UMass Football News--October 31st, 2023

 

UMass has their game notes up for the Merrimack game.

The link also has Coach Brown's Monday press conference.

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Merrimack does not do weekly game previews.

Despite the loss to St Francis (PA), the Warriors stay #2 in the NEC power rankings. 

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The Hampshire Gazette reports Coach Brown says UMass will stay hungry.

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Adam Breneman has thoughts on the UMass-Army game.

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The Athletic has UMass ranked #122. One spot out of the bottom ten :)

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Liberty is a 17 point favorite over LA Tech and New Mexico State is a 3-point favorite over Middle Tennessee State.

The Aggies are already bowl-eligible at 6-3 and they play LA Tech and Jax State at home in their final four games. They won't beat Auburn, but New Mexico Sate could go 9-4 for the season.

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UMass Football News--October 30th, 2023

Re-live the awesomeness. 

 

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 Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" recaps the Army win.

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St Francis (PA) made a 22-point comeback to beat Merrimack Saturday. 

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In week #10:

UConn is a 35-point underdog to Tennessee.

On the same link Liberty is a 17-point favorite over Louisiana Tech.

No line on UMass because we are playing a FCS team.

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Jim Mora's message to UConn players after falling to 1-7: "Keep grinding". 

SB Nation looks at UConn's remaining four games. The Huskies close with two top-25 teams, 1-8 Sacred Heart and at UMass. 

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The UMass-UConn game should be a end-of-season grudge match. The Minutemen should be gunning for four wins and the best season in a long time.

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UMass Football News--October 29th, 2023

 

Taisun charges up the UMass team

Nearly every morning for the last four years I've made a post on the blog. And there has not been a lot of positive news to talk about. Yesterday's win at Army is hopefully a milestone in our road back to respectability. Yesterday was a fun day. UMass won and they deserved it.

The UMass defense held Army to 14 points. Special mention to Billy Wooden who was in the Black Knights backfield all day and twice ended the game.

Kay'Ron Adams ran for 234 yards (the best rushing total since 2015). UMass actually had more time-of-possession than Army, something rarely accomplished. Adams has 926 rushing yards for the season with three games to go. He should close with well over 1,000 yards.

I would also like to mention Taisun Phommachanh. Because of his injury he has been functioning as a pocket passer. That's not his game. He did much better than Army QB Bryson Daily, a dual-threat guy with the same limitation. Daily went 3-13 and two INT's. He missed wide open receivers and did not manage the Black Knights offense very well.  Phommachanh went 17-23 123 yards and was very accurate on short and medium yardage throws.

All in all a great win for the program and UMass fans.

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UMass write-up here.

Army write-up here.

The Gazette reports Kay'Ron Adams runs over Army. 

G5 Football Daily says UMass has its highest win total since 2018.

The Daily Collegian reports Kay'Ron Adams leads UMass to victory.

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New Mexico State won on 10/24 to become bowl eligible.

Auburn overcame a slow start to beat Mississippi State. 

Eastern Michigan lost big to Western Michigan. 

Miami of Ohio beat Ohio to take the lead in the MAC East. 

Toledo plays on Tuesday.

Arkansas State rode a strong second half to victory over ULM.

Penn State held off upset-minded Indiana. 

Merrimack lost to St. Francis (PA) 21-28. 

Liberty had a bye.

UConn made a good effort, but lost to Boston Collage 21-14. 

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Game Day --Army October 28th, 2023

 Yes!!

 Great win with both the offense and defense contributing. A Happy day for all UMass fans and the team. More tomorrow.

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Today is a big opportunity for the Minutemen. Army is 2-5 and one of those victories is over a weak FCS team. And the Black Knights have not scored a point in their last two games. We can't claim we are out-programed in this contest. 

However, Army is going to bring it in every game. If UMass is going to win, we need to play with enthusiasm  and determination. The Minutemen need to get after it today. A win over Army will make the season. It will be a reward for all the work the players and coaches have put in.

The Black Knights essentially play the same offense UMass does. Army QB Bryson Daily makes the Black Knights go. He has 700+ yards passing and 400+ yards rushing, a big portion of Army's total offense. The UMass defense needs to at least contain him. Army is #77 in total defense. The UMass offense needs to score 28+ points to win. We are capable of doing just that.

