Rutgers' planned celebration turned into reality check for Greg Schiano
The worst loss of the college football season came in Week 1.
Rutgers' season opener was turned into a reality check for head coach Greg Schiano after a surprising 37-21 loss to UMass. The Minutemen, who had ended a 16-game losing streak by securing their first win since October 2024, overwhelmed the Scarlet Knights with 30 unanswered points and forced four turnovers. Rutgers, favored by 30 points, was stunned by UMass' dominant performance, particularly in rushing yards (397 total) and controlled the game for nearly three quarters.
The Minutemen's success was highlighted by quarterback "Pop" Watson III (19/22, 197 yards, 3 TDs) who appeared confident and poised throughout the game. Rutgers had paid $1.55 million for what was expected to be a tune-up game, but instead, faced an embarrassing defeat that raised questions about the team's readiness and Schiano's leadership.
With Boston College and USC on the horizon, the Scarlet Knights now must confront the reality of this unexpected setback.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
