UMass Stays Unbeaten, Thumping Sacramento State 35-6
UMass is 4-0. Write that down somewhere, because it is the sort of thing that does not happen every year, and the Minutemen got there with a 35-6 win at Sacramento State that never had a tie or a lead change.
William Watson III did it with his legs first. He ran 13 yards for the first score and then 32 yards to make it 14-3 in the second quarter. Sacramento State's offense produced two Grant Meadors field goals (20 and 29 yards) in the half, and that was all it got. Watson then threw a 7-yard touchdown to Max Dowling with 1:45 left before the break and it was 21-6.
The Hornets did not help themselves. Sacramento State threw an interception and lost two fumbles, and Timmy Hinspeter returned the interception 49 yards for a touchdown early in the third to make it 28-6. Kezion Dia-Johnson ran one in from the 3 with 2:27 left in the third, and nobody scored again. Take away the pick-six and the margin is 22, so this was not only about the one mistake.
UMass was not a passing team on this night. Watson went 11 of 16 for 101 yards and the Minutemen ran for 232 on 37 carries. Sacramento State actually out-gained them through the air, 221 yards to 101, and still scored six points. Total yards were 333 to 323, nearly even.
That leaves the Hornets at 1-4.
Fantasy takeaway: Watson led a game where the leading scorer on the losing side had just 14.5.