UMass Football News--September 11th, 2018

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish reports execution issue plague the Minutemen. Some of the issues that commenters have been complaining about relate to the injury situation. Bakhari Goodson and Xavier Steele were both out. Starting safety Tyler Hayes played OLB. Bilal Ally and Kyle Horn were also out.

Josh also has three plays that mattered in the Georgia Southern game.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston College is ranked 28th in this week's AP poll and 30th in the coaches poll.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Chat Place looks at the FIU-UMass game.

FIU's September 22nd game against Miami will be on national TV.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Speaking of TV, beIN Sports has been dropped by A T&T and Direct TV. That may make it difficult for some UMass fans to see the game.

beIN has a list of cable TV systems carrying beIN sports.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--September 10th, 2018

Vegas has UMass a 4.5 underdog to FIU.

SB Nation thinks UMass will beat the spread.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" recaps the Georgia Southern game.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Daily Collegian reports a late first half TD propels Georgia Southern past the Minutemen.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MassLive actually has a post on the Eagles-Minutemen game. I thought they had given up UMass sports.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Survalance camera footage shows the drive-by shooting of two FIU football players.

The shooting didn't stop FIU from beating Old Dominion.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blogger gives me various stats on the blog. One of them is page views by country. Recently I've had 99 views by "unknown country". Never had that before in ten years of running the blog.

1 Aliens?

2. Putin's minions?

3. Hillary' closet server is back up?

4. The Singularity?

UMass Football News--September 9th, 2018

After thinking about it, the defense actually did not play that badly. They did give up that 2:00 minute TD at the end of the half. And we struggled to cover receivers from a option team. The defense did get a four-down stop deep in UMass territory. We also added a turnover at midfield. GSU had one 43-yard run, but most of the time they had to work for yards.

The offense, however, stunk. The first team offense has scored two TD's in two games. The passing game produced 190 yards and 0 TD's. Andrew Ford's longest completion was 19 yards. Comis fumbled the ball on his second (and last) appearance. I didn't like the play calling either. We'd get two first downs in a row and then we'd switch away from what was working. The offense looked out of sync all night. The Minutemen did kick a 42-yard field goal.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UMass write-up.

The Georgia Southern write-up.

The Hampshire Gazette said UMass stumbled.

WTOC reported the Eagles enacted revenge.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duquesne beat Valparaiso 23-21.

Boston College rolled over Holy Cross 62-14. The Crusaders two TD's came on blocked BC punts.

FIU outlasted Old Dominion in a rain and lighting delayed game.

Charlotte lost to Appalachian State 45-9.

Ohio had a bye.

USF was an offensive machine while upsetting Georgia Tech.

Coastal Carolina exploded in the second half beating Alabama Birmingham 47-24.

UConn gave up 820 yards of offense to Boise State, losing 62-7.

Army rang up 449 yards rushing to beat Liberty 38-14.

Cal edged BYU in LaVell stadium 21-18.

Georgia ran over #24 South Carolina 41-17.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Game Day --Georgia Southern 2018

Well this is a game we need to win to have a breakthrough season. Georgia Southern is a solid Group-of-Five team, but they're not a powerhouse (yet). The Minutemen offense needs to score. The whole team is build around offense. We need five or more TD's today. Our receiving corps of Andy Isabella, Sadiq Palmer and Jesse Britt needs to lead the way. A good passing offense should open the way for Marquis Young to run.

The defense just needs to play solid assignment football. No busted coverages with no UMass DB in picture. Turnovers helped the Minutemen beat Appalachian State last year. A couple today to give the offense a short field would be huge. If an option team gets behind, it's generally hard for them to comeback.

Let's get this one done today. Go UMass!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish answers questions from fans in his Week #2 mailbag.

Josh also reports UMass is looking to bounce back against Georgia Southern.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UnderDog Dynasty previews the Eagles-Minutemen game.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Savannah Now says the Eagles are looking for revenge.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--September 7th, 2018

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish has his weekly "Inside the Pressbox" question-and-answer session with a Georgia Southern writer.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Berkshire Eagle says UMass looks to erase the memory of the BC loss with a game at Georgia Southern.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Statesboro Herald reports the Minutemen invade Paulson Stadium this Saturday.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The George-Anne reports the Eagles hope to play dominate defense against UMass.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SB Nation picks UMass to beat the spread at Georgia Southern.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Boston Herald previews BC's game against Holy Cross.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two FIU players, including their starting RB were shot during a drive by shooting in Opa-locka. Thank goodness neither was seriously injured.

