Week 1 of college football has already delivered its first major upset, with UMass stunning Rutgers on the road 37-21 on Thursday night.
The win marked UMass’s first victory since October 2024 and their first over an FBS opponent since 1978, when they beat Boston College. Now, the Minutemen — who finished last year 0-12 — have secured their first season-opening win since 2023.
The Scarlet Knights opened up as 29.5 point favorites entering the matchup, but the Minutemen did not hold back.
After a 7-7 tie entering the second quarter, the Minutemen found their footing quickly. UMass held Rutgers to a scoreless second quarter and put up 17 to enter halftime with a 24-7 lead.
Entering the third quarter, UMass added another score while Rutgers struggled. While the Scarlet Knights had a late fourth quarter push with two touchdowns, it was not enough to top the Minutemen. Notably, UMass did not score more than 21 points against a single FBS opponent last year. Against Rutgers, they scored 37.
Quarterback William “Pop” Watson III ended the night going 19-for-22 passing with 197 yards and three touchdowns.
Running back Curtis Kimmons IV rushed for 78 yards and one touchdown, while wide receiver Elijah Faulkner added two scores and Joseph Griffin Jr. added one.
After Rutgers’ first touchdown in the first quarter, the offense struggled to put points on the board. Quarterback Dylan Longeran ended with 16-for-40 passing, 240 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. Additionally, KJ Duff finished with three touchdowns and 196 receiving yards.
UMass paid Rutgers $1.55 million to play on their home turf. Now, the Scarlet Knights open the season 0-1 for the first time since 2016, when Rutgers fell to Washington in Week 1.
While Rutgers finished 5-7 overall last season, its season-opening loss is a poor start just two weeks away from Big Ten competition.
The Scarlet Knights now turn to Boston College on the road for Week 2, before opening up Big Ten play with a home match against No. 14 USC.
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