Let's go UMass! 

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The Hampshire Gazette profiles UMass walk-on Shane Robles.

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All Penn State reports Michigan paid a former DIII coach to film the UMass-Penn State game. 

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College Football News says the Black Knights run offense will defeat the Minutemen. 

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UConn and BC hook up at 12:00 noon concurrently with the UMass game.

The UConn Blog (good name) reports.

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UMass Football News--October 27th, 2023

 Data Skrive thinks Army has a nearly 80% chance of winning Saturday's game between the Black Knight and the Minutemen.

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Army-Navy will still be a non-conference game after Army joins the AAC.

Army-Navy game ticket prices are "soaring". The game will be at Gillette this year.

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BTW, the college football playoff revenue distribution favors conference membership.

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UConn starts a three-game road trip at Boston College.

Next week, the Huskies go to Tennessee.

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The Bills activated Andy Isabella for last night's game against the Bucs.

Andy's Bills bio.

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UMass Football News--October 26th, 2023

 Army will join the AAC as a football-only member in 2024. That will likely end the UMass-Army series that was scheduled to run until 2028. The Minutemen will be looking for replacements probably as soon as next year.

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UMass and Hawaii schedule a home-and-home against each other in 2026 and 2027.

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The Hampshire Gazette says the UMass Football team should be more than ready to go against Army this Saturday.

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The UMass-Army game will be available on the CBS Sports Network.

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Was Michigan scouting Liberty during its last game?

Can Liberty challenge Air Force and Tulane for a New Year's Day Bowl? 

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UConn and BC play this Saturday, but no future games are scheduled. 

UConn players discuss the challenge of playing Power Five Boston College.

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UMass Football News--October 25th, 2023

 The Daily Collegian reports off a bye week, UMass hits the road to Army.

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Army Coach Jeff Monken discusses Army's loss to LSU and the upcoming game with UMass.

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Doc's Sports Service looks at the stats and odds for the Black Knights-Minutemen game.

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USA Today image

UMass really needs a big effort against Army. All the off-season work and effort has not had a lot of reward in 2023. The Minutemen need to show up and play with enthusiasm and spirit. If they do, Army should be within reach.

If Army ends up playing two true freshmen QB's, our defense should be competitive with the Black Knights. The UMass offense should be able to move the ball and score some points.

A win against Army would make a huge difference in the 2023 season, maybe more than a closing win over UConn. It would be a big reward for the players and coaches and balm to battered souls of UMass football fans.

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Liberty clinched a sport in the CUSA title game with a 42-29 win over Western Kentucky last night.

The Flames are rolling at 8-0. Liberty #2 in the nation in rushing yards and #15 in scoring offense. The Flames are also #10 in passing efficiency.

Liberty QB Kaidron Salter has 680 rushing yards all by himself. The Flames are on track for a New Year's Day bowl.

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New Mexico State beat Louisiana Tech last might 27-24. That makes the Aggies bowl-eligible.

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UMass Football News--October 24th, 2023

 

Don Brown's Monday press conference.

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The UMass website reports the Minutemen are set for Saturday's matchup with Army. 

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Doc's Sports has the odds and stats on the UMass-Army game.

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Talks on Army joining the AAC are continuing. 

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Army DL Austin Hill has been nominated for the Wuerffel Trophy.

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Tonight's game between Liberty and Western Kentucky should decide the CUSA championship.

New Mexico State vs Louisiana Tech is also available on the CBS sports network. 

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Merrimack and Sacred Heart may be leaving the NEC for the MAAC in hoops.

The MAAC does not have football, so where the Warriors will play, I don't know.

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It's UConn's turn to get beat up by a Power Five team. 

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UMass Football News--October 23rd, 2023

 

UMass opens as a 9.5 underdog to Army.

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Sports Book Wire has odds, tips and trends for Army-UMass.

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LSU coach Brian Kelly secured a $500k bonus with the Tigers win over Army.

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Sports Illustrated says there is no where to go but forwards for Army after the 62-0 loss to LSU.

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Western Kentucky will wear seven different helmet logos for their big game matchup with Liberty. The Tuesday night game should decide the league championship and a win could send the Flames on to a 12-0 season.