Five takeaways from FIU' opening loss to Indiana.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--September 6th, 2018

UMass finally has their game notes for Georgia Southern up.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish reports the UMass defense looks to restore discipline.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" previews the Georgia Southern game.

He also has seven questions with Eagle Sports Insider.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Daily Collegian says the Minutemen face a competitive test against Georgia Southern.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The George-Anne reflects on the history between UMass and Georgia Southern.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two different ACC blogs power rank BC third and fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Boston College QB Anthony Brown won the New England Gold Helmet award for his performance against UMass last Saturday.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--September 5th, 2018

OK, let's stop with the wailing and gnashing of teeth. We were not the only team to take it on the  chin last Saturday. UConn was crushed by USF 56-17. Fellow Independent New Mexico State, which was claiming they were back, managed only seven first downs and -9 yards rushing against Wyoming. Temple lost to Vilanova, which is a good FCS team. East Carolina lost to North Carolina A&T, which is not.

UMass has some things they can correct. It was a bad call to go fourth-and-one so early in the game. Ford, running left, threw across his body for an INT. Ally fumbled the ball inside the ten. That's 21 points right there. When BC threw over the top, there was usually no white shirt even in the picture. We can do better.

If we'd played heroically and lost 48-49 we'd still be 1-1. The Minutemen need to shake it off and beat Georgia Southern. Starting the season 2-1 would be huge. If you missed it, Georgia Southern had the Sun Belt's 2nd ranked recruiting class. We need to get 'em this year 'cause they're going to be good in the future.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish reports Bakhari Goodson is stepping up with Isaiah Rogers suspended. He also states Rogers is expected back for Georgia Southern.

Josh also mentions the play of Ross Comis. Maybe it's just me, but Andrew Ford has looked a little tentative so far in 2018. I think if a QB leads the team to a score, he should get the next series.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BC inches closer to a Top-25 ranking.

The full Top-25 is here.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Inkwell reports Georgia Southern started with a win Saturday and looks forward to UMass this weekend.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--September 4th, 2018

Andy Isabella's game against BC pushed his receiving totals to 2,054 yards. That pushes him to #6 in the UMass career receiving ahead of Brandon London (2,022). He needs 36 yards to pass Julian Talley for the #5 slot.

Isabella's 138 career receptions places him at #6, four receptions ahead of Adam Bereneman.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Georgia Southern has their game notes for UMass up.

The Eagles LB Tomarico Reese was named Sun Belt defensive player-of-the-week for his ten tackles against South Carolina State.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sportschat Place previews the Minutemen-Eagles game and picks UMass.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UConn Blog looks at the results of the Huskies' opponents from Week #1 including the "dismal" results for UMass.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Week #1, ESPN predicts bowl games for Boston College, Georgia Southern, Ohio, BYU and USF.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--September 3rd, 2018

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" recaps the Boston College game.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UMass Marching Band will perform at the Patriots home opener.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Berkshire Eagle says UMass can't count on joining the AAC. All conference affiliations are set in stone until they're not. Houston would jump at the chance to join the Big 12. Both South Florida and Central Florida have openly stated their Power Five ambitions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ESPN has BC at #24 in its Power Index.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Georgia Southern QB Shai Werts said he was "comfortable" in the Eagles win over South Carolina State.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vegas Insider has the Eagles a 2.5 point favorite over UMass.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canceled college football games leave Midwest teams scrambling.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--September 1st, 2018

Well, we were no match for BC. UMass just did not get any plays to stay competitive. We fumbled the ball inside the 10 yard line. The Minutemen failed on three or four third-and-ones. Nobody made any great catches. When UMass packed the box, BC threw over it to wide open receivers.

