UMass Football News--November 10th, 2022

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

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The UMass Daily Collegian has how UMass can "win" the last three games of the season. 

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VSin notes UMass is 0-21 on the road since 2019 and 4-17 ATS on road games. 

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ESPN moves UMass out of the #1 slot in the bottom ten. 

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Arkansas State may get some injured players back for the Minutemen game. 

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Toledo ran their record to 7-3 and clinched at least a tie for the MAC West crown last night.

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Buffalo lost to Central Michigan last night for their second loss in a row.

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UMass Football News--November 9th, 2022

 KAIT reports Arkansas State is back from a bye week and preparing for UMass.

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Cam Sullivan-Brown was co-player of the week for UMass athletics.

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The UMass-Texas A&M game will kick off at Noon EDT.

The Aggies continue to deal with a flu outbreak.

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Liberty celebrates the Flames first win over an SEC opponent.

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Toledo ran their record to 7-3 with last night's win over Ball State. The rockets also lead the MAC in scoring.

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MSN predicts Liberty over UConn, Tulane over UCF and Auburn over Texas A&M this coming Saturday.

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UMass Football News--November 8th, 2022

 UMass' lack of victories has somewhat obscured the remarkable turnaround in the Minutemen defense. This despite UMass has played five teams (and possibly six with UConn) who will go to bowls in 2022.

Some defensive stats and ranks (with 2021 rankings in parentheses).

Total defense 66th (126th) 374 yards/game (485 yards/game)

Passing defense efficiency 73rd (128th) 131.5 (170.9)

Scoring defense 99th (130th) 30.4 points/game (43.1 points/game)

Third down conversion defense 24th (128th) 31.8% (51.8%)

One defensive stat down sharply:

Net punting 130th (27th) 32.92 yards/punt (41.31 yards/punt)

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UMass has its game notes for Arkansas State up.

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The New England Football Journal covers UConn's win over UMass and the Huskies stunning 2022 turnaround. 

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Texas A&M's bad year is hurting the Aggies recruiting. 

ESPN thinks Texas A&M has a 23% chance to make a bowl game. 

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Troy prepares for Army's option offense.

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UMass Football News--November 7th, 2022

 UMass is a hefty 18.5 point underdog to Arkansas State.

Liberty is a 14.5 favorite over UConn. I watched the Liberty-Arkansas game on our treadmill Sunday afternoon. The Flames stuffed the vaunted Hogs running game and led 21-3 at the half. Arkansas blocked a punt for a safety and scored twice in the fourth period to make it 19-21. Liberty held on a two-point attempt by the Hogs to send it into overtime.

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Onward State notes Cam Sullivan-Brown's five catch, 124 yards and 1 TD effort for UMass last Saturday.

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The Minutemen-Red Wolves game will kick off at 3:00 PM on ESPN3. 

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The Eagle has three quick takes from Texas A&M's loss to Florida. 

The Aggies were short 31 players for the Gators game.

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Air Force won their first Commander-in-Chief trophy since 2016 with a win over Army Saturday. The big story was the Falcons' defense holding Army to 145 total yards and 1.8 yards/play. 

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UMass Football News--November 6th, 2022

 The Hartford Courant says UConn freshman RB Rosa clinched the Husky victory with two second half scores.

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MassLive reports UMass could not keep up.

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Tulane ran their record to 8-1 with a road victory over Tulsa. The Green Wave is the surprise team of the Group-of-Five in 2022.

Toledo plays Tuesday.

Eastern Michigan plays Wednesday.

Stony Brook beat Morgan State. 

Temple's offense exploded in a 54-24 victory over South Florida. 

Liberty kept rolling with a road victory over Arkansas. The Flames are now 8-1.

Arkansas State had a bye.

Texas A&M lost to Florida. The Aggies were dealing with a flu outbreak.

Army was held to 145 total yards (?!) in a loss to Air Force.

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UMass Football News--November 5th, 2022

 Once again the Minutemen defense put in a yeoman effort. A fumble,a bad snap and some less than stellar punting gave UConn four trips to the Red Zone in the first half and the UMass defense held them to one TD.

