The UMass football team’s stunning turnaround and massive upset produced an unexpected loser in the Cleveland Browns.
UMass entered its season opener against Rutgers as a 29.5-point underdog after going 0-12 last season. The Minutemen responded with a dominant 37-21 road victory, snapping a 16-game losing streak and setting off questions about the offense that current Browns quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian left behind.
BIGPLAY Cleveland’s Jack O’Rourke took aim at Bajakian after the game, who served as UMass’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach last season.
“After going 0-12 and not winning a single game last year, UMass walked into Rutgers’ building last night and beat them before the saddest firework show to ever take place and scored 37 points,” O’Rourke said. “The first thing you might think is, ‘Wow, great for the Minutemen.’ The second thing you might think is, ‘Hey, they probably got a good offensive coordinator this year. They didn’t win a single game last year.’”
O’Rourke then connected the UMass turnaround to Deshaun Watson and the Browns.
“Would you ever think he’s the quarterback coach prepping Deshaun Watson to go against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1? That’s right. The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback coach is the 0-12 offensive coordinator from UMass,” O’Rourke said. “Good luck, Deshaun.”
The celebration O’Rourke referenced added another layer to the loss for Rutgers. A planned postgame fireworks show continued inside a mostly empty stadium after the Scarlet Knights suffered one of the largest upsets in recent college football history.
UMass quarterback Pop Watson completed 19 of 22 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns. The Minutemen finished with 397 total yards and scored on six consecutive possessions.
UMass Offense Struggled Under Mike Bajakian
The numbers from Bajakian’s lone season at UMass were difficult to defend. The Minutemen ranked last nationally in scoring offense, total offense and touchdowns during their winless campaign. They averaged 11.1 points per game and scored only 15 touchdowns over 12 games.
However, Bajakian’s resume extends beyond one disastrous season. He previously spent four years as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterbacks coach, where he coached Jameis Winston during some of his best years. Bajakian also worked with Browns head coach Todd Monken in Tampa Bay.
His college experience includes offensive coordinator stops at Tennessee, Cincinnati, Central Michigan, Boston College and Northwestern.
The Browns hired Bajakian in February after he briefly accepted the quarterbacks coach position at Michigan State.
Deshaun Watson Facing Pressure in Browns Opener
Watson has gone 9-10 as Cleveland’s starter since arriving in the blockbuster 2022 trade with the Houston Texans. He has appeared in only 19 games over four seasons and missed all of last season while recovering from two surgeries on his Achilles.
Watson completed 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards and an interception against the Buffalo Bills, drawing boos from Browns fans during the 31-7 loss. Monken still named Watson the starter over Shedeur Sanders after evaluating the “full body of work” throughout the offseason and training camp.
“Ultimately, felt like to start the season on the road, Deshaun gave us the best chance to move the ball and score points,” Monken said. “And that’s really what it’s about.”
A college upset has no direct bearing on how Bajakian will perform as an NFL position coach with different personnel at his disposal. Additionally, Monken and Browns offensive coordinator Travis Switzer will have a more direct impact on the offense as a whole.
However, his final season at UMass provides an easy target for critics. If Watson and the Browns stumble against Jacksonville, it may not take long for more questions about Bajakian’s past to return.
Browns Notable Loser After 29.5-point College Upset