Tip your hat to Bryton Barr and Bryce McAllister though. Barr went 15 UT 2 AT 17 TT and McAllister went 11 UT 2 AT 13 TT and 2 TFL. Those guys were warriors. Thirty tackles by two guys!

"Ah, alas! cried Gloin. When will the day come of our revenge?"

                                       Gloin, father of Gimli Elf-Friend at the Council of Elrond

We got beat. I'll wait another year. It'll be sweet when it comes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UMass athletic site said UMass was halted.

Boston College said Anthony Brown threw a career high four TD's.

Josh Walfish reports BC routed the Minutemen.

Josh said the Minutemen look to learn and move on.

The Boston Herald said BC easily handled UMass.

NBC Sports reports Anthony Brown's return was impressive.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duquesne beat Lock Haven 45-0.

Georgia Southern cruised to a 37-6 win over South Carolina State.

FIU lost to Indiana 28-38.

Charlotte rolled past Fordham 34-10.

Ohio escaped Howard 38-34.

USF beat Elon 34-14.

Coastal Carolina played SEC South Carolina and lost 45-15.

UConn played UCF Thursday and was crushed 56-17.

Liberty had an impressive FBS debut blasting Old Dominion 52-10.

BYU scored an big 28-23 win over Arizona.

Georgia opened with a 45-0 win over FCS Austin Peay.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Game Day Boston College--2018

UPDATE: I have the UMass-BC game on my Comcast Xfinity TV.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass will wear all-white for today's game. For road trips, all-white is my favorite because:

1. We won our National Championship in 'em

2. Skill players look really fast in all-white.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass has the best team we've had since the move to FBS. Boston College (according to pundits) has their best team in ten years. The Eagles have the most NFL-ready back in college football in A.J. Dillon. Boston College's passing attack probably will look better than it really is because the entire Minutemen defense will be geared up to trying to contain Dillon.

Despite the disparity in size, Minutemen fans can take heart in the fact that we've made real progress. I would not trade the Ford-Comis duo for Anthony Brown or their #2 guy. The starting Minutemen WR corps of Isabella, Britt and Palmer is better too. The UMass starting backfield of Moses, Hayes, McAllister and Rogers is as good as any DB's the Eagles have.

That said, the other units favor the Eagles. Let's hope there is some opening rust on Brown. If UMass could get a couple of turnovers and Georgopoulos can make Boston deal with a long field all game, we've got a chance.

Go UMass!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish reports slowing A.J. Dillon will be a tall task for the Minutemen defense.

Click on Detroit previews the game and predicts BC 42-UMass 21.

All  the BC Interruption guys predict a big win for the Eagles.

Underdog Dynasty predicts a close Boston College win.

Fox Sports says Boston College looks to build off 2017 in their opener against UMass.

The Patriot Ledger says the Eagles are optimistic.

The Golf Digest (no, I don't have any idea why either) says take the over in the UMass-BC game.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 30th, 2018

My Comcast Xfinity NCAA football games list shows the UMass-BC game as an upcoming game with the notation "internet". That's a new one on me. Maybe they are going to stream the game?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish answers this week's questions about the BC game including how to stop A.J. Dillon, position matchups an more.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has five questions with the BC Interruption blog.

Mike returns the favor as he answers five questions from BC Interruption.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Berkshire Eagle previews the UMass-BC game.

The Daily Collegian reports UMass seeks back-to-back wins to start the 2018 season.

The Dorcester Reporter says it's be Miranda vs Miranda Saturday at the Heights.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Duquesne Duke recaps last week against the Minutemen. The Dukes play DII Lock Haven this Saturday.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Boston Herald reports A.J. Dillion is ready to run the ball and catch it too.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UConn was run over by UCF last night 56-17. The game featured some poor tackling by both sides. UConn QB David Pindell looked good running the ball, less good passing. Huskie RB Kevin Mensah, who UMass recruited heavily, did not get any running room from the Knights defense. Mensah rushed 20 times for 60 yards.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 30th, 2018

UMass has their game notes for Boston College up.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish reports Amherst native Taj-Amir Torres will start against the Minutemen this Saturday.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" previews the Eagles-Minutemen game.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Naples Daily News has a post on Claudin Cherrelus and Patrick Volcy getting some playing time in UMass' game against Duquesne.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The AAC.com has a long segment on Steve Addazio's comments on the leagues weekly press conference. Addazio talks about the UMass team and his relationship with Mark Whipple.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Herald updates the power rankings of BYU's 2018 opponents.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Roanoke Times previews Saturday's games including BC-UMass.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Writers for the UConn Daily Campus discuss which games they are most excited about in the 2018 season and one writer picks UMass. UConn has not yet announced the time of the contest.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 29th, 2018

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish has an update on UMass news for Tuesday. Josh reports that Whipple would not comment on if suspended starters Jarell Addo and Isaiah Rogers would be available for BC. He did say injured DE Leon Flanagan would practice, but is "questionable" for Saturday. Addo's backup Tyrus LeBeau was out of a sling but is also questionable. Xavier Steele is the next man up after LeBeau. Jesse Britt is another starter should return.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has a post on A.D. Ryan Bamford's August Facebook interview.

During halftime of last week's game Bamford said the Jacobson gift would be used to build a practice bubble outside of the stadium. My impression of what Bamford said is that the bubble would be erected over a new turf field. UMass certainly could use a turf practice field. Back in 2011 when Mrs Blog and I went to the UMass-Delaware game the Hens had two turf practice fields in addition to their stadium.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eagle Insider previews the UMass-BC game.

The Eagle Insider has weekly rundown of BC news and lists the UMass game as a "certain win".

BC Interruption looks at the Eagles depth chart.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BC High has a nice story about UMass freshman DE Elijah Miranda and his brother Isaiah Miranda who plays for Boston College.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A 247Sports writer predicts Georgia's 2018 season and rates UMass worse than Austin Peay.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 28th, 2018

Boston College has their game notes for UMass up.

BC says the game will be telecast on the ACC Extra channel. Here's how to view it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There will be a UMass alumni/gridiron club event at BC this Saturday.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish has plays that mattered against Duquesne.

Josh also reports Minutemen RB Victor Santiago had a big week.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Boston Herald reports Steve Addazio and Mark Whipple know each other well.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vegas Insider has BC -18 over UMass. That's down from -20.

ESPN predicts Addazio as the ACC Coach-of-the-Year and an 8-4 record for the Eagles.

BC names their captains for 2018.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UConn Blog previews the Huskies-Minutemen game and predicts a UMass victory.

The Huskies get a tough draw Thursday as they host UCF.

A dime back says there are five reasons for UConn to be positive about the 2018 season.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Georgia Southern student newspaper previews the Eagles' 2018 season and predicts an 8-4 record.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Recruiting 2019--Tyrell Wiggins verbals to UMass

Hudl.com image

UMass picked up its second win of the day Saturday when Tyrell Wiggins, a 5-11 177 pound athlete from Roxbury, MA Tweeted he's joining the Minutemen.

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has a post on Wiggins' verbal.

Hudl.com has video.

Chose UMass over offer from Maine. Also drew interest from Kent State and Old Dominion.

UMass Football News--August 27th, 2018

We saw some good performances from new players Saturday.

George Georgopoulos- Uncorked a 50-yard punt and another sky high for no return. Let's hope that was the start of a four-year stellar career. Honorable mention to Cooper Garcia and Mike Caggiano who didn't miss an extra point or kick out of bounds.

Joseph Norwood-He already looked bigger and stronger than his HS highlight video. Didn't look lost and, when he was in, he was around the ball, which is a good sign for a defensive player.

Kyle Horn-- Five catches, four for first downs. Andrew Ford needs a TE he can check down to. Great start to 2018.

Larnel Coleman--Jack who? Coleman graded out as one of the top performances Saturday. UMass ran for 282 yards and when you can run the ball, the opposing defense is in trouble.

Bryce McAllister--UConn didn't want to file for the medical redshirt on Mcallister? He looked like a senior out there. Two INT's because he knew where the ball was going to be.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" recaps the Duquesne game.

Pittsburgh Sports Now says Duquesne was out-classed.

The Boston Herald says the Minutemen found plenty of positives.

SB Nation has eleven fun things from college football's Week 0

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Chat Place previews the UMass-BC game and thinks the Minutemen will beat the spread.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 26th, 2018

Well, UMass started the 2018 season with a bang. The Minutemen played a lot of players (did you notice Joseph Norwood was in the game in the first quarter?) Nobody got hurt. The Minutemen rang up 282 yards rushing. Bryce McAllister had two INT's. TE Kyle Horn had five catches for 49 yards.

Not counting the starters, UMass played 41 (if I counted right) players. Most pundits thought it would a pretty close game. It wasn't.

Great start the season.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click on an image and Blogger displays a larger view.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass write-up of the game.

Duquesne's write-up.

Josh Walfish reports UMass cruised.

Josh said explosive plays led to the blowout.

He also said Joseph Norwood stood out in his first game as a Minutemen.

The UMass Collegian reports Andy Isabella exploded.

MassLive has their first UMass football story of the fall as they report UMass dominated Duquesne.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Game Day Duquesne--2018

All right, here we go for 2018. We've all been waiting a long time to see players in Maroon & White running around McGuirk.

I still think UMass will play a reduced package today. We'll save the line stunts and five wide receivers for Boston College.

I do want to see Kyle Horn, Travis Reynolds and Taylor Edwards catch some passes. The TE has always been a significant part of Whipple's offense. We'll see what happens today.

I want to see George Georgopoulos punt. Kicking has been such a thorn in our side a four-year flip-the-field punter would be wonderful. I want to see Cooper Garcia or Mike Caggiano kick in a game situation. Last year we started 0-4 and didn't make a field goal until the Ohio game half way through the season.

I want to see the new defensive line be active. Jake Byczko, Joe Previte, Mario Patton and Leon Flanagan should be able to control the line of scrimmage against a FCS team.

2018 will be my 42nd consecutive year with UMass football season tickets. Hope it's one to remember.

Go UMass!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The game is available on NESN+, which is available from Xfinity. NESN channel finder for New England.

The Berkshire Eagle says UMass opens its home slate with a game against Duquesne.

Josh Walfish reports UMass hopes to shine in national spotlight.

The Boston Herald has three things to watch for in today's game against the Dukes.

Duquesne is set for the first of two FBS showdowns.

Fan Sided previews the Minutemen-Dukes game and predicts UMass by eleven.

Sports Illustrated previews Week 0's games.

Fan Buzz predicts UMass by four.

Fan Sided predicts the Minutemen by 19.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News --August 24th, 2018

Andrew Ford has been named to the watch list for College Football Performance Awards performer-of-the-year.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass extends its radio partnership with WEEI-Springfield for five years.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish interviews FCS writer Chase Kiddy about Duquesne.

Josh also responds to e-mail questions about UMass' opener.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" previews the Minutemen-Dukes game.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football awards former walk-on RB Victor Santiago a scholarship.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Duquesne Duke reports the Dukes starting QB is still up in the air.

The Trib Live has five things to watch in Duquesne's opener.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Underdog Dynasty says former UMass great Victor Cruz salsas into the sunset.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matty Vautour has the 14 best college football games in Massachusetts for 2018.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yard Barker previews Saturday's games including UMass-Duquesne.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

State College.com profiles former UMass assistant coach Sean Spencer.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 23rd, 2018

UMass has game notes available for Duquesne including a depth chart.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish says UMass can't afford to overlook FCS Duquesne.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Boston Herald says UMass hopes for momentum and a bowl game.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Pittsburg Post-Gazette has the Dukes have a quarter back battle on their hands.

Hero Sports reports Duquesne's revenge quest highlights the NEC conference's 2018 season.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Athlon Sports previews the Minutemen-Dukes game and predicts a UMass win .

Actually, three different Athlon writers predict a Minutemen victory.

