Last Saturday’s game against Kent State could not have gone much worse for the Massachusetts football team.
Against a program searching for its first FBS win since Nov. 2022, UMass (0-6, 0-2 Mid-American) fell miserably, giving up explosive plays and failing to move past self-inflicted wounds to the tune of a 42-6 defeat. The Minutemen have suffered some difficult losses throughout the past half-decade but, considering how winnable last week’s game was on paper, not many have felt worse for the program.
Despite their shortcomings that afternoon – and their struggles in 2025 altogether – 50 percent of the college football season still lies ahead of them. There should be a good gauge on how much fight UMass football has left in it after Saturday’s game against Buffalo, a team picked to be a preseason contender in the MAC.
“I have challenged everybody in the building,” head coach Joe Harasymiak said. “I just wanted to make sure everybody knew that [they need to] stop relying on other people to fix things. Do it yourself.”
“There are conversations that I had that are uncomfortable about what we need to do better. I think ultimately, you’ll see some stuff change personnel-wise a little bit on Saturday.”
The most important key to this game for the Minutemen hasn’t changed from previous weeks. Players need to stop shooting themselves in the foot by picking up penalty yardage and negative plays in scenarios where those outcomes are avoidable. Solving that problem doesn’t guarantee a win, but it will create more winning opportunities for a team that badly needs them.
Against the Golden Flashes, miscues were everywhere: a fair catch on a kickoff that started a UMass drive at its own 4-yard line, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that led to a Kent State touchdown and an offside call that prevented the team from gaining another offensive possession. The overall discipline has been better this year for the Minutemen (4.8 penalties per game compared to 6.9 in 2024), but the timing of mistakes has been worse.
Reenergizing a sputtering ground game will also pay dividends for Harasymiak’s squad. Apart from a solid performance by Juwaun Price against Western Michigan on Oct. 4, UMass’ backfield production has disappeared since Rocko Griffin’s injury, resulting in an average of 58.3 rushing yards/game. That’s dead last nationally.
Despite the Bulls’ (3-3, 2-0 MAC) front seven receiving a lot of hype in the offseason, the unit is not impenetrable. Most recently, a fledgling Eastern Michigan squad ran for 227 yards on Buffalo, and its two opponents prior (Troy and UConn) both broke the 150-yard barrier. The Minutemen have a bruised-up offensive line, but they shouldn’t need to be perfect in the trenches to pick up solid gains.
Success running the ball will also take some responsibility off quarterback AJ Hairston’s shoulders. The redshirt freshman will start his second straight game for UMass after an up-and-down showing against the Golden Flashes. The mistakes the Florida native has made are mostly characteristic of young signal-callers, and with all signs indicating that he’ll start for the foreseeable future the team will hope that more reps lead to more consistency.
“[Hairston] probably cares more than anybody about this team, and he’s trying to lead, he’s trying to do all the right things,” Harasymiak said. “I know he’s got goodness in his heart, and I’ll trust that every day of the week.”
The Bulls will be led by a quarterback on the opposite end of the experience spectrum, as Ta’Quan Roberson will suit up in his seventh and final season of college football. The former Penn State recruit is a dual-threat who does well with extending plays and making decisions outside of the pocket.
Roberson’s favorite target by far has been Victor Snow. The 5-foot-8, 168-pound slot receiver has been an issue for opposing defenses this season with his speed and propensity to get open. Snow’s coming off a career statline against the Eagles – six receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns – that won him the MAC Offensive Player of the Week award.
Buffalo’s defense this season has been well-balanced, but no individual player has made more of an impact than Red Murdock. The senior is the latest in a long line of talented linebackers within the program, and after finishing second nationally in tackles last season, he’s right back in the mix in 2025 with 70 thus far. Minutemen ballcarriers will also need to hold on tight around Murdock, as he leads the nation with four forced fumbles.
For the first time, a rivalry name has been given to this matchup, as both teams will face off in what’s now known as the Flagship Cup. The name is self-explanatory, as both schools are considered flagship institutions in their respective state university systems. The newly created name comes with a new trophy to be handed to the winning team.
“I’m just excited about being in a league,” Harasymiak said. “Building rivalries … is going to be great for our future.”
Saturday’s game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Dean Wendel can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @DeanWende1.
