Werts accounts for 4 TDs, Georgia Southern beats UMass 41-0

STATESBORO, Ga. (AP) — Shai Werts threw three touchdown passes and added a 4-yard touchdown run to help Georgia Southern beat Massachusetts 41-0 on Saturday.

Werts was 11-of-16 passing for 128 yards with no interceptions and finished with 13 carries for 76 yards.

On the fifth play from scrimmage, Werts hit Malik Murray for a 47-yard touchdown catch-and-run, then added TD passes of 8 and 10 yards to Beau Johnson that gave Georgia Southern (3-1) a 21-0 lead with 9:12 left in the first half.

UMass (0-1) was limited to 191 total yards, converted just 2-of-13 third downs with four three-and-outs, and never moved past the Georgia Southern 21-yard line.

UMass announced the cancellation of its 2020 football season on Aug. 11 due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic but later reversed course and on Sept. 21 the school said it would play a limited number of games to be announced as they are scheduled and Saturday's contest against Georgia Southern is the only one currently on the slate for the Minutemen.

Georgia Southern's 25,000-seat Allen E. Paulson Stadium was limited to a capacity of 6,200 due to concerns related to pandemic.