University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Temple
Massachusetts Football Kicks Off 2025 Season At McGuirk Against Temple On Saturday
August 25, 2025 | Football
Minutemen and Owls meet for the first time in Amherst at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
| University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 1 | Massachusetts (0-0) vs. Temple (0-0) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, August 30 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Location | Amherst, Mass. | McGuirk Alumni Stadium |
| Tickets | Purchase Tickets Here |
| Series History | Temple leads, 3-0 Last Meeting | Sept. 24, 2022 | Lincoln Financial Stadium, Philadelphia, Pa. | Temple 28, Massachusetts 0 |
| Game Notes & Team Information | Massachusetts: Game Notes | Game Program | Record Book Temple: Game Notes | Media Guide |
| Watch | ESPN+ |
| Listen | WHMP 101.5 FM & 1400AM App: Download The Varsity Sports Network on your mobile device |
| Live Statistics | StatBroadcast |
| @UMassFootball | |
| UMass Football | |
| UMass Football | |
AMHERST, Mass. -- The 142nd season of Massachusetts football kicks off against Temple at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 30 in Amherst, Massachusetts, at McGuirk Alumni Stadium in a game that will also be streamed on ESPN+.
It will mark the 14th FBS season for UMass and first season in the Mid-American Conference since playing as an affiliate member from 2012-15.
SERIES HISTORY
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Massachusetts and Temple will be meeting for the fourth time in series history, with the Owls holding a 3-0 mark in the series
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It will mark the first time the Owls have visited Amherst and the first time the teams will play outside of an NFL stadium
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The most recent meeting took place on Sept. 24, 2022 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with Temple posting a 28-0 win on that day. It was a 7-0 game at halftime before Temple pulled away
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On September 15, 2017, Temple downed UMass 29-21 in a game that was also played at Lincoln Financial Field. UMass quarterback Andrew Ford finished 23-of-37 with 377 yards passing and two touchdowns and he also rushed for another score. Current Minnesota Vikings defensive back Isaiah Rodgers had seven tackles
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The Minutemen and Owls met for the first time in series history on September 19, 2015, playing as Mid-American Conference foes. Temple was able to come away with a narrow 25-23 win at Gillette Stadium, despite a late touchdown reception by Jamal Wilson and 393 passing yards from Blake Frohnapfel
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Current Temple Defensive Coordinator/Safeties coach Brian Smith played at UMass from 1997-2000 and also coached for the Minutemen from 2004-06.
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Smith was a three-year starter in the defensive backfield and was a key part of the 1998 team that won the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship
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The UMass-Temple rivalry has roots in men's basketball, dating back to when both teams played in the A-10 and becoming even more prominent when John Cheney and John Calipari's teams clashed in the early 90's
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At the peak of the rivalry, Cheney famously interrupted Calipari's postgame press conference on Feb. 13, 1994 after Mike Williams hit a buzzer-beater for a 56-55 win at the Mullins Center
HARASYMIAK ERA
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On December 10, 2024, Joe Harasymiak was formally introduced as the program's 32nd head coach during a press conference at the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center
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Harasymiak arrived in Amherst with 17 years of coaching experience, including seven seasons as the defensive coordinator at two FBS institutions: Minnesota (2018-21) and Rutgers (2022-24)
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Harasymiak advanced up the coaching ranks at Maine, starting as a defensive assistant/defensive backs coach in 2011 and working his way to serving as head coach from 2016-18
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He led the Black Bears to the 2018 CAA Championship with a 7-1 conference record. Maine then advanced to the first Football Championship Subdivision national semifinal game in program history
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A native of Waldwick, New Jersey, Harasymiak graduated from nearby Springfield College in 2008 after playing defensive back for the Pride from 2004-07
RETURN TO THE MAC
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The University of Massachusetts officially joined the Mid-American Conference (MAC) as a full member, beginning on July 1, 2025
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The 2025-26 season will be UMass football's first year of #MACtion since playing as an affiliate member (football only) from 2012-15
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In addition to football, UMass will now compete in the Mid-American Conference in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's and women's indoor/outdoor track & field, women's lacrosse, rowing, women's soccer, softball, women's swimming and diving and women's tennis.
QB1
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After a camp competition, redshirt junior Brandon Rose was named the starter by Joe Harasymiak on Monday, Aug. 18, beating out graduate student Grant Jordan and redshirt freshman A.J. Hairston
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Rose transferred from Utah, where he spent the last three seasons and played in the first three games of his career in 2024
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Maade his first collegiate start against BYU, finishing 12-of-21 for 112 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing for 55 yards
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A Temecula, California native, Rose attended Murrieta Valley High School and was named Southwestern League MVP and led his team to a league championship as a senior
OWNING THE CLASSROOM
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UMass football posted a 3.15 GPA following the spring semester, its best team GPA for a semester since 2018.
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Fifty-nine players posted at least a 3.0, 25 players posted at least 3.5 and three players had 4.0 GPAs.
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Fourteen players were then named to the Dean's List including Owen Anderson, Keegan Andrews, Ryan Barnes, Kendall Bournes, Derrieon Craig, Zeraun Daniel, Dallas Elliott, Timmy Hinspeter, Marcus Lye, T.J. Magee, Kyle Ott, Savion Robinson, Brock Taylor and Magnus Von Saldern
DEPARTMENTAL SUCCESS
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The University of Massachusetts athletics department finished 84th overall in the final 2024-25 Learfield Directors' Cup standings.
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It marked the best Learfield Directors' Cup finish in 25 years for UMass, dating back to a 51st-place ranking in the final 1998–99 standings.
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Massachusetts totaled 241.00 points in 2024-25, earning those points from field hockey (83), men's soccer (73), hockey (60) and women's lacrosse (25). All told, 303 schools were ranked in the final 2024-25 standings.
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In addition to leading the A-10, the 241.00 points would also have led the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
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MAC + UMass Standings (Top-4)
84. UMass
88. Western Michigan
109. Akron
112. Miami
