Well, this has been a crappy year for UMass football and fans. Good to see it in the rear view mirror.
Dave Barry cracks me up. He's the only non-football link in this blog. Dave Barry's Year in Review: 2013 was a zombie of a year.
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MassLive has Victor Cruz and Michael Cox see bright futures with the NY Giants.
Cox finished 20-436 21.8 AVE 50 LONG in kick returns. He was particularly effective in the last two games of the season where he went 3-104 yards.
Cruz wishes he could have that catch vs Seattle back.
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You remember that Mark Whipple lost his NFL job last year when the Brown fired their coaching staff? We'll the new coaches lasted only one year as the Browns again fired their coaches.
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The Star-Press says the MAC is winless in bowl games so far.
Northern Illinois and Bowling Green tumble in UPS Performance Index.
NIU wonders if it can keep it going in 2014.
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Yesterday we were talking about option football. Army's new HC is from Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech and says the Cadets will continue to run.
If you missed it, Navy rushed for 385 yards and victory over Middle Tennessee State in the Armed Forces Bowl.
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The Washington Post says college football head coaching searches are leaning towards offensive guys.
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Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
Monday--December 30, 2013
The holiday week has pretty much stalled any press news about the coaching search. There are a number of columns by various sports writers bashing the football program and UMass. I'm not going to link to those.
Changing coaches breaks the verbals for recruits on both ends. The recruits (which are not final anyway until they sign on LOI Day) can look elsewhere and so can the school. So, there is no point doing any recruiting posts until we hear what the new coach has to say about his system and his style of coaching.
One point might be Coach Molnar's spread offense. That might not have been the best choice for a start up program in a cold climate. In addition, we didn't have the players to run it. UMass' killer OOC schedule was another problem for the spread offense. We could potentially out-quick Eastern Michigan, but it was not a good plan against Wisconsin. The Badgers were not going to get tired covering us. A spread offense three-and-out means your defense is back on the field in short order.
All the service academies run a form of the option offense. The Academies are always out-athleted (to coin a phrase) and out scholarshiped, just like UMass currently is. Navy has been very successful with it. The virtue of the option is that it eats the clock and is difficult to defense.
Mike Hodges used it at UMass when he didn't have any scholarships after Jimmie Reid left.
At the very least, a pro-set offense would probably be better choice as the Minutemen have a number of talented running backs. We'll have to see what the new coach has to say.
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ESPN Boston has an article about Molnar's firing that manages to cover the story without snark. The article says the UMass players were concerned about keeping the UMass strength and conditioning program. I think Mike Golden was popular with the players and hopefully he'll be kept by the new head coach.
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Mrs Blog and I went to the UMass-Providence game Saturday. Nice to see the place packed like the old days. We were talking about walking across campus in the cold to some of those midnight ESPN games when Calipari was trying to get the program going.
I was listening to a number of people around us at the game. Apparently it was the first trip to Mullins for more than a few. Winning is the only thing that matters to most sports "fans".
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Changing coaches breaks the verbals for recruits on both ends. The recruits (which are not final anyway until they sign on LOI Day) can look elsewhere and so can the school. So, there is no point doing any recruiting posts until we hear what the new coach has to say about his system and his style of coaching.
One point might be Coach Molnar's spread offense. That might not have been the best choice for a start up program in a cold climate. In addition, we didn't have the players to run it. UMass' killer OOC schedule was another problem for the spread offense. We could potentially out-quick Eastern Michigan, but it was not a good plan against Wisconsin. The Badgers were not going to get tired covering us. A spread offense three-and-out means your defense is back on the field in short order.
All the service academies run a form of the option offense. The Academies are always out-athleted (to coin a phrase) and out scholarshiped, just like UMass currently is. Navy has been very successful with it. The virtue of the option is that it eats the clock and is difficult to defense.
Mike Hodges used it at UMass when he didn't have any scholarships after Jimmie Reid left.
At the very least, a pro-set offense would probably be better choice as the Minutemen have a number of talented running backs. We'll have to see what the new coach has to say.
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ESPN Boston has an article about Molnar's firing that manages to cover the story without snark. The article says the UMass players were concerned about keeping the UMass strength and conditioning program. I think Mike Golden was popular with the players and hopefully he'll be kept by the new head coach.
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Mrs Blog and I went to the UMass-Providence game Saturday. Nice to see the place packed like the old days. We were talking about walking across campus in the cold to some of those midnight ESPN games when Calipari was trying to get the program going.
I was listening to a number of people around us at the game. Apparently it was the first trip to Mullins for more than a few. Winning is the only thing that matters to most sports "fans".
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Saturday, December 28, 2013
Saturday--December 28, 2013
JImmie Kelley of Hustle Belt says UMass must get it right this time.
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Matty V. reports that Mark Whipple era 2.0 is not far-fetched.
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Other names mentioned in Matty's article include:
Neal Brown-- Offensive coordinator at Kentucky. Brown is one of my favorites. He's a young on-the-rise coach and is already a offensive guru. He applied for the UMass job twice before. He's a former Minutemen player and coach. As Matty mentioned, he'd probably take a salary cut to come to UMass, but I think he'd do it to become head coach. He and the Minutemen program could do each other a favor by coming to UMass. UMass would build a program and Brown could expect a lucrative head coaching offer offer from a BCS school in four years or so.
