For a program that had endured a 16-game losing streak and entered the season as a 29-point underdog, the University of Massachusetts’ stunning 37-21 road victory over Big Ten opponent Rutgers was not a fluke outcome. It was an emphatic opening statement for a long-dormant football program that is finally showing real signs of life.
PISCATAWAY- For a program that spent years serving as college football’s ultimate punchline, Thursday night in Piscataway changed everything. Massachusetts went into SHI Stadium and did not just squeak past a Big Ten opponent—they dictated the terms of engagement from the jump, walking away with an undeniable 37-21 victory over Rutgers to open the season.
By Ryan Barry NEFJ Correspondent PISCATAWAY, NJ – With the lights of college football shining brightly upon them, for the first time in 15 years since joining the FBS in 2012, UMass said enough was enough. In front of 42,454 fans at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey, the Minutemen didn’t just dominate the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to the tune of 37-21, they made another team the butt of the……
Image courtesy of ESPN By Ryan Barry NEFJ Correspondent Kickoff: The UMass Minutemen kick-off their 2026 campaign on Thursday evening when they travel to SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Second year head coach Joe Harasymiak and his squad hope to make a strong first impression on the UMass faithful after a disappointing 0-12 finish in 2025. 1st Down: Newly minted starting quarterback…
UMass Athletics By Ryan Barry NEFJ Correspondent The UMass Minutemen return to the gridiron for the 2026 season under second year head coach Joe Harasymiak looking to change the narrative of the program. After a dreadful 2025 campaign that saw the program finish 0-12 for the first time since joining the FBS in 2012, things can only go up from here for a team picked to finish last in the…
Image courtesy of UMass Athletics AMHERST – If UMass is going to have any chance of turning things around in 2026, the defense is going to have to get off the field. Every football team at any level can say that, but if the Minutemen have to win shootouts – even with Pop Watson now slinging it to Joe Griffin and T.Y. Harding – it’ll be an uphill climb for…
Image courtesy of UMass Athletics AMHERST – If UMass is going to shake its perennial embarrassment label in 2026, it’ll be mainly because of Pop Watson. That’s not to say wins and losses solely rest on the quarterback’s shoulders, but in a time where the Minutemen need new leadership, having a local star like Watson take control of the program, allowing everyone to fall behind him, is going to be…
Image courtesy of UMass Athletics AMHERST – UMass is no longer the worst college football team in the country. At least for now. The road to redemption after an 0-12 campaign officially started on Monday morning with the first training camp practice of the summer for the Minutemen. Following practice, second-year head coach Joe Harasymiak met with the media. Here’s everything he had to say: Opening statement “Good to have…
AMHERST- As training camp kicks off for UMass Football today, the margin for error in Amherst has officially evaporated. Following a winless 0-12 campaign in 2025, UMass football enters Year Two under head coach Joe Harasymiak facing a pivotal juncture in program history. With the program transitioning into its full return to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and establishing a regional core of local talent, patience is no longer the luxury it once was. The foundation has been poured, the culture has been torn down to the studs, and now the Minutemen must translate spring urgency into fall results.
Images courtesy of UMass Athletics UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak, new face-of-the-program Pop Watson and veteran leader Tyler Martin were in Detroit on Wednesday for MAC Media Day. Here’s everything they had to say while on set. The entire MAC Media Day is available in the replay section of ESPN+ HARASYMIAK On the messaging about turning things around in 2026 “I think the biggest thing that we’ve kind of taken…