2017 Season

Get ready for some MACtion
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mdogt12
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2017 Season

Post by mdogt12 » Fri Dec 09, 2016 10:52 am

So we will be playing Temple without Rhule and USF without Taggart.

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Re: 2017 Season

Post by mdogt12 » Sun Dec 11, 2016 6:05 pm

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN 6h6 hours ago
Charlie Strong received 5-year deal at USF, source told @ESPN. USF opens 2020 season at Texas

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njumass08
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Re: 2017 Season

Post by njumass08 » Mon Dec 12, 2016 8:31 am

Need to stay healthy next season. Need some luck on our side for a change.
Looking forward to the 2022 UMass Football Season (Oh boy, just jinxed that one)

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Old Cage
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Re: 2017 Season

Post by Old Cage » Tue Dec 13, 2016 8:01 pm

Adam just said that he is "pretty certain" that he will be back.
Last edited by Old Cage on Wed Dec 14, 2016 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Jack didn’t have any envy in him," Calipari said. "He was the greatest coach to ever coach here."

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njumass08
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Re: 2017 Season

Post by njumass08 » Tue Dec 13, 2016 8:47 pm

^ That would be fantastic!
Looking forward to the 2022 UMass Football Season (Oh boy, just jinxed that one)

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Re: 2017 Season

Post by DrG » Tue Dec 13, 2016 10:30 pm

^ Sure would, and that would be great for Adam. He probably isn't going to be drafted, and next year he'll be catching passes from a more experienced Ford on an improved team playing a more sensible schedule. Hopefully if he stays healthy, he'll have a great shot at the NFL.

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m626t
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Re: 2017 Season

Post by m626t » Wed Dec 14, 2016 9:54 am

Adam received some recognition at the bball game last night. He is a very big dude.
All due respect, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart, I'm gonna pass.

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UMass'96
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Re: 2017 Season

Post by UMass'96 » Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:40 pm

1st time since moving up to FBS that we will not be opening the season against a P5 school...

2012 - UConn
2013 - Wisconsin
2014 - Boston College
2015 - Colorado
2016 - Florida
2017 - Coastal Carolina :D

Odds of winning the season opener in 2017?
Save your breath... you'll need it to blow up your date

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Berkman
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Re: 2017 Season

Post by Berkman » Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:56 pm

95%.

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Re: 2017 Season

Post by minutefanjsf » Mon Dec 19, 2016 9:41 pm

Labor day weekend at Myrtle Beach?

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UMass02
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Re: 2017 Season

Post by UMass02 » Tue Dec 27, 2016 7:43 pm

Things are looking up for 2017. UMass will have a seasoned QB in Ford, a talented TE in Brenneman (hoping he stays in Amherst!), a healed defense, and a lot of returnees. The schedule in 2017 is much more competitive for UMass. All in all, they can be competitive for a bowl game (crossing fingers on that one).

As excited as I am for 2017, the outlook for the program past '17 is a bit scary for many reasons. The two big, intertwined problems are conferences and coaching.

Staying independent is untenable for UMass. It's not a beneficiary of a national fanbase and a fat TV contract (ND), a beneficiary of a major religion (BYU), or a beneficiary of a large Defense budget (Army). Scheduling is extremely difficult. This can be done for the next couple of seasons, but something needs to change. I know that Bamford tells fans and donors that he's "all in" on big boy football and has never thought about alternatives, but what you tell donors can't possibly be what actually happens. I hope that Meehan, Swammy, and Bamford have discussed alternatives if a conference invite isn't forthcoming. Does UMass stay the course and hope for major movement in FBS in a few years? Does UMass improve and an invite from the AAC is extended? Does UMass go all sports to the MAC until a better offer comes along? Does UMass make the sad trek back to FCS? Does UMass say "fuck it" and dump football altogether, along with a training facility, press box, and an empty stadium?

Coaching is also a big question mark. Whip is signed through 2018. Some on this board speculate that Whip will retire after '17. Others think he'll be here until '18 because UMass doesn't have the cash to keep paying off coaches (even though the balance sheet should be clear from payoffs at that point). What does UMass do when Whip is no longer the coach? What coach can UMass get? UM is one of the lowest-paying jobs in FBS, if not THE lowest-paying. Therefore, his staff is one of the lowest-paid staffs in FBS. Does Bamford pony up to get a good coach to come to Amherst? He's definitely opened up the wallet to get the new hockey and basketball coaches on campus, stands to reason he'd do the same for football. Would a good coach even come to Amherst knowing that the status of FBS football and conference affiliation is up in the air?

All in all, the future for this program is really scary. I know some people on this board (and Maroon Musket) love to cheerlead the program and piss on the negative nellies and say that all is well, but these are real concerns. We just can't sit by the phone and wait for that mythical Big Ten invite.

My best hope is that UMass does well enough in '17 to warrant some kind of bowl bid. After paying expenses and buying tickets for their bowl (see UConn), maybe they can take the leftover bowl money and use it as a down payment for a new staff. Some conference takes notice and offers an invite. Defcon 5 averted.... Or maybe the invite comes first and the new staff comes later.