Mark Whipple-- Whipple did it before. He knows the school and knows the various difficulties associated with the faculty and the unique local press. Whipple also brought in two of the best QB's ever to play for UMass-- Todd Bankhead and Jeff Krohn. UMass currently needs a quarterback like the Titanic needed surface search radar.
Rob Ambrose-- He turned one of the CAA's worst programs into a winner. The Tigers (and several ex-Minutemen) play for the FCS National Championship shortly. As Matty says, Ambrose was also involved in a player mistreatment scandal at Towson. I would think the UMass administration would be gun shy unless he has a really, really good explanation.
Bob Shoop-- There's an old football saying that says offense sells the tickets, but defense wins the games. Don Brown did it at UMass with a killer defense and Bob Shoop probably would offer a quicker road to respectability than offensive coaches. Shoop coached at UMass so he knows some of the liabilities we face. Like Neal Brown, Shoop would face a salary cut to become HC at UMass, but Shoop could expect a big contract HC offer from a BCS school in a few years if he built UMass into a winner.
Don Brown-- Brown is a New England coach. He probably knows the talent pool and what it takes to be a winner in the North East better than anyone. He was approachable and liked by his players. One negative is that in his last year, he apparently let what ever frustrations that come with the HC job at UMass affect his attitude to the school administration. One rule of coaching-- never burn bridges, it could come back to bite you in the ass. Brown has the same advantage as Shoop, a good defense would probably be the quickest road to respectability. Brown has jumped around a lot in his career. His history suggests if he was at UMass a year and a SEC job was offered, he'd take it.
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Matty V. reports that Mark Whipple era 2.0 is not far-fetched.
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Other names mentioned in Matty's article include:
Neal Brown-- Offensive coordinator at Kentucky. Brown is one of my favorites. He's a young on-the-rise coach and is already a offensive guru. He applied for the UMass job twice before. He's a former Minutemen player and coach. As Matty mentioned, he'd probably take a salary cut to come to UMass, but I think he'd do it to become head coach. He and the Minutemen program could do each other a favor by coming to UMass. UMass would build a program and Brown could expect a lucrative head coaching offer offer from a BCS school in four years or so.
Mark Whipple-- Whipple did it before. He knows the school and knows the various difficulties associated with the faculty and the unique local press. Whipple also brought in two of the best QB's ever to play for UMass-- Todd Bankhead and Jeff Krohn. UMass currently needs a quarterback like the Titanic needed surface search radar.
Rob Ambrose-- He turned one of the CAA's worst programs into a winner. The Tigers (and several ex-Minutemen) play for the FCS National Championship shortly. As Matty says, Ambrose was also involved in a player mistreatment scandal at Towson. I would think the UMass administration would be gun shy unless he has a really, really good explanation.
Bob Shoop-- There's an old football saying that says offense sells the tickets, but defense wins the games. Don Brown did it at UMass with a killer defense and Bob Shoop probably would offer a quicker road to respectability than offensive coaches. Shoop coached at UMass so he knows some of the liabilities we face. Like Neal Brown, Shoop would face a salary cut to become HC at UMass, but Shoop could expect a big contract HC offer from a BCS school in a few years if he built UMass into a winner.
Don Brown-- Brown is a New England coach. He probably knows the talent pool and what it takes to be a winner in the North East better than anyone. He was approachable and liked by his players. One negative is that in his last year, he apparently let what ever frustrations that come with the HC job at UMass affect his attitude to the school administration. One rule of coaching-- never burn bridges, it could come back to bite you in the ass. Brown has the same advantage as Shoop, a good defense would probably be the quickest road to respectability. Brown has jumped around a lot in his career. His history suggests if he was at UMass a year and a SEC job was offered, he'd take it.
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Friday, December 27, 2013
Friday--December 27, 2013
Dan Malone has a timeline on the Coach Molnar era.
Ron Chimelis adds snark.
Mike Wegsyn considers return.
Matty V. has a story about the search. Quote from the article :"A national search for Molnar’s replacement is already underway. Unlike previous coaching hires, which have been conducted entirely by UMass athletic department staff, McCutcheon said the school will employ Florida-based Carr Sports Associates as a search firm to consult on the hiring process that he expected to go quickly."
The last two football hires by the athletic office did not go well. Kudos to Chancellor Subbaswamy for insisting on some outside help.
UMass went into the FBS era with a team that has gone essentially .500 the last three years. The Minutemen went into 2012 with only two returning All-CAA players.
If the decision to hire Coach Morris in 2009 was designed to save money, it cost a lot more in the long run.
Let's get this hire right and move forward.
I'm not going to link to any more stories about Molnar's firing. I'm tired of sportswriters bashing the program.
Matty V. Says Carr Sports will play a big role in UMass' future.
Matty also looks at some of the things that brought Coach Molnar down.
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The MAC goes 0-4 in bowl games.
Utah State beat Northern Illinois.
Pitt beat Bowling Green on a field goal.
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Ron Chimelis adds snark.
Mike Wegsyn considers return.
Matty V. has a story about the search. Quote from the article :"A national search for Molnar’s replacement is already underway. Unlike previous coaching hires, which have been conducted entirely by UMass athletic department staff, McCutcheon said the school will employ Florida-based Carr Sports Associates as a search firm to consult on the hiring process that he expected to go quickly."
The last two football hires by the athletic office did not go well. Kudos to Chancellor Subbaswamy for insisting on some outside help.
