Eastern Michigan holds a four-game winning streak in the series against UMass, but the Minutemen walking out are not the same group that lost those games. This year, UMass is 4-0 and 1-0 in the MAC and is the only undefeated team in the conference. The team looks like a complete beast, with Saturday’s game all set for another record. 

It is the program’s first 4-0 start since 2007, and the first 4-0 start of the FBS era. They have outscored opponents 145-51. Never forget, the same program went 0-12 in 2025. A preseason projection of 13th in the MAC turned into the only undefeated team in the league, and the only undefeated FBS team in New England, New York, or New Jersey. 

The explosive start to this season has filled the building for the Eastern Michigan game. The game will end a 12-year wait for a sold-out McGuirk Alumni Stadium on October 3. Only a limited number of tickets remained, and reserved parking had already sold out. Stadium capacity is listed at 17,000. Earlier home crowds this fall were 14,895 against Sacred Heart and 12,233 against Stonehill.

The previous full house came on September 27, 2014, against Bowling Green. Official attendance was 17,000, and Bowling Green won 47-42. That game was UMass’s first on-campus contest since 2011. The team spent 2012 and 2013 at Gillette Stadium while McGuirk was renovated to FBS standards, and the Bowling Green afternoon was the first sellout of the renovated venue. 

Head coach Joe Harasymiak pointed to the chance right after the Sacramento State win.

“This is a brand new year. Now we’re 4-0, 1-0 in the MAC. We’re coming home. I believe it’s Family Weekend…. Let’s sell the thing out. It should be an unbelievable environment for our campus and the students, and we’ve got a really good opponent coming in here,” Harasymiak said while discussing the upcoming home game. “It should be everything you want. 4-0, 1-0, and having a home game. I couldn’t be more excited to get on this plane and get back home.” 

Senior associate AD Mike Minyard noted the limited number of tickets and later confirmed that reserved parking had sold out.

Last season’s records make the jump look even steeper. In 2025, under first-year coach Harasymiak, UMass went 0-12 and was the only FBS team to finish winless. The offense averaged an FBS-worst 11.1 points a game, and the defense allowed 38.6.

Harasymiak called the season “certainly very difficult.” Earlier, after one on-field decision, he said, “That was one of the most stupid things I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve got to go coach it. It’s my problem. It’s my fault.” One offseason later, the same side looks completely different.

On September 3 at Rutgers, UMass won 37-21 in front of 42,454. UMass entered as a 29.5-point underdog, and it was their first win over an FBS opponent since Army in 2023 and the first over a power-conference team since 1978. 

Sacred Heart fell 37-10 on September 12, and Stonehill lost 36-14 on September 19. Followed by Sacramento State, which went down 35-6 on September 26. The most interesting part is how the roster was rebuilt to get these results. 

How the roster was rebuilt

Harasymiak, hired in December 2024, ran two large roster overhauls in a row. About 27 transfers arrived in the weeks after he was hired and formed much of the 2025 team. That group went 0-12. 

After 2025, Harasymiak said 68 players left once ordinary graduation was set aside. Only six of them kept playing FBS football elsewhere, and most moved to FCS or lower levels, or left the sport. Only 11 scholarship players remained from the roster he inherited in December 2024. That means around 84% of the 2026 scholarship roster was assembled under him. 

Notable departures included quarterback AJ Hairston, the team leader in passing yards, and wide receiver Jacquon Gibson, who had 616 receiving yards before going to Virginia. Quarterback Brandon Rose and running back Brandon Hood also left. 

The winter 2025-26 cycle brought the second wave. One report counted 23 official additions by early February, with nine on offense, 13 on defense, and one specialist. Broader previews cited roughly 56 new players overall, including about 30 transfers. Key adds included William “Pop” Watson from Virginia Tech, wide receiver Joseph Griffin Jr., multiple offensive linemen, and seven defensive linemen. 

Watson shows the change in the numbers. In 2025 at Virginia Tech, he was 2-of-4 for 77 yards with limited snaps. Through four starts this year, he is 54-of-73, a 74% rate, for 610 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception. 

Wide receiver T.Y. Harding has 13 receptions for 221 yards and two touchdowns, plus 90 rushing yards and one score. Running back Elijah Faulkner has 227 rushing yards on 47 carries and two receiving touchdowns. At the same time, Timmy Hinspeter has 24 tackles and the pick-six. Scoring rose from 11.1 to 36.3 points per game, and points allowed fell from 38.6 to 12.8.