The Machine

Massachusetts

Mid-American · 5-4CFP unranked

Massachusetts is 5-4 and No. 126 of 138 in the machine's ratings, 15.7 points below an average FBS team. Last game: won 31-30 vs Ball State in Week 10.

Week 11: at Toledo, Wednesday, Nov 11: the matchup, unit by unit

Machine rankNo. 126of all FBS teams
Rating now−15.715.7 points below an average FBS team
Since July+3.1from −18.8 in the preseason rating

Why Massachusetts is No. 126

  • Massachusetts's rating is −15.7: the machine's estimate that Massachusetts is 15.7 points worse than an average FBS team on a neutral field. That is No. 126 of 138. For scale, 0 is an average FBS team: right now the closest to it is No. 68 Arizona State (0.2).
  • It started the season at −18.8, ESPN's preseason Football Power Index from July. Its results since have moved it up 3.1.
  • The biggest weekly moves: +5.6 after Week 1 (W 37-21 at Rutgers) and −4.8 after Week 5 (L 14-38 vs Eastern Michigan).
  • Its record is 5-4. The 4 losses were to No. 92 UConn, No. 109 Buffalo, No. 114 Miami (OH), No. 129 Eastern Michigan, by 12.8 points on average. The 5 wins came by 19.0 points on average; the best was over No. 87 Rutgers. The rating weighs how much a team won or lost by and against whom, not just the win-loss count.
  • Its FBS opponents so far average No. 114 in the machine's ratings.
  • Just above is No. 125 Missouri State (−15.2); just below is No. 127 Bowling Green (−16.8).

The rating, week by week

Strengths and weak spots

Head coach

Joe Harasymiak is in his 2nd season at Massachusetts (since 2025). This season: 5-4. At Massachusetts overall: 5-16, counting this season.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Team stats

Season totals and averages over 9 games, each with its national rank among 138 FBS teams (No. 1 = best). The game-by-game story is in the season, week by week.

Passing

Completions-attempts154-233
Passing yards1805
Touchdowns-interceptions10-3
Yards per attempt*7.7No. 57 of 138
Explosive pass rate10.7%No. 64 of 138
Sacks allowed (rate)4.5%No. 47 of 138

Rushing

Carries-yards302-1327
Yards per carry4.4No. 65 of 138
10-plus-yard runs (rate)13.7%No. 73 of 138
Stuffed at or behind the line (rate)16.9%No. 63 of 138

Scoring

Points per game27.0No. 77 of 138
Yards per play5.94No. 57 of 138
Third-down rate33.0%No. 123 of 138
Red-zone TD rate60.7%No. 72 of 138
Giveaways8No. 28 of 138

Defense

Points allowed per game22.1No. 48 of 138
Yards per play allowed4.97No. 27 of 138
Yards per pass attempt allowed6.1No. 19 of 138
Yards per carry allowed4.0No. 68 of 138
Sack rate7.3%No. 29 of 138
Takeaways13No. 42 of 138
Third-down rate allowed37.0%No. 56 of 138

Totals are the official box score. * Yards per attempt and the rates come from the play-by-play, where passing yards count on completions only, so they can differ from the box score by a play or two.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Player leaders

The top 3 in each category over the same games. Passing yards count every completion (official box score).

Passing

  1. William Watson III113-163, 1327 yds, 9 TD, 2 INT
  2. Logan Inagawa24-37, 296 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
  3. Aedan McCarthy17-33, 182 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT

Rushing

  1. Elijah Faulkner99 carries, 400 yds, 2 TD
  2. Curtis Kimmons IV74 carries, 393 yds, 4 TD
  3. William Watson III45 carries, 218 yds, 6 TD

Receiving

  1. Ty Harding34 catches, 397 yds, 2 TD
  2. Jabari Lewis22 catches, 362 yds, 1 TD
  3. Kezion Dia-Johnson16 catches, 237 yds, 0 TD

Tackles

  1. Timmy Hinspeter58
  2. Kendall Bournes57
  3. Tyler Martin52

Sacks

  1. Joshua Iseah3.5
  2. William Depaepe3
  3. Aubrey Melvin2.5

Interceptions

  1. Jahmad Harmon3
  2. Isaiah Reed1
  3. JC Clark1

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Who's playing

Based on who has actually played this season, from the box scores, not the team's published depth chart. Each bar is that player's share of the team's attempts, carries (quarterbacks left out), catches or tackles. The box score lists no positions, so there is no offensive line here.

Throwing

  1. William Watson IIIMost passes in the last game7 games163 attempts70%
  2. Logan Inagawa3 games37 attempts16%
  3. Aedan McCarthy2 games33 attempts14%

Carrying

  1. Elijah Faulkner9 games99 carries45%
  2. Curtis Kimmons IV9 games74 carries34%
  3. Jordan Washington2 games11 carries5%
  4. Justin Williams-Thomas4 games9 carries4%

Catching

  1. Ty Harding7 games34 catches22%
  2. Jabari Lewis7 games22 catches14%
  3. Reece Adkins9 games19 catches12%
  4. Kezion Dia-Johnson6 games16 catches10%

Tackling

  1. Timmy Hinspeter9 games58 tackles9%
  2. Kendall Bournes9 games57 tackles9%
  3. Tyler Martin9 games52 tackles8%
  4. Zeraun Daniel9 games49 tackles8%

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

The season, week by week

  1. Week 1 W 37–21 at Rutgers. The run defense was the strength: Rutgers got 1.2 yards a carry, 2.8 under what it usually gains. Won the turnover battle by 4.
  2. Week 2 W 37–10 vs Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart is an FCS team, so there is no FBS baseline to grade this one against.
  3. Week 3 W 36–14 vs Stonehill. Stonehill is an FCS team, so there is no FBS baseline to grade this one against. Won the turnover battle by 2.
  4. Week 4 W 35–6 at Sacramento State. The run game was the strength: 6.3 yards a carry, 1.6 more than Sacramento State usually allows. Won the turnover battle by 3.
  5. Week 5 L 14–38 vs Eastern Michigan. The run defense gave ground: Eastern Michigan got 4.9 yards a carry, 1.8 over what it usually gains. The machine had Massachusetts by 12.1 (78%), so this was a loss it did not see coming; Massachusetts lost the turnover battle by 2.
  6. Week 6 L 19–20 vs Miami (OH). The pass defense was the strength: Miami (OH) got 4.5 yards an attempt, 3.3 under what it usually gains. The machine had Massachusetts by 1.6 (55%), so this was a loss it did not see coming.
  7. Week 7 L 18–25 at Buffalo. The pass defense was the strength: Buffalo got 3.8 yards an attempt, 2.4 under what it usually gains. The fewest yards an attempt it has allowed all season.
  8. Week 8 L 16–35 at UConn. The passing game struggled: 5.7 yards an attempt, 2.4 less than UConn usually allows. The defense had 5 sacks.
  9. Week 10 W 31–30 vs Ball State. The passing game was the strength: 12.2 yards an attempt, 3.4 more than Ball State usually allows. Lost the turnover battle by 2.

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