The sad part is that I still support the move to FBS, even though it put the department in a bad position. I really do think it was the right thing to do at that time. Maybe in a few years we will be laughing about all of this. Maybe not.

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Re: 2017 Season

Post by photoman » Tue Dec 27, 2016 8:08 pm

If you took a poll, I'm pretty sure "Laughing about all of this" won't be in the lead. Let's hope that some positive things happen in 2017 that might set the wheels in motion. We're certainly not in a great position right now.

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Re: 2017 Season

Post by Berkman » Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:52 pm

I will go on a limb and say if the TE stays I think that baring any major injuries we will have a reasonable chance to have a 500 season. Sure would be nice. Just mailed out to Whip today the FB all star teams that were in two local Charlotte papers. Just maybe there can be a player or two that could help UMass move forward.

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Re: 2017 Season

Post by Puffton395 » Wed Dec 28, 2016 8:03 am

UMass02 wrote:Things are looking up for 2017. UMass will have a seasoned QB in Ford, a talented TE in Brenneman (hoping he stays in Amherst!), a healed defense, and a lot of returnees. The schedule in 2017 is much more competitive for UMass. All in all, they can be competitive for a bowl game (crossing fingers on that one).

As excited as I am for 2017, the outlook for the program past '17 is a bit scary for many reasons. The two big, intertwined problems are conferences and coaching.

Staying independent is untenable for UMass. It's not a beneficiary of a national fanbase and a fat TV contract (ND), a beneficiary of a major religion (BYU), or a beneficiary of a large Defense budget (Army). Scheduling is extremely difficult. This can be done for the next couple of seasons, but something needs to change. I know that Bamford tells fans and donors that he's "all in" on big boy football and has never thought about alternatives, but what you tell donors can't possibly be what actually happens. I hope that Meehan, Swammy, and Bamford have discussed alternatives if a conference invite isn't forthcoming. Does UMass stay the course and hope for major movement in FBS in a few years? Does UMass improve and an invite from the AAC is extended? Does UMass go all sports to the MAC until a better offer comes along? Does UMass make the sad trek back to FCS? Does UMass say "fuck it" and dump football altogether, along with a training facility, press box, and an empty stadium?

Coaching is also a big question mark. Whip is signed through 2018. Some on this board speculate that Whip will retire after '17. Others think he'll be here until '18 because UMass doesn't have the cash to keep paying off coaches (even though the balance sheet should be clear from payoffs at that point). What does UMass do when Whip is no longer the coach? What coach can UMass get? UM is one of the lowest-paying jobs in FBS, if not THE lowest-paying. Therefore, his staff is one of the lowest-paid staffs in FBS. Does Bamford pony up to get a good coach to come to Amherst? He's definitely opened up the wallet to get the new hockey and basketball coaches on campus, stands to reason he'd do the same for football. Would a good coach even come to Amherst knowing that the status of FBS football and conference affiliation is up in the air?

All in all, the future for this program is really scary. I know some people on this board (and Maroon Musket) love to cheerlead the program and piss on the negative nellies and say that all is well, but these are real concerns. We just can't sit by the phone and wait for that mythical Big Ten invite.

My best hope is that UMass does well enough in '17 to warrant some kind of bowl bid. After paying expenses and buying tickets for their bowl (see UConn), maybe they can take the leftover bowl money and use it as a down payment for a new staff. Some conference takes notice and offers an invite. Defcon 5 averted.... Or maybe the invite comes first and the new staff comes later.

The sad part is that I still support the move to FBS, even though it put the department in a bad position. I really do think it was the right thing to do at that time. Maybe in a few years we will be laughing about all of this. Maybe not.

Unless there is another conference shake up before 2020, or we start winning a lot of games, we might be screwed. Joining the MAC/CUSA/SB in all sports would be a big down grade with basketball, but the hope would be that it is just a home for a few years until a bigger conference comes calling.

As for a coach, I have no issue with Whipp staying for this season, but if I were Bamford, I'd be in James Madison right now trying to get their coach. Going to the FCS level is probably the way we will have to go about finding our next coach, and he seems to be on the fast track to the FBS level.
UMass '10 but I run with the '06 class

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njumass08
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Re: 2017 Season

Post by njumass08 » Wed Dec 28, 2016 8:24 am

We can make Independent work. It's not impossible like a lot of folks think. The ability to play some games at Gillette is what saves us. Scheduling becomes easier when you add Gillette to the equation. We might end up being Independent until 2022, but we can do it. We have the money, don't let anyone try to tell you we don't.

It might be another 6 or 7 years before we're in another FBS Football conference, but it will eventually happen. As long as our leaders hold steady and support the FBS program, we'll be fine.

My only worry is a change in leadership at UMass. As we've seen with Idaho, a President who has their mind made up and doesn't want to put the effort in to save FBS Football can destroy everything. If Marty, Swamy and Bamford are still around then I think we'll be fine.
Looking forward to the 2022 UMass Football Season (Oh boy, just jinxed that one)

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