Rutgers falls to UMass in major upset

Rutgers began its college football season with a stunning 37-21 upset loss to UMass on Thursday night at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights, who were favored by 29.5 points, were thoroughly outplayed by a Minutemen team that entered the contest on a 16-game losing streak and had not defeated an FBS opponent since October 2023. The defeat marked one of the most significant upsets in recent college football history. UMass quarterback William "Pop" Watson III, a transfer from Virginia Tech, was a central figure in the Minutemen's victory, completing 19 of 22 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns. He also contributed 40 rushing yards. UMass's ground game was effective, accumulating 200 yards compared to Rutgers' meager 30 rushing yards. Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano took full responsibility for the team's performance, admitting he did not anticipate such a result. "I'm in charge of all the coaches. I'm in charge of all the players," Schiano said in his postgame press conference. "So when you come out and lay an egg like we did opening night, I thought we had a great training camp. Never saw it coming.