Liberty is a 3.5 point favorite over Western Kentucky. Read this probably AI-written  article. Notice the first bullet point note under the "Liberty recent performance" heading and then read the fourth bullet point.

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Merrimack remains #2 in the NEC power rankings.

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 The Hartford Courant has three plays that killed UConn's season.

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UMass Football News--October 22nd, 2023

 Merrimack dominated 1-6 LIU and held the Sharks to 131 total yards of offense. The win moves the Warriors to 3-1 in the NEC and keeps them in contention for the League title.

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Army athletic dept image

I watched the Army-LSU game on the CBS Sports channel. LSU won 62-0.

Army was without their regular QB Bryson Daily. He was injured. The Black Knights started true freshman Champ Harris, who was not effective against the Tigers defense. Army also played Larry Robinson at QB.

The new-look Army offense needs some passing yards to work. The two freshmen Army QB's combined for 42 passing yards.

If Bryson Daily does not play next week, UMass could have a chance to upset the Black Knights. The Minutemen need to play with intensity. The UMass offense should score some points. The Minutemen defense should be a pretty good matchup against the two Army freshmen QB's. It's not a given Army will win with their current situation.

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USF athletic dept image

I also watched UConn-UCF game. The Huskies lost 24-21 on a fourth quarter charge by UCF.

UCF had back-to-back losses where they gave up 56 points in both games. UConn does not have much except for RB Cam Edwards, who ran for 149 yards on 22 carries. 

This is another game I think UMass should win. The Huskies are really bad. If UMass shows up and plays with emotion, the Minutemen are better.

I really think UMass could end the season with a 3-1 run if they get after it. 

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New Mexico State beat UTEP Wednesday 28-7.

Auburn dropped to 3-4 with a loss to #13 Ole Miss.

Eastern Michigan lost to NIU 13-20.

Miami of Ohio and Toledo hooked up in a battle of the two best teams in the MAC and the Rockets won 21-17. 

New Mexico handled Hawaii 42-21. 

Arkansas State lost to Coastal Carolina 27-17. 

Penn State laid another egg in its quest for the Big Ten championship by losing to Ohio State 20-12. The game was not a close as the score indicated.

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UMass Football News--Bye week 2023

Images from practice this week.

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Army, UMass' next opponent, has a tough draw this week with a game at LSU. The Black Knights are a 32-point underdog.

LSU will provide end zones in Army camouflage for the game. 

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Merrimack, at 3-3 gets a winnable game against 1-5 LIU. 

KPLC News has Merrimack as #2 in the NEC power rankings. 

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Liberty is undefeated at 7-0 and are already bowl eligible. The Flames have a bye week today. 

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UConn Football meets 3-4 UCF today. The Huskies could have a chance against the Bulls as UCF gave up nearly 600 yards of offense versus FAU last week.

UConn got a break last week when they were down 14-0 against Rice, but the Owls turned the ball over four times to allow a Huskies comeback. That kind of stuff never happens for us..

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UMass Football Recruiting 2024--Carter Gorder

Twitter image

 Carter Gorder, a 6-4 300 pound IOL from Iowa Central C. C. has a UMass offer.

247Sports page here.

Iowa Central bio here. 

This article from 2020 reports on his visit to Iowa.

Gorder has FBS offers from Troy and UTSA. He could find a lot of playing time available in Amherst.

UMass Football Recruting 2024--Dajoure Hollingsworth

 

Twitter image

Dajoure Hollingsworth, a 5-9 175 pound RB/DB from Cathedral Prep HS in PA has a UMass offer.

247Sports page here. 

Hudl.com has 2023 highlights. 

This article from September features Hollingsworth. Ran for 248 yards and 4 TD's on 12 carries..

Hollingsworth currently has one other offer. He would be a good fit in the Minutemen's reviving offense.

UMass football Recruiting 2024--Shunmarkus Adams

Twitter image

 Shunmarcus Adams, a 6-4 325 pound JUCO OL has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has video.

247Sports three-star player.

Lots playing time available in Amherst. Adams would be a good fit in UMass rising offense.

