There's no board up for this one yet, so nothing to read into a number. What there is: second-year coach Joe Harasymiak's program playing at home with real momentum for the first time in years, against a program that has been a steady middle-of-the-MAC team. Neither club plays again before this, so both get a full week to prepare.
The matchup to watch is Kim against a UMass defense that has given up 51 points total over its last 3 games. That run came against Sacred Heart, Stonehill and a Sacramento State team still finding its feet in the MAC. Kim is the most accomplished quarterback UMass has seen since the opener at Rutgers, and Eastern Michigan's offense has already played two Big Ten defenses this season. If the Minutemen's pass defense holds up here, the 4-0 start deserves to be taken seriously.
Lindenwood29-3On the other side, Watson has been efficient more than explosive, and UMass has scored at least 35 in all 4 games. Eastern Michigan's defense held Lindenwood to a field goal. That tells you something, but not much about how it handles an FBS offense that has been clicking for a month. The early forecast for Amherst is about as neutral as October gets: 62 degrees, cloudy, 8 mph wind and a 13% chance of rain. Nothing in the weather gives either offense an excuse.
UMass has 2 MAC home games in a row, with Miami (OH) coming in the following week, so this is a chance to build a real conference résumé in Amherst. For Eastern Michigan, it's a road game against a team with nothing to lose and a stadium that finally has a reason to show up. Just getting to 5-0 would be a big deal for UMass, and it would make them look like a real contender in the MAC.











