Umm…wow!
Nobody saw that coming.
UMass walked into SHI Stadium Thursday night and stunned Rutgers, 37-21, delivering a statement victory to open Joe Harasymiak’s second season with the Minutemen.
The victory snapped a 16-game losing streak for UMass, which hadn’t won since beating Wagner on Oct. 26, 2024, and went winless during Harasymiak’s first season in Amherst.
It also came against the program Harasymiak left to take the UMass job. Harasymiak spent three seasons as Rutgers’ defensive coordinator under Greg Schiano before taking over the Minutemen following the 2024 season.
Pop Watson led the UMass offense, completing 19 of 22 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Watson also rushed for 40 yards on six carries as the Minutemen finished with 397 yards of offense, including 200 on the ground.
Curtis Kimmons IV rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, while Elijah Faulkner added 62 yards on 19 attempts and caught two touchdown passes. Joseph Griffin Jr. caught two passes for 61 yards and a touchdown, while T.Y. Harding had five receptions for 55 yards.
Defensively, UMass forced four turnovers and recorded five sacks and seven tackles for loss. Jahmad Harmon intercepted Dylan Lonergan twice, Isaiah Reed added another interception and Romando Johnson forced and recovered a fumble.
This wasn’t simply UMass hanging around long enough to steal one late.
After Rutgers marched 75 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession, the Minutemen took control of the game. UMass scored the next 30 points, built a 23-point fourth-quarter lead and answered Rutgers’ only attempt at a late rally with another touchdown of its own.
The Minutemen responded immediately to the Scarlet Knights’ opening score.
UMass went 75 yards in seven plays on its first possession. Watson converted a third-and-6 with a 10-yard run before connecting with Griffin for 30 yards. Three plays later, Watson found Faulkner for a 21-yard touchdown to tie the game.
The UMass defense followed with a three-and-out, dropping Rutgers running back Antwan Raymond for losses on consecutive plays before forcing a Lonergan incompletion.
UMass took advantage with another extended drive, going 68 yards in 13 plays and taking 7:28 off the clock. Reece Adkins converted a fourth-and-1 with a 2-yard run in UMass territory and the possession carried into the second quarter before Watson connected with Faulkner for a 2-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead.
The defense delivered the game’s first turnover on Rutgers’ next possession. Johnson sacked Lonergan, forced a fumble and recovered it at the Rutgers 36.
UMass needed just two plays to capitalize. After Kimmons picked up five yards, Watson connected with Griffin for a 31-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 21-7.
Rutgers went three-and-out again on its next possession before UMass leaned on its running game to extend the lead.
Kimmons ripped off consecutive gains of six, 11 and 19 yards as the Minutemen moved into the red zone. The drive stalled at the Rutgers 11, but Derek Morris connected on a 30-yard field goal to send UMass into halftime with a 24-7 lead.
Watson finished the half 11-of-13 for 144 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. UMass totaled 251 yards of offense in the first half, including 107 on the ground.
Kimmons had 50 rushing yards on six first-half carries, while Griffin had two receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown and Faulkner caught both of Watson’s other touchdown passes.
The UMass defense held Rutgers to 108 yards in the first half, including just 17 on the ground, while recording three sacks and five tackles for loss.
The Minutemen made sure Rutgers didn’t get the quick response it needed coming out of halftime by controlling the ball themselves.
UMass took the opening possession of the third quarter and kept the ball for 6:38. Watson picked up first downs with his legs and connected twice with Harding as the Minutemen moved into Rutgers territory.
The drive eventually stalled, but Morris drilled a 52-yard field goal to extend the lead to 27-7.
Rutgers finally mounted a sustained response on its ensuing possession, driving 63 yards in 12 plays and reaching the UMass 12. Faced with fourth-and-1, Lonergan tried to pick up the yard himself. The UMass defense stopped him for no gain.
That stand effectively slammed the door on Rutgers’ first real opportunity to make it a game again.
The Scarlet Knights reached UMass territory again on their next possession, but Reed intercepted Lonergan at the UMass 15 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
UMass couldn’t turn that takeaway into points, but Edward Phillipson flipped the field with a 59-yard punt that pinned Rutgers at its own 1.
Two plays later, Harmon intercepted Lonergan and returned it five yards to the Rutgers 7.
Penalties kept the Minutemen from converting the takeaway into a touchdown. A Watson touchdown run was wiped out by an illegal shift and another penalty pushed UMass back before Morris connected on a 31-yard field goal to make it 30-7 with 7:54 remaining.
Rutgers finally broke through again 45 seconds later when Lonergan connected with KJ Duff for a 78-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 30-14 with 7:09 remaining.
But there would be no late Rutgers comeback. UMass went three-and-out, but Phillipson flipped the field again with a 67-yard punt.
Harmon intercepted Lonergan for the second time on Rutgers’ next snap and returned it six yards to the Scarlet Knights’ 22.
This time, UMass turned the takeaway into seven points.
Kimmons gained five yards on the first play before breaking a 17-yard touchdown run on the next, with Morris’ extra point extending the lead to 37-14 with 4:27 remaining.
Morris finished 3-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points, accounting for 13 points. Phillipson averaged 57.3 yards on three punts, with two landing inside the 20.
Rutgers added one final touchdown after the outcome had been decided. Backup quarterback AJ Surace led the Scarlet Knights 75 yards in 11 plays, connecting with Duff for a 6-yard touchdown with 1:57 remaining to make it 37-21.
Duff finished with nine catches for 196 yards and all three Rutgers touchdowns. Lonergan finished 16-of-29 for 242 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, while Surace completed six of nine passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.
For a program that hadn’t won a game in nearly two years, the final minutes were unfamiliar as the Minutement simply had to run out the clock on one nobody saw coming.
UMass returns to action at home next Saturday against Sacred Heart.
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Great win!!! The biggest thing this team needed to do was to learn how to win a game. Too often in the past they would allow the opposing team to come right back after we scored a touchdown and the wheels would fall off. Everything came together last night, they learned from the humiliation of last season and played their most complete games in many, many years. This is just the first game of the season but this is a win we fans will savor for a long time!
Good for UMass.
Up there with one of the worst losses in Rutgers history. No way Schiano should keep his job.