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UMass finally ended its 16-game losing streak on Thursday night but one player got extremely carried away and flawed a helpless spectator.
The Minutemen finally overcame their horrific run of results with a shock 37-21 win over Rutgers in the season-opener for both teams.
It ended the longest current losing streak in the FBS, while UMass' last win against an FBS school was against Army in 2023.
But their celebrations went too far at SHI Stadium in New Jersey, particularly early in the fourth quarter when Jahmad Harmon claimed an interception off Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan.
After picking off the pass, an ecstatic Harmon ran towards the sideline with the ball in his arms and accidentally bumped a woman with his shoulder.
The woman was completely rocked by the collision and couldn't maintain her balance as she fell backwards and appeared to hit the back of her head on the turf. Harmon and his teammates didn't seem bothered by the woman's fall, however, and continued to goad the Rutgers fans in celebration.
Jahmad Harmon collided with a woman as he celebrated an interception for UMass at Rutgers
The helpless woman was completely knocked off balance while Harmon continued to celebrate
She eventually fell backwards and appeared to hit the back of her head on the turf
Pop Watson III passed for 197 yards and three touchdowns on an impressive night for UMass.
Watson connected with Elijah Faulkner on two touchdowns and Joseph Griffin Jr. for one touchdown as UMass built a 24-7 halftime lead. It was the Minutemen's first halftime lead against a power conference school since leading Mississippi State in 2017.
Curtis Kimmons IV added a 17-yard touchdown run to push the UMass lead to 37-14 late in the fourth quarter.
KJ Duff, an AP All-America second-team wide receiver, caught three TD passes for Rutgers.
Watson effectively scattered his 18 completions among seven UMass receivers. The transfer from Virginia Tech was equally comfortable throwing and running the ball primarily out of the shotgun.
He picked up 40 yards on six carries, leading UMass to scores in seven of its 10 drives.
Rutgers continued its defensive woes from last season where it allowed at least 30 points in eight of its 12 games. New quarterback Lonergan had mixed results in his Rutgers debut. He passed for 242 yards and two touchdowns but threw four interceptions and lost a fumble.
