Iowa football 2025 schedule preview: Week 3 vs UMass

Following a tough challenge on the road against Iowa State, the Hawkeyes will return home to Kinnick Stadium in Week 3 for their final non-conference game of the 2025 season.

The UMass Minutemen will make the trip over to Iowa City to try and steal a big road win. It won't be easy for them, as they've been one of the worst FBS football schools over the past decade.

UMass hasn't won more than four games in a season since it joined the FBS in 2012. They're 6-46 since the 2019 season and have struggled to gain any traction over the past decade and a half. They're currently coached by Joe Harasymiak, who was hired in December to be the 32nd head football coach in the program's history. UMass plays its home games at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts.

It's going to take a lot of things going right for UMass to pull off the upset. For starters, they'll have to lean on some solid veterans returning for the 2025 season.

Who are some of the key returners for UMass?

• Redshirt freshman QB AJ Hairston: 480 passing yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, 54.8% completion percentage across four games in 2024
• Redshirt junior WR T.Y. Harding: 19 receptions, 334 receiving yards, 5 TDs in 2024
• Senior LB Derrieon Craig: 43 tackles, one pass defense, one fumble recovery in 2024
• Senior DL Tim Grant-Randall: 27 tackles, three passes defensed in 2024

Who are some exciting newcomers for the Minuteman?

• Redshirt senior S DD Snyder II: Transfer from Ball State. 55 tackles, two INTs, two tackles for loss in 2024
• Redshirt freshman RB Brandon Hood: Transfer from Colorado. Didn't see action in 2024, three-star prospect out of high school.
• Senior CB Malcolm Greene: Transfer from Virginia. Two interceptions, eight tackles for loss in 43 career games for the Cavaliers.
• Junior LB Timmy Hinspeter: Transfer from Rutgers. 16 tackles, one tackle for loss in 2024 for the Scarlet Knights.

History between the Hawkeyes and Minutemen

Iowa and UMass have never faced each other in football before, so the winner of this Week 3 matchup will hold the edge in this matchup for a while. It's a game the Hawkeyes should win, but that doesn't mean Iowa fans should pencil in a win just yet. They'll need to go out and take care of business to set themselves up in a good spot entering Big Ten conference play. Kick-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on September 13.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football 2025 schedule preview: Week 3 vs UMass