AMHERST, Mass. — Taisun Phommachanh played a pivotal role in leading the Massachusetts Minutemen to a commanding 35-7 victory over Wagner, an FCS team, on Saturday.

Phommachanh began the game by concluding a swift four-play, 92-yard drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass to T.Y. Harding, establishing a 7-0 advantage by the end of the first quarter for the independent UMass squad, which is set to join the Mid-American Conference next season.

In the second quarter, Phommachanh further padded the lead with two rushing touchdowns, one from 3 yards and another from 4 yards just before halftime, bringing the score to 21-0 as the teams headed to the locker room.

Wagner managed to find the end zone with a 7-yard touchdown run by Andre Hines Jr., concluding a lengthy 15-play drive. They scored the only points of the third quarter, narrowing UMass’s lead to 21-7.

However, the Minutemen reclaimed control in the final quarter as Harding electrified the crowd with a spectacular 58-yard punt return touchdown. Brandon Campbell then capped off the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run, sealing the decisive victory for UMass.

Phommachanh’s performance included completing 10 of 18 passes for a total of 129 yards, albeit with one interception. On the ground, Campbell contributed significantly, rushing for 63 yards on eight carries as the team totaled 197 rushing yards.

For Wagner, Rickey Spruill was the standout performer with 90 rushing yards on 18 carries. The Seahawks’ offensive strategy leaned heavily on the run game, totaling 162 rushing yards from 50 attempts while attempting just nine passes for a mere 52 yards.