In addition, UConn was held to 4-12 on third down (.333 %). UMass has 5 TFL and 2 SACKS.

The UMass offense showed some life in the first half. UMass actually out-gained UConn for game 351 to 334 total yards. However Olson's accuracy--and the offensive production fell off sharply in the second half. Ten points will not win a lot of football games.

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UMass write-up here.

UConn write-up here.

The Hampshire Gazette said miscues and missed opportunities caused the UMass defeat.

The Stamford Advocate said it was a revenge win for the Huskies.

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Buffalo lost to Ohio 45-24 on Tuesday night.

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Duke became bowl eligible for the first time since 2018 with a 38-31 win over Boston College. The Eagles fell to 2-7.

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Game Day--UConn-November 4th, 2022

 Not a lot of words of wisdom from here. We can't win games at 13 points a contest. The offense does not show any signs of turning around. Gotta keep grinding away.

The defense however, is much improved from last year. Hopefully, they'll continue to fly around and keep improving. At least we have one side to cheer for, which is a 50% improvement from last year.

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

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Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" previews the UMass-UConn game.

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The Hampshire Gazette reports Jim Mora has righted the ship at UConn. 

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The UConn Daily Campus says UMass and UConn take on an important rivalry game. 

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Winners and Whiners thinks UConn will cover the 15 point spread.

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The Journal Inquirer reports UConn's defense has the Huskies in contention for a bowl bid.

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UMass Football News--November 3rd, 2022

 Covers says take the Under in Friday's UMass-UConn game.

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The UConn Daily Campus reviews last Saturday's Northeast college football games.

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The New England Football Journal reports Coach Brown is aware how important the UConn game is.

The NEFJ also reports on Coach Mora, new to the UMass-UConn thing, is looking forward to the game.

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UConn will wear military-themed uniforms for Friday's game with UMass.

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College Football News predicts this week's Texas A&M-Florida game.

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UMass Football News--November 2nd, 2022

 MIke Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" recaps the UMass-New Mexico State game.

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CBS Sports reports UConn escapes from the Bottom-25.

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VSin Sports says UConn has it's biggest positive point spread in ten years.

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UConn to launch their own digital streaming network.

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Texas A&M's freshman had a big day against Ole Miss. Great --- the Aggies discover they have a star QB two games ahead of playing us.

Texas A&M has struggled with run defense this year.

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Army meets Air Force at a neutral site on Saturday.

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Stanford's mascot "the tree" has been suspended for unfurling a banner that said "Stanford hates fun" during last Saturday's game against Arizona.

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UMass Football News--November 1st, 2022

 UConn is a 10.5 point home favorite over UMass in Vegas odds.

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The Hampshire Gazette has the UMass football notebook. They note the defensive stats I quoted Sunday. 

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UMass and UConn extend their schedule through 2027.

FBS Schedules also has a post on the UMass-UConn series. In 2023 the teams will meet at a neutral site, maybe Gillette or Fenway.

I don't remember if I posted UMass and Rutgers will play in 2026.

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UMass has their game notes for UConn up.

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Meanwhile, over at BC Interruption, they're suffering.

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The UConn Daily Campus says the Huskies win over BC was massive for UConn and Northeast football.

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UMass Football News--October 31st, 2022

 The Albuquerque Journal reports New Mexico State ended a four year road skid at UMass.

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The NMSU newspaper says the Aggies clutched a win.

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The Hartford Courant says UConn's historic win over BC keeps a hope of a bowl bid alive.

The Journal Inquirer reports a stifling defense led the Huskies to a win over BC.

UConn LB Jackson Mitchell won the New England Gold Helmet award for his efforts against the Eagles.

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Texas A&M starts a freshman QB.

Conner Weigman was a 247Sports five-star QB. 

Lane Kiffin thinks Texas A&M faked a lot of injuries Saturday. 

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UMass Football News--October 30th, 2022

 Well, that's probably it for the 2022 season. I don't see any other wins on the horizon. We just need more talent on the offense. We can't pass long (as in more than 15 yards), we can't throw on the run, we don't have the speed for jet sweeps and it's tough running against eight or nine-in-the-box.