UMass went into the FBS era with a team that has gone essentially .500 the last three years. The Minutemen went into 2012 with only two returning All-CAA players.
If the decision to hire Coach Morris in 2009 was designed to save money, it cost a lot more in the long run.
Let's get this hire right and move forward.
I'm not going to link to any more stories about Molnar's firing. I'm tired of sportswriters bashing the program.
Matty V. Says Carr Sports will play a big role in UMass' future.
Matty also looks at some of the things that brought Coach Molnar down.
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The MAC goes 0-4 in bowl games.
Utah State beat Northern Illinois.
Pitt beat Bowling Green on a field goal.
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Thursday, December 26, 2013
December 26, 2013 -- Coach Molnar Fired
Coach Pickett passed away a couple of years ago. Sorry someone was being malicious.
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The UMass website reports Coach Molnar has been fired. Phil Elmassian and Ted Dasher were also let go.
Dan Malone has more.
UMass players react on Twitter.
Hopefully, things will stabilize quickly. More to come, I'm sure.
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The UMass website reports Coach Molnar has been fired. Phil Elmassian and Ted Dasher were also let go.
Dan Malone has more.
UMass players react on Twitter.
Hopefully, things will stabilize quickly. More to come, I'm sure.
Recruiting 2014-- Napoleon Maxwell
 |
| Image credit unknown |
Scout.com page here.
Hudl.com has video.
247Sports page here.
Quote from Scout.com article in September 2013 on Maxwell: "“His best football is in front of him,” Hearn said. “He is far from being maxed out. He has a great body (6-0.5/190) and is a physical specimen. He is so athletic, so fast and so big.”
Has offers from UMass, Virginia, FIU and Georgia State.
Thursday--December 26, 2013
The MAC Report Online covers Rob Blanchflower's invite to the Senior Bowl.
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Former Minuteman Brian Dowling and the Towson Tigers prepare for the FCS Championship Game. Good luck Brian!
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UCF hires Maine's defensive coordinator Paul Ferraro. The article states Ferraro began his career at UMass in 1982. He's not listed in the UMass press guide or the 1982 game day programs, so he probably was a graduate assistant.
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Michael Cox could end up starting for the Giants on the last game of the season.
NJ.com considers if Cox could be the starting RB for the Giants in 2014.
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James Ihedigbo is still promoting his HOPE Africa charity. The article relates he wears #32 for the Ravens in honor of former UMass RB Matt Lawrence.
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It's a big day for the MAC conference. Buffalo and Ohio ended up being blown out of the second half of both their bowl games. Today's games feature two the the MAC's best teams.
Bowling Green vs Pitt.
Northern Illinois vs Utah State.
An NIU fan looks at Jordan Lynch and the Huskie offense against Utah State's top-25 defense.
Both games are on ESPN today. Set your DVD.
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Former Minuteman Brian Dowling and the Towson Tigers prepare for the FCS Championship Game. Good luck Brian!
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UCF hires Maine's defensive coordinator Paul Ferraro. The article states Ferraro began his career at UMass in 1982. He's not listed in the UMass press guide or the 1982 game day programs, so he probably was a graduate assistant.
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Michael Cox could end up starting for the Giants on the last game of the season.
NJ.com considers if Cox could be the starting RB for the Giants in 2014.
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James Ihedigbo is still promoting his HOPE Africa charity. The article relates he wears #32 for the Ravens in honor of former UMass RB Matt Lawrence.
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It's a big day for the MAC conference. Buffalo and Ohio ended up being blown out of the second half of both their bowl games. Today's games feature two the the MAC's best teams.
Bowling Green vs Pitt.
Northern Illinois vs Utah State.
An NIU fan looks at Jordan Lynch and the Huskie offense against Utah State's top-25 defense.
Both games are on ESPN today. Set your DVD.
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Wednesday, December 25, 2013
December 25, 2013-- Happy Holidays
Well, it's a chill Christmas morning here in Jaffrey. Mrs Blog and I would like to wish all UMass fans, players coaches and staff a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday.
To the team: the older I get ---- and I'm getting quite old, the fewer heroes I have. I admire people who don't quit. May 2014 bring the team some rewards for all their hard work.
To the coaches: may the new year bring victories and vindication.
To Minutemen fans everywhere: May Santa bring some games that are fun to watch to reward faithful fans for sticking by the program.
To the enemies of UMass football, ----- and you know who you are. May Santa bring an especially large piece of coal for your stocking.
Thanks to all the blog readers for their kind words this year. Thanks to the UMass coaching staff who sent me a Christmas Card signed by all the coaches.
Hope everyone has a nice day with their family.
Go UMass!!!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Tuesday--December 24, 2013
 |
| Rob Blanchflower |
Click on image and blogger displays a larger view.
Rob Blanchflower has been invited to the Senior Bowl in Mobile Alabama. Good for him. Hopefully he'll be back at 100% and be able to show the scouts what he can do.
Blanchflower only played in six games in 2013. He went 27-313 11.6 AVE 3 TD's 56 LONG 52.2 AVE/Game.
Note that Blanchflower's 52 yard catch was the longest UMass pass play of 2013.
Rotoworld also has a capsule on his selection.
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His Senior Bowl bio page.
Blanchflower's NFLDraftScout.com page.
FanSided's Peter Smith (good name) has a long profile of Blanchflower.
