Pop Watson gave Sacramento State enough problems with his arm Saturday night.
But the UMass quarterback was even more damaging with his legs, rushing for a pair of touchdowns as the Minutemen remained unbeaten with a 35-6 victory.
UMass improved to 4-0 with the win at Hornet Stadium, earning its first MAC victory since returning to the conference last season. Sacramento State fell to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in league play.
Watson completed 11 of 16 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown without an interception. He added a team-high 72 rushing yards on seven carries, scoring on runs of 13 and 32 yards.
The UMass defense did the rest, keeping Sacramento State out of the end zone and forcing three turnovers. Timmy Hinspeter delivered the biggest defensive play, returning an interception 49 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter.
Sacramento State finished with 311 yards, but managed just 90 on the ground and averaged 2.8 yards per carry. UMass sacked Jackson Sharman four times and forced a pair of fumbles in addition to Hinspeter’s interception.
The Minutemen wasted little time establishing themselves offensively.
UMass took the opening possession 75 yards in six plays, with Watson finishing the drive on a 13-yard touchdown run to give the Minutemen a 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.
Sacramento State responded with its best drive of the first half, moving 76 yards in 16 plays and taking more than seven minutes off the clock. The Hornets reached the UMass 3-yard line, but the Minutemen kept them out of the end zone and forced Sacramento State to settle for a 20-yard Grant Meadors field goal.
Watson answered on the ensuing possession.
UMass put together another 75-yard touchdown drive, this one covering eight plays, before Watson broke free for a 32-yard touchdown run to make it 14-3 with 10:27 remaining in the second quarter.
The Hornets again moved into scoring position later in the half, but again couldn’t find the end zone. Meadors’ 29-yard field goal cut the UMass advantage to 14-6 with 3:46 left.
The Minutemen responded immediately.
UMass drove 75 yards in just over two minutes, with Watson finding Max Dowling for a 7-yard touchdown to send the Minutemen into halftime with a 21-6 advantage.
Any opportunity Sacramento State had to make its way back into the game disappeared quickly after halftime.
On the Hornets’ third offensive play of the third quarter, Hinspeter intercepted Sharman and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown, extending the UMass lead to 28-6.
The Minutemen added another touchdown late in the third when Kezion Dia-Johnson took an end around from 3 yards out to cap an eight-play, 43-yard drive and push the advantage to 35-6.
UMass finished with 333 yards despite possessing the ball for less than 27 minutes. The Minutemen rushed for 232 yards on 36 carries, averaging 6.4 yards per attempt.
Running back Curtis Kimmons IV added 61 yards on 11 carries, while Elijah Faulkner rushed for 32 yards on six attempts. T.Y. Harding led UMass with 44 receiving yards on three catches.
Tyler Martin finished with a team-high eight tackles. Hinspeter added three tackles to his pick-six, while Joshua Nobles, Joshua Iseah and Hollis Dirstine each recorded a sack and Aubrey Melvin and William DePaepe combined for another.
UMass will return home next Saturday to host Eastern Michigan in its first MAC game at McGuirk Alumni Stadium since rejoining the conference.
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