UMass Football News--September 14th, 2026

 Keeping the trivia questions going: when was the last time UMass opened its season with three straight wins? Answer at the end of this blog post.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Pop Watson and T.Y. Harding at the press conference after the Sacred Hear game.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amazin' stats:

Pop Watson is #2 in FBS in pass completion percentage! 

Pop Watson is #5 in FBS in pass efficiency! 

UMass is #45 in FBS in points scored per game! No longer dead last. 

UMass is #35 in FBS in run defense! Holy crap! We're good things on both sides of the ball.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Hampshire Gazette reports UMass moves to 2-0 with a dominate win over Sacred Heart.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

UMass' win over Sacred Heart caused it to drop four slots in ESPN's power rankings.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Answer to trivia question: The last time UMass opened its season with three straight wins was 2007. The Minutemen under Coach Brown beat Holy Cross 40-30, Colgate 35-17 and Towson 38-7---and then beat Maine 38-7 on the way to the FCS Quarterfinals. UMass was CAA Champions that year also.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

UMass Football News--September 13th, 2026

 Well UMass set an FBS record of two season opening wins before a crowd of almost 15,000. Ty Harding was the star of the show with 141 return yards and 2 TD's. Pop Watson went 9-10 152 a and 1 TD.

It was 37-0 in the third quarter and from then on, UMass emptied the bench. If I counted right, the Minutemen played 29 players on defense. Sacred Heart's only TD came against UMass' deep defense bench.

Aedan McCarthy came in as the #2 QB in the third quarter and looked like a true freshman, however he was working with mostly 2nd string offensive players.

It was a dominating win by the Minutemen. It's been a long time since UMass has played a game that was under control from the start.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Dylan Podlinski image

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

UPDATE: Coach Harasymiak's post-game press conference.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The UMass website says the Minutemen ran away from Sacred Heart. 

The Pioneers website reports Sacred Heart battled on the road. 

MassLive.com says UMass sprinted past Sacred Heart. 

 The Daily Collegian reports UMass pioneered past Sacred Heart.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rutgers lost Friday.

Stonehill rang up an astonishing 514 offensive yards but fell to New Hampshire 42-35. 

Fresno State crushed Sacramento State 49-3.

Eastern Michigan lost to Big10 Michigan State 35-7.

Miami (Ohio) blew out Holy Cross 45-7. 

Buffalo lost to FIU 33-20. 

UConn had an eight-game home winning streak broken with a 38-14 loss to Maryland. 

Ball State won 41-17 over Stony Brook. 

Toledo crushed Central Connecticut 63-10. 

Akron thumped Robert Morris 45-10. 

Bowling Green met a different class of opponent and lost to Nebraska 56-7.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Game Day-- Sacred Heart 2026

 Well, (and I can't really remember when I said this last) Sacred Heart is a team UMass should be able to handle.

The Minutemen are flat bigger than the Pioneers. Sacred Heart's starting LG is Ben Mercado 6-2 288, C is Christian Blackwell 6-1 269, RG is Justin Sokol 6-0 264.

On defense, they apparently play a 3-4. The Pioneer three down linemen are DE Janier Armstead 6-2 267, NT Jared Hirschfield 6-4 280, and DT Jaylin Johnson 6-4 265.

 UMass should have a big advantage in size on both lines. If we can continue to run the ball, Pop Watson should be able to pass efficiently.  The Minutemen have not opened with two wins in the FBS era. So another milestone is available today.

I'll be there, cheering for the Minutemen.

Go UMass!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yahoo Sports predicts UMass 42 Sacred Heart 20.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The MAC Blog "By-the-Belt" previews a Saturday when most MAC teams play a FCS team. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By-the-Belt also has UMass up to #4 in their conference power rankings. Highest ever?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Dayton News says Dayton native Derek Morris played a big part in UMass' upset of Rutgers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Edward Phillipson is MAC's Scholar Athlete of the week.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

Rutgers lost last evening to Boston College  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

UMass Football News--September 11th, 2026

That's Pioneer WR Dean Hangey 6-0 190 with the catch. Against Monmouth, Hangey had 110 receiving yards and 2 TD's.

 Sacred Heart reports they're ready for their FBS challange at UMass.

Pioneers' game notes for the Minutemen. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

The Daily Collegian reports UMass hosts Sacred Heart at McGuirk on Saturday.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The Minuteman Command says UMass coach Harasymiak embraces attention, not Gatorade.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

UMass is a 24.5 favorite over Sacred Heart. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Illustrated has a CFP eliminator report after Week #1.  UMass knocks out Rutgers; Minutemen are still alive.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The MAC conference plays eight FCS teams this weekend and the MAC blog "By-the-Belt" covers all eight matchups.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

UMass Football News--September 10th, 2026

 Blogger will not insert images this morning. So no graphics until that changes.

UPDATE:  I tried again and apparently Google has fixed their problem..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Still no games notes from Sacred Heart that I can find.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Coach Harasymiak is named Dodd Trophy Coach--0f-the-Week  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The MAC Blog "By-the-Belt" reports UMass DB Isaiah Reed's performance against Rutgers increases his chance being selected to the Senior Bowl.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass kicker Derek Morris is one of three kickers honored for their Week #1 performance.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

If the coaches need any motivation material for Sacred Heart, ESPN still has UMass in their "Bottom-10" list.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

The MAC Blog "By-th-Belt" updates the league's appeal of the Western Michigan-Michigan screw-up.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Former UMass star Peter McCarthy has passed away. McCarthy lettered in 1974,1975,1976 and was Captain in 1977. He was first-team All Yankee Conference in 1977.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

UMass Football News--September 9th, 2026

 Coach Harasymiak's Sacred Heart press conference. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

UMass is up to #98 in the latest USA poll.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 UMass is the Pop-Tarts Bowl team of the week.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

This post talks about Curtis Kimmons IV who had an excellent game for UMass against Rutgers. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pop Watson makes the Davey O'Brien "Great 8" quarterback list.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Pop Watson and Derek Morris make two of the three UMass Student-Athletes of the week.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

ESPN updates their CFP predictions and also bowl predictions. 

This is one of them:

 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Liberty vs. Louisiana Tech
Schlabach: UMass vs. Louisiana

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AP News reports Rutgers' coach Greg Schiano said the Scarlet Knights "laid an egg". 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This isn't going to work, but I approve the effort.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

UMass Football News--September 8th, 2026

 UMass Football Blog trivia question: In the FBS era, has UMass ever opened with two consecutive wins? Answer at the end of this post.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 UMass sweeps Week #1 MAC offensive, defensive and special teams player-of-the-week awards.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coach Harasymiak's press conference for the Sacred Heart  game.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

UMass game notes for the Sacred Heart Pioneers. 

Sacred Heart game notes not up yet.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Greenfield Recorder says UMass moves its focus to Sacred Heart.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Sacred Heart hopes to make an impact in their first season in the CAA.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

On the Banks blog revises their predictions for Rutgers season win totals.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The MAC Blot "By-the-Belt" has their weekly Monday Musings.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Answer to Trivia Question: No, UMass has never opened with two wins in FBS.

The last time the Minutemen opened the season with two wins was 2011 under Kevin Morris. UMass beat Holy Cross 24-16 and on 09/17/2011 beat Rhode Island 39-27.

That's 5,474 days if UMass wins on 09/12/2026.

That's 14 years 11 months and 26 days.

That's 782 weeks..

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------