By Ryan Barry NEFJ Correspondent PISCATAWAY, NJ – With the lights of college football shining brightly upon them, for the first time in 15 years since joining the FBS in 2012, UMass said enough was enough. In front of 42,454 fans at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey, the Minutemen didn’t just dominate the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to the tune of 37-21, they made another team the butt of the…
Fenway Thanksgiving matchups announced
BOSTON- For the sixth consecutive year, the historic grounds of Fenway Park will transform into a football field as it hosts four marquee high school football games during Thanksgiving week.
Gonzalez situation still unclear 6 days before season opener
FOXBOROUGH – The Christian Gonzalez situation isn’t any clearer after both he and Mike Vrabel spoke on Thursday afternoon. Karen Guregian of MassLive and Sophie Weller of PatriotsWire both spoke with Gonzalez in the locker room individually before practice, but the star cornerback remains mum on his contract negations with the team set to depart for Seattle in four days. Gonzalez told Weller he’s “not sure” whether anything will get…
New England Big Game Predictions for Week 1 (High School/College Edition)
We have a great first week of high school and college football. We pick the biggest games of the weekend with an added, fun twist to the high school games this season. Disclaimer: The odds on the high school games are fictional odds strictly for fun purposes. There is no wagering or betting on high school games and no money was exchanged. Again. It is strictly for fun. High School…
UMass Four Down Preview: UMass Minutemen (0-0) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-0)
Image courtesy of ESPN By Ryan Barry NEFJ Correspondent Kickoff: The UMass Minutemen kick-off their 2026 campaign on Thursday evening when they travel to SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Second year head coach Joe Harasymiak and his squad hope to make a strong first impression on the UMass faithful after a disappointing 0-12 finish in 2025. 1st Down: Newly minted starting quarterback…
NEFJ Division One College Football Preseason Teams
The college football season is upon us. Here is our Division 1 Preseason All-New England teams. There is plenty of returning talent here but plenty of new faces as well.
Gomez has much to prove before heading off to UMass
Joel Gomez enters his senior season with a clear sense of purpose. The Manchester Memorial star, who impacts the game as a imposing tight end and relentless defensive end, has turned years of steady development into high-level collegiate interest. Now committed to the University of Massachusetts, Gomez approaches his final high school season focused on refining his physical tools and elevating his program on the regional stage.
New England college football preview – Week 1
After a busy Week 0 with Maine, URI, Bryant and New Haven all picking up wins, we’re on to Week 1. Nine teams in total around New England kicked off their seasons last week and we’ve got 12 strapping it up this weekend. Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth and Brown begin next week. There’s a lot of intriguing storylines heading into season openers for BC, UMass and UConn, while a bunch of…
2026 UConn Huskies Season Preview
The UConn Huskies football team enters the 2026 season under new leadership, marking a fresh chapter for the program as it continues to compete as an independent in Division I FBS. First-year head coach Jason Candle takes the helm following the departure of Jim Mora. With an exciting non-conference schedule that features six home games—including visits from Maryland, Syracuse, UMass, North Carolina, James Madison, and Old Dominion—the Huskies are focused on establishing a physical, playmaking brand of football. Backed by new offensive coordinator Nunzio Campanile and defensive coordinator Ryan Manalac, Connecticut brings a refreshed roster loaded with emerging talent and key transfer portal additions looking to leave their mark on East Hartford.
Vrabel, O’Brien talk Quintayvious Hutchins making Patriots 53-man roster
FOXBOROUGH – As soon as you walk into the new Patriots locker room inside the New Balance Athletics Center, Quintayvious Hutchins locker is just to the left in the corner. The No. 45 name plate and ‘Boston College’ looked pretty damn good before practice on Tuesday. Hutchins walked out to his first ‘real’ NFL practice wearing No. 0, indicating he’d be playing a critical role on scout team this week,…