UMass Stuns Rutgers in Massive Week 1 Upset
College football wasted no time delivering a shocking result in Week 1. The UMass Minutemen pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the opening week Thursday night, stunning the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 37-21 at SHI Stadium. UMass entered the game as a massive 29.5-point underdog and was coming off a winless 0-12 season, making…
Week 1 of college football delivered an unexpected result as the UMass Minutemen stunned the Rutgers Scarlet Knights with a 37-21 victory at SHI Stadium. The Minutemen entered the game as 29.5-point underdogs, coming off a winless 0-12 season and a 16-game losing streak. UMass quarterback William "Pop" Watson III led the team to a spectacular performance, throwing for 197 yards and three touchdowns, and exploiting the Rutgers defense.
The Minutemen enjoyed a 24-7 halftime lead, putting Rutgers in an unexpected position. Rutgers, as the heavy favorite, struggled on both sides of the ball and could not find their rhythm, resulting in one of the most embarrassing losses in their recent history. For the Minutemen, this victory marked a historic moment, ending a 677-day drought without an FBS win and scoring 37 points, 11 more than they had in any single game during the 2025 season.
The Minutemen entered the game looking for a fresh start and left with one of the biggest wins in program history, giving the 2026 college football season its first massive upset.
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