UMass Football Recruiting 2024--Daniel Brown

Image credit unknown

 Daniel Brown, a 6-1 240 Edge from Hutchinson C.C. has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has video. 

Hutchinson bio here. 

Brown has an FBS offer from Coastal Carolina. Houston Christian has also offered.  Brown could find a home in Amherst in Don Brown's blitzing defense.

UMass Football News--October 16th, 2023

 Daequan Hardy was the first player in Penn State history to return two punts in one game for a TD.

Sports Illustrated reports on how Daequan Hardy made Penn State history.

Joe Hermitt image

MSN.com says Daequan Hardy and the Nittiany Lion pass rush crushed UMass.

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MSN.com has a post on Army reflecting on their 2-7 record. 

Army's 19-0 loss at home to Troy was their first shut out in Michie Stadium in 20 years.

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UMass Football News--October 15th, 2023

 

Well, that's in the rear view mirror. I thought the Minutemen defense played pretty good. They gave up 49 points  to Penn State's offense. The UMass offense was stuffed, but the Nittany Lions are doing that a lot. They held Iowa to 4 first downs and 20 total yards rushing (UMass had nine first downs and 56 yards rushing--and that includes 40 yards deducted for sacks).

UMass now gets a week off to heal up. UMass needs to work on special teams. We have winnable games against UConn and Merrimack. Giving up points on special teams could make the difference between a win and a loss.

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Penn State write-up here.

UMass write-up here. 

The Hampshire Gazette reports UMass falls to 1-7. 

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Miami of Ohio made it six straight wins after defeating Western Michigan. 

Eastern Michigan beat Kent State in the rain. 

Auburn was blown out 48-18 by LSU.

New Mexico lost to San Jose State 52-24. 

Arkansas State had a bye.

Army was shutout by Troy 19-0.

Merrimack had a bye.

UConn had a bye.

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Game Day--Penn State October 14th, 2023

 Money games are what we have to do to keep playing. Today, at #6 and undefeated Penn State will sure be a challenge--for the team and UMass fans. The Minutemen need  to play with effort and honor. There is always opportunity to expand your skills and play well.

For fans, UMass is our team. Gotta keep the faith through difficult times. We're playing a top team on the Big Ten network. That's great. Have to embrace the moment.

I'll be cheering for the Maroon & White. Go UMass!

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Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" answers six questions from a Penn State writer.

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The Hampshire Gazette says Penn State will be UMass' biggest challenge.

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If you don't get the Big Ten Network, here are three streaming options.

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James Franklin, the Penn State HC, thinks the Nittany Lions are in a good place.

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Both Merrimack and UConn have byes this week. Liberty plays Middle Tennessee  on the 17th (Tuesday).

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Army plays Troy in West Point today.

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UMass Football News--October 13th, 2023

 

UMass is #64 in total offense. 394.6 Yards/game and 20 offensive TD's. 6.29 yards/play. All huge improvements over 2022. The Minutemen only scored 13 TD's all last year..

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The Philadelphia Inquirer says Penn State is impressed with the Minutemen offense.

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Two Penn State writers predict a Nittany Lions blowout. 

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Nittany Lions Wire predicts an easy Penn State win. 

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The "Outside Amherst" podcast has Adam Breneman  as a special guest.

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The Hampshire Gazette has a post on the UMMB's trip to the Macy's New Years Day's parade. 

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Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" appears on the Lion247 podcast.

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Penn Live says UMass is going to have a long day.

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UMass Football News--October 12th, 2023

 

The Hampshire Gazette says a big payoff awaits UMass at Happy Valley.

MassLive reports a seven-figure sum is coming to UMass for the Penn State game.

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MSN has a post on the Nitanny Lions-UMass game.  

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Former UMass TE Adam Breneman talks about three college football coaches he would want his son to play for. 

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Penn State QB Drew Allar has yet to throw an INT in this season. 

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Liberty played previously unbeaten Jax State Wednesday and came away with a 31-13 win. The Flames continue towards an undefeated season and a New Year's Day bowl.

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UMass Football News--October 10th, 2023

UMass' game notes for the Penn State game. Don Brown's Monday press conference.

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 StateCollege.com says UMass brings explosive plays, but minimal defense this weekend.