The defense played well. I expect them to continue to improve with more playing time. The Minuteman defense had 3 SACKS and 10 TFL's. In addition, New Mexico State was held to 0-12 on third down conversions.

Special teams were excellent. CJ Kolodziey averaged almost 40 yards/kick and put three inside the 20. He has had an impressive turnaround. Cameron Carson was 2-for-2 on field goals.

UMass really needs to recruit more talent and speed on offense. 

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UMass write-up here.

Aggies write-up here.

The Hampshire Gazette said the offense floundered.

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Tulane had a bye.

Toledo became bowl eligible with a win over Eastern Michigan.

Stony Brook was blown out against Albany.

Temple lost to Navy in overtime. 

Liberty had a bye.

Buffalo plays Ohio Tuesday in a weekday MACaction game.

UConn scored a historic victory over BC with a dominate defensive performance. BC Interruption says it was an utter dumpster fire for the Eagles.

Arkansas State lost to Southern Alabama 31-3. 

Texas A&M lost to #15 Ole Miss.

Army had a bye.

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Game Day--New Mexico State--October 29th, 2022

 Today the Minutemen play the New Mexico State Aggies. They are probably the best chance for UMass to get a FBS victory. We need to take advantage of the opportunity.

The UMass offense needs to score more than 15 points. I think the Minutemen defense will do well against the anemic Aggie offense. Offensive production is the key today.

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

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The Hampshire Gazette report both UMass and New Mexico State are coming off bye weeks.

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CBS Sports has how to watch the game and some stats.

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Yahoo Sports predicts a UMass win.

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On the other hand, VSin thinks New Mexico State is one of the best bets in college football in week #9.

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In a game filled with a lot of New England angst, BC plays UConn today. If UConn wins, Husky fans should storm the field.

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UMass Football News--October 28th, 2022

 UMass has played some pretty good teams so far in 2022. Buffalo, Toledo and Eastern Michigan all have five wins and unless they go 0-for-the-rest-of-the-season will be bowl eligible.

Tulane is 6-1 and have beaten a Power Five team (Kansas State). If the Green Wave win their season finale in Cincinnati, they could go 11-1 and be in line for a major bowl.

Liberty is already 7-1. They play UConn and New Mexico State, so the Flames are looking at least nine wins. They also play Virginia Tech (2-6) and Arkansas (4-3). If Liberty wins those two, they could be looking at a major bowl.

New Mexico State is not one of the above. The Aggies are #128 in total offense, #127 in scoring offense and #113 in third down conversion. 

Playing the Aggies at home should give the Minutemen their best shot at a FBS win in their remaining schedule. We really, really need to take advantage of the opportunity. 

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Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" previews the New Mexico State game.

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The Daily Collegian has a podcast on the New Mexico State game.

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Sports Chat Place thinks the Aggies will cover the 2.5 point spread.

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The Eagles unlimited relates how Hartford, CT almost became the center of sports for New England.

BC Interruption previews this week's UConn-Boston College game.

BTW, the Eagles are dead last in rushing offense, averaging 2.1 yards/carry.

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UMass Football News--October 27th, 2022

 The New England Football Journal reports Coach Brown is still in the rebuilding mode.

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UMass has its game notes for New Mexico State up.

As does New Mexico State. 

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ESPN has UMass #4 in its Bottom Ten.

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The UConn Blog (good name) considers the Huskies remaining 2022 opponents.

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UConn coach Jim Mora is convinced his rented house is haunted.

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Texas A&M suspends three freshmen for a "locker room incident".

Sporting News names the Aggies as "2022's most disappointing team"

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Arkansas State prepares for a home game against South Alabama.

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UMass Football News--October 26th, 2022

 I usually make a post when I go away in case I have connection problems. I did not do that for a short trip to Lebanon, NH.

Right on cue, Blogger would not let me log on to my UMass Football blogger account. This, despite the fact I was using my travel laptop with five years of Google cookies on it.

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The Hampshire Gazette says it's not been an idle week for UMass Football.

