UMass Improves to 3-0 Behind 36-14 Win Over Stonehill

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Stonehill	7	0	0	7	14
Massachusetts	13	0	9	14	36

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts football team scored 33 straight points on the way to a 36-14 win over Stonehill on Saturday at McGuirk Alumni Stadium (12,233). With the win, UMass improves to 3-0 for the first time since 2007. T.Y. Harding had two touchdowns for a second straight Saturday, this time tallying a 56-yard rushing touchdown and 51-yard receiving score.

Quarterback William "Pop" Watson finished 15-of-25 for the game for 160 yards with one touchdown and an interception ane he added a rushing touchdown. Harding was the story offensively for the Minutemen, finishing with game highs in receptions (4) and receiving yards (73) and a touchdown, along with 56 yards on the ground behind a first-quarter score. Elijah Faulkner led the rushing attack with 11 carries for a team-high 61 yards.

The Minutemen held a 355-161 edge in total offense, allowing just 82 yards over the final three quarters. Massachusetts allowed just 27 yards rushing for the game, the second time this season allowing just 27 rushing yards, with the other coming in the season opener at Rutgers. Offensively, UMass had 195 yards rushing, eclipsing the 150 mark for a third straight week to begin the season.

Timmy Hinspeter had a game-high eight tackles to lead the defense. William DePaepe tallied two sacks and two tackles-for-loss, along with a forced fumble. JC Clark recorded his first-career interception. David Chiavegato blocked a punt.

How It Happened
After William DePaepe forced a fumble that TJ Magee recovered deep in Stonehill territory, UMass took a quick 3-0 lead on a 30-yard Derek Morris field goal at 12:09 of the first quarter.

Stonehill responded with a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead after Jack O'Connell found Alijah Turner for a five-yard touchdown catch with 9:16 left in the first.

The Minutemen took the lead back, 10-7, with a highlight reel play as Curtis Kimmons IV took a handoff from Watson III and flipped it to T.Y. Harding on a sweep. Harding flashed for a 56-yard rushing touchdown, with Watson III getting out as a lead blocker.

UMass' next drive covered 29 yards in six plays and was capped by a 55-yard Morris field goal with 1:38 left in the first to make it a 13-7 contest, tying his own program record,

To open the second quarter, DePaepe had a first-down sack before consecutive passes knocked down by Andrew DePaepe and Jahmad Harmon. On fourth down, David Chiavegato blocked a Stonehill punt, giving the Minutemen good field position at the Stonehill 24-yard line. However, penalties knocked UMass back to the 45, forcing a punt.

The teams traded punts the rest of the half. With just over a minute remaining, Edward Phillipson boomed a 59-yard punt, forcing the Skyhawks to start at their own six-yard line and essentially eliminating any final scoring chances.

A 10-play, 59-yard drive for Massachusetts in the opening drive of the third was completed by a one-yard run from Kimmons IV to lead 19-7, as the two-point conversion was no good. The key play on the drive came the play before Kimmons IV's touchdown as Reece Adkins hauled in a 25-yard completion on a fourth-and-two.

After holding Stonehill to back-to-back three-and-outs, UMass marched down the field for its third drive of the third quarter. The seven-play, 17-yard drive concluded with a 33-yard field goal from Morris to pull the Minutemen ahead, 22-7 with 2:15 on the clock.

A JC Clark interception gave UMass the ball back late in the third at the Stonehill 40-yard line. To start the fourth quarter, Kimmons IV had consecutive rushes of four then 19 yards, leading into a Watson III one-yard touchdown run. The extra point gave the Minutemen a 29-7 lead with 13:37 left in the fourth.

Watson III then passed up the middle to Elijah Faulkner for a 10-yard gain, before Faulkner ran five yards to the UMass 49-yard line. Watson III then aired out a 51-yard pass, connecting with Harding at the Stonehill one-yard line and advancing for the touchdown, pushing Massachusetts ahead 36-7 with 10:54 to go.

The Skyhawks brought their scoring drought by marching 75 yards on 15 plays in 7:22, capped off by new quarterback Drew Eason finding Derek Varley from two yards out. The extra point pulled Stonehill within 36-14 with 3:32 remaining, which proved to be the final.

Notes

Timmy Hinspeter, Tyler Martin, William "Pop" Watson III, Derek Morris and Brock Taylor served as the UMass game captains.
UMass is now 3-0 to start the season for the first time since 2007.
The Minutemen posted back-to-back home wins for the first time since beating Georgia Southern and Appalachian State on Oct. 21-28, 2017.
William DePaepe's first-quarter forced fumble was the first of his career.
DePaepe added a sack on the first play of the second quarter, the second of his career and first in a UMass uniform.
Harding's first-quarter 56-yard rushing touchdown marked his first career rushing score and the longest rush of his career (he entered the day with 29 career yards on the ground).
Harding also had a 51-yard receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Those marked season long rushing and receiving touchdowns by the Minutemen this season.
UMass had a 50+ yard touchdown run and reception in the same game for the first time since last Oct. 18 against Buffalo.
Harding now has a punt return, receiving and rushing touchdown over the last two games.
Derek Morris connected on a 55-yard field goal attempt at the 1:38 mark of the first quarter, tying his own school record from last season at Akron (Nov. 4, 2025).
His 55-yard field goal is the longest field goal at McGuirk Alumni Stadium by a UMass player, besting Morris' 53-yarder last season vs. Bryant (Sept. 6, 2025).
It is also the longest field goal by any player (UMass or opponent) at McGuirk, which includes Morris' 53-yarder from last season and a 53-yard field goal from Chris Freeman of UConn in 2014.
Andrew DePaepe's second-quarter pass breakup was the first of his career.
UMass held Stonehill to just 82 yards of offense over the final three quarters.
The Minutemen held the Skyhawks to just 27 yards rushing, the second time in three games allowing just 27 yards to an opponent. Saturday against
JC Clark grabbed his first career interception with a minute left in the third quarter.
Massachusetts has now scored 30 or more points in three consecutive games for the first time since 2018: Sept. 22, 2018, vs. Charlotte (W, 49-31), Sept. 29, 2018, at Ohio (L, 58-42) and Oct. 6, 2018, vs. USF (L, 58-42).

Next Up

UMass opens Mid-American Conference (MAC) play against Sacramento State at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 26 (ESPN+).
It will mark the first meeting between the two teams.
The Minutemen are then back home for a pair of MAC games, including Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 3 and Homecoming against Miami (OH) on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Click here for ticket information.

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Players Mentioned

Reece Adkins

David Chiavegato

JC Clark

Andrew DePaepe

William DePaepe

Elijah Faulkner

T.Y. Harding

Jahmad Harmon

Timmy Hinspeter

Curtis Kimmons IV

TJ Magee

Tyler Martin

Derek Morris

Edward Phillipson

Brock Taylor

Watson III William "Pop"

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics