Game 8: vs App St.

Get ready for some MACtion
Floyd
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Re: Game 8: vs App St.

Post by Floyd » Sun Oct 29, 2017 6:17 am

Didn't see or hear any of the game but am super happy for these players, who, after a tough start have hung tough and never quit. Keep the win streak going
Time to Win

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Old Cage
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Re: Game 8: vs App St.

Post by Old Cage » Sun Oct 29, 2017 7:09 am

KahunaK wrote: Sat Oct 28, 2017 11:46 pmDid I see shades of the Kevin Morris half back pass in the game? That never works!
What? You scorn the concept of bringing back one of the most iconic moments in recent UMass football history?
"Jack didn’t have any envy in him," Calipari said. "He was the greatest coach to ever coach here."

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Re: Game 8: vs App St.

Post by Jack » Sun Oct 29, 2017 7:47 am

Greatest win of the FBS era !! Most exciting game in 10 years !!! Our guys were amazingly tough and they refused to quit. Congratulations to the players and to Coach Whipple and the entire coaching staff for a hard earned upset win over a higher ranked opponent. Amazing Game. Logan Laurent's Back Flip after the game wining FG is an instant highlight !!! But taking look at that play again..... holy cow that was close to being blocked.... we have a lot of room for further improvement in every facet of the game... But we won and that is what matters. Great to hear that Andrew Ford is okay. See you all at Fenway for the Maine game - lets keep this rolling !!!

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Re: Game 8: vs App St.

Post by Cahoonaville » Sun Oct 29, 2017 10:30 am

Young has serious speed....man can he kick it up a notch once he gets going! Great win, finally beating a quality team in App St.
Alex Guerrero, my HERO!!!!

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Re: Game 8: vs App St.

Post by UMass02 » Sun Oct 29, 2017 10:35 am

WE WANT 'BAMA... BIRMINGHAM!

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DearOleUMass
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Re: Game 8: vs App St.

Post by DearOleUMass » Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:54 pm

Rolling Ridge wrote: Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:00 pm Just got back to Quincy after the game. I am literally stunned they won this game.

Very happy for Laurent, but for me the credit for this win is on the shoulders of the defense, and Ali Ali-Musa in particular, who was a beast all game and forced that fumble in OT. What pleases me the most, and I even felt this way when I was utterly certain they were going to lose, is that the defense clearly came in with a game plan, and largely executed it. Nothing is perfect with this team, but they did a great job stuffing that run, even when A.S. was starting to wear them out in the 4th quarter after our offense did nothing for practically the entire second half. This is what I want to see from UMass at this stage, and I feel like for the first time this season I saw it against a team that was a fair competitive measure.

In other areas, I'm not as optimistic, despite the win. Penalties still hurt us badly, and we lack discipline. Retaliating on that late hit was utterly stupid, and it cost us. Holding, false starts, etc. continue to cost us. This has to change, but it has been an issue since the move up. What's it going to take?

Offensive play calling continues to boggle my mind. It's like they have no attenuation to the situation. Way too conservative at times (Hawaii, for example) and then trick plays when they aren't necessary. Running a pass on 3rd and 1 with no one in the backfield. But for the hit on Ford, it would have been a pick 6. I really would have preferred them just give the ball to Ally and let fate take its course. That's where we're at right now, why complicate things?

I was actually pleased that they stuck with a basic running attack with Comis' added run threat in the 3rd and 4th. Yeah, it was anemic for most of that time, but in the end it was this approach that prevailed. For once, they coached to the strengths of the players on the field. If they lost doing that, I'd actually be OK with it, because at least they look like a team with a direction.

A.S. has to be utterly kicking themselves letting this one slip away. I'm not sure if they are generally better than UMass, but I didn't feel they were that much better today, and it was only our own self-inflicted wounds that kept us from winning the game in regulation... even with the loss of Ford. Whipple has recruited a bunch of quality character players who don't quit, and they deserve a ton of credit for sticking with it today. I don't think our coaching has gotten the most out of these guys this season. I see some glimmers on defense, but lots of the same problems exist on offense, special teams, and generally.

Happy for the win, but we still have a long way to go.
When the offense gets going they are a lot of fun to watch, but I think what has been the best thing to watch this season is the strides the defense has made from the Hawaii game to now. They are playing a lot more fundamentally sound football and I think a lot of credit needs to be given to Pinkham.

If there is anyone that doubts the major factor coaching plays in getting these guys to play to their best ability I suggest they take a look at how the defense played last year versus this year. As for Whipple, a lot of times we are left scratching our heads with certain play calls but as for the last drive he deserves a good amount of credit. As you mentioned, they coached and called plays with the strength of the players in mind. I hope that trend continues.

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Re: Game 8: vs App St.

Post by vanmeter » Tue Oct 31, 2017 8:06 am

I would say best win in FBS era! Great win!!

How many times have these games gone the other way - all. This is the first time in FBS where we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

I think much of the defensive credit goes to the new D co-ordinator.

Looking forward to Maine at Fenway.

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Re: Game 8: vs App St.

Post by Berkman » Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:44 am

Why don't we have alumni like this? here is a link to an article about an alumni making a 10 MIL donation to their Athletic Department:

http://www.journalnow.com/sports/asu/ap ... e8482.html

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Rolling Ridge
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Re: Game 8: vs App St.

Post by Rolling Ridge » Sun Nov 12, 2017 12:52 pm

Berkman wrote: Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:44 am Why don't we have alumni like this? here is a link to an article about an alumni making a 10 MIL donation to their Athletic Department:

http://www.journalnow.com/sports/asu/ap ... e8482.html
Good for A.S. I don't begrudge them their successes.

As far as why we don't have alumni like that, it's because historically we haven't cultivated them, least for all for athletics. This has changed recently, ever so much for the better, but you don't develop a donor base that gives at that level overnight. We've been fortunate to have had some donors who stepped up at some critical times, but it will take time to develop connections with people willing to give at that level. They want and need to see consistent commitment to excellence from the University, and until Holub and now particularly with Swamy we lacked that.

It's turning around big time academically, but athletics still lags, and a lot of this goes back to bad decisions made in the late 70s and after that about football. This is why FCS simply isn't viable, ultimately nobody cares, and you're not going to get big time commitment and interest from donors with rinky dink football. Nothing but time and the clear perception of unwavering commitment from the administration will change that, and even then it will be challenging because of the history.

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Re: Game 8: vs App St.

Post by UMass02 » Sun Nov 12, 2017 5:31 pm

^Agreed.

Donations like that aren’t spontaneous. They are the result of years of cultivation by development officers and administrators. We likely have alumni like this, but the relationships need to be built and grown. Don’t forget that the target group of “white whales” went to UMass in the era of “long lines and red tape” (and generally mediocre athletic programs) - getting them to open up their wallets after such a bad treatment will take plenty of effort.

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