After a two-game homestand that did not go the way UMass football hoped for, the Minutemen hit the road this weekend and head to Buffalo to take on the Bulls for the Flagship Cup. UMass has lost its last two games after starting the season 4-0.
The biggest question heading into the Mid-American Conference (MAC) matchup is who will be taking snaps under center this week for UMass. Pop Watson missed last week’s game versus Miami (Ohio) due to an ankle injury he sustained against Eastern Michigan.
Freshman Aedan McCarthy made his first career start in Watson’s place against Miami (OH). He completed 15-of-29 passes for 171 yards before an fourth quarter injury forced him out of the game. Third-string quarterback Logan Inagawa stepped up and led UMass to a touchdown on its final drive, bringing the team within one point before the unsuccessful 2-point conversion. He completed all six of his passes for 83 yards.
UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak indicated Watson is unlikely to suit up against Buffalo, barring any sudden improvements. He said McCarthy is out for the game. That leaves Inagawa and Ty McCutcheon as the two candidates to make the start.
“Logan’s played college football. He’s got games under his belt. To come in and do what he did was great,” Harasmyiak said. “Moving forward this week we’ll see who is going to be out there. It will be all hands on deck in that position room.”
Inagawa started for Drake last season, throwing for 1,393 yards, before transferring to UMass. McCutcheon, a junior, did not see any game time at Utah Tech in 2025.
Outside of the quarterback position, Harasymiak mentioned the injury list is extensive and some true freshmen will have to step up on Saturday. He mentioned defensive lineman C.J. Amobi, who recorded a sack against Miami, as someone he expects to take on a larger role.
“C.J.’s extremely talented, especially in the pash rush department. C.J.’s going to have to step up this week, ” Harasymiak said. “He is one of those guys who’s primarily been on the scout team.”
Buffalo will also be led by quarterback that started the season as a backup. Jason Wright took over the starting duties after Elijah Holmes sustained a season-ending knee injury in Sept.
The Bulls are 2-2 in Wright’s four starts. He’s completed 48.8% of his passes, thrown two touchdown passes and ran for another two.
Stopping running back Messiah Burch will be a priority for the UMass. The senior has rushed for over 100 yards in each of his past three games. At the same time, the Minutemen defense has allowed 109.3 rushing yards per game, second best in the MAC and 32nd best in the country.
Buffalo’s defense is something to watch for. The Bulls are coming off a game against Toledo where they held the conference’s highest-scoring offense to eight points.
“Their game plan has been really good the last two weeks from their players executing it. They’re hitting on all cylinders right now,” Harasymiak said.
The Bulls are 3-3 on the season and 1-1 in the MAC.
Even with the back-to-back losses, UMass still holds a winning record a 4-2 and is one win away from hitting a program best since moving to the FBS.
