UMass Spring Game

[Col Hogan]

UMass holds it's spring game tomorrow, May 5th. We get to see how Coach Brown and his staff have worked hard since the loss in the NC game last year to fill some big holes...

http://umassathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/050307aaa.html

My opinion is this squad needs to jell, but the potential is there for a return to the top of FCS...

Wish I could make the game...hope UMass74 will have lots on his blog...

[JMU2K_DukeDawg]

Looking at your schedule, I find it tough to predict any more than three losses at the most, and that's a preseason stretch. Of course, you must play the games first to record the wins.

I think your hardest stretch will be the Towson game at home followed by away trips to Maine and Boston College. Come out of that without two losses and you might as well punch your playoff ticket. Come out with one loss and you will likely be in the driver's seat for a seeded team again.

Good luck, but I'll be rooting against you since JMU won't be playing you this year again. xsmiley_wix

UMASS is definitely the team to beat heading into the inaugural CAA Football season, and there's something strangely ironic about that... xeyebrowx

[Umass74]

djp:

Yes, I'll be going to the Spring Game and hope to have lots of images and a report on my blog. Check on Sunday.

Don't tell nobody, but I think UMass could be loaded this year. We had some graduation losses, but we've got some new players who will make an impact-----providing we stay healthy.

Really good schedule for UMass this year. OOC is Holy Cross, Colgate and Boston College. We won't beat BC, but the Crusaders and Colgate are interesting FCS games.

Maine is my pick to be the most improved team in the CAA. They have three winnable OOC games and the core of their killer defense is back.

Towson is changing the dynamic in the CAA south. They don't have much fan support, but whoever is running their football program really knows what they're doing. I pick them to finish second to JMU this year and Towson is doing all this without 63 scholarships. Once they are fully funded, they are going to make the CAA even more of a Tong War.

[GannonFan]

The CAA North is always hard to predict in terms of a team coming out of nowhere - it happens a lot. UMass has the pedigree and should be the favorite, but UNH still has Santos, this is year 2 for Cohen at Hofstra so he might have them more on his page this year, Northeastern was young and is getting better (although the game's at Amherst this year and NU never wins there) and Maine is sometimes tough in years when there's no expectations for them. All of the away games are potentially trip-ups for UMass - at Colgate (there's enough history there to warrant that), at Maine (Orono can be a tough place to play), at BC (when did UMass last beat a FBS team? Serious question), at William and Mary (long trip and late in the year - don't expect much from the Tribe this year but they aren't completely lifeless) and at Hofstra (UMass has struggled on the Island). Heck, even URI has played UMass close in the recent past - the last time UMass was at Kingston (2004) they lost. I'd fully expect UMass to be pretty good this year, but they are replacing a lot and like I said, those road games aren't all cakewalks.

[GannonFan]

...they are going to make the CAA even more of a Tong War.

Wow, good term. Obscure even! xthumbsupx