YPSILANTI, Mich. — Austin Smith connected with Hamze El-Zayat for a 50-yard catch-and-run for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:20 remaining to help Eastern Michigan overtake Massachusetts for a 19-17 win Saturday.
UMass took a 17-13 lead with 2:42 to play. Carlos Davis hit Gregory Desrosiers for a 40-yard gain to set up an 8-yard touchdown run by Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams that gave the Minutemen the lead.
Check out Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams' 8️⃣-yard rush for the TD! 👀#Flagship 🚩 pic.twitter.com/4eP9szUIfz
— UMass Football (@UMassFootball) September 16, 2023
But Smith found Tanner Knue for an 11-yard gain and then Blake Daniels for 16 yards to midfield before, on second-and-10, he rolled to his right and found El-Zayat, who eluded a would-be tackle and and raced away for the final points. The PAT failed, leaving the door open a crack for the Minutemen.
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UMass started its final possession on its 25-yard line. An incomplete pass was followed by a sack, another incompletion and a Davis completion to Lynch-Adams that was short of the first-down line.
Samson Evans had eight carries for 89 yards — including a 61-yard run — and Jaylen Jackson’s 55-yard scoring run early in the second quarter gave Eastern Michigan (2-1) a 10-0 lead.
What. A. Catch! 😱
— UMass Football (@UMassFootball) September 16, 2023
Simp hauls in a 67-yard pass from Davis!#Flagship 🚩 pic.twitter.com/px8P1ZysZg
Davis completed 30 of 41 passes for 340 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions for the Minutemen (1-3). Lynch-Adams finished with 129 yards rushing on 24 carries and Anthony Simpson added four receptions for 101 yards.
UMass will continue its independent schedule Saturday with a home game in Amherst against New Mexico.