UMass pulled off an upset win as a wild 30-point underdog on the road against a Power Four team, finally snapping a brutal 16-game losing streak. Seriously, the Minutemen ended their long residency at the very bottom of the 138-team Football Subdivision with that 37-21 victory against Rutgers. Before that, UMass hadn’t even smelled a winning record for 1,104 days. Now, halfway through the 2026 season, these guys are sitting at a shocking 4-2, just two wins away from going bowling. Wild, right?
The Minutemen Roar, Led by “Pop” Watson III
It’s all happening behind quarterback Williams “Pop” Watson III, who’s been absolutely electric. This kid has already accounted for over 1,000 yards of offense this season, dropping 12 total touchdowns and only tossing two interceptions. To go from losing every single game for what felt like forever to actually sniffing a bowl game in October, that’s just pure, unadulterated college football magic. My preseason rankings had them buried, and they’ve absolutely over-performed in a way nobody really saw coming.
James Madison’s Undefeated Run is Just Bonkers
But UMass isn’t the only team messing with everyone’s head. What is in the water in Harrisonburg, Virginia? Because James Madison is straight up 6-0 right now. Head coach Billy Napier was literally fired midseason last year, and now he’s leading JMU to an undefeated start. Get this: Napier is one of *three* former or current head coaches at JMU who’ve started seasons 6-0. Curt Cignetti, now at Indiana, did it, and UCLA’s Bob Chesney is 5-0 this season. You combine Napier, Cignetti, and Chesney, and you get a ridiculous 17-0 collective record this year for coaches with JMU ties. JMU is set to bounce from the Sun Belt in 2027 and join the American Conference, which means we might be seeing the end of Napier’s insane 18-straight wins against Sun Belt opponents. Dating back to his time at Louisiana, he’s 26-3 against Sun Belt competition. That’s just domination.
Kentucky: Playoff Team? Believe It
Then there’s Kentucky, sitting at No. 8 in my latest Top 25, No. 15 in the AP poll, and a solid 5-1 record. Will Stein has somehow turned these Wildcats into a College Football Playoff team through just six games. They’ve shown up in every single game, leading at least once in all of them. Their only loss? That was to Alabama, and they blew a double-digit lead in that one. Yeah, they’re for real.
This sport is just wild, man. UMass is trying to get those two more wins to go bowling when they head to Buffalo for their next game. James Madison has Georgia State up next, and you know Napier wants to keep that Sun Belt win streak alive. If you thought you knew what was up this season, think again. This is why we watch, every single Saturday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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