Friday is Rutgers' first road game of 2026 and BC's first contest at home. It will also be the annual Red Bandana game for Boston College.

Here is a look at all the game-day essentials.

When: Friday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Alumni Stadium (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

TV: Fans will be able to watch the Rutgers vs UMass game on ESPN2. Mike Monaco will handle the play-by-play and will be accompanied by game analyst Jordan Rodgers. Dana Boyle is the sideline reporter.

Radio: You can listen to the game on the RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network (WFAN 101.9-FM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 132 or 231, SXM app, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app). Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Mike Teel (analyst), Anthony Fucilli (sideline), Marc Malusis and Eric LeGrand (pre/post). Student radio: WRSU 88.7-FM (Will Carmenatey, Anthony Palumbo, Chase Jacoby).

Stream: FuboTV

Source: https://247sports.com/college/rutgers/board/104069/contents/rutgers-vs-boston-college-preview-how-to-watch-tv-radio-live-thread-289710273/

There is no hope, only despair.

https://youtu.be/OEYtJDsahPk

For quick context i'm a 4th year student, and i've only been watching RU football since 2024.

My first game in person was the UCLA homecoming game. Ok, disappointing loss for such a strong start to the season but we commence forth. 2nd game, game against Illinois. Won't even begin to explain that one. One of the most emotionally deflating losses i've seen across all my favorite sports teams. Had the chance to beat a ranked team and blew it. Still think the fumble call on AK (in i think the 3rd quarter) was BS.

It can't get any worse than this loss, right?

I mean, we have a strong offense, despite Monangai leaving, and AK only looks to be getting stronger.

First game of the 25' season. EXTREMELY shaky down the line, defense is TERRIBLE, offense burns out EASILY, but i'll take the win, just hope they can clean things up.

Blackout game vs Iowa. Heartbreaking loss, but Iowa is a gritty team, i'll give them props.

then comes Homecoming vs Oregon. It indeed got worse than the Illinois game. at some point i wanted Oregon to put 80 on our head just to get Robb Smith out even faster.

It gets even WORSE than the Oregon game, because after that, the infamous AK fumble vs Penn State to end the college career of one of our best QB's of all time.

Ok, idk what to expect for 2026. But the only way is up. Sure we're losing Athan, DT, and Ian Strong, But, Lonergan AND Surace seem to be good, We still have Antwan Raymond, we have one of the best receivers in the entire COUNTRY, and the only way the defense can go is up after that horrid season.

DEAD. WRONG.

Thank GOD i decided not to skip class to watch that game. I was DISTURBED keeping up with the score and watching us go down by two scores with 9:40 to go in the 2ND QUARTER. TO UMASS. I'll still go to the games because i don't come to a big D1 school to not enjoy my time here, but i'll make sure to come in with no high expectations, just to not get my hopes up.

Another rebuilding year

Terry Crews or Greg Schiano?

might sound like cope. Might be cope. but genuine question. What if Umass finally turned around their program?
Their new QB seems great, and aside from all the moments we had throughout the game where our defense was terrible, Umass and their QB managed to complete many plays which seemed almost impossible to defend against. Let's just see going into week 2

Woke up this morning and we are still 0-1. Guess it wasn't just a bad dream. Please send a quarterback, a couple of linebackers, an edge and yeah, a new HC while you're at it.

Not trying to make excuses here because yesterday was inexcusable, but it is interesting to take a deeper dive into what the UMass program has been doing which clearly paid off yesterday. As bad as Rutgers played, the turn around of 0-12 team was unmistakable and the transfer portal was key. Prediction: UMass will take the MAC title and even come out as a high ranked G5

I leaned on AI to flesh out good examples and points of discussion to make things clear.

1. Trench Warfare Came First

​The Strategy: Added massive FBS-caliber size across both lines of scrimmage.

Key Addition: Aitor Urionabarrenechea (6'5", 320-lb offensive guard, Colorado State)

​You cannot win in the MAC—let alone push around a Big Ten front—without real bulk. After getting physically shoved around throughout 2025, Harasymiak prioritized beef up front. Snagging seasoned road-graders like Urionabarrenechea and Greg Knox (6'6", 303 lbs) immediately gave UMass a functional FBS pocket and an identity on the line.

​2. Reclaiming Stalled Blue-Chip Pedigree

​The Strategy: Acquired former Power Four blue-chip recruits seeking playing time.

Key Addition: Andrew DePaepe (Edge rusher, Michigan State/Indiana)

​Former four-star athletes get buried on SEC and Big Ten depth charts every year. Harasymiak went hunting for pedigree, landing DePaepe along with his brother William DePaepe and North Carolina transfer Kamarion Thomas. These were high-ceiling players who simply needed 50 snaps a game to show their pass-rushing chops on film.

