Skip to main content

Rutgers looks to rebound from losing season when it hosts UMass in opener

UMass at Rutgers, Thursday, 6 p.m. ET

How to watch: Big Ten Network

Key stats

UMass (2025)

Overall offense: 247.5 yards per game (134th in FBS)

Passing: 165.1 yards per game (118th)

Rushing: 82.4 yards per game (131st)

Scoring: 11.1 points per game (134th)

Overall defense: 433.8 yards allowed per game (127th in FBS)

Passing: 212.5 yards allowed per game (55th)

Rushing: 221.3 yards allowed per game (132nd)

Scoring: 38.6 points allowed per game (134th)

Rutgers (2025)

Overall offense: 407.1 yards per game (43rd in FBS)

Passing: 266.1 yards per game (t-23rd)

Rushing: 141.0 yards per game (84th)

Scoring: 28.7 points per game (59th)

Overall defense: 432.8 yards allowed per game (125th in FBS)

Passing: 222.9 yards allowed per game (t-76th)

Rushing: 209.9 yards allowed per game (129th)

Scoring: 31.8 points allowed per game (t-115th)

Team leaders

UMass (2025)

Passing: AJ Hairston, 957 yards, 4 TDs, 4 INTs, 49.5 completion percentage

Rushing: Brandon Hood, 368 yards on 98 carries, 2 TDs

Receiving: Jacquon Gibson, 616 yards on 63 catches, 0 TDs

Rutgers (2025)

Passing: Athan Kaliakmanis, 3,124 yards, 20 TDs, 7 INT, 62.2 completion percentage

Rushing: Antwan Raymond, 1,275 yards on 244 carries, 13 TDs

Receiving: KJ Duff, 1,084 yards on 60 catches, 7 TDs

Last game

UMass finished 0-12 with a 45-14 loss to Bowling Green, the only winless team in the FBS.

Rutgers finished a 5-7 season with a 40-36 loss to Penn State.

Next game

UMass plays Sacred Heart on Sept. 12. Rutgers is at Boston College on Sept. 11.

___

Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here.

College football Week 1: Kiffin makes LSU debut, No. 24 Louisville-No. 9 Ole Miss only Top 25 game

After its soft launch last week, college football holds its grand opening on Labor Day weekend. It's certainly not as grand as last year, when there were three Top 25 matchups, but fans hungry for football will find motivation to tune in as the race for the College Football Playoff begins. The only game pitting two Associated Press Top 25 teams is Sunday when No. 24 Louisville meets No. 9 Mississippi in Nashville. There are a handful of games Thursday before things rev up Friday with No. 7 Miami's visit to Stanford, which already has a win under its belt after holding off Hawaii last week.
Read Next Story