The ‘Big 3’ here locally when it comes to college football all have different outlooks and expectations on their respective seasons when camp starts in about three weeks. BC is going through an entirely new regime change under Bill O’Brien while also looking to quickly put itself back in the Top 25 hunt. After a disastrous second year for Jim Mora following the stunning bowl bid in 2022, can the…
Thursday turned into a surprisingly active day when it comes to the local college football scene. A few of the 16 D1 teams in New England announced official start times for select games this upcoming season. BC, UMass, UConn – the ‘Big Three’ around here – all released a few games while Harvard announced it would have two ESPN/ESPNU games under first year head coach Andrew Aurich. Here’s what we…
Former Belmont Hill and UMass running back Greg Desrosiers Jr. has committed to the University of Memphis. Desrosiers made the announcement last night on social media. Desrosiers surprisingly entered the portal during UMass’ first week of spring ball. He was still in school but he was not participating at practice. Now, he has officially left the program. It is the third time Desrosiers is transferring. He began his career at…
By Ryan Barry NEFJ Correspondent AMHERST – A perfect sunny day at McGuirk Alumni Stadium was the setting for the 2024 UMass Football Spring Game in Amherst, Massachusetts between the offense and defense as hope springs eternal for the fans yet again. The scoring format was initially set to pit the units against one another with points being awarded both ways, but like most spring games, the flow changed throughout…
Here is what UMass coach Don Brown said in relation to where the team is at this point. (inaudible, where you want to be?) I think this. We’ve just shifted to where we’re tackling. We did something Saturday. We did something today. Probably do some Thursday. Probably a little bit on Saturday. But that’s probably the area we’re behind, in terms of assignments and running and competitiveness and all that….
We visited UMass on Saturday for our annual spring visit. The Minutemen were banged up in certain spots missing several receivers and quarterback Taisun Phommachanh who got the day off. Despite missing some players who will be key contributors this fall, the Minutemen put together a quality practice that was competitive and intense, especially during the team periods. Here are five observations from Saturday’s practice. 1. Skelton crew on O:…
Expectations can be a funny thing if you’re a UMass football fan. Maybe funny is not the right word. Frustrating is another. Expectations can be impossible. They can be a source of unrest, or misery. You just don’t know what to do with them. Maybe that’s just life as a UMass fan in the FBS era of the program. You learn that optimism can come around and bite you. All…
It’s his time now. UMass senior wide receiver Anthony Simpson has shown he’s quite an athlete. Now, he’s hoping to show he’s an elite leader as well. In the third year of the new Don Brown era, the UMass program has a chip on its shoulder and a bowl bid in its sights. One guy who’s going to be a big reason it happens (if it does) is Simpson. For…
The UMass Football program will be thin at running back this spring after running backs Kayron Lynch-Adams and Greg Desrosiers have both entered the transfer portal. Lynch-Adams who returned to UMass this off-season after exploring the NFL Draft entered the portal on Thursday while Desrosiers, a Massachusetts native entered the portal yesterday. Lynch-Adams rushed for a UMass FBS record 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, his first as the…
By Tony Catalina NEFJ Correspondent AMHERST – It was one final chance to impress the NFL world for outgoing UMass seniors on Tuesday afternoon during the Minutemen Pro Day. In front of a contingent of NFL scouts and their friends and family, 10 former UMass players put their best foot forward in hopes of extending their football careers. Teams in attendance included the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars, and…