Just three hours into Week 1, college football provided one of the most shocking results of the weekend — and maybe the entire season. After going 0-12 last season, UMass went on the road and hammered Rutgers in a 37-21 win on Thursday.
With that victory, the Minutemen snapped a 16-game losing streak against FBS teams, which was the longest in the country. The last time UMass defeated an FBS program was Oct. 28, 2023, when it beat Army 21-14.
The most satisfying part of this win for UMass was that it certainly wasn’t a fluke. The Minutemen were just as good as the scoreboard indicated and dominated the Scarlet Knights right from the opening kickoff. UMass scored on each of its first four drives, and it didn’t punt until there were 100 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Even though Rutgers isn’t a top 25 powerhouse, this was still a highly improbable outcome. The Scarlet Knights entered the game as 29.5-point favorites, and history suggested that they should have been a lock to win this game. Here are some of the most mind-blowing stats from this miraculous Minutemen win.
- Entering the game, FBS teams favored by 29-plus points were 213-0 since 2024.
- Rutgers’ 16-point loss was the fifth-largest by a favorite of 25-plus points since 2000.
- This was UMass’ first win over a Power Four team since moving to the FBS in 2012.
- This was the first time UMass defeated a power conference opponent since 1978.
- The Minutemen came into the game 0-9 all-time against Big Ten opponents.
- UMass failed to score more than 26 points last season and averaged 11.1 points per game.
UMass earned this victory with a strong effort in every phase of the game, and there are plenty of reasons to believe that the Minutemen will be able to pile up even more wins as the season progresses.
Watson shreds the Scarlet Knights
UMass quarterback Pop Watson spent the last three seasons at Virginia Tech, but he was never able to break through as the starter. That prompted his transfer to UMass in the offseason, and he’s already making the most of his opportunity with the Minutemen.
A three-star recruit and the No. 44 quarterback in the 2023 signing class, Watson showed exactly why a number of Power Four programs offered him coming out of Springfield Central High School (Mass.). Watson made plays with his arm and legs as Rutgers struggled to contain him, particularly in the first half.
Watson began the game on fire, and he was a major reason why UMass found the end zone on each of its first three drives. Watson’s elusiveness gave the Scarlet Knights fits, but he also threw a couple of perfectly placed balls, and the best of which might have been this touchdown strike to Joseph Griffin Jr.
With UMass up multiple scores throughout the second half, Watson didn’t need to do much, but his final numbers were still exceptional. He connected on 18 of his 21 pass attempts for 189 yards and three touchdowns while adding 40 yards on the ground.
If this is the type of performance UMass gets from Watson every week in MAC play, they are going to be a tough out, and a number of Power Four schools might regret not pursuing him in the transfer portal.
Major defensive improvement
Last year, UMass allowed 38.6 points per game, which ranked 136th in the country. For those curious, there were only 136 FBS teams in 2025. In total yards allowed, the Minutemen were notably better — all the way up at 129th nationally (433.8).
In Thursday night’s season-opener against Rutgers, the defense showed a lot more backbone that it did at any point last year. The Minutemen actually created a fair bit of chaos on defense, generating seven tackles for loss and five sacks against a Big Ten offensive line.
UMass also won the turnover battle 4-0 with three of those being interceptions of Scarlet Knights quarterback Dylan Lonergan.
Perhaps the biggest play the UMass defense made all night came with just under four minutes left in the third quarter. Rutgers chose to go for a 4th-and-1 from the UMass 11-yard line, and the Minutemen didn’t give an inch. They forced a turnover on downs, and in that moment, they effectively buried the Scarlet Knights.
The UMass secondary was victimized by KJ Duff on numerous occasions, but there’s no shame in that, and there aren’t many receivers like him in the MAC. The rush defense, on the other hand, was extremely effective. Rutgers got zero push up front and averaged just 1.2 yards per attempt.
It’s only one game, but this is a very encouraging sign for the Minutemen. This defense certainly didn’t look like the worst unit in the country against Rutgers.
