Massachusetts Football Set For Saturday Home Opener Against Sacred Heart

University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information
Game 2	Massachusetts (1-0, 0-0 MAC) vs. Sacred Heart (0-1, 0-1 CAA)
Date \| Time	Saturday, Sept. 12 \| 3:30 p.m.
Location	Amherst, Mass. \| McGuirk Alumni Stadium
Tickets	Purchase Here
Series History	First Meeting
Game Notes & Team Information	Massachusetts: Game Notes \| Game Program \| Record Book Sacred Heart: Game Notes
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WHMP 101.5 FM & 1400AM App: Download The Varsity Sports Network on your mobile device
Live Statistics	StatBroadcast
Twitter	@UMassFootball
Instagram	UMass Football
Facebook	UMass Football

AMHERST, Mass. -- Massachusetts football hosts Sacred Heart on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 3:30 p.m. for its home opener at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on ESPN+.

Game themes for Saturday include Matthew Bullock Day, Education Day and Youth Day presented by Greenfield Savings Bank, click here for more details and ticket information. New this season, there will be a clear bag policy at McGuirk Alumni Stadium, click here for more details.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday's game will mark the first meeting between UMass and Sacred Heart.
The Sacred Heart matchup will be the first of three consecutive first-time matchups, including the Stonehill and Sacramento State games as well.

MATTHEW BULLOCK

Saturday's contest vs. Sacred Heart will mark Matthew Bullock Day.
Matthew W. Bullock was the first known African American Head Coach at a predominantly white institution in the United States, coaching UMass (then named Massachusetts Agricultural College [MAC]) in 1904, 1907 and 1908.
Bullock is believed to be the first salaried head coach in addition to his role as the first know African American head coach.
Bullock used his earnings as the MAC head coach to study law at Harvard Law School, graduating in 1907. During his time, he continued to stay involved with football as a coach at Malden High School.
In three seasons leading the MAC program, Bullock accrued a 13-8-5 record.
After UMass, Bullock went on to a prestigious and accomplished career in law and academia with time spent in Alabama, Georgia and Massachusetts.
Bullock also coached (and served as the athletics director) at Morehouse College, earning a 12-2-1 record between 1909-11, and at Alabama A&M from 1924-27.

REMAINING SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Home Opener: UMass hosts the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Saturday, September 12 for its home opener at McGuirk Alumni Stadium (3:30 p.m.).
New MAC Opponent: Sacramento State appears on the 2026 schedule as the newest MAC opponent, with UMass traveling to Sacramento on Saturday, September 26.
Back-To-Back MAC Contests: The Minutemen welcome Eastern Michigan and Miami (OH) to Amherst on October 3 and October 10 for consecutive home matchups, with the Miami game serving as Homecoming.
Flagship Cup: Buffalo and UMass play the second installment of their Flagship Cup rivalry game Presented by Milton CAT on October 17 in Buffalo, New York.
Rivalry Renewed: UConn is back on the schedule for a Friday night showdown on Oct. 23 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.
Midweek MACtion: Massachusetts competes in MACtion with three Wednesday conference games – vs. Ball State (Nov. 4), at Toledo (Nov. 11) and vs. Akron (Nov. 18).

NOTING THE RUTGERS WIN (TEAM)

The Minutemen snapped a 16-game losing streak with the 37-21 win at Rutgers on September 3 (first win since defeating Wagner at home on October 26, 2024).
The victory marked the first career FBS win for head coach Joe Harasymiak, who previously served as Rutgers defensive coordinator from 2022-24.
The Minutemen earned their first FBS win, and first FBS road win, since Oct. 28, 2023 at Army West Point.
It also marked the first triumph over Rutgers since October 6, 1973, at Rutgers.
It was the program's largest margin of victory against an FBS opponent on the road since a 40-17 win at Kent State on Oct. 11, 2014.
As a team, Massachusetts rushed for exactly 200 yards, which marked the first time reaching 200 since Nov. 23, 2024 after posting 226 rushing yards vs. No. 10 Georgia.
The season-opening win marked UMass' first since a 41-30 win at New Mexico State in 2023.
It also marked the first-ever road power conference road win (in 2017, BYU was independent; in 1973, Rutgers was independent).
The five turnovers forced were the most against a power conference team in program history (most since three at Texas A&M on November 19, 2022).
With three interceptions, it was the most versus a power conference team since also having three at Mississippi State (11/3/17).
It was the the third time since 2012 UMass forced multiple interceptions against a power conference team.
Massachusetts allowed the fewest rushing yards (27) to a power conference team since joining the FBS.
The 27 yards rushing allowed marks UMass' fewest allowed in a game in the FBS era, as the Minutemen previously allowed just one rushing yard against Richmond on Oct. 29, 2011.
UMass held Rutgers to its fewest yards rushing (27) since Nov. 5, 2022, when the Scarlet Knights had 14 against Michigan.
Massachusetts' 17 points scored in the second quarter against Rutgers marked its most in a quarter since scoring 28 in the fourth in a 41-30 win against New Mexico State on Aug. 26, 2023.
The Minutemen also scored in every quarter, marking the first time the Minutemen scored in all four quarters against an FBS opponent since the same Aug. 26, 2023, game against New Mexico State.

NOTING THE RUTGERS WIN (INDIVIDUAL)

William "Pop" Watson III tallied a career-high three touchdown passes, while becoming the first UMass player to throw three touchdowns since Taisun Phommachanh had three against Central Connecticut State on Sept. 21, 2024.
Watson III became the first UMass quarterback with three passing touchdowns and an 80% completion rate in a game in the FBS era, and first since current Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen in 2008.
Watson III had his highest completion percetnage with at least 20 attempts in his collegiate career, finishing 19-of-22 (86.4%).
It also marked the highest completion percentage by a UMass quarterback with at least 20 attempts in modern program history.
Elijah Faulkner's first quarter touchdown grab marked his first career touchdown and second career reception.
With his second quarter touchdown catch, Faulkner became the first UMass player to catch two TDs in a game since T.Y. Harding had two vs. Northern Illinois on October 5, 2024.
Joseph Griffin Jr.'s second quarter touchdown was the first of his UMass career and seventh of his collegiate career. He had five as a freshman at Boston College, and one as a sophomore with the Eagles.
Isaiah Reed registered his first interception as a Minuteman and eighth of his collegiate career in the fourth quarter.
Jahmad Harmon came away with his first career interception in the fourth quarter, and ended with two. It marked the first time a Minuteman had two-plus interceptions in one game since Isaiah Rodgers had two at Rutgers on Aug. 30, 2019.
Derek Morris made three field goals, including a season-long 52-yarder, marking the first UMass player to make three in one game since Jacob Laurie at Toledo on Sept. 7, 2024.
The Minutemen punted for the first time in the contest at the 1:28 mark of the third quarter, with Edward Phillipson punting 46 yards.

Scoreboard