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

November 19, 2024

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,”……

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

November 19, 2024

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…

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

November 19, 2024

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…

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Local college coaches keep a close eye on high school playoffs

November 18, 2024

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,…

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UMass relieves Don Brown of his duties

November 18, 2024

With two games left in the season against Georgia and UConn, the Don Brown Era has come to an end. UMass AD Ryan Bamford announced that Brown will no longer lead the program in a statement on Monday morning. Offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery will be serving as the interim head coach for the road trip to Athens and finale at home against the Huskies. Bamford also said an immediate national…

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New England college round up – Week 12

November 17, 2024

What a weekend around the region. Harvard clinched a share of the Ivy League title with a walk-off field goal, URI moved a step closer to a playoff spot, UNH mounted a huge fourth quarter comeback to keep its postseason hopes alive, Holy Cross had a wild win to keep pace in the Patriot League and BC hung tough with No. 14 SMU before falling on the road. If you…

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No. 14 SMU 38, Boston College 28 – Eagles’ upset bid falls short

November 17, 2024

Image courtesy of Michael Aimsworth/AP Given the week BC unexpectedly had, things could have been a lot worse in Texas on Saturday. The Eagles lost to 14th-ranked SMU 38-28 in a game where BC had the ball and a chance to tie or take the lead with two minutes remaining. In the end, there are no moral victories and the Eagles are now 5-5 with two home games against North…

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No. 18 Rhode Island 20, Albany 17 — Rams edge Great Danes

November 16, 2024

Maybe, with past University of Rhode Island teams, the Rams lose the type of game they played Saturday against Albany. Not this time. URI earned a hard-fought, 20-17 win over Albany Saturday. Now, the Rams hold a 9-2 record overall, and 6-1 mark in the Coastal Athletic Association with only next Saturday’s trip to Bryant left. The Rams fell in an early, 17-0 deficit by halftime. But the Rams rallied,……

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Holy Cross 40, Bucknell 38 — Crusaders slip past Bison

November 16, 2024

Don’t count out these Holy Cross Crusaders just yet. They rallied for a 40-38 win over Bucknell Saturday. With a victory next week against Georgetown and a Lehigh loss, Holy Cross would win the Patriot League. Holy Cross finds itself with a 5-6 overall record, and shares a 4-1 league mark with Lehigh. The Crusaders faced a 21-3 deficit in the first half, and still found a way to win…….

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