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Monday, December 23, 2013
Monday--December 23, 2013
So much for not working on the Blog on Sundays :)
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Rant Sports says Tajae Sharpe was a bright spot in UMass' dismal 2013 season.
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ArizonaSports.com has a article on bowl games for the 55 FBS teams that didn't quality for regular bowl games this year (includes UMass).
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Fansided and Athlon Sports both predict a big East Carolina victory over Ohio in the Beef O'Brady bowl tonight.
If you missed it, Buffalo got crushed in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
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NIU looks to move on after their MAC Championship loss.
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Cox gets congrats after big return. Note Talley wearing #19.
Michael Cox opened the Giants overtime period against the Lions with a 56 yard kick return.
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Rant Sports says Tajae Sharpe was a bright spot in UMass' dismal 2013 season.
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ArizonaSports.com has a article on bowl games for the 55 FBS teams that didn't quality for regular bowl games this year (includes UMass).
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Fansided and Athlon Sports both predict a big East Carolina victory over Ohio in the Beef O'Brady bowl tonight.
If you missed it, Buffalo got crushed in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
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NIU looks to move on after their MAC Championship loss.
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 |
| Raj Mehta image |
Michael Cox opened the Giants overtime period against the Lions with a 56 yard kick return.
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Sunday, December 22, 2013
Recruiting 2014---Jeremy Miller
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| Rivals.com image |
247 Sports page here.
Hudle.com has video.
Rivals.com has some physical stats.
JucoFootball.com had the following to say about him in August 2013: "Tyler DT Jeremy Miller - Expect things to hit a fever pitch for Miller after the first month of season as schools get more and more film of him. He's just over 6' tall and weighs close to 300 pounds and he's got great quickness and strength. Schools from all over have shown him some interest, but to this point, none have ponied up an offer. The first one that does could put themselves in a great position to add a run-stuffer to their program."
Had offers from Nichols State, Texas State and Texas Southern. Visited TCU in November.
Recruiting 2014---Randell West VI
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| Image credit unknown |
West was just named The Star-Ledger's Prep football Player of the Year for 2013.
Quote from article: "“I'm looking forward to just learning the game,” West said. “Really, I've only been a pocket, pro-style quarterback for two years now. It's still very new to me and I want to go (to UMass) and be a sponge and learn all I can from that coaching staff. I want to become a better person, better player and better student-athlete to bring a lot of honor to my family and Lawrenceville."
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Recruiting 2014-- Jalen Williams
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| Hudl,com image |
247 page with the verbal here.
Led Dean College with 25 358 14.3 AVE 2 TD's.
Hudl.com has some highlight video.
UMass badly needs impact players on offense. Williams should see a lot of playing time in 2014. Williams is the second WR in the Minutemen's 2014 verbal list.
Saturday--December 21, 2013
The Bowl Season starts today. Of interest to UMass fans is the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Buffalo plays San Diego State. Since the Bulls beat us, we want them to do well. Set your DVD for ESPN at 4:30.
Sports Illustrated breaks it down.
Hustle Belt previews the game.
BTW, five years ago, Khalil Mack was a zero-stars recruit.
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USA Today reviews 2013's top ranked Bowls.
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Hustle Belt's Brown and Gold reviews Western Michigan's season. UMass fans remember that the Minutemen were the Broncos only victory of 2013.
Most recruiting services have Western Michigan as the top team in the MAC so far.
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Tom Coughlin says Julian Talley will contribute to the Giants passing game.
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Sports Illustrated breaks it down.
Hustle Belt previews the game.
BTW, five years ago, Khalil Mack was a zero-stars recruit.
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USA Today reviews 2013's top ranked Bowls.
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Hustle Belt's Brown and Gold reviews Western Michigan's season. UMass fans remember that the Minutemen were the Broncos only victory of 2013.
Most recruiting services have Western Michigan as the top team in the MAC so far.
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Tom Coughlin says Julian Talley will contribute to the Giants passing game.
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Friday, December 20, 2013
Recruiting 2014--Malik White
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| image credit unknown |
Several recruiting services say UMass has offered to Malik White, a 6-5 235 pound TE/DE from Seton-LaSalle HS in Pittsburgh, PA.
Hudl.com has video.
White has only played one year of football. Quote from 06/26/13 article from Scout.com: "White has begun summer conditioning with the football team, but before that he attended the Nike Football Training Camp and the Pitt 7-on-7 passing camp last weekend--all this, despite never having played a down of football."
So far, UMass is White's only offer.
Friday--December 20, 2013
Dan Malone reports on two UMass verbals who have flipped to another school.
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Jimmy Kelly of Hustle Belt reviews UMass football in 2013.
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Ball State announces their future OOC schedule. Can you see any differences from the Minutemen's ?
UMass 2014
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Jimmy Kelly of Hustle Belt reviews UMass football in 2013.
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Ball State announces their future OOC schedule. Can you see any differences from the Minutemen's ?
UMass 2014
- Boston College
- Colorado
- Vanderbilt
- Penn State
Ball State 2014
- Iowa
- Army
- Colgate
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A Hustle Belt writer ranks the five MAC Bowl games.
Toledo gets two players invited to the East-West Shrine game.
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Pitt is an underdog to Bowling Green in the Pizza Bowl.
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Victor Cruz has knee surgery, ends season.
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Thursday, December 19, 2013
Recruiting 2014--Malik Watson
 |
| Image credit unknown |
Hudl.com has some stats and video.
Originally signed with Montana.
From the Scout.com bio: "Finished 58.9% for 2,636 18 Touchdowns and thirteen interceptions and 2 Rushing TD's while going 7-4.
Played for both 2012 and 2013 teams, the first teams to ever win the Bay Valley Conference Championship for Contra Costa."
YouTube has 2013 season highlights.
Watson also has an offer from New Mexico State.
Thursday--December 19, 2013
Natty V. has another article on Julian Talley being activated by the NY Giants.
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After two years at a JUCO, former UMass player Jarvis Bentley joins Troy.
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Ohio may have a tough row to hoe in the Beef O'Brady Bowl.
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Bowling Green hires Dino Babers as HC.
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Michael Cox may see some significant playing time for the Giants this Sunday.
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ESPN New York says Victor Cruz stands tall for the NY Giants.
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Football Scoop.com (scroll down to Tuesday's post) reports former UMass player and coach Ben Albert as well as former UMass assistant coach Tom Massela are candidates for the HC job at Rhode Island.
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OT, but ESPN has a long feature about Chaz Williams.
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After two years at a JUCO, former UMass player Jarvis Bentley joins Troy.
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Ohio may have a tough row to hoe in the Beef O'Brady Bowl.
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Bowling Green hires Dino Babers as HC.
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Michael Cox may see some significant playing time for the Giants this Sunday.
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ESPN New York says Victor Cruz stands tall for the NY Giants.
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Football Scoop.com (scroll down to Tuesday's post) reports former UMass player and coach Ben Albert as well as former UMass assistant coach Tom Massela are candidates for the HC job at Rhode Island.
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OT, but ESPN has a long feature about Chaz Williams.
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Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Recruiting 2014-- Jason Sylva VI
Jason Sylva, listed as a "soft commit" to the Minutemen flipped to Western Michigan after a visit.
Sylva's decommit knocked UMass down three notches in 247 Sports MAC recruiting rankings.
Wednesday--December 18, 2013
UMass is making progress on construction projects.
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Ohio bring its bowl streak to St. Petersburg.
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USA Toaday breaks down bowl games ranked #22 to #28. Bowling Green, Ball State and Vanderbilt participate.
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ESPN looks at how JUCO coaches recruit.
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The NY Giants activated Julian Talley off the practice squad.
Rant Sports says Talley may play in Cruz's slot position.
Bleacher Report looks at Cruz's multiple injuries.
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Ohio bring its bowl streak to St. Petersburg.
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USA Toaday breaks down bowl games ranked #22 to #28. Bowling Green, Ball State and Vanderbilt participate.
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ESPN looks at how JUCO coaches recruit.
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| Corey Sipkin image |
Rant Sports says Talley may play in Cruz's slot position.
Bleacher Report looks at Cruz's multiple injuries.
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Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Recruiting 2014--Turner Baty
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| Eric Sum image |
Baty's Twitter feed.
Baty spent a year at Kansas before returning to City College of San Francisco.
Quote from JUCO.com about Baty:" He's got a very accurate arm and the ability to run if the situation calls for it, but he prefers to sit back in the pocket and let his receivers make the plays. As a freshman in 2011, Baty led CCSF to a perfect 12-0 season and the National Championship in 2012."
Rivals three-star player.
Threw six TD's in a single game in September 2013. The article has a video interview with Baty and a couple of his touchdown throws.
Also taking a visit to Memphis.
Tuesday--December 17, 2013
Coach Molnar says progress couldn't be defined as wins and losses in 2013.
Dan Malone reports Coach Molnar and staff are trying to bring in a couple of competitive quarterbacks for 2014.
Matty V. has Molnar talking about changes, pressure and optimism.
The Boston Herald has Coach Molnar notes positives.
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Stacey Bedell has transferred to FCS Stony Brook.
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Western Michigan believes P.J. Fleck will deliver a MAC Championship to the Broncos.
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Hustle Belt has its own All-MAC team.
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Victor Cruz may miss the rest of the season with a concussion and a sprained knee.
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Keepers College football ratings has the MAC favored in two bowl games and underdogs in three
others.
USA Today reviews college bowl games #29 through 35 (includes two MAC bowls).
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Dan Malone reports Coach Molnar and staff are trying to bring in a couple of competitive quarterbacks for 2014.
Matty V. has Molnar talking about changes, pressure and optimism.
The Boston Herald has Coach Molnar notes positives.
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Stacey Bedell has transferred to FCS Stony Brook.
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Western Michigan believes P.J. Fleck will deliver a MAC Championship to the Broncos.
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Hustle Belt has its own All-MAC team.
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Victor Cruz may miss the rest of the season with a concussion and a sprained knee.
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Keepers College football ratings has the MAC favored in two bowl games and underdogs in three
others.
USA Today reviews college bowl games #29 through 35 (includes two MAC bowls).
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Monday, December 16, 2013
Recruiting 2014-- Tyler Murphy
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| Kim Klement image |
Murphy will be the sixth player to leave the Gators after the season. He started six games for Florida in 2013.
Monday ---December 16, 2013
The MAC conference companionship game outdrew the PAC-12, Mountain West and Conference USA title games in the Neilsen ratings.
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Jordan Lunch came in third in the Heisman contest.
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Dan Enos thinks Central Michigan will improve on 2013's 6-6 record.
