Kevin Stone

Only thing standing between Harvard & 1st outright Ivy League title since ’14 is ‘The Game’

November 22, 2024

One win. That’s all that stands between Harvard and the program’s first outright Ivy League title in a decade. That win will have to come against archival Yale in the 140th edition of The Game at historic Harvard Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Harvard clinched a share of the title for the second straight year last weekend, but there was no celebration. That’s because last season, the Crimson clinched a share……

New England college preview – Week 13

November 22, 2024

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All good things must come to an end. It’s hard to believe, but the college football season ends for a bunch of local teams this weekend. All 16 teams will be in action with some fighting for their playoff lives, some looking to clinch league titles and others just looking to build some momentum heading into the offseason. Here’s our final full college preview for the 2024 season… UNC @…

One last chance for Holy Cross to continue dominant Patriot League run

November 21, 2024

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It’s not ‘win-and-get-in,’ but Holy Cross is still in must-win territory when the Crusaders travel to Georgetown for the season finale on Saturday afternoon. After a tough three-point loss to Lehigh two weeks ago and a wild win against Bucknell to close out the regular season at Fitton Field last Saturday, the Crusaders sit at 5-6 and 4-1 in the Patriot League. Lehigh is tied with Holy Cross at 7-3…

Cole Strange reveals lengthy rehab process & confidence moving forward

November 21, 2024

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Whether Cole Strange can be a consistent, productive member of the Patriots’ offensive line long term is still to be determined, but there’s no denying his commitment to his teammates and the organization. That could and should go a long way. Meeting with the media on Thursday for the first time after practicing for the first time Wednesday, Strange discussed what it has taken to just get to this point…

UConn looking forward to first major road challenge since September

November 20, 2024

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With all due respect to UAB, that wasn’t really the world’s most difficult environment for UConn a couple weeks ago. The Huskies mounted a major comeback to take down Trent Dilfer’s team and move to 7-3 with two games left in the regular season. Now, after a bye week, Jim Mora’s crew will make a relatively short trip to Syracuse for a very big test against the Orange this Saturday….

More than just the Brice Cowell Musket on the line when Maine & UNH meet Saturday

November 20, 2024

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When UNH travels to Orono this weekend, the Wildcats and Black Bears will be playing for the same trophy, but two very different things as well. Rick Santos’ team enters with a chance to finish the season with eight wins and maybe an at-large FCS playoff berth if enough teams in the Top 25 slip up on the final weekend of the season. Meanwhile, Maine’s resurgence under Jordan Stevens could…

Alumni perspective on the firing of Don Brown & state of UMass football

November 19, 2024

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By Ryan Barry NEFJ Staff When UMass lost their season opener to Eastern Michigan this year I came home fairly despondent after a long day in Amherst. I put all my things away, grabbed some leftovers, and sat with my wife while she watched television. “Long day?,” she said. “Yeah, they lost 28-14 and never really had a chance, everyone was pretty surprised, I thought it’d be different this year,”…

In awkward spot, Shane Montgomery just looking to get Minutemen over the finish line

November 19, 2024

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Image courtesy of UMass Athletics It’s been a crazy 24 hours in Amherst, but nothing Shane Montgomery hasn’t seen before. If you’re a coach long enough, you deal with hirings and firings all the time. So, when he joined Don Brown’s staff earlier this year as the new offensive coordinator, somewhere in the back of his mind, Montgomery always had to know this could be a possibility given the state…

Despite vast difference in records, Bryant-URI could provide fireworks

November 19, 2024

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The Governor’s Cup is one thing, but Bryant-URI is meaningful too. The Rams will make the short trip to Smithfield to take on the Bulldogs in the regular season finale for both teams this Saturday. With a win, 15th-ranked Rhody will finish 10-2 and lock up an at-large bid into the FCS postseason, giving the program its first playoff berth since 1985. Meanwhile, Bryant limps in at 2-9, but a…

Local college coaches keep a close eye on high school playoffs

November 18, 2024

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Rhode Island and New Hampshire have quite a bit on their plates right now. Rhody is about to end a 39-year playoff drought and could get a home playoff game. UNH has a chance to win eight games and possibly get an at-large bid into the FCS postseason. While 99.9% of the attention is on their respective rivals (Bryant and Maine) this week, there’s one thing that requires constant attention,…