Eastern Michigan Beats UMass 38-14, Ending Minutemen’s Unbeaten Run

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, October 4, 2026

Eastern Michigan defeated UMass 38-14, ending the Minutemen’s unbeaten streak and securing their first 2-0 start in Mid-American Conference play since 2005. The Eagles’ balanced offense and strong defense disrupted UMass’s momentum in front of a sold-out home crowd, marking a pivotal conference win for Eastern Michigan.

AMHERST — Eastern Michigan secured a 38-14 victory over UMass on Saturday, ending the Minutemen’s unbeaten start to the season and spoiling their first sold-out game at McGuirk Alumni Stadium since 2014.

Quarterback Noah Kim led the Eagles’ offense, completing 21 of 30 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception. Eastern Michigan improved to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play, marking their best start in conference competition since 2005.

The scoring began with Kim connecting on a 27-yard touchdown pass to Kozy Isaac early in the game. Eastern Michigan extended their lead before halftime when Braydon Bennett added a 2-yard rushing touchdown to make it 14-0 late in the second quarter. UMass responded just before halftime with quarterback Pop Watson finding Max Dowling for a 34-yard touchdown pass with under 30 seconds left, narrowing the gap to 14-7.

The third quarter proved decisive for Eastern Michigan. Kim threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Long on the first possession after halftime. On the very next UMass drive, Watson was intercepted and the Eagles returned the ball to the UMass 9-yard line. Eastern Michigan quickly capitalized as Amareon Blue scored on a 9-yard run, pushing the lead to 28-7. Joey Mattord added a 25-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Eastern Michigan amassed 192 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, while maintaining an efficient 11-for-14 conversion rate on third downs.

UMass, now 4-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play, was paced by Watson’s 210 passing yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Jabari Lewis led the Minutemen with six receptions for 102 yards. UMass is scheduled to host Miami (Ohio) next Saturday.

The loss marked the first setback of the season for UMass after they had started strong, bolstered by the energy of their packed home crowd. Eastern Michigan’s balanced offensive attack and strong defense ultimately curtailed the Minutemen’s momentum, handing Eastern Michigan their first Mid-American Conference victories of the campaign.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.