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Sports Chat Place thinks New Mexico State will cover the 2.5 point spread. 

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The ESPN computer, on the other hand, says UMass has a 60% chance of winning. 

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The Sun-News reports New Mexico State will return to action against Massachusetts. 

The Aggies are actively looking for a replacement game for the San Jose State cancellation.

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UMass Football News--October 24th, 2022

 New Mexico State opens as a three-point road favorite over the Minutemen.

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A VSIN writer has UMass #131 in his power ratings. 

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With a 3-4 record, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher is on the hot seat. 

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BYU still remembers their 16-10 loss to UMass in 2017.

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Tulane is up to #23 in the the latest AP Top-25 poll.

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Boston College is only a 9.5 point favorite over UConn Saturday.  BC has major problems with their offensive line.

Could UConn upset BC? It's possible. 

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Arkansas State also has injury problems.

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UMass Football News--October 23rd, 2022

 It turns out UMass has played some pretty good teams on its road to 1-6 record. Saturday's results continued the trend.

Five of six FBS losses are to likely bowl-bound teams.

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Tulane ran their record to 7-1 against Memphis. The Green Wave are already bowl eligible and were ranked #25 before the Memphis game. They're probably the  biggest turnaround story of 2022.

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Toledo and Buffalo matched up in a battle of MAC unbeatens and the Bulls scored 24 points in the fourth quarter to win. Both teams are likely bowl-bound.

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Stony Brook beat Maine in a come-from-behind victory.

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Eastern Michigan beat Ball State to move to 5-3 for the season. The Eagles need only one win to be bowl eligible.

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Liberty scored maybe their biggest win ever with a 41-14 domination of BYU. The Flames held BYU to 258 total yards and 12 first downs. Liberty also had a sell out crowd at Williams Stadium. The Flames play Arkansas, UConn, Virginia Tech and New Mexico State next. The Hogs are 4-3 and the Hokies are 2-5. If the Flames win both, they could be playing on New Years Day.

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Arkansas State lost to Louisiana 38-18.

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Texas A&M lost to South Carolina in a prime-time match-up. 

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Army had 448 rushing yards and rolled over ULM. 

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Boston College fell to 2-5 in a 43-15 loss to Wake Forest.

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George Georgeopolos averaged 41.8 yards a punt in Mississippi State's 30-6 loss to Alabama.

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UMass Football News--October 22nd, 2022

 Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" recaps UMass' loss to Buffalo.

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New Mexico State vs San Jose State has been postponed due to the death of a San Jose player in a bus accident.

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Temple fell to 2-4 after last night's loss to Tulsa. Tulsa only has 2,600 undergraduates. One in every 31 Tulsa students plays football for the Golden Hurricanes.

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The Adviser previews today's Arkansas State-Louisiana game.

The Red Wolves will sport a new uniform combination for the Cajuns game.

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Texas A&M fans practiced the "Aggie Yell" in front of the South Carolina statehouse for their road contest with the Gamecocks. 

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Yahoo News predicts Army will get their first FBS victory against Louisiana Monroe today.

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Boston College is a big underdog to Wake Forest. 

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UMass Football News--October 21st, 2022

 ESPN grades 2022's new coaching hires at mid-season.

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At the half way point, UMass is dead last in passing offense, team passing efficiency and scoring offense. 

The Minutemen are #34 in rush defense, #64 in passing efficiency defense and #109 in scoring defense. UMass was #130 in scoring defense, #126 in rushing defense and #100 in pass defense in 2021. Quite a turnaround on defense. The numbers would be even better if the defense was not on the field the whole game.

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Temple plays Tulsa Saturday. The Owls scored 28 against UMass, but have not scored more than 14 against anybody else.

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Mountain West Wire previews Saturday's New Mexico State-San Jose State game.

The Aggies are # 126 in scoring offense with just 15 points/game. However, that's better than UMass' 12.0 points/game. 

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The national media pick Texas A&M as a slight favorite over South Carolina.

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With a mid-season record of 2-4, Army insists the 2022 season is not lost. 

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