Massachusetts Football Improves To 4-0 With Emphatic 35-6 Win At Sacramento State

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Massachusetts	7	14	14	0	35
Sacramento St.	0	6	0	0	6

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – University of Massachusetts football defeated Sacramento State, 35-6, on Saturday night at Hornet Stadium (11,007), to improve to 4-0 on the season for the first time since 2007. Senior quarterback William "Pop" Watson III recorded three touchdowns on the night, including two rushing touchdowns, while graduate student linebacker Timmy Hinspeter came up with a 49-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Watson III finished 11-of-16 for the game for 101 yards with a passing touchdown and no interceptions. Watson III also rushed for 72 yards on seven carries with two touchdowns, which included a 32-yard run, to lead the Minutemen. Logan Inagawa entered as quarterback in the fourth quarter, contributing a seven-yard rush.

T.Y. Harding led with 44 yards receiving on three catches, followed by Jabari Lewis with three receptions for 38 yards. Max Dowling also caught his first touchdown reception of the season. Kezion Dia-Johnson also had a three-yard rushing touchdown, the first of his career.

Offensively, UMass had 232 yards rushing, eclipsing the 150 mark for the fourth straight week. In total offense, the Minutemen edged out the Hornets, 333-323.

On defense, Tyler Martin totaled eight tackles to lead the team, followed by Isaiah Reed and Aubrey Melvin with seven apiece. Hinspeter registered the lone interception of the game, returning it for a 49-yard touchdown. Joshua Nobles, Joshua Iseah and Hollis Dirstine all posted on sack, with Justin Krueger and Melvin assisting on a sack. Kendall Bournes forced a fumble on the night, as Raheim Sexil and Grant Mills each recorded a fumble recovery.

How It Happened

Massachusetts took six plays and went 75-yards to put up the first points on the game's opening drive. William "Pop" Watson III connected with T.Y. Harding on a 17-yard pass to start and then Watson III scrambled up the middle for 33 yards. Watson III found the endzone on a 13-yard run on a third-and-three, with a good extra point from Derek Morris.

The Minutemen forced a Hornet punt following a sack by Joshua Iseah and put together another drive to the Sacramento State 22-yard line, but Morris' field goal went wide.

On the ensuing Sacramento State drive, the Hornets reached the red zone, but on third-and-goal, Timmy Hinspeter hurried Jackson Sharman into a difficult throw. UMass held Sacramento State to a 20-yard field goal, making it a 7-3 game with 14:48 left in the second quarter.

Reece Adkins caught a pass to get the first down at midfield on a third-and-10, followed by a 19-yard Harding grab. Watson III then scored on a 32-yard designed rush which was opened by a Curtis Kimmons IV block. Morris added the extra point for a 14-3 lead at 10:27 of the second quarter.

On a second-and-nine play by Sacramento State, Kendall Bournes forced the fumble from Isaiah Ene's rush. Raheim Sexil recovered the fumble to bring out the Minutemen offense on their own 14-yard line.

Massachusetts went three-and-out on its next drive as the Hornets blocked the punt, giving Sacramento State the ball at the UMass 17. But the Minutemen defense held Sacramento State to a 29-yard field goal at the 3:46 mark of the second to make it a 14-6 game.

The Minutemen then put together a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive, highlighted by Watson III's 26-yard pass to Harding to give UMass first-and-goal. Watson III connected with Max Dowling in the endzone to put Massachusetts ahead 21-6 at 1:45 of the second quarter.

In the final minutes of the first half, the Hornets were held to a field goal attempt, but an offside penalty moved Sacramento state up five yards. Before the next attempt, a false start on the Hornets moved the team back five yards for a 40-yard attempt, which was then no good, going wide right.

Timmy Hinspeter notched his first career pick six at 13:31 of the third quarter to help the Minutemen push their lead to 28-6. Hinspeter's return was for 49 yards and marked his second career interception.

UMass was forced to punt on a three-and-out, but began a new drive quickly. The 47-yard punt from Edward Phillipson was muffed by Sacramento State's Matthew Coleman as Dallas Elliott tipped the ball out of Coleman's hands. Grant Mills then recovered the ball at the Sacramento State 43 at 6:52 of the third.

Kezion Dia-Johnson caught his first touchdown reception of the season for three yards at 2:27 of the third to extend the Minutemen's lead to 35-6.

Notes

Timmy Hinspeter, Tyler Martin, William "Pop" Watson III and Edward Phillipson served as the UMass game captains.
With the win, UMass improved to 4-0 for the first time since opening 2007 with wins over Holy Cross, Colgate, Towson and Maine (first time in FBS era).
It marked UMass' first conference win since re-joining the MAC (first MAC win since a 31-26 win at Buffalo on Nov. 27, 2015).
It marks the first time UMass has scored at least 35 points in four straight games since Sept. 27-Oct. 18, 2014: 42 vs. Bowling Green, 41 at Miami (Ohio), 40 at Kent State and 36 vs. Eastern Michigan.
It's also the first time it's happened in four straight wins since the first four games of 2007.
Combined with the season-opening win at Rutgers, it marked the first consecutive road wins by the Minutemen since wins at Eastern Michigan and Buffalo in November 2015.
UMass is 2-0 on the road for the first time since 2007.
The 29-point victory marked UMass' largest margin of victory since the 2018 season opener, a 63-15 win over Duquesne. It's the biggest win over an FBS opponent since a 55-20 win over Georgia Southern in 2017, and largest margin of victory on the road since a 49-0 win at Rhode Island in 2008.
For the season, Pop Watson III registered his third and fourth rushing touchdown, and eighth and ninth touchdown.
In the opening drive, Watson III rushed for 13 yards for his third of the season and eighth of his career.
In the second quarter, Watson III posted a 32-long rush for a touchdown, marking his fourth of the year and ninth of his career.
The two rushing touchdowns in the first half are a career-high for Watson III.
Watson III's four rushing touchdowns on the season are already most for a UMass quarterback in a season since 2018 when Ross Cromis had six.
Kendall Bournes had his first forced fumble of the season and the fourth of his career at 6:15 of the second quarter.
On the same play, Raheim Sexil recorded his first career fumble recovery.
Timmy Hinspeter came away with his first career pick six at 13:31 of the third quarter for a 49-yard interception return.
The Minutemen have now scored in 13 of the 16 quarters this season.
Kezion Dia-Johnson posted his first career rushing touchdown for three yards at 2:27 of the third quarter.

Next Up

UMass returns home and continues Mid-American Conference (MAC) play against Eastern Michigan at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 3 (ESPN+).
There are limited tickets still available for the game, which will be part of the University's Family Weekend – click here for ticket information.

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