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Bleacher Report has a story about highly rated recruits verbaling to mid-major schools.
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New Hampshire beat #7 Southeastern Louisiana 20-17 on a last minute drive in front of an announced crowd of 5,886 in Hammond, LA. I watched the game on ESPN3. The Wildcats clearly looked like the better team, but they missed two field goals, and extra point and threw an INT inside the Southeastern Louisiana five yard line to keep the Lions in the game.
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Jordan Lunch came in third in the Heisman contest.
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Dan Enos thinks Central Michigan will improve on 2013's 6-6 record.
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Bleacher Report has a story about highly rated recruits verbaling to mid-major schools.
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New Hampshire beat #7 Southeastern Louisiana 20-17 on a last minute drive in front of an announced crowd of 5,886 in Hammond, LA. I watched the game on ESPN3. The Wildcats clearly looked like the better team, but they missed two field goals, and extra point and threw an INT inside the Southeastern Louisiana five yard line to keep the Lions in the game.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Recruiting 2014-- Marcus Applefield III
I have blogged about Marcus Applefield, a 6-7 280 pound OT twice before.
He committed to Rutgers yesterday.
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He committed to Rutgers yesterday.
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Saturday--December 14, 2013
Wicked Local Carver has a story about UMMB member Andrew Lawzon.
Lauzon talks about the Band's performance at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He says:"This was our biggest event so far, but we’ll find a way to top it,” he promised."
How about performing in a bowl game before he graduates?
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Sports Illustrated says another MAC coach get on the job training at a bowl game.
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Forbes talks about NIU's $17.5 million dollar loss.
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More on UConn's new head coach.
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The Chicago Tribune says NIU" Jordan Lynch is going to NY "To Win".
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A sports website names Buffalo as one of the ten most surprising teams of 2013.
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I watched Towson beat Eastern Illinois 49-39 last night in front of an announced crowd of 3,850 fans.
Former Minuteman Daniel Delaire had a good night with 6 TT 1 SACK and a fumble recovery.
Brian Dowling had one catch for 23 yards.
Tiger running back Terrance West had 354 yards rushing to break the record held by Adrian Peterson who had 333 yards against UMass in 1999.
Lauzon talks about the Band's performance at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He says:"This was our biggest event so far, but we’ll find a way to top it,” he promised."
How about performing in a bowl game before he graduates?
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Sports Illustrated says another MAC coach get on the job training at a bowl game.
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Forbes talks about NIU's $17.5 million dollar loss.
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More on UConn's new head coach.
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The Chicago Tribune says NIU" Jordan Lynch is going to NY "To Win".
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A sports website names Buffalo as one of the ten most surprising teams of 2013.
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I watched Towson beat Eastern Illinois 49-39 last night in front of an announced crowd of 3,850 fans.
Former Minuteman Daniel Delaire had a good night with 6 TT 1 SACK and a fumble recovery.
Brian Dowling had one catch for 23 yards.
Tiger running back Terrance West had 354 yards rushing to break the record held by Adrian Peterson who had 333 yards against UMass in 1999.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Recruiting 2015--Tommy Hatton
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| Image credit unknown |
Rivals three-star player.
ESPN four stars.
This capsule features Hatton.
From a Scout.com recruiting article on Hatton: " Seven schools have offered Tommy thus far. The list includes Rutgers, UConn, Boston College, UMass, Indiana, Duke, and Temple. Hatton is also receiving interest from other schools. “ Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Miami, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, and South Carolina are ones that I feel are very close to offering me.” Hatton is receiving a lot of major interest from those schools."
YouTube interview from four days ago.
Friday--December 13. 2013
UMass professor Max Page offers some fuzzy math about the finances of the football program. Revenues will increase again next year and UMass would have made a profit this year if NIU had made the Fiesta Bowl.
MassLive has a report on assistant coaches salaries.
USA Today has a story on assistant coaches bonuses and perks.
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Jordan Lynch's Heisman Finalist season worth plenty Northern Illinois.
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Bowling Green's victory in the MAC Championship was a costly one for the league.
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NCAA audit shows every football conference made money on the 2012-2013 bowls.
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MassLive has a report on assistant coaches salaries.
USA Today has a story on assistant coaches bonuses and perks.
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Jordan Lynch's Heisman Finalist season worth plenty Northern Illinois.
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Bowling Green's victory in the MAC Championship was a costly one for the league.
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NCAA audit shows every football conference made money on the 2012-2013 bowls.
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Thursday, December 12, 2013
Recruiting 2014-- Troy Jones, Jr
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| 247 Sports image |
Two recruiting article featuring Jones from NJ. com here and here (March 2013).
Jones' stats at Nassau.
247 Sports bio here.
Jones also has offers from Middle Tennessee State, Georgia State and New Mexico.
Recruiting sites such as JC Football Recruiting.com do not list any other UMass offers to QB's (which does not mean there aren't any), but UMass really needs a boost in QB play in 2014.
Thursday--December 12, 2013
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| Tim Heitman image |
Baker Mayfield, the Big Twelve offensive freshman-of-the-year is looking to transfer. Mayfield received high school offers from Florida Atlantic, New Mexico, Rice and Washington State, which are not out of line with UMass.
Mayfield spurned the above offers to walk on at Texas Tech.
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Three MAC players made the USA Today All-American list.
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Eastern Michigan hires Chris Creighton from Drake as head coach.
