UMass Minutemen defensive back Jahmad Harmon was running on pure adrenaline Thursday night at SHI Stadium. After jumping a route for a massive interception against Rutgers, Harmon sprinted toward his bench and accidentally tucked a lady who was standing on the sideline. The viral clip showed the raw, unfiltered relief of a team that had lost 16 straight games finally tasting victory.

UMass walked onto the field as massive +29.5 underdogs. They had not won an FBS game since 2023 and went winless in 2024. But they ended up beating Rutgers 37-21 on their home turf. Head coach Joe Harasymiak finally got his first win with the program, justifying the big paycheck the university handed him after last year’s hard season.

Social media page Kickers posted the clip with the caption: “This UMass DB trucked a lady on their own sideline”. Fans online were quick to react to the wild scene. Luckily, it was just a high-speed collision in the middle of chaos, and no injuries have been reported. Outside of knocking over sideline personnel, UMass completely shocked everyone by pulling off its first power conference win since 1978.

To understand how big this win is, you have to look back at the disaster that was last season. UMass went winless, scored an FBS-low 133 points, and struggled with constant roster turnover. When the university made Harasymiak the MAC’s highest-paid coach at $1.3M, critics questioned the price tag.

But Harasymiak spent the offseason completely reshaping the defensive scheme and hitting the transfer portal for disciplined, explosive defensive backs. On Thursday, that heavy investment finally paid off.

Harmon’s performance was the reason why the program won the game against the Scarlet Knights. The defensive back intercepted Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan twice, with his first pick setting up the team at the Rutgers 7-yard line. His second coming at 22 led directly to a touchdown.

The defense was playing like men possessed, forcing four total turnovers. Defensive lineman Romando Johnson jumped on a fumble, and cornerback Isaiah Reed picked off Lonergan again. Rutgers could not find any breathing room all night long.

Harmon became the first Minuteman since Isaiah Rodgers in 2019 to record two interceptions in a game. What makes this more interesting is that Rodgers also had his two-pick game against Rutgers at the same stadium, almost seven years to the day.

“Our defense, man,” quarterback William “Pop” Watson III said, according to Cameron Pellegrino of Massachusetts Daily Collegian. “Four turnovers. You can’t lose a game with four turnovers. I didn’t do anything besides do my job, these guys went out there and made plays.”

UMass has already shown how different this team is from lastyear’s 0-12 group. The Minutemen opened 2026, earning the program’s first FBS win over a Power Four opponent, boosting HC Harasymiak’s confidence from the team’s recent success.

“The whole night in general, we talked about the moment a lot,” Harasymiak said. “When you get your moment, be prepared for that. I think in the moment [Thursday], we stepped up. Everybody took their moment, they were ready for it, and I think that’s the biggest thing coming from last year that we’ve spent the whole offseason talking about.”

This defensive dominance was no accident. Harasymiak spent three seasons as Rutgers’ defensive coordinator before taking the UMass job, giving him a complete blueprint of Kirk Ciarrocca’s offensive system. That inside knowledge was clear on tape.

UMass continuously jumped routes, baited quarterback Dylan Lonergan into tight windows, and forced four critical turnovers. Harasymiak didn’t just beat his old boss Greg Schiano; he used his own deep familiarity with the program to break a historic losing streak.

Now, with Sacred Heart, Stonehill, and Sacramento State matchups lined up, UMass has a chance to keep building momentum. The Minutemen could enter October at 4-0 with the current roster, after a disappointing finish last season.

UMass coach Joe Harasymiak’s Rutgers roots add intrigue to season opener

UMass HC Harasymiak knows Rutgers well after spending three seasons as Rutgers HC Greg Schiano’s defensive coordinator. Now, he returned to SHI Stadium with the Minutemen for a season opener against his former program.

“I know Joe will have his team ready,” Schiano said, according to Chris Iseman of Asbury Park Press. “Really an excellent coach. I had the privilege of working with him for three years. Really a fine football coach. Most of his leadership in his program is from Rutgers.”

The Rutgers connection runs through the UMass coaching staff, with Harasymiak and defensive coordinator Jared Keyte’s familiarity with Kirk Ciarrocca’s offense (Rutgers’ offensive system). That knowledge could have given the Minutemen an edge during their 37-21 victory over the Scarlet Knights.