Massachusetts football pulled off the ultimate shocker in Piscataway on Thursday night, rolling into Rutgers’ home turf and absolutely ending a brutal 16-game losing streak. That’s right, UMass, a team that hadn’t seen a win in ages, just stomped a Big Ten squad, and the name on everyone’s lips is William “Pop” Watson III. This dude, a former Virginia Tech quarterback, stepped onto the field for his new team and immediately flipped the script, completing 19 of 22 passes for 197 yards and a ridiculous three touchdowns. He even chipped in with 40 rushing yards on six carries. Talk about a statement game for the Minutemen!
Pop’s Journey to a Massive Upset
Watson’s path to this huge upset isn’t your typical story. He was a three-star recruit in 2023 for Virginia Tech, redshirting that year and then playing backup to Kyron Drones for two seasons. The coach who recruited him, Brent Pry, was fired last September, even though Pry later came back as defensive coordinator under new head coach James Franklin. But Watson wanted to be closer to home, so he hit the transfer portal. Smart move, because now he’s leading a team to a win that no one, and I mean no one, expected. UMass hadn’t won a game in 16 tries, dating back to before this season opener. For Watson to walk in and immediately deliver a win against a Big Ten team, that’s just wild.
The Play That Blew Up Social Media
Fans who followed Watson’s time at Virginia Tech were absolutely hyped for him on social media after this performance. They remember when he actually got a start in the 2024 regular season finale against Virginia, leading the Hokies to a dominant 37-17 blowout. In that game, he went 14 for 21 for 254 yards and a touchdown through the air, plus another 48 yards and a score on the ground. Hokies fans were understandably frustrated last season when Watson wasn’t given more of a chance to start, especially when Drones was struggling. They knew what this guy could do. Interim coach Philip Montgomery stubbornly stuck with Drones in last season’s finale at Virginia, instead of letting Watson see if he could kickstart the offense. After appearing in 11 games and making two starts in three seasons at Tech, Pop Watson is clearly in a much better situation for himself now. He’s showing everyone what he’s capable of.
This is exactly the kind of momentum UMass needed. What a way to start the season! Everyone is going to be watching to see if Pop Watson and the Minutemen can keep this incredible energy going. The stakes are huge now; can they build on this unbelievable upset? We are absolutely here for it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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