2018 Season

[Berkman]

Did I see where we are 23 point underdogs for the game on Sat? Did not know that the Dukes have that good a FB team.

Free advice - stay out of the sportsbook the next time you go to Vegas.

The sports books in Vegas ONLY list the point spreads on the day of the game. Saw it someplace else.

[Berkman]

^why, does Berkie go to Vegas?

Primarily to visit our son who works for the MGM Mansion. We also took a 2 hour dinner cruise on lake Mead this year and went to the Terry Fator (spell?) ventriloquist/comedian show. We try and take in a show or 2 every year that we go out which is usually every year for the past 12 years. So because we were out there in June we will not be going back for the UMass games later this year.

[Floyd]

Nice. How'd your son end up working out there?

[Berkman]

After he graduated in 2004 from UMass with his degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Management from Isenberg at the time he came to NC to live with my daughter and worked in a couple of motels in the area at low wages. He hooked up with a friend from UMass from eastern MA whose father was an exec with Pepsi. The father had some connections in Vegas and arranged for the two of them to get interviews with Planet Hollywood casino hotel. Within a week they had job offers and my son took a front desk position with Planet Hollywood and his friend took a job with Pepsi.

After a couple of years he applied for a position with the MGM Mansion and got it. It is a customer service position that caters to any and all requests of the guests at the Mansion, primarily high rollers that get the suits as complimentary. It includes getting dinner reservation at various restaurants, tickets to any shows in town, tours and any other requests from the guests. A lot of times the gamblers are there with their families so they have needs that need to be fulfilled. Been ther for 12 years now.

In the mean time he went and got his Real Estate license and does that on a side and is doing pretty well selling houses. Very competitive market out there with a limited amount of houses available so sometimes he has clients that get into a bidding war to make a purchase.

[Floyd]

Tell him to start a TV show on A&E. He can be the Vegas Flipper

[69MG]

Not sure where to put this, but nice to see.

UMass Minuteman Marching Band
‏@UMassBand
6m6 minutes ago
More
THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!
On Sunday, September 9......... the UMMB will be performing HALFTIME at Gillette Stadium as the New England Patriots take on the Houston Texans in their home opener for the 2018 season!!! Kickoff is at 1:00PM, and the game will be aired on CBS Sports!

[Berkman]

Great. In the past they have also done some halftime shows for the Giants I believe.

[LS71]

Think there will be nothing new about this. He’s gone and that’s about it.

Yes, he transferred up from independent Umass and its 17k POS stadium, to SEC Auburn and its massive stadium. Oh and as of spring ball, he is the starting RT beating out 4 and 5 star recruits. Not bad for a kid the business school rejected

Never really had a chance......... Isenberg only take tackles from top 10 teams....I think I saw that on their website....

Found this on Google news; the article includes an video interview:

AUBURN — The first major difference Jack Driscoll noticed was the heat.
He’s from