Rutgers Football Suffers Upset Loss to UMass in Season Opener

Rutgers University faced an unexpected defeat in their season-opening game, losing 37-21 to the University of Massachusetts (UMass) at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights, who had paid UMass $1.55 million to host the game, were heavily favored, as UMass had lost 16 consecutive games prior to this matchup and entered as a 29.5-point underdog. Head coach Greg Schiano took responsibility for the loss, stating, "I’m in charge of all the coaches. I’m in charge of all the players. So when you come out and lay an egg like we did opening night, I thought we had a great training camp. Never saw it coming. I’ve been doing this a long time." The game was tied at the end of the first quarter, but UMass scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter, securing their victory. Rutgers' starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan, in his first year with the team after transferring from Alabama and Boston College, completed 16 of 29 passes but had three interceptions and one fumble. He was replaced by AJ Surace in the final drive, who managed to lead a touchdown drive. Rutgers' defense allowed 397 yards and did not force any turnovers. Receiver KJ Duff was a standout performer for Rutgers, recording nine catches for 196 yards and three touchdowns. Schiano, who returned to Rutgers in 2020 after previously coaching the team until 2011, expressed confidence in the team's ability to recover, stating, "We know our way out. We’re going to chop our way out of this and we’re going to be a good football team." Rutgers will look to rebound in their next game against Boston College.