Rutgers vs UMass: Season Opener Preview | Rutgers Scarlet News

Rutgers dominates the spotlight as they prepare to crush UMass in their 2026 season opener on Thursday, June 3rd at 6 PM — a mismatch that’s already written in the books. UMass, reeling from a winless campaign, is trying to rebuild under new head coach Joe Harasymiak, who’s inheriting a QB carousel (AJ Hairston and his backup both gone), a shaky running back corps, and a defense missing its sack leader. Still, they’ve added some firepower — including Pop Watson and Joseph Griffin Jr. — and are banking on returning stars like Donnie Gray and Tyler Martin. But with Rutgers looking like a runaway train, expect the Scarlet Knights to roll through this one with ease. 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/ed52a9d287cb4068