Ohio (6-4 overall, 4-2 Mid-American Conference) will take on UMass (0-10 overall, 0-6 MAC) Tuesday in its final home game of the 2025 season with a lot on the line. The winless Minutemen will look to break the Bobcats' 12-game winning streak at Peden Stadium, the second-longest in the country, but the Bobcats are playing with everything on the line as they hope to win and keep their hopes alive to return to Detroit and defend last year's MAC title win.
Ohio, coming off a crushing loss at Western Michigan, will look to rebound, and it will start with graduate student Parker Navarro and the offense, who were shut down in last week's game, only scoring 13 points. Navarro was heavily pressured. As a result, he had his worst statistical week of the season through the air with only 70 yards and an interception.
The running game for the Bobcats has still been strong, having over 200 last Tuesday night. But the run game can’t do it all. Ohio head coach Brian Smith has preached about being able to play complementary football and having success in all three aspects of the game. Although UMass may be winless, they can still put up a fight, and Ohio will need to be ready for another thrilling week of MACtion.
Now, let’s take a look at UMass:
Head Coach
The Minutemen returned to the MAC after a 10-year absence this season, and with that was a change at the head coach position as well. Joe Harasymiak has 17 years of experience coaching football and was brought in to run the show. His long history includes tenures at two FBS programs, Minnesota and, most recently, Rutgers.
Harasymiak was the defensive coordinator for both of these Big 10 programs. In 2022 and 2023, he received a nomination for the Broyles award, which is given to the nation's best assistant coach annually. Harasymiak has also been a head coach prior UMass. He coached at Maine, which plays in the FCS and had a record of 20-15.
Quarterbacks
UMass has had a bit of a quarterback carousel so far in 2025. This is not uncommon for a team struggling to find consistency, but it could cause a bit of trouble for Ohio as they see multiple guys take snaps Tuesday night.
The main man for the Minutemen has been freshman AJ Hairston. He has had a solid season to this point with 957 yards and four touchdown passes, but he has also thrown four interceptions, something Ohio’s defense should hope to capitalize on.
Running back
The backfield for UMass is also led by a freshman. Brandon Hood has led the way for this group that has struggled to find the endzone this year. Hood has scored two of UMass’s six ground scores. The bright spot for him is that he is averaging just under four yards a carry, and his legs could help Hairston and the other quarterbacks spread out the Ohio defensive pressure.
Wide receiver
The passing game for the Minutemen has gone through ups and downs throughout the year, and a quarterback change can certainly have an impact on that. For junior wide receiver Jacquon Gibson, though, he has been a reliable target no matter who has been throwing him the ball. He has 457 yards on the season, which is over 200 more than anyone else, despite Gibson missing a couple of games.
Defense
The Minutemen have struggled on defense this year. They have allowed just under 38 points per game, which is good for third-worst in the nation. They have seen some players step up, including senior defensive lineman Marques White, who has five sacks. They also have linebackers Timmy Hinspeter and Tyler Martin, who lead in tackles with 41 and 38, respectively, as well as having an interception apiece.
