Rutgers Stunned by UMass in Opening Loss | Rutgers Scarlet News

Rutgers’ high-stakes opener against UMass ended in a shocking 37-21 loss, despite paying the Minutemen $1.55 million to come play. Head coach Greg Schiano took full blame, calling the performance “unthinkable” even for him — after a strong training camp and with his team’s record last year at 5-7. UMass, 29-point underdogs, exploded for 17 unanswered points in the second quarter and never looked back. QB Dylan Lonergan struggled with more turnovers than TDs, while the defense surrendered nearly 400 yards without forcing a single turnover. The lone bright spot? Receiver KJ Duff, who lit up the scoreboard with nine catches for 196 yards and three touchdowns. Schiano, returning to Rutgers in 2020, remains confident, citing past adversity as proof he can turn things around — and they’ll get a chance next Friday when they hit the road to face Boston College. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/8eb6dd53a75d7d43