1. Defensive back. The crappy one-camera video feed made it tough to follow the game, but it looked like UMass tried just about everyone they brought. In the initial 25 point Old Dominion surge, the Minutemen DB's were often not in the camera frame. Getting behind quickly screws up what we can do. We are not configured as a hurry-up shotgun offense. Defensive backs have to be a major recruiting focus. We just plain need more bodies and talent. UMass gave up 338 yards in the air and 5 passing TD's.
2. QB. Old Dominion brought in Taylor Heinicke, a true freshman playing his first ever game, and he looked tack sharp. Pagel threw two INT's and there could have been more. Hill looked slow and had trouble with his ball handling.
The first six series for both teams:
UMass:
- Punt
- Downs
- Punt
- Fumble
- Interception
- Interception
- Field Goal
- Punt
- Touchdown
- Punt
- Touchdown
- Touchdown
3. The kicking game. Since Whipple's first year through Armando Cuko in 2009, UMass had a long series of nationally ranked players in the kicking game. Last night we missed another extra point. The blocked punt for a safety took the wind out of the Minuteman comeback.We passed up a least one field goal opportunity. UMass has not seen this level of performance in a long time.
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The Hampshire Gazette says ODU rolled to a win.
The Boston Globe says UMass loses a wild one.
MassLive.com says the Minutemen rally fell short.
The Washington Post said the blocked kick and Heinicke's passing helped ODU past UMass.
The Virginia Pilot said ODU scored a big win over UMass.
They also said Heinicke made his presence known.
The Daily Press said Old Dominion outlasted the UMass comeback.
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All the CAA results here.
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Misery loves company.
Western Michigan beat UConn.
With rain in Jaffrey, I had the unusual treat of laying on the couch and watching football all day. Wake Forrest beat Boston College. The Demon Deacons looked to have a significant advantage in team speed over the Eagles. Wake Forrest didn't even look all that excited. They were just flat better and knew it.
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15 comments:
this victory should put Old Dominion in the top 25
If only UMASS played the whole game like the 3rd quarter(the Minutemen looked like they came to play football), their performance was not good. UMASS was outplayed with talent AGAIN. Somebody better wake up and pull this team together. Moving up in division? Not by laying like this.
I was able to catch some of the game on the free link and agree with your assessment.
Our DB's are young and need to improve in a hurry or we may not win again this year. That having been said, we need to increase the pressure up front to hurry opposing QB's. When OD's true Freshman QB entered the game we needed to give him a rude awakening; we didn't.
Our QB's need to play better and make the throws when they're there. They have talent and have talent around them; the time to "get it together" is now.
The kicking game is a disaster. If the offense can't move the ball and get two or three first downs in a row, we'd better be able to punt further than 25-35 yards. Too often opposing teams are starting near or on our side of the 50 yard line. This has to stop. We need another CJ Koegel and better place-kicking. No excuse for its being this bad.
This season and next mean nothing in the standings but our play on the field and the way our coaches recruit, gameplan and adjust during the games mean everything to the program.
The wins will be few and far between. The way we play and improve from week to week will be the measuring stick of our players and coaches. Let the improvement begin now.
Umass needs to start searching now for a new coach and replace morris the monday after the last game. It would be a mistake to wait. Let the new coach come in and recruit next years class by having him start right away. Morris is finished we can't win on the road against anyone, he's had 3 years to figure it out. Odu is a pathetic excuse for a team and the beat us bad.
To be honest Kevin Morris should have been replaced after the 09 season. How do you have half of your senior class sign NFL contracts? and some are headed towards probowls. Its Sad but Morris has to go!!!
That was terrible! out coached and ouplayed.
Guys this game was ours at the end of the 3rd. We had a lead,stopped them on a 3 and out, got the ball, with all the momentum in the world. Then we get conservative inside our 20 and go 3 and out,blocked punt-game over.
That loss makes morris 13-13 at umass as head coach. I can't see him finishing the year with more wins then losses which would make him under 500 as coach in three years. This staff has no chance to comeback which hurts us in recruiting for next year.
Poor recruiting by umass at the qb position. Pagel and hill are the worst qbs I've seen start a game for umass in 15 years. What's the plan for next year they did a poor job evaluating the position. Octavious was better then either hill or pagel.
UNH, Maine, Delaware, and JMU are going to be most difficult to beat if this team doesn't get its act together.
I agree morris isn't the guy to lead us into the mac. The question is who do we get and how much are we spending? Morris took a large paycut from brown. The writing was on the wall after his first year because that team was loaded and we did nothing.
Wow, didn't realize those Octavious lovers were still around. Nice to know...also nice to know you shot all your credibility when you said Hill and Pagel are the worst starters in 15 years. My how quickly people forget guys like Lucero, Day and Guice. Of course I doubt you even followed UMass beyond 5 years ago, nevermind 15 years.
If JMU will be tough than CCSU probably will be too.
I disagree with the comment regarding the recruitment of the QB's. Hill showed some promise at the end of the 4th quarter.
JMU is 4-1! Great new stadium btw.
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