However, everyone at Athlon thinks Georgia is going to defeat UMass on November 17th. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flo Football has five reasons to watch the UMass - Duquesne game.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Penn Live has a nice post on how Andrew Ford and Bryton Barr ended up on the same team.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you have high blood pressure, don't click on this link where an "award-winning" SEC journalist ranks Georgia's opposing QB's. He has Andrew Ford last and starts his review "There’s still no sure-fire starter at UMass" and goes down hill from there.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 22nd, 2018

I think August 25th against Duquesne is the Minutemen's earliest ever opening date. The latest starting date (not counting the no-coach era in the 1890's) was in 1945 when UMass played a war-shorted schedule that started on October 20th. The latest modern date is September 23rd 1972 vs Maine. UMass went 9-2 that year, beat BC 28-7 and won the Boardwalk bowl...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish reports UMass OL blocking is taking the next step.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As of Tuesday, Duquesne has yet to decide on a starting QB.  The choice is Brett Brumbaugh, and redshirt junior FAU transfer Daniel Parr.
between

Former UMass WR Victor Cruz retires and joins the ESPN broadcast team.

The Dukes All-American RB A.J. Hines has plenty of motivation for the 2018 season.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eagle Insider has video of BC QB Anthony Brown talking about getting ready for UMass.

The Heights says a Eagle victory over UMass is "All but expected".

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Former UMass player Brandon Collier talks about helping European players get scholarships to play American football.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 21st, 2018

UMass has some game notes for Duquesne up. No depth chart yet.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UMass Minutemen Club sets a record for donations.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Walfish has a post on the UMass defense needs to have discipline in order to stop opponents running game.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" previews the Minutemen's 2018 season and predicts a 7-5 result.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Howard Herman of the Berkshire Eagle reports UMass is making strides on defense.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass and Duquesne kick off the season for Flo Football.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston College receives preseason top-25 votes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UConn blog previews the Huskies quarterbacks.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 20th, 2018

Thom Kendall image

Josh Walfish reports Larnel Coleman is fitting seamlessly into the UMass offensive line.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Ex-UMass strength coach Joe Connelly posted this image of Andy Isabella shoveling off McGuirk so he could run sprints in the winter.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UMass Twitter feed has video of coach Hankerson talking about the Minutemen's receiving corps.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duquesne's 2018 prospectus and quick facts (a .pdf) download. Lots of good stuff by the Dukes sports info office. Duquesne has an impressive 102-28 home field record. They also have 13 FBS transfers on their roster.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GBM Wolverine says Don Brown is the heart of Michigan's defense.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The NCAA explains college overtime play.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 19th, 2018

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has a fifth and final position review: special teams.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shaun Gordon of Fan sided previews UMass as a BYU opponent.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The News-Herald has a story about how 6.72 seconds changed Andy Isabella's football life. Good read.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack Driscoll is making an impact at Auburn.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Chat Place previews the UMass-Duquesne game. They have UMass as -23.  Usually there is no line on FBS-FCS matchups. Vegas Insider has no line on the Minutemen-Dukes game.

If I could find a line. I think UMass will be playing "plain vanilla" on both offense and defense against the Dukes, so the Minutemen brain trust would be shooting for a 14 point or so win and lots of playing time for the new players.

The Dukes RB A. J. Hines gathers another preseason All-American award.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--august 17th, 2018

Blog note: there will be no update tomorrow. I'll be away from the computer all day. I'll catch up on Sunday.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 2018 version of the UMass record book is available for download as a .pdf.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" does a position review for the offensive line.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Andrew Ford was named to the Manning Award Watch List.

The complete list is here. Nathan Rourke of Ohio is the only opposing QB on the list.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Howard Herman of the Berkshire Eagle says UMass is in a good place going into the last week of practice.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass will receive $1.3 million to play at Rutgers in 2019.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looks like UMass transfer Jack Driscoll will start for Auburn.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston College may start the season ranked in the top-25.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paul Finebaum thinks Georgia will win the SEC East.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 16th, 2018

Josh Walfish reports the UMass offensive line has plenty of experience.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has another position review: this time backs and receivers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UMass Twitter feed has Coach Wissman talking about the defensive line.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Underdog Dynasty has underdogs against the spread. They have UMass as 5.5.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time.com has UMass at #87 out of 727 colleges as a best value for a student's money.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duquesne will play West Virginia in 2023.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UConn loses their #1 running back Donevin O'Reily for the 2018 season with a torn ACL. The article says the Huskies starting back could be Kevin Mensa. He's from Worcester and I've blogged about him several times here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eagle Insider says the sky is the limit for the 2018 Boston College team.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 15th, 2018

Josh Walfish has two experienced quarterbacks leading the UMass offense.

It would be nice if they can integrate Comis into the offense. If he came in on third-and-seven, the opposing defense could not be sure UMass would pass.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini continues his position review with the defensive secondary.

If the Minutemen stay health, the defensive secondary should be one of the strongest units in 2018. The safety position is deep and I really like the UMass corners Lee Moses and Isaiah Rogers.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yesterday's live Facebook presentation by UMass A.D. Ryan Bamford is here.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UMass Football Twitter feed has video on the Minutemen linebackers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UMass-BYU game will kick off at 12:00 Noon on November 10th.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eleven Sports and NESN will televise UMass Football in 2018.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Lynchburg News & Advance previews Liberty's opponent UMass.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Saturday Down South writer previews Georgia's 2018 schedule and says the UMass game won't be close.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 14th, 2018

Josh Walfish has lessons learned during the first two week of UMass' Fall camp.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has a defensive front seven position review.

Mike points out several UMass DL, three in fact, are over 300 pounds. DaVonn Hall, Chris DiTommasso and Mario Patton are all over 300.

The latest version of the roster also lists Almost Titi 6-3 275 and Burnis Brown 6-1 295. The Minutemen should have at least seven DL who could play.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UMass Twitter feed has video on new players in the special team units.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Underdog Dynasty thinks UMass is optimistic about playing in a bowl.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every UMass home game will be live streamed by Flo Football.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Excel Sports Academy looks to develop football talent in Western Mass.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duquesne Football has a video report from the Dukes first two weeks of camp.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HERO Sports says Ohio's Nathan Rouke is the best player wearing #12 in the country. Includes a video snip of him playing against UMass.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News--August 13th, 2018

New Adidas uniforms for the UMass cheerleaders. UMass Cheer Twitter is here.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

USF wants another year of success without being mistaken for UCF.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Hartford Courant breaks down UConn's season and rates each opponent. It rates the difficulty level of the game against UMass as "low".

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jackson Porter is on the roster of the Baltimore Ravens.

Validmir Ducasse is starting his 9th year in the NFL.

Elijah Wilkson is starting his second year with the Broncos.

Tajae Sharpe starts his third year with the Titans.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Footbal News --August 12th, 2018

Cougar Sports Insider ranks Andrew Ford #6 in BYU opposing QB's rating.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Speaking of BYU, they're trying to stay focused.

The Cougars want to improve their running back unit.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ohio sets its sights on the MAC championship.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

USF unveils their new Adidas uniforms. The Bulls should be wearing the white version when they visit McGuirk.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Defensive improvement is vital for Liberty's first FBS season.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday Down South lists four teams that could upset Georgia in 2018. UMass is not one of them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass Football News ---August 11th, 2018

Sarah Crosby image

Josh Walfish has a post on George Georgopoulos being the designated starter at punter for the Minutemen this year.

Georgopoulos is 6-2 225 and the only listed punter on the current roster.

UMass has four kickers on the 2018 roster

Mike Caggiano RSJR 1-3 career in field goals. 14 GP 57-3383 yards 59.4 AVE 8 TB 3 OB in kickoffs.

Cooper Garcia JR. Lindy's Football Magazine picked Garcia at the top newcomer for UMass in 2018. At Ventura College Garcia went 59-59 in EP and 15-20 in FG's in 2017.

Evan Padilla RSFR. Redshirted his freshman year.

Theo Yongue RSSR. Has not played in his UMass career.

The Minutemen have three long snappers on the roster.

Peter Comaroto RSJR. DNP in 2017. Was listed has the #2 LS in the December 2017 two-deep.

Harry Blair RSFR. Redshirted in 2017.

Evan Deckers FR.

I would think the starting punter job is Georgopoulos' to lose. The kicking position is between JUCO Cooper Garcia and Mike Caggiano. Evan Deckers was a highly-rated recruit and at 6-3 250 he could help in kicking coverage.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Traini Tweets one third of the Canadian recruits have finally arrived in Amherst.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------