Hustle Belt has an article on the hire.
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Vegas Insider has MAC teams the favorite in three of four games.
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UConn hires Notre Dame's defensive coordinator as head coach.
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CBS Sports has the 2013 FBS coaching changes. Three in the MAC.
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What a 64 team college football playoff bracket would look like.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Recruiting 2014-- Nick McBeath
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| 247 sports image |
Malone's story here.
This capsule from South Florida Sports.com features McBeath.
Rivals two-star player.
Hudl.com has video.
247 Sports page here.
Had FBS offers from Air Force, Florida Atlantic and FIU.
Wednesday--December 11, 2013
Jimmy Kelly has a story about Mike Wegzyn and Derek Beck. Also RB Stacey Bedell is leaving.
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The Chicago Tribune says Jordan Lynch is excited for NIU, the MAC Conference and himself.
Bowling Green has named an interim Coach.
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The Sun Belt Conference had seven eligible teams, but only two were offered bowl bids.
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Speaking of bowls, UMass had 11 losses this year. Seven of the eleven were against bowl teams.
All three of the Minutemen's OOC FBS teams are going to bowls.
Kansas State will play Michigan in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.
In one of the better Bowl matchups, Wisconsin will play South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl.
Vanderbilt plays Houston in the BBVA Compass Bowl.
Maine won its first CAA Championship and had its first home FCS playoff game.
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The Chicago Tribune says Jordan Lynch is excited for NIU, the MAC Conference and himself.
Bowling Green has named an interim Coach.
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The Sun Belt Conference had seven eligible teams, but only two were offered bowl bids.
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Speaking of bowls, UMass had 11 losses this year. Seven of the eleven were against bowl teams.
All three of the Minutemen's OOC FBS teams are going to bowls.
Kansas State will play Michigan in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.
In one of the better Bowl matchups, Wisconsin will play South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl.
Vanderbilt plays Houston in the BBVA Compass Bowl.
Maine won its first CAA Championship and had its first home FCS playoff game.
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Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Tuesday--December 10, 2013
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| Mike Wegzyn |
This will leave UMass very thin in both positions. Rob Blanchflower and Ricardo Miller have finished their eligibility. Freshman Sharif Custis 6-3 215 will be the only TE on the roster.
RS Freshman Todd Stafford will be the only other recruited QB available for Spring ball. 2014 recruit Randall West suffered a knee injury this fall. It's unknown if he will be available by August.
Walk-on Mark Johnson will be the only other QB on the roster. Johnson's Be Recruited page. MaxPreps has Johnson's 2013 stats.
It's been my feeling UMass badly needs a fifth year transfer QB or JUCO in order for the program to get its footing.
The Doyle/Wegzyn combination was last in the MAC, going a combined 237-444 2240 yards 19 INT 9 TD's 53.4 % 93.9 EFF. That's the fewest number of yards, the most INT's (by a lot) and the fewest number of TD's (again, by a lot) and the lowest efficiency.
Dan Malone has more.
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UMass Senior safety Devin Brown has received the Nil V. "Swede" Nelson Award from the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston for academics, athletics, sportsmanship and citizenship.
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The UMass team had its annual season banquet Sunday. Honored were:
UMASS FOOTBALL 2013 TEAM AWARDS
All Mid-American Conference Awards - Anthony Dima
Vern Smith Leadership Award - Rob Blanchflower
Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year - Todd Stafford
Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year - Jesse Monteiro
James Ihedigbo Walk-On of the Year - Shadrach Abrokwah
Bob Foote Offensive Lineman of the Year - David Osei
Vic Fusia Academic Achievement Award - Devin Brown
Coaches Award - Kevin Byrne
Marcel Shipp Iron Man Award - Brandon Potvin
Special Teams Most Valuable Player - Khary Bailey-Smith
Offensive Most Valuable Player - Tajae Sharpe
Defensive Most Valuable Player - Galen Clemons
Presentation of Game Balls - Dan Markowski, Khary Bailey-Smith, Rob Blanchflower
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Bowling Green's Dave Clawson has been hired by Wake Forest.
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NIU's Jordan Lynch is a Heisman finalist.
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Monday, December 09, 2013
Recruiting 2014--Jordan Rigg
Scout.com says Jordan Rigg, a 6-5 230 pound TE/DE from Springboro, Ohio has visited UMass.
Rigg's Scout.com bio here.
Partial quote by Rigg about his UMass visit:
“I went to Massachusetts for an official visit,” said Rigg. “Their coaches are nice and pretty much showed me everything they have.
“I liked their coaches and getting a chance to hang out with the team showed that I could fit in there.
“I got the full tour and hung out with a couple of the players and it was pretty fun.”
Hudl.com has some stats and video.
Rigg will take a official visit to Buffalo. Also has offers from Ball State and Ohio. With only two TE's on the roster after 2013's graduation, Rigg would probably see more PT from UMass.
Monday--December 9, 2013
Professor Max Page and MassLive writer Ron Chimelis are at it again.
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Northern Illinois dropped to #23 in the BCS poll. Besides the $18,000,000 payout the Huskies cost the league, the MAC will probably lose a bowl bid as the league teams gets pushed down a notch.
The Huskies ended up in the Poinsettia Bowl, which has a $500,000 payout...
Bowling Green gets the Little Ceasars bowl.
Ball State to the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
Buffalo gets San Diego State in the Idaho Famous Potato Bowl.
