With yesterday’s 37-7 rout of Northeastern, the Minutemen ran their record to 5-0 at the friendly confines of McGuirk Stadium.

Of course, the Minutemen have also delighted the home fans at Kansas State, Delaware, Richmond, and Maine. Their 0-4 record on the road adds up to a mediocre 5-4 season.

Only once before in UMass’s history has the football program so consistently brought smiles to all those who came to root, root, root for the home team. That was back in the program’s inaugural year of 1879. UMass was undefeated that year, winning its only contest, a home tilt against Amherst College by the intriguing score of 4-0.

Yesterday’s game won’t go into the books as a shutout - unlike the 77-0 hurting UMass inflicted on Northeastern a decade ago - but it was a significantly lopsided affair. The 1-8 Huskies scored their only points on a fourth-quarter interception return by Chad Hunte. Their offense didn’t get into UMass territory until the fourth quarter. Quarterback Alex Dulski had completed five passes at halftime for minus-2 yards.

“Great job by the defense all day. Threw a shutout,’’ said UMass coach Kevin Morris. “That’s everything you can ask of a defense, to keep them out of the end zone. Just held them down in all phases.’’

On the offensive side, UMass stemmed the hemorrhage of turnovers after two weeks of galling generosity: 13 giveaways in losses at Richmond and Maine. Hunte’s pick was the only UMass turnover of the day.

The Minutemen got resurgent performances from a couple of key players, quarterback Kyle Havens and tailback Tony Nelson.

Havens, pulled for ineffectiveness in each of the last two losses, this time gave way to the bench after UMass built a big lead. He completed 15 of 21 passes for 187 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

“This is the way we should be playing,’’ said Havens. “The turnovers have been killing us.’’

Nelson, expected to be one of the best running backs in the power-packed Colonial Athletic Association, has been hampered significantly by injuries. After gaining 342 yards in UMass’s first three games, Nelson played in only three of the next five, picking up just 65 yards on 27 carries.

Yesterday, though, he ran again with the abandon that helped him gain 1,325 yards a year ago. He carried 20 times for 116 yards and three touchdowns.

“It was tough, sitting out senior year, but my focus was just getting back healthy and helping the team,’’ said Nelson. “It felt real good to be out there.’’

UMass also got another superb performance from senior kicker Armando Cuko, who hit all three of his field goal attempts, from 30, 36, and 35 yards. That gave him 18 field goals (in 23 attempts), the most in a season in UMass history. His 30 career field goals also tied the mark of Silvio Bonvini (1985-88).

The game turned on a UMass fake punt late in the first quarter. With the Minutemen leading, 3-0, they lined up in punt formation, but snapped the ball to senior safety Jeromy Miles, who made the most of his first career carry, scampering 32 yards. Early in the second quarter, Nelson finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Morris described the fake punt as “a great momentum-builder for us,’’ adding that, “It’s also demoralizing when it happens to you.’’

It was not, though, a surprise to Northeastern, according to coach Rocky Hager.

“UMass has run that play from a variety of alignments since Jesus was in sandals,’’ said Hager. “It’s been here forever.’’

Hager has had a long season, dealing with a lot of injuries. “There are an awful lot of good football players who watched the game in sweat suits,’’ he said. “We have to make it happen with the ones who are on the field.’’

Hager said he was pleased with the effort of some of his young players who have been pressed into duty. He made particular note of Chad Hunte and his twin brother, Kyle, who grew up in Brookline, not far from the Northeastern campus. The Huntes have worked hard to learn the defense, Hager said, in folksy fashion: “You have to be on your P’s and Q’s to get that son of a gun right . . . They’re special, they’re dang special.’’

Northeastern tries to right the ship next week at home against Hofstra. UMass stays home to take on James Madison.