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The Daily Collegian reports UMass travels to powerful Penn State.

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CBS News says Penn State takes a Big Ten Break. 

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 The Nittany Lions will wear their "Generations Greatness" uniforms for the UMass game.

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Penn State coach James Franklin says he hopes the team stays on course. 

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Next week's Ohio State-Penn State game features a noon kickoff and the fans are not happy. 

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UMass Football News--October 10th, 2023

 

Image credit unknown

This was the no-call interference play I mentioned in Sunday's blog post. Amazin' someone caught the image. This play and the lineman downfield cancellation of a UMass TD resulted in an 11-point swing in the second half.

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Chris Tucci image

The Hampshire Gazette has an interview with Taisun Phommachanh about his season as the UMass starting QB.

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On 3 has storylines from a Penn State perspective. 

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Penn State's game notes for UMass here. 

UMass notes not up yet.

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The York Daily Record predicts Nittany Lions 54 UMass 6. 

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Doc's Sports thinks Penn State will cover the 42-point spread. 

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UMass Football News--October 9th, 2023

 First, congrats to the UMMB who will be marching in the 2024 Macy's New Years Day parade!

The Hampshire Gazette notes the UMMB is still rocking after 150 years.

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Penn State opens as a 43-point favorite over the Minutemen.

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Nittany Wire has players to watch for the Penn State-UMass match up. 

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PlayPicks.com has the over-and-under plus odds for the Minutemen-Nittany Lions game. 

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Penn State moves back into the top-5 in this week's Coaches Poll.

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The Nittany Lions have the nation's best pass defense. They lead the nation in fewest passing yards allowed and have only given up one passing TD all year.

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UMass Football News--October 8th, 2023

 Well, UMass played a spirited game against a very good Toledo team. Unlike last week's no-show against Arkansas State, the Minutemen were in the game all day.

UMass had 439 yards of offense and consistently moved the ball on perhaps the MAC's best front seven. 

I don't usually bitch about the officiating, but UMass was on the wrong side of a couple of really cheezy calls. One was the no-call on the Toledo DB who had the UMass WR by the jersey in the third quarter with UMass on the Rockets 32 yard line. If the interference call on the UMass DB during the New Mexico overtime was correct, then the Toledo DB far exceeded the standard. The other was the "offensive lineman down field" that took away a Minuteman TD. The UMass lineman was engaged with his man and was no where near the play. The second half would have looked a lot different without those two calls.

Taisun Phommachanh played a good game and showed what might have been during this season on his one run of the day for a first down. His running ability would have elevated the UMass offense to a different level.

Down three starters,DB's Noah Boykin and Juan Lua had a good game against the Rockets. Dequan Finn ran all over us, but he's done that against every team he's faced..

A loss never feels good, but UMass has the chance to play some football during the rest of the season.

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UMass write-up here.

Toledo write-up here.

The Hampshire Gazette reports Toledo ran past the Minutemen in the second half.

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New Mexico State plays Wednesday against Sam Houston State. 

Auburn had a bye.

Miami of Ohio rang up it's fifth straight win. The Redhawks are in the MAC championship race.

Eastern Michigan beat Ball state.

New Mexico had a bye.

Arkansas State was smothered by Troy and lost 37-3. Only 203 total yards of offense for the Red Wolves.

Penn State had a bye.

Army lost a close game to BC after a last minute Eagle TD.

Merrimack beat Stonehill 45-34.

Liberty beat Sam Houston State Thursday night.

UConn broke through with a road win over Rice.

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Game Day--Toledo--October 7th, 2023

 UMass start the "heavy' portion of our schedule this week. The Minutemen will face undefeated Liberty, undefeated Penn State and Toledo is looking for their fifth straight win. The Rockets only loss was by two points to Big Ten Illinois.

Toledo leads the MAC in scoring by a wide margin. The Rockets are good on defense too. They're leading the MAC in sacks and are third in points allowed.

QB Delquan Finn was injured during the Rockets' last game. If he can't play, it may slow Toledo down some.

The forecast for today is rain and possible thunder showers. It'll be a good day to run the rock and UMass has a pretty good rushing attack.  If UMass can get a couple of turnovers, it could be a competitive game.

I'll be cheering for the Minutemen. Go UMass!

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The Action Network thinks UMass will cover the spread.

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Hustle Belt predicts Toledo 42 UMass 24.

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The Hampshire Gazette says high-powered Toledo is coming to town.

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UMass Football News--October 6th, 2023

 Saturday will UMass Band Day. All ways a great show!

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The Midnight Ride's latest podcast is here.

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UMass-Toledo betting trends, ATS and more here.

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Tony's picks covers the Rockets-Minutemen game.

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Rocket WR Jaden Dottin is from Cambridge, MA. 

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I watched Liberty pull out a close game against Sam Houston State last evening.

Flames QB Kaidon Salter was coming off back-to-back CUSA offensive player-of-the-week awards.

Sam Houston State is coached by old friend K.C. Keeler (who no longer wears his trademark dark glasses at night games). Keeper is in the top-10 in active coaches career victories and has made the FCS Championship game nine times.

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UMass Football News--October 5th, 2023

 

The UMass-UConn game on 11/25/23 is looking like a really important game for both sides..

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Doc's Sports thinks UMass will cover the 20-point spread.

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Nittanylionswire.com has kickoff times and TV info for UMass-Penn State.

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The Daily Collegian says UMass plans to take it one game at a time as they prepare for Toledo.

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The NCAA makes changes to the transfer portal rule. This will probably cut down mid-season losses like UConn has suffered.

The NCAA has also made changes to FBS membership requirements. Note the $5 million fee for moving from FCS to FBS.  There has been talk of Delaware moving to FBS. On Hens fan sites there has speculation UMass and Delaware would try a package deal on a conference affiliation.

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UMass Football News--October 4th, 2023

 UMass game notes for Toledo here.

Toledo game notes for UMass here.

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UMass-Penn State will be televised on the Big Ten network.

Yahoo Sports has the Nittany Lions as #3 in the Big Ten power rankings. 

Undefeated Penn State has outscored opponents 203-48. I'm wondering if the combined Toledo-Penn State points scored in the next two games will be + or - 120.. 

Toledo is ranked #11 in scoring offense and Penn State is ranked #12,both averaging over 40 points/game.

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MSM.com has Liberty at the top of the C-USA power rankings.

Liberty has a shot at going 12-0 for 2023. That would put the Flames in a New Year's Day bowl.

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UMass Football News--October 3rd, 2023

 

Don Brown's Monday press conference.

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UMass welcomes Toledo Saturday at Noon.

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The Hampshire Gazette says slow starts continue to plague UMass.

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MassLive reports UMass' defense gives up 52 points to Arkansas State.

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Penn State is ranked #6 in the nation and has a bye week before their game with UMass.

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The Richmond Times-Dispatch says undefeated Liberty's offense needs to step it up if they are going to continue to win.

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UMass Football News--October 2nd, 2923

 UMass opens as a 19.5 point underdog to Toledo.

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College Sports Wire has players to watch in the Toledo-UMass game.

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Image credit unknown

Kay'Ron Adams-Lynch is #9 in the nation in rushing yards.

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Arkansas State QB Jaylon Raynor tied a Red Wolves program with six passing TD's against UMass.

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SB Nation looks at UConn's remaining 2023 opponents. The Huskies play 1-4 Scared Heart as their FCS game and should win. Looks like UMass-UConn will meet in the "Bottom Bowl" again this year.

Five takeaways from the Huskies close loss to Utah State.

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Indiana fired offensive coordinator Walt Bell.

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UMass Football News--October 1st, 2023

 I got nothing. Except stay together and keep working..

UMass write-up here.

Arkansas State write-up here.

Hampshire Gazette said it was more of the same.

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New Mexico State plays Wednesday.

Auburn fell to #1 Georgia 27-30.

Miami of Ohio moved to 4-1 with a win over Kent State.

Eastern Michigan lost a close game to CMU. 

New Mexico lost to Wyoming 26-35.

Toledo climbed to 4-1 with a win over Northern Illinois.

Penn State stayed undefeated with a win over Northwestern.

Army had a bye.

Merrimack had a big fourth quarter to defeat Sacred Heart.

Liberty had a bye.

UConn lost a heartbreaker to Utah State 33-34.

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