The MAC Report Online has five MAC teams headed to bowls.
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Two MAC coaches could be in the running for the HC job at Wake Forest.
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Northern Illinois dropped to #23 in the BCS poll. Besides the $18,000,000 payout the Huskies cost the league, the MAC will probably lose a bowl bid as the league teams gets pushed down a notch.
The Huskies ended up in the Poinsettia Bowl, which has a $500,000 payout...
Bowling Green gets the Little Ceasars bowl.
Ball State to the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
Buffalo gets San Diego State in the Idaho Famous Potato Bowl.
The MAC Report Online has five MAC teams headed to bowls.
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Two MAC coaches could be in the running for the HC job at Wake Forest.
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Sunday, December 08, 2013
Sunday--December 6, 2013
Hi everyone. I've done a blog post seven days a week all through the summer and fall. With news slowing down in the off season, I'm going to take Sundays off for a while.
I'll be back tomorrow with some recruiting news about a 6-5 230 pound TE who took a visit to Amherst.
I'll be back tomorrow with some recruiting news about a 6-5 230 pound TE who took a visit to Amherst.
Saturday, December 07, 2013
Saturday-- December 7, 2013
UMass football will miss out on a $500,000 payment from MAC after Bowling Green crushed Northern Illinois in the the league championship game last night.
CBS Sports reports NIU knocked out of BCS bowl.
Sports Illustrated says Bowling Green thrashed NIU and talks about Dave Clawson building a program.
I watched all the game and the Falcons were bigger, stronger and faster than NIU. They flat dominated the game from start to stop. The loss not only knocked NIU out of a bowl game, it ended any buzz about Jordan Lynch deserving the Heisman.
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Buffalo's Khalil Mack won the Jack Lambert Award as college football's best linebacker. He's the first MAC player to have won the award.
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SB Nation delves into comments by college football fans during game threads. WARNING VERY, VERY, NOT SAFE FOR WORK. Also very funny.
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CBS Sports reports NIU knocked out of BCS bowl.
Sports Illustrated says Bowling Green thrashed NIU and talks about Dave Clawson building a program.
I watched all the game and the Falcons were bigger, stronger and faster than NIU. They flat dominated the game from start to stop. The loss not only knocked NIU out of a bowl game, it ended any buzz about Jordan Lynch deserving the Heisman.
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Buffalo's Khalil Mack won the Jack Lambert Award as college football's best linebacker. He's the first MAC player to have won the award.
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SB Nation delves into comments by college football fans during game threads. WARNING VERY, VERY, NOT SAFE FOR WORK. Also very funny.
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Friday, December 06, 2013
Recruiting 2014 -- Jason Sylva V
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| Rivals.com image |
Sylva is listed as a "soft verbal" to the Minutemen.
According to Rivals.com Sylva will visit UMass today.
Sylva was NFC 2013 Defensive player-of-the-year. He had 72 TT and 8 TFL.
He'll also be visiting Western Michigan on January 17th.
Sylva holds offers from UMass, Florida Atlantic, Old Dominion, UConn and Temple.
Friday--December 6, 2013
NIU and Bowling Green meet for the MAC Championship tonight at 8:00 pm on ESPN2. UMass has a substantial rooting interest in the game. If the NIU Huskies win, there's a good chance they'll receive a BCS bowl bid. Last year, UMass as a provision MAC team, was not eligible to receive a member's share of MAC bowl proceeds. This year we are. The Fiesta Bowl has a $17,000,000 payout.
Go Huskies :)
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MAC Championship capsule.
SI.com says NIU's on the brink of another BCS bid.
NIU tries to focus only on the MAC Championship game.
NIU is wary of Bowling Green's defense.
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College sport most likely to generate head concussions--------- Field Hockey.
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Boston College may be feeling pinstripe-y.
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Go Huskies :)
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MAC Championship capsule.
SI.com says NIU's on the brink of another BCS bid.
NIU tries to focus only on the MAC Championship game.
NIU is wary of Bowling Green's defense.
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College sport most likely to generate head concussions--------- Field Hockey.
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Boston College may be feeling pinstripe-y.
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Thursday, December 05, 2013
Cortavious Givens III
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| Jay Connor image |
This article from this summer features Givens.
MaxPreps has his stats from 2013.
Givens suffered a torn ACL in his sophomore season. Most recruiting services see him as a fullback or OLB.
Besides UMass, givens has offers from Florida Atlantic and Virginia.
Thursday--December 5, 2013
Anthony Dima was the lone Minuteman to be chosen to any All-MAC team. The complete All-MAC selections are here.
UMass' one honoree is, I believe the lowest in the MAC. Winless Miami had three.
In 2012, Perry McIntyre, Darren Thellen and Colter Johnson were named to All-MAC teams.
Dan Malone has a story about Dima here.
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Success equals selling a lot of merchandise for NIU.
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UMass' one honoree is, I believe the lowest in the MAC. Winless Miami had three.
In 2012, Perry McIntyre, Darren Thellen and Colter Johnson were named to All-MAC teams.
Dan Malone has a story about Dima here.
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Success equals selling a lot of merchandise for NIU.
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Wednesday, December 04, 2013
Recruiting 2014--Adonis Jennings III
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| 247 Sports image |
In the middle of November Jennings decommitted from Rutgers.
Jennings is a consensus four-star receiver who has offers from 20+ FBS schools.
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