LYNCHBURG, VA: The UMass Minutemen wrapped up an abridged 2020 season 0-4 after losing to Liberty 45-0. UMass started Redshirt Freshmen Garrett Dzuro. Dzuro got off to a decent start but struggled after the first quarter. Dzuro completed 9 of 22 passes for 172 yards and 1 interception. The Minutemen tried to establish the running game early on but it was struggle as Liberty dominated the line of scrimmage. UMass…
UMass Preview: UMass Minutemen (0-3) at Liberty Flames (8-1)
Line: Flames by 37.5 Opening Kickoff: The Minutemen wrap up their season today when they travel to Lynchburg, Virginia to take on the high flying Liberty Flames. The Minutemen are massive underdogs despite showing improvement last Friday night in a 24-2 loss to FAU. This is the third meeting between the Minutemen and the Flames. UMass beat Liberty 62-59 in a wild game in 2018 but the Flames returned the…
NEFJ 25 DAYS OF THANKSGIVING RIVALRIES: Beverly vs. Salem
Series Record: Beverly leads the series 62-52-7. Look at a Rivalry: Beverly and Salem have been playing on Thanksgiving for 121 years. It is one of the oldest rivalries in the state. The Game as it is known was a back and forth affair through the years. However, Beverly has dominated the series in recent years. The Panthers have won 8 of the last 9 meetings and 14 of the…
High School: What Thanksgiving Football Means to Me
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is not only a day for giving thanks but it is also a day defined by family, food and football. Unlike other holidays, it has not been commercialized and in many ways, that is what still makes it special. Football has been the centerpiece of my Thanksgiving since I can remember. As an adult, I have been fortunate enough to coach in six Thanksgiving…
Boston College: A strange yet happy Thanksgiving at the Heights
They’re back! Well, sort of. After a bye week and then an extended bye week that eventually turned into a game week thanks to the ACC, the Eagles were back on the field this week getting ready for Louisville on Saturday. We’re going to do things a bit different this week. Instead of giving you our standard “everything you need to know heading into (name opponent here) week,” we’re going…
NEFJ 25 DAYS OF THANKSGIVING RIVALRIES – Swampscott vs. Marblehead
Series Record: Marblehead leads the series 55-49-6 Look at the Rivalry: Swampscott and Marblehead were scheduled to meet for the 111th time this season but that meeting is on hold thanks to COVID-19. The first meeting between the two schools took place in 1910. Since then, this rivalry has produced some of the best games in the state on Thanksgiving Day. The rivalry has had its far share of upsets…
High School: NEFJ Featured Team of the Week – Milford
Brothers Dale and Dana Olson know what it takes to win a state championship. Dana was the head coach while Dale was on the staff for the Millis Mohawks’ 2016 and 2017 wins at Worcester State and Gillette Stadium. Now, the duo is hoping to bring that type of success back to Milford. Dale Olson was named the head coach of the Scarlet Hawks just before the pandemic took over….
Tampa Bay Tuesday: Primetime lights too bright again for Brady and the Bucs
AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio This is a nightmare scenario for Patriots fans who wanted the team to at least be “meh” this season while also watching Tom Brady succeed in Tampa. Unfortunately, the Pats are worse than “meh” and with an ugly 27-24 home loss on Monday Night Football against the Rams, it’s see to wonder if Brady might be one-and-done in the playoffs for the second straight season. Luckily for…
Thanksgiving Football Special – Mike Lynch of WCVB discusses oddity of 2020
If you’ve grown up playing, coaching, covering or watching Thanksgiving football in Massachusetts, chances are Mike Lynch has been a part of your post-meal routine for years now. Lynch – the host of WCVB’s “High 5 Salutes Thanksgiving Heroes” wrap up show every Thanksgiving night for 30+ years – won’t be sitting in a chair surrounded by high school memorabilia, and he won’t have a handful of hoodies on hand…
Patriots: Breaking down Bill Belichick’s weekly OMF interview on WEEI
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports Yikes. If the past few weeks were two of the best Bill Belichick interviews by Ordway, Merloni and Fauria, then this one easily wins the award for most awkward. Belichick was not in a chatty mood as you’d expect after the 27-20 loss in Houston, so, credit to the guys for not backing down, but pissy Bill can make interviews quite cringeworthy. Right from the jump…