An already surprising season has the chance to leave its mark in the record books when the UMass football team hosts Eastern Michigan at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Saturday.
After beating Sacramento State for its fourth-straight win to open the season, a win over the Eagles would give the Minutemen their most wins in a season as a FBS team. The last time they won five-games as a program was in 2011.
“ I think it’s the best coached team we’ve played so far, uh, on tape. It is a group that is established in this league,” UMass football head coach Joe Harasymiak.
The Eagles are coached by Chris Creighton who is in his 13th season with the program. Harasymiak said Eastern Michigan is a team that does well on the road, pointing out their 5-1 road record in 2022.
While a 2-3 record doesn’t look scary, Eastern Michigan comes into this week battle-tested. Two of the team’s losses came against Big Ten school’s in Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Harasymiak noted the Eagles’ quarterback Noah Kim presents a new challenge for the defense. The fifth-year graduate student leads the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in completions and is third in passing yards.
“ I think the biggest thing right off the bat is he gets rid of the ball very, very quickly,” Harasymiak said. “It can frustrate the D-line, not able to create a pass rush. And then ultimately what he does a great job is getting the ball in space to to all their athletes. I think open field tackling will be huge in this game.”
Speaking of the UMass defense, with another three forced turnovers last weekend, the Minutemen have improved their turnover margin to plus-10 on the season, second best in the country. Owning the turnover battler has been a point of emphasis for the team all season.
Raheim Sexil and Grant Mills each recovered a fumble while Timmy Hinspeter brought back an interception for a touchdown against Sac State.
”I think we’re creating more pressure on the quarterback, which is affecting throws because it’s not always about the sack” Harasymiak said. “It’s about affecting the throws. Then ultimately, we’re not turning the ball over.”
Safety Jahmad Harmon leads the team with three interceptions.
The offense has turned the ball over just once, a pick by Pop Watson. Outside of the lone miscue, the quarterback continues to be a dynamic playmaker for the Minutemen. On Saturday he rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns. He threw the ball efficiently by completing over 68% of his passes plus a touchdown.
“ First and foremost, he’s just making really good decisions,” Harasymiak said. “I think that comes back to, the ownership of the game plan. He’s always in here. He’s meeting with (offensive coordinator Max Warner).”
In the latest Coaches Poll released on Sunday, UMass made a rare appearance by receiving nine votes in the poll. While it’s still a fair climb to the top-25 in either poll, the attention from the Rutgers game allowed the UMass coaching staff to get ahead about keeping the noise out of the locker room.
“ I think our messaging has just been about one game at a time and taking it week to week. But certainly, you know, our school, we’ve never been here. The job’s not even close to finished, but we’re focused on this week and against a great opponent,” Harasymiak said.
