Third-String QB Logan Inagawa Sparks Near Comeback for UMass vs. Miami (OH)

It was one of those nail‑biting Saturday evenings at McGuirk Stadium, the kind that makes you hear the collective gasp of 13,887 fans as the clock winds down. UMass entered the final play with its starter, Pop Watson III, sidelined in a walking boot, and a sophomore third‑string quarterback, Logan Inagawa, thrust into the spotlight.

Inagawa, a relatively unknown name in the MAC until that moment, stepped onto the field with a mixture of nerves and determination. The Minutemen were down 20‑13, but the ball was placed at the 15‑yard line and the play call was bold: a double handoff designed to confuse the RedHawks’ defense.

When the snap came, Inagawa faked a handoff to the running back, then slipped the ball into the hands of the second back who rushed toward the A‑gap. Miami’s defense, however, read the play perfectly and smothered the run at the 15‑yard line, stopping the drive dead in its tracks.

Undeterred, Harasymiak’s sideline voice rang out, “I’m here to be aggressive, I’m here to win games. We practiced that play a lot.” The coach’s confidence seemed to fuel Inagawa, who took a short pass from the shotgun and launched a perfect 30‑yard strike that landed in the end zone with exactly one second left on the clock.

The stadium erupted as the scoreboard flipped to 20‑19. The ensuing two‑point conversion, a high‑risk ‘backside run‑through’ through the B‑gap, was thwarted by a hard‑hit tackle, sealing the loss. Still, Inagawa’s poise under pressure gave the Minutemen a taste of what could be, and his teammates swarmed him in a mixture of relief and frustration.

Coach Joe Harasymiak praised the effort, emphasizing that the goal was never to “play scared.” He added that Pop Watson’s ankle will be re‑evaluated next week, hinting that the future of the quarterback room remains uncertain. For now, Logan Inagawa’s brief cameo will be remembered as a spark that almost lit a comeback.