The 2026 college football season couldn't have started much worse for one Big Ten school. Rutgers suffered a shocking 37-21 home loss to UMass, a 29.5-point underdog, on Thursday night. The upset snapped a 16-game losing streak for UMass, the longest in the FBS, and marked the Minutemen's first victory over an FBS school since defeating Army on Oct. 28, 2023.
Rutgers began the game with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, but UMass took control with 30 unanswered points. The MAC representative dominated the ground game, amassing 200 rushing yards while limiting the Scarlet Knights to 30. William "Pop" Watson III enjoyed a nearly flawless performance in his first game under center for UMass.
The Virginia Tech transfer completed 19 of 22 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns, spreading the wealth to eight different pass-catchers. ESPN's Anthony Gharib noted that Watson was the first UMass quarterback to throw three touchdowns with a completion rate of 80% or higher since current Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen in 2008. Thursday was also the second time the program has scored 30 or more points in a win since 2023 and the largest FBS upset in five years.
The stunner was especially meaningful to UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak, a New Jersey native who served as Rutgers' defensive coordinator from 2022 to 2024. He got to share the moment with some family at Piscataway. "I think probably the most special part about it is, my mom, my dad are here, and my two brothers," Harasymiak said after the game, per Everett Merrill of the .
"I just face-timed my wife and my kids, they’re at home. So certainly, growing up here, an hour away, working here for Coach (Greg) Schiano, it means a lot, but I’m just really proud about our team and what we did." On the other hand, Dylan Lonergan threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in his Rutgers debut before AJ Surace finished the game. A new-look defense allowed 6.0 yards per play and didn't force a punt until down 27-7 late in the third quarter.
Schiano took responsibility for the disappointing Week 1 outcome. "There is no other way to say it. I didn't have them ready."
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