Fans, media blast Rutgers after pitiful 1st half vs. UMass
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Rutgers is at home to open the 2026 season, as Greg Schiano’s team faces UMass at SHI Stadium.
The Scarlet Knights were no one’s pick to win the Big Ten. But they were a heavy favorite coming into the day against the Minutemen, who have lost their last 16 games and haven’t even beaten an FBS opponent since 2023.
Through one half of play, though, UMass is looking to pull off what would be a shocking win on the road. The Minutemen are up 24-7 at halftime.
Rutgers has been dominated on both sides of the ball. The Scarlet Knights gave up over 250 yards of offense, including over 100 yards rushing, in the first half. They put up 108 yards and carried the ball 15 times for 17 yards. On third downs, they were 2-of-5.
UMass quarterback William “Pop” Watson, a transfer from Virginia Tech, looked sharp through one half of play. He threw for three touchdowns on 11-of-13 passing for 144 yards. He also found himself involved in the Minutemen’s running game, as well.
This would be a massively disappointing loss for Rutgers. There’s still plenty of time to turn this deficit, but the fact that it’s trailing one of the worst teams in FBS in the first place is a problem. Here’s some of the reaction from social media:
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