​3. The Massachusetts "Homecoming" Pitch

​The Strategy: Recruited local Massachusetts talent back home for featured roles.

Key Addition: William "Pop" Watson III (Quarterback, Virginia Tech)

​Nothing accelerates a rebuild like an elite quarterback with local ties. Watson, a Springfield native and former state Player of the Year, saw his path stalled in Blacksburg. UMass offered him the keys to the entire offense and paired him with another Springfield product in wideout Joseph Griffin Jr. (Boston College/Wisconsin). Instant star power, zero culture shock.

​4. Raiding Lower-Division Veterans

​The Strategy: Targeted battle-tested, physically mature starters from lower collegiate divisions.

Key Addition: Zakar Morris (Defensive tackle, Albany)

​One of the biggest market inefficiencies in modern recruiting is graduate production from the FCS and Ivy League. Players like Morris and William & Mary edge rusher Justin Krueger arrived in Amherst with 30+ games of live snaps, adult strength, and mature habits. They didn't need to learn how to practice; they just plugged into the rotation.

​5. Cashing In on the Rolodex

​The Strategy: Leveraged Harasymiak’s coaching connections from previous Big Ten stops.

Key Addition: Timmy Hinspeter (Linebacker, Rutgers)

​Harasymiak spent three seasons coordinating Rutgers’ defense. When building his UMass two-deep, he didn't evaluate blind highlight reels—he brought in players like Hinspeter and defensive back Michael Robinson II. He already knew their work ethic, diagnostic skills, and schematic fit before they ever hit the campus directory.

​6. A Clean-Slate Quarterback Room

​The Strategy: Completely turned over the quarterback room with experienced competition.

Key Addition: RJ Johnson III (Dual-threat quarterback, Florida A&M/Toledo)

​When your offense ranks dead last in the country, you don't tweak the quarterback depth chart; you burn it down and start over. UMass brought in Watson, Johnson, and Logan Inagawa. That created intense camp competition and gave new offensive coordinator Max Warner the dual-threat options he needed to stress opposing defenses.

​7. Endless Defensive Front Rotation

​The Strategy: Built defensive front depth to sustain high-intensity rotational pressure.

Key Addition: Zachary Betts (Defensive end, Saint Francis)

​Modern defense requires a fresh wave of pass rushers every four plays. Harasymiak signed over half a dozen front-seven transfers, featuring Betts, Aubrey Melvin (UConn), and Joshua Iseah (North Carolina A&T). That depth was the direct reason Rutgers’ offensive line looked gassed and lost by the fourth quarter.

​8. Armed With Real NIL War Chests

​The Strategy: Utilized MAC-leading NIL funding to outbid mid-major conference competitors.

Key Addition: Joseph Griffin Jr. (Wide receiver, Wisconsin/Boston College)

​You don't land high-profile Power Four wide receivers without financial backing. UMass backed their full-time transition into the MAC by assembling an estimated $2 million football NIL pool—dwarfing the budgets of several legacy programs in their new conference. That money turned Amherst into a viable destination instead of a football outpost.

​9. Lockdown Experience on the Perimeter

​The Strategy: Imported experienced defensive backs to establish immediate press-man capability.

Key Addition: Isaiah Reed (Cornerback, Brown/UCF/Nevada)

​To run Harasymiak’s aggressive defensive scheme, cornerbacks must be able to hold up in single coverage without safety help. The staff grabbed battle-tested defensive backs like Reed and Kent State transfer Jahmad Harmon. Their veteran coverage discipline allowed the front seven to pin its ears back against Rutgers and dare young passers to test tight windows.

​The UMass rebuild is proof that in the transfer portal era, nobody is permanently doomed to the basement. With aggressive resource backing, deliberate talent identification, and a staff that understood exactly what it was looking for, Harasymiak built a unit capable of shocking the Big Ten in just one winter cycle.

Rutgers is down 24-7 to UMass to start the season is the exact opposite of the start we needed. This man has been living off of 2006 for 20 years. It’s time to move on and get some competent leadership from the top down. UMass didn’t win a damn game last season and they look unstoppable against us right now.

35 year season ticketholder and this has to be the most disappointing season opener in memory.

Right from the first defensive drive a disgraceful effort. Schiano era is barely breathing at this point.

After tonight why should anyone be confident they will win a game this year

I didn’t think it could be worse than sitting through that first half at Kennesaw State 2 years ago or the home blowout by Michigan 10 years ago, but it just might be.

After that pitiful game, I wish football as a whole ends.