University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
4-1 , 1-1
Eastern Michigan
3-3 , 2-0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Mich. | 7 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
| Massachusetts | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Minutemen Fall Short To Eastern Michigan
October 03, 2026 | Football
A modern record 17,119 fans attended Saturday's game.
AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts football team pulled within 14-7 with 28 seconds left in the first half, but Eastern Michigan responded with 24 straight second-half points to hand the Minutemen their first loss of the season, 38-14 on Saturday afternoon at McGuirk Alumni Stadium (17,119).
William "Pop" Watson III finished 20-of-27 passing for 210 yards and a touchdown, but the Minutemen struggled in dropping their first game of the season.
UMass falls to 4-1 and 1-1 in the MAC, while Eastern Michigan improves to 3-3 (2-0 MAC).
Jabari Lewis was a bright spot offensively for the Minutemen, finishing with career highs in receptions (six) and yards (102). T.Y. Harding also had six catches, but for just 15 yards. Max Dowling finished with three receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown. Curtis Kimmons IV led the rushing attack with 73 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown.
Kendall Bournes had eight tackles (four solo) to lead the defense. Tyler Martin added seven tackles (three solo), including a tackle-for-loss.
The Eagles finished with a 411-316 edge in total offense, including 219-210 through the air and 192-106 on the ground.
How It Happened
After UMass' opening drive of the game stalled at midfield, Eastern Michigan staged an 80-yard drive that took 5:38 and ended in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Noah Kim to Kozy Isaac.
Jabari Lewis had a 25-yard grab to start the next UMass drive, and Curtis Kimmons IV added runs of eight then five yards to keep the chains moving. The Minutemen drove to the Eastern Michigan 14-yard line before a fumble gave the ball back to the Eagles.
After the EMU recovery, UMass forced the Eagles into a three-and-out, with Kezion Dia-Johnson nearly blocking the punt from the goal line. The Minutemen drove into Eastern Michigan territory, but were hurt by penalties and a 54-yard field goal attempt by Derek Morris had plenty of distance, but flashed wide right with 9:04 left in the second quarter.
Eastern Michigan answered in taking 14-0 lead behind a 13-play, 64-yard drive. Braydon Bennett capped off the drive with a two-yard run up the middle on fourth down and goal with 1:55 left in the first half.
Massachusetts had an answer, marching 75 yards for their first score of the afternoon. The drive ended with Max Dowling tallying back-to-back receptions. After catching a five-yard pass, Dowling snatched a 34-yard reception and found the endzone for his second touchdown of the season. The extra point from Morris was good to make the score 14-7 with 28 seconds on the clock, which proved to be the halftime margin.
Eastern Michigan got the ball to start the third quarter and marched 75 yards in 10 plays to take a 21-7 lead with 10:10 on the third-quarter clock.
A turnover on the first play of UMass' next drive allowed Eastern Michigan to extend its lead. After an incomplete pass, Amareon Blue had a nine-yard rushing score for a 28-7 lead, making it two touchdowns in 24 seconds for the Eagles.
UMass drove 36 yards on its ensuing drive, but turned it over on downs. After the Eagles gained possession with 3:43 left in the third, they turned it into their fifth touchdown. A 25-yard run up the middle from Joey Mattord on a 10-play, 61-yard drive gave the Eagles a 35-7 lead in the opening minute of the fourth.
Following a UMass punt, Eastern Michigan took more than eight minutes off the fourth-quarter clock, eventually adding on a 26-yard field goal for a 38-7 lead with 4:07 on the clock.
On their ensuing drive, the Minutemen marched 75 yards on seven plays. The final two plays saw Kimmons IV rush 21 yards to the Eastern Michigan three-yard line, before a three-yard touchdown run. The extra point pulled UMass within 38-14, which proved to be the final.
Notes
- Timmy Hinspeter, Tyler Martin, William "Pop" Watson III and T.Y. Harding served as the UMass game captains.
- Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll served as the honorary game captain for the ceremonial coin flip.
- The game was a sellout with a crowd of 17,119 in attendance, marking the first sellout since Sept. 27, 2014 versus Bowling Green (17,000).
- It was also the largest crowd since Sept. 8, 1973 against Holy Cross.
- Jabari Lewis finished with six catches for 102 yards, marking career highs in both categories – which includes his time at Fort Hays State.
- It was also the first 100-yard receiving game by a Minuteman this season and first since Jacquon Gibson had 132 vs. Temple on Aug. 30, 2025.
Next Up
- UMass remains home and continues Mid-American Conference (MAC) play against Miami (Ohio) at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 10 as part of Homecoming Weekend (ESPN+).
- There are limited tickets still available for the game – click here for ticket information.
- Visit the University's Homecoming page here.
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
EMU 7, UMA 0
EMU - Isaac,Kozy 27 yd pass from Kim,Noah (Kessinger,Rudy kick) 13 plays, 80 yards, TOP 07:16
EMU 14, UMA 0
EMU - Bennett,Braydon 2 yd run (Kessinger,Rudy kick), 13 plays, 64 yards, TOP 07:09
EMU 14, UMA 7
UMA - Dowling,Max 34 yd pass from Watson III,William (Morris,Derek kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:27
EMU 21, UMA 7
EMU - Long,Joshua 2 yd pass from Kim,Noah (Kessinger,Rudy kick) 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:50
EMU 28, UMA 7
EMU - Blue,Amareon 9 yd run (Kessinger,Rudy kick), 2 plays, 9 yards, TOP 00:10
EMU 35, UMA 7
EMU - Mattord,Joey 25 yd run (Kessinger,Rudy kick), 10 plays, 61 yards, TOP 04:30
EMU 38, UMA 7
EMU - Kessinger,Rudy 26 yd field goal 13 plays, 64 yards, TOP 08:10
EMU 38, UMA 14
UMA - Kimmons IV,Curtis 3 yd run (Morris,Derek kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:05
