UMass Football News--November 30th, 2025

A number of 2025 opponents finished their season yesterday. 

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Miami beat Ball State to achieve the MAC conference championship game against Western Michigan.

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Missouri ran up 322 yards on the ground to beat Arkansas.

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Jim Mora says he'll always be a UConn fan.

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Boston College avoided a winless FBS season by  defeating a hapless Syracuse squad 34-12. Drat..

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UMass Football News--November 29th, 2025

 Ohio beat Buffalo 31-26 to keep their championship game hopes alive. However, they still need wins by Central Michigan and Ball State today.

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Kent State beat Northern Illinois to go 4-4 in the MAC and 5-7 overall. Remarkable turnaround for the Golden Flashes.

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Temple got blown out by North Texas 52-25.  Four losses in a row doomed the Owls chance of a bowl bid.

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Iowa trounced Nebraska 40-16. 

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Missouri plays Arkansas today at 3:30.

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UConn's bowl projection after a nine-win season. 

Five candidates to replace Jim Mora at UConn. UMass fans know several of them.

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UMass Football News--November 28th, 2025

The Minuteman Command has Coach Harasymiak's video press conference after the Ball State loss. 

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The Greenfield Recorder reports UMass faces a complete rebuild after a winless season.

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Sporting News says UMass joined the infamous list of winless teams.

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The Daily Collegian reports UMass finishes 2025 winless.

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Dean Wendel of the Daily Collegian has a dismal season by the numbers.

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Today is a big day for eligibility to the MAC Conference championship.

Hustle Belt previews Kent State vs Northern Illinois 

They also preview Ohio vs Buffalo. 

Sporting News has all the MAC's combinations here. 

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Happy Thanksgiving 2025

 

Mrs Blog and I would like to wish all blog readers, UMass football family and friends a Happy Thanksgiving!

UMass Football News--November 26th, 2025

 A bad first quarter sank any hopes of an UMass upset. After the first 15 minutes, the Minutemen played Bowling Green about equal. That doesn't change the fact UMass lost to a better, faster, stronger team. And that team was ranked next-to-last in the MAC.

In the Autumn of my life I've been studying the Stoics. One of the main tenants of stoic philosophy is not to make yourself unhappy over things you can't control. The 2025 season is over and can't be changed.

We can change 2026 and I hope Thorr, the coaches and the administration are committed to improvement in UMass football. We need a MAJOR  talent injection into the roster.

Let's get going.

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UMass write-up here. The Minutemen rushed for 69 yards total (2.4 yards/carry). Bowling Green rushed for 278 yards (5.8 yards/carry). Fixing the UMass rushing game (last in the MAC-- 82 yards/game in conference) is project #1 in reviving the UMass offense.

Bowling Green write-up here. 

The Minuteman Command's write-up here. 

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Western Michigan beat Eastern Michigan to clinch a birth in the MAC Championship game. 

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Game Day -- Bowling Green 2025--The Omega of the 2025 Season

I've had UMass season tickets since 1976. This is the hardest season Minuteman fans have had to endure in my memory.  Hopefully, the end of 2025 will be an upward inflection point for the program. We need a massive restructuring of the team and it will start tomorrow.

 It will be interesting to see how Thorr impacts the management of the program. So there should be a lot to talk about during recruiting and the transfer portal.

As for today, I'll be watching and cheering for the Minutemen. Go UMass!

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Hustle Belt previews the Falcons-Minutemen game. 

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College Sports Wire predicts Bowling Green 21 UMass 10.

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Covers thinks UMass will make it close.

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Hustle Belt has their Monday MAC Musings Week #13.

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On the last week of the season, there are still 16 paths to the MAC Championship game.

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UMass Football News--November 24th, 2025

 College Football News predicts Bowling Green 30 UMass 15.

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Bleacher Nation thinks UMass will cover the 14.5 point spread.

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Sports Book Wire has all the stats on the Falcons-Minutemen matchup.

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In this version of the story, Sports Book Wire predicts Bowling Green 30 UMass 17.

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Toledo beat Ball State 38-9 to go undefeated at home in 2025. The Rockets have finished .500 or above for 16 consecutive seasons a record only exceeded by Boise State and Alabama.

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Colorado State starting QB suspended after spitting on an opponent.

This year has been weird. A football player stabbed two of his teammates  and there have been several brawls.

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UMass Football News--November 23rd, 2025

 The Greenfield Recorder says Bowling Green is UMass' last chance to avoid a winless season.

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The Daily Collegian reports UMass plays Bowling Green in the season finale.

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Draft Kings has UMass a 16.5 point underdog.

