Amherst, MA. — T.Y. Harding needed just over three minutes to make history Saturday.
Harding scored twice in the opening 3:16, catching a 49-yard touchdown pass before breaking an 82-yard punt return for another score, as UMass raced past Sacred Heart 37-10 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
The victory pushed the Minutemen to 2-0 for the first time in the program’s FBS era and gave UMass its first 2-0 start since 2011.
A crowd of 14,895 watched the Minutemen seize control almost immediately, with Harding providing the spark on offense and special teams.
The senior’s 82-yard punt return was his second career punt-return touchdown and the longest punt return for a score by UMass during its FBS era. It was also the program’s longest punt-return touchdown since Jerome Bledsoe went 92 yards against Maine in 1988.
Harding’s second score came moments after William “Pop” Watson III connected with him for a 49-yard touchdown. The completion represented the longest touchdown pass of Watson’s collegiate career, including his time at both UMass and Virginia Tech.
Watson was sharp throughout his afternoon.
He completed 9 of 10 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game midway through the third quarter with UMass holding a commanding advantage. He also rushed four times for 40 yards and scored on the ground.
Through roughly six and a half quarters this season, Watson has completed 28 of 32 passes for a remarkable 87.5% completion rate, with four touchdown passes. He has also added 80 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
Aedan McCarthy replaced Watson in the second half, making his collegiate debut.
UMass Builds Early Cushion
The Minutemen’s opening touchdown came after TJ Magee returned the kickoff to the UMass 20-yard line. Elijah Faulkner immediately provided a spark with a 26-yard run, moving the ball to the Sacred Heart 49.
One play later, Watson found Harding behind the defense for the 49-yard touchdown.
Sacred Heart picked up one first down on its opening possession before UMass forced a punt.
Harding took care of the rest.
He fielded the punt and raced 82 yards for his second touchdown, giving UMass a 14-0 lead with 11:44 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Minutemen added a 33-yard field goal from Sam Morris later in the quarter to take a 17-0 advantage.
The 17-point first quarter marked the first time UMass had scored at least 17 points in the opening quarter since 2018.
UMass continued to control the game in the second quarter.
Sacred Heart reached UMass territory twice but came away empty-handed. The Minutemen stopped the Pioneers on downs with less than two minutes remaining in the half, setting up another scoring opportunity.
UMass needed only four plays to travel 71 yards.
Watson connected with Joseph Griffin Jr. for a 39-yard gain, and Faulkner followed with consecutive first-down runs. Watson then kept the ball for an 8-yard gain before finishing the drive with a rushing touchdown.
The extra point was missed, but UMass entered halftime with a 23-0 advantage.
Harding Keeps Making Plays
Harding nearly produced another special-teams touchdown early in the third quarter.
After Sacred Heart went three-and-out, Harding returned the ensuing punt 59 yards, taking the ball all the way to the Pioneers’ 8-yard line.
Four plays later, Reece Adkins powered into the end zone from a yard out for the first touchdown of his career.
The score pushed UMass’ lead to 30-0.
The Minutemen’s defense then joined the scoring party.
Three plays into Sacred Heart’s next possession, Jahmad Harmon intercepted a pass and raced 34 yards for a touchdown.
Harmon’s pick-six gave UMass a 37-0 advantage with 10:23 remaining in the third quarter.
It was his third interception of the season, making him the first UMass player since Tyler Martin in 2022 to record three interceptions in a season.
Harmon’s interception return also made UMass history. It marked the first time since 2010 that the Minutemen had returned both an interception and a kick for touchdowns in the same game.
Sacred Heart Finds the End Zone
The Pioneers finally broke through late in the third quarter.
After driving from their own 25-yard line to the UMass 17, Sacred Heart settled for a 35-yard field goal from Ryan Bocklet, putting the Pioneers on the board at 37-3.
Sacred Heart eventually found the end zone in the fourth quarter.
The Pioneers marched 75 yards over nearly eight minutes, converting fourth and third downs along the way. Cole Snider finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:32 remaining.
That was as close as Sacred Heart would get.
UMass turned to its ground game late and ran out the clock to secure the 27-point victory.
Minutemen Continue Offensive Surge
UMass has now scored at least 30 points in consecutive games for the first time since 2014.
The Minutemen also surpassed 150 rushing yards for the second straight week, with Faulkner leading the way Saturday with 72 yards on 11 carries.
Griffin Jr. led UMass in receiving with three catches for 59 yards, while Harding added 49 receiving yards to his two touchdowns.
Defensively, Khari Bendolph led all Minutemen with 11 tackles, while Tyler Martin finished with seven.
The performance gave UMass its first home victory since defeating Wagner on Oct. 26, 2024.
More importantly, the Minutemen have opened the season 2-0 and appear to be building momentum early in the campaign.
The Takeaway
Sacred Heart: The Pioneers struggled to keep pace with UMass after falling behind early. Sacred Heart was unable to establish consistent offense and faced a 30-point deficit before finally finding the end zone in the fourth quarter.
UMass: The Minutemen received contributions from all three phases. Harding was spectacular on special teams, Watson efficiently directed the offense, the rushing attack remained productive and the defense produced a pick-six. UMass has now won consecutive games and is off to its best FBS-era start.
Up Next:
UMass returns to McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19, to host Stonehill at 3:30 p.m. The game will also serve as the Minutemen’s Hall of Fame Game and Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.
