UMass Two Wins From Bowl Eligibility After OT Win Over Ball State

UMass beat Ball State 31-30 in overtime Wednesday night at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. It was the Minutemen's first home win over an FBS team since Oct. 9, 2021. It also gave them five wins, the most since they moved up to FBS in 2012.

Now UMass (5-4, 2-3 MAC) has three games left and a real shot at its first FBS bowl game. The Minutemen need two more wins to reach bowl eligibility.

How UMass Beat Ball State in Overtime

Ball State got the ball first in overtime. Jalen Bonds ran in from the 1-yard line, but the extra point missed. That left the door open at 30-24.

Quarterback William "Pop" Watson III went right through it. He ran for 12 yards, then 13 more for the tying touchdown. Derek Morris made the extra point to win it.

Watson threw for 302 yards, a career high according to UMass Athletics. He had one touchdown pass and two touchdown runs. His 64-yard strike to Jabari Lewis gave UMass its first lead with 12 seconds left in the first half. Kezion Dia-Johnson caught three passes for 97 yards, and Curtis Kimmons IV ran for 85.

Ball State (3-6, 2-3 MAC) never let UMass breathe. Bonds ran for 132 yards, including a 42-yard score. Quarterback Keldric Luster forced overtime with a 2-yard run with 25 seconds left in regulation. A crowd of 8,881 watched it all.

"That was a critical win for our program, for our team, for our fans, for our university," head coach Joe Harasymiak said after the game, as reported by Amherst Wire.

Ending a Five-Year Wait for an FBS Home Win

UMass last beat an FBS team at home on Oct. 9, 2021, when it topped UConn 27-13. The Minutemen had home wins since then, but only over FCS teams. This season they beat Sacred Heart and Stonehill at McGuirk.

It was also their first MAC home win since Nov. 12, 2014. That one came against Ball State, too.

The season started fast. UMass won its first four games, including a 37-21 win at Rutgers. Then it lost four straight to Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Buffalo and UConn. Miami won by one point, and Buffalo won in overtime. Our 2026 UMass preview was titled "Only Up from Here." So far, it has been.

"No one wants five wins to be the most wins you've ever had in FBS, but it is," Harasymiak said, as reported by Amherst Wire. "So now what do we do? We go get six, then we go get seven, then we go get eight."

What UMass Needs to Become Bowl Eligible

UMass needs two more wins to reach bowl eligibility, because only one of its two FCS wins can count.

NCAA rules require six wins that count. Wins over FBS teams count. A team can count only one FCS win per season, and only if that FCS school meets an NCAA scholarship standard. UMass has three FBS wins: Rutgers, Sacramento State and Ball State. Add one FCS win, and it has four.

Sacred Heart has opted into the House settlement for 2026-27; Stonehill has not. Pending scholarship confirmation for each FCS opponent, only one of those wins can count toward bowl eligibility. That means 6-6 likely won't be enough. UMass needs to finish 7-5. Sacramento State is a football-only MAC member in its first FBS season, so that win still counts as FBS.

UMass Remaining Schedule: Toledo, Akron, Bowling Green

All three games left are MAC games. Here's the schedule:

Wednesday, Nov. 11: at Toledo (7-2, 4-1 MAC), 7:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

Wednesday, Nov. 18: vs. Akron (1-8, 0-5 MAC), Senior Night at McGuirk, time TBA

Saturday, Nov. 28: at Bowling Green (2-7, 2-3 MAC), noon ET

Can the Minutemen Make Their First FBS Bowl Game?

UMass has never played in a bowl as an FBS team. Its only bowl trips came long ago at a lower level: the 1964 Tangerine Bowl and the 1972 Boardwalk Bowl.

Omar-Rashon Borja’s Week 10 bowl projections have UMass in the Fenway Bowl against Delaware.

Toledo is the hard one. The Rockets are tied for second in the MAC and have won three straight. Our 2026 Toledo preview has more on the Rockets.

Akron and Bowling Green have combined for three wins. Akron has lost seven in a row. If UMass beats both, it gets to 7-5. A win at Toledo would give it room to spare.

"I told them last night there is no choice," Harasymiak said of his message before the game, as reported by Amherst Wire. "I'm not giving you a choice this time."

What's Next

UMass plays at Toledo on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game is on CBS Sports Network.