Rhode Island Head Coach Jim Fleming has been named the 2025 CAA Coach of the Year. The award serves as a testament to the extraordinary turnaround he has orchestrated at the URI the past two seasons.
Bowling Green 45, UMass 14 – Minutemen close out historic winless season
By Ryan Barry NEFJ Staff AMHERST – As the rain came down at McGuirk Alumni Stadium while the clock ticked away to zero, a most unwelcome reality drenched the UMass football program. With their 45-14 loss to the Bowling Green Falcons, the Minutemen (0-12, 0-8) finished the season winless for the first time in history. The loss added UMass to a list of 19 other schools in the FBS era…
Wakefield 20, Melrose 9 – Warriors beat Red Hawks at Fenway in 65th Thanksgiving meeting
Image courtesy of Wakefield Athletics By Charlie Adams NEFJ Correspondent BOSTON – High school football returned to Fenway Park on Tuesday for the first of four Thanksgiving rivalries, with Wakefield winning for a fifth straight year over Melrose. “It’s a fantastic environment, it’s just beautiful,” Wakefield coach John Rafferty said. “It’s a great venue, and it’s a great opportunity and I’m glad we made the most of it.” With the…
Yale dominates major Ivy League football awards with Asa Bushnell Cup sweep
PRINCETON, N.J. — The Ivy League announced on Tuesday afternoon, the 2025 Football All-Ivy teams. Two Bulldogs were honored with the prestigious Asa S. Bushnell Cup, signifying the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.
URI shifts focus towards making a national championship run
Image courtesy of URI Athletics Somewhat stunningly, Rhode Island didn’t get a bye in the FCS postseason despite a 10-win season and repeating as CAA champs, winning the title outright for the first time in 40 years. Now that it’s been decided, the Rams face a familiar foe in Central Connecticut State, the NEC champs that Rhody hosted and beat in the first round of the FCS playoffs a year…
UMass Four Down Preview: Bowling Green Falcons (3-8, 1-6) at UMass Minutemen (0-11, 0-7)
Image courtesy of ESPN By Ryan Barry NEFJ Staff Kickoff: The UMass Minutemen host the Bowling Green Falcons at McGuirk Alumni Stadium with one final opportunity to salvage a win in their 2025 campaign. The Minutemen have never gone winless in a season since joining the FBS in 2012, and have never not won a game in a season that had three or more total games, making the importance of securing…
Patriots breathe sigh of relief on Will Campbell’s knee injury, but loss still stings
The Patriots received a significant, albeit mixed, injury update regarding rookie left tackle Will Campbell, who was carted off the field in the third quarter of Sunday’s 26-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Initial fears of a season-ending injury, heightened by the rookie’s visible distress as he was helped off, appear to have been avoided. According to reports, Campbell is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain, which an MRI…
Connecticut Top 25 – Week 11
CIAC Sports By Andy Close and Rob Gullo NEFJ Correspondents The last week of the regular season has finally arrived in Connecticut. Most teams were on a bye last week, as they prepare for Thanksgiving Eve and Thanksgiving Day games across the state. The quarterfinal round of the CIAC playoffs in all six classifications begins on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Here are this week’s rankings: 1. New Canaan (9-0): New Canaan was ranked…
Vrabel has brought true family feel to Patriots locker room
Image courtesy of the New England Patriots FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots locker room was a little extra emotional in Cincinnati on Sunday following the win. Not because they had just grabbed win No. 10, remaining the top team in the AFC, but because they were able to Face Time Jahlani Tavai and celebrate with him for a bit while Tavai is tending to a serious family matter. In a very…
College Dudes of the Week – Final regular season edition
Jim Shannon – Hearst Connecticut Media We got some big time performances when it mattered most this weekend. Some guys helped clinch league titles and others helped their teams qualify for the FCS postseason with an at-large bid. Oh, and one particular QB continued his remarkable season. Here’s the Week 13 Dudes of the Week: If we did a Dude of the Week for all the Dudes, it would have…