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Temple was throttled by Tulane 37-13. Half way through the season the Owls looked like a sure bet for six wins and bowl game. However now they're 5-6 and have to face a tough North Texas team to get to six wins.

Bryant lost to Stony Brook 35-28 to finish their season 3-9. 

Iowa edged Michigan State to run their record to 7-4. 

Oklahoma held Missouri's vaunted rushing attack to 70 yards and beat the Tigers 17-6. 

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UConn won a shoot-out at FAU to run their record to 9-3. The Huskies should rise in the "others receiving votes" in the AP Top-25 poll.

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UMass Football News--November 22nd, 2025

 Coach Harasymiak's weekly video press conference for the Bowling Green game.

Both AJ Hairston and Brandon Rose are out. Grant Jordan will get the start. 

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UMass has their game notes for Bowling Green up.

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Bowling Green in turn has their game notes for UMass up.

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The Daily Collegian reports UMass will face Bowling Green and a last chance for a victory. 

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The NIU student newspaper, after the Minutemen's loss to the Huskies, to finish winless. 

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UConn made the "others receiving votes" in this week's Top-25 voting. The Huskies can run their record to 9-3 with a win over FIU today. 

Boston College has a bye. The Eagles meet Syracuse on November 29th for a chance to avoid a winless FBS schedule.

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UMass Football News--November 21st, 2025

 Rene and Christian do Episode #31 of the Flagship Podcast.

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With one week to go in the season Western Michigan is in the MAC conference lead at 6-1. 

Central Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and Toledo all have two losses.

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Pro Football Network has a complete breakdown of the chances to make the MAC championship game with tie-breakers going into the last week.

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In the Group-of-Five, Tulane, North Texas and James Madison are in contention for a playoff berth.

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UMass Football News--November 20th, 2025

 Ohio has their post-game press conference.

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The Athens Post reports Sieh Bangura had a career day against the Minutemen. 

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Hustle Belt says the Bobcats pulled away. 

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Miami (Ohio) beat Buffalo last night to the MAC championship game in sight. 

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Central Michigan dominated on the ground and the clock to beat the Kent State Golden Flashes last night. 

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Bet MGM has the MAC Conference championship odds. 

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UMass Football News--November 19th, 2025

 Well, UMass suffered an honorable defeat against Ohio. The Minutemen played hard and made some plays. They were up against a bigger, healthier, more talented team.

The announcers said the Bobcat offensive line had been healthy and playing together all season. UMass' injury-riddled O-line has been in flux all year.

There was a big talent gap between the teams. Ohio has the league's best QB in Parker Navarro and in Sieh Bangura, the league's best running back.  

UMass is #131 in FBS rushing offense. In addition, the Minutemen do not have a RB in the MAC conference's top-25. That's pretty astounding. Fixing the running game is one of the top priorities for the off season.

It was a watchable game and UMass played hard.

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UMass write-up here. 

Ohio write-up here. 

The Minuteman Command sums up the game here. 

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Western Michigan beat Northern Illinois to keep the top spot in the league. 

Akron beat Bowl Green 19-16 on a couple big plays.

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Game Day--Ohio 2025

 UMass faces a tough MAC opponent today. The Bobcats almost  beat Rutgers at their place to open the season and are in strong contention for the MAC championship. Ohio has a Power Four sized point spread.

The objective for the Minutemen is just to play better. Getting the offense to make some drives and score some points would be a morale booster. It would be a motive for improvement in the off season.

One defense, if we could make Ohio work for their points, the final score could be respectable. 

The game is available on the CBS Sports Network, which is part of many cable systems.

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

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CBS Sports has details on the game.

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College Football News predicts Ohio 44 UMass 7

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Hustle Belt previews today's game between the Bobcats and the Minutemen.

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College Sports Wire predicts Ohio 35 UMass 0

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Covers reports Ohio has Sieh Bangura who is the MAC conference leading rusher and also predicts he'll have a big night against the UMass defense.

Bangura leads the MAC with 173-927 5.4 AVE 11 TD's. 

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UMass Football News--November 17th, 2025

 The Athens Post has everything you need to know about Ohio's final home game against UMass

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Bleacher Nation thinks the Bobcats will cover the 32.5 point spread. Remember the point spread is not a scale of the strength of the two teams, it's an inducement to have equal numbers of betters on both sides of the bet. Probably not many people want to take the UMass side.

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Sports Book Wire predicts Ohio 41 UMass 6. A good prop bet would be if the Minutemen score a touchdown..

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Hustle Belt has MAC conference bowl bid projections for Week #12. Eight MAC teams are in the running for a bowl game.

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USA Today's college football rankings after 11/17/25.  UMass and Boston College are the only two teams with double-digit losses.

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UMass Football News--November 16th, 2025

 The Minuteman Command takes a drive-by-drive look at UMass' blowout loss to Northern Illinois.

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Sports Book Wire looks at the stats behind Ohio's 28.5 point spread as a favorite over UMass. 

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The Daily Collegian says UMass faces a stern test at Ohio.

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Ohio's HC Brian Smith's (good name)  press conference for the Minuteman game.

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Temple had a bye.

Bryant was crushed by New Hampshire 42-14 to fall to 3-8 overall and 1-6 in the CAA. 

Iowa lost to USC on a rainy day in LA. Verging on a disappointing season for the Hawkeyes. They still have to play Michigan State and Nebraska.

Ahmad Hardy rushed for 300 yards and led Missouri to a dominate win over Mississippi State. 

Kent State plays Central Michigan on the 19th.

Buffalo plays Miami also on the 19th.

Akron plays Bowling Green on the 18th.

Northern Illinois plays Western Michigan on the 18th.

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UConn handled Air Force 26-16 in front of 32,000+ fans. The Huskies are undefeated at home.

Boston College played a spirited game against Georgia Tech and lost on a field goal with 11 seconds left in the game.  The Eagles are 1-10 with a game at Syracuse to go.

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UMass Football News-- The Ides of November 2025

 

Note the 4:30 kickoff time.

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UMass game notes for the Ohio game.

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Ohio's game notes for UMass.

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Coach Harasymiak's press conference for the Ohio game. 

Another Minuteman player is out for the season. This time starting center Benjamin Roy.

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Sports Book wire predicts Bobcats 41 Minutemen 6.

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UMass Football News--November 14th, 2025

 The Minuteman Command reports the quarterback room was a disappointment.

When AJ missed the wide open Jax Markovich in the first quarter, it really hurt UMass' chances against a stout Northern Illinois defense. It's the story of this whole year. No one is making plays.

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Hustle Belt says Northern Illinois dominates UMass 45-3.

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Forbes has a post on how the MAC conference and ESPN made mid-week football popular. 

Except for sports, there is literally nothing else to watch.. 

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MAC conference tie-breakers for who gets to go the the championship game.

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UMass Football News--November 13th, 2025

 This is surreal. Every time I think it can't get worse, it does.

Nothin' left for this season but survival.

I did like the Minuteman's uniforms. The white helmets with the flag decal and the black uni's were very sharp.  I liked it much better than the grays. They should keep that combo.

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UMass write-up here. 

Northern Illinois write-up here. 

The Minuteman Command says UMass blasted by NIU. 

Coach Harasymiak's post game press conference. 

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Buffalo lost to Central Michigan.

Western Michigan beat Ohio to go to 5-1 in the MAC conference. 

MAC conference standings with two weeks to go.

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Game Day--Northern Illinois 2025

 Northern Illinois is leaving the MAC for the Mountain West, so this might be the last Huskies-Minutemen game for a while. UMass is 0-2 all-time against Northern Illinois. We were destroyed both times in 2012 and 2013 by scores of 0-63 and 19-63 under Charlie Molnar.

The Huskies offense is truly horrid and tonight is the Minutemen's best chance for a win in 2025. If we lose to NIU, an 0-12 season is looming..

If UMass can clean up the mistakes, we could be competitive. Northern Illinois has a better defense than we do, so scoring more than 10 points is the goal.

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

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The Minutemen Command reports Coach Harasymiak is expecting a battle against NIU.

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The Hampshire Gazette says winless and injured UMass faces Northern Illinois Wednesday. 

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Hustle Belt previews the game and predicts the NIU defense will prevail against the even-more-horrid UMass offense 17-3.

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Covers.com says take the under (43.5 points) as the two worst offenses in football won't reach 43 combined points.

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Holy Crap! College football News predicts UMass 20 NIU 17.

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College Sports Wire predicts Northern Illinois 20 UMass 7.

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The Northern Star reports NIU looks to right past wrongs against the Minutemen.

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UMass Football News--November 11th, 2025

 NIU finally has their game notes for UMass up.

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Hustle Belt has their weekly MAC Conference power rankings up. UMass and NIU meet tomorrow in the battle for the bottom. 

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Sports Book Wire has some stats on the Minutemen-Huskies game. The literal two worst offenses in college football collide.

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Bleacher Nation thinks UMass will beat the spread but only have a 23% chance to win the game.

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Hustle Belt has their Monday MAC Conference musings. Akron's beat-down of UMass was their largest margin of victory in 23 years..

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Ohio, Miami (Ohio), Buffalo and Western Michigan are still neck-and-neck for the conference title.

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40 college football players are suspended after three brawls last week.

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