing yards on five touches this season. Dowling is responsible for two of UMass's four receiving touchdowns on the season, clocking in third in receiving yards with 176, while graduate student wide receiver Donnie Gray accounts for 24 catches on 236 yards. 

On the defensive side of the ball, redshirt junior linebackers Tyler Martin and Timmy Hinspeter lead the Minutemen. Martin is among the top 10 tacklers in the MAC with 81 total tackles and 52 solo stops. Hinspeter trails Martin in both total tackles (69) and solo tackles (49) and is second on the team in both sacks (2) and tackles for loss (4). Graduate student defensive lineman Marques White is fifth in the MAC in tackles for loss with 11, also leading Massachusetts in sacks, with five. 

Sophomore kicker Derek Morris is the team's leading scorer, responsible for 39 points on the season. Morris is 9-for-11 in PATs and 10-for-14 in field goals, with his longest hitting the 55-yard mark. Senior kicker Marcus Lyle has amassed 1,720 yards across 29 kickoffs and senior punter Keegan Andrews has logged 62 punts, accumulating 2,899 yards.

To read this week's complete game notes, click here. 

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