Image courtesy of ESPN

By Ryan Barry
NEFJ Correspondent

Kickoff: The UMass Minutemen welcome the Stonehill Skyhawks to McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon looking to win three games in a row for the first time since 2009. Coming off a dominant 37-10 win over Sacred Heart last week, the Minutemen hope to capitalize on a consecutive matchup against an FCS program.

1st Down: Senior quarterback William “Pop” Watson (28-for-32, 349-yards, 4 TDs; 10 carries, 80-yards, 1 TD) has been nothing short of revelatory for the Minutemen in his two appearances. A consecutive turnover free performance featured a rushing touchdown with a highlight-inducing juke move, as well as a perfect 49-yard strike to senior receiver T.Y. Harding in stride for a touchdown. Even better too for Watson was him getting rest on the sidelines in the fourth quarter with the game far out of reach. Against Stonehill this weekend, Watson faces a secondary that has had success so far in 2026. The Skyhawks have given up an average of 159 passing yards per game, have recorded two interceptions, as well as limited mobile quarterbacks in the pocket. Senior defensive back Mo Seide is one of the most talented at his position in the Northeast Conference, with his week one interception being returned for 76-yards. The local talent out of Everett High School didn’t feature last week so that is something to pay attention to, with his possible absence being big for the Skyhawks defense. Senior defensive backs Jordan Irvine and Eric Miles will need to step up in the event he’s out. The Minutemen only had 14 total pass attempts last weekend but still spread it around to eight different pass catchers, a good sign that Watson feels comfortable with the guys around him.

2nd Down: After a 2025 season of struggling to run the football, this year’s version of the Minutemen has been a night and day difference. Sophomore running back Elijah Faulkner (30 carries, 134-yards; 2 receptions, 23-yards, 2 TDs) continues to impress with another 60+ yard performance last week. After a strong week one from Curtis Kimmons IV (14 carries, 89-yards 1 TD), a quieter week two was perhaps a result of graduate Justin Williams-Thomas’ debut. The three-time transfer had four carries for 15-yards, but after missing week one, it was good to see the former Marshall/California/Tennessee back as another option for the Minutemen. The run unit should have a huge opportunity this weekend against the Skyhawks who’ve struggled against the rush this season. Allowing an average of 155-yards per game on the ground, Stonehill have allowed a 100+ yard back and six total rushing touchdowns in their first three games. With the rumored return of junior running back Jordan Washington as well, this could be a huge opportunity for the Minutemen to solidify their run game.

3rd Down: The Minutemen secondary had a strong performance against the Pioneers last week allowing only 160 passing yards, no touchdowns, and recording one interception. Senior safety Jahmad Harmon’s third pick of the year, this time for a touchdown, was the highlight of the game on defense. Strong performances from seniors Kendall Bournes and Zeraun Daniel were encouraging to see, as were senior cornerback TJ Magee and junior cornerback Raheim Sexil. After limiting quarterbacks their first two weeks, the Minutemen will have to keep that energy against senior Stonehill quarterback Jack O’Connell (60-for-92, 774-yards, 6 TDs; 32 carries, 79-yards) who has looked strong in 2026. His 380-yards and four touchdowns last week in a shootout 42-35 loss to New Hampshire showed how well he can sling the ball, and he was also the team’s leading rusher with 53-yards. Senior tight end Cole Clark (11 receptions, 169-yards, 1 TD) is their leading receiver and the first real threat at that position the Minutemen have seen this season. Sophomore receivers Alijah Turner (10 receptions, 103-yards) and Jaylin Baker (8 receptions, 97-yards, 2 TDs), as well as senior Torrance Washington Jr. (8 receptions, 110-yards), give O’Connell multiple capable wideouts to throw to.

4th Down: Where the Skyhawks excel throwing the ball they struggle running it. Without a true number one threat back far, O’Connell has the second most carries on the team. Sophomores Shane Eason (30 carries, 152-yards, 1 TD; 6 receptions, 93-yards) and Aidan Garrett (39 carries, 135-yards, 1 TD; 3 receptions, 37-yards, 1 TD) have split duties at running back. The group’s best collective game was a 181-yard performance in a 21-3 win over New Haven in week one where they averaged 4.2 yards per carry. The Minutemen gave up 143-yards to Sacred Heart last week, up from a stout 27-yards the week before, but much of it came later on in the game. Pioneers quarterback Poochie Snyder, a run capable quarterback, was limited to just seven yards, an encouraging sign for UMass who has struggled against that type of quarterback in recent years. Sophomore linebacker Khari Bendolph, a transfer from Jacksonville State, was tremendous for the Minutemen last week with 11 total tackles. With graduate linebackers Tyler Martin and Timmy Hinspeter the leaders of that crew, a boost from the transfer was encouraging to see. Getting Bendolph more snaps, as well as fellow sophomores Dino Drossos and David Timson, will be huge down the stretch for the Minutemen. Even with most of the yards being when the game was out of reach, the defense will want to improve stopping the ball to build momentum going into conference play.

Extra Point: This is the first ever meeting between the Minutemen and the Skyhawks. A relative newcomer to the FCS, the program made the jump in 2022 to join the Northeast Conference. In four full FCS seasons, head coach Eli Gardner’s crew has a record of just 14-29 without a season over .500. Their biggest win in that stretch was a 13-10 win in Orono against Maine, but otherwise have been against conference or Division II opponents. The program boasts an impressive 30 players from Massachusetts, utilizing local talent to help build the program. Two of their best players, O’Connell of North Andover and Eason of Methuen, were standouts in the Merrimack Valley Conference.

Final Drive: The Sacred Heart game was lauded as the bigger of the two FCS tests for the Minutemen this season, but after last week’s win and Stonehill’s impressive showing against UNH, that could be up for debate. O’Connell’s dual-threat ability could be difficult to maintain, and the Skyhawks secondary has proven tough thus far in 2026. The Minutemen didn’t pull any punches against Sacred Heart, and they shouldn’t against Stonehill if given the chance. Ensuring that this isn’t a let down game as conference play begins the following week is a must. UMass should roll if two games have shown us anything, but we need to continue to see it.

Prediction: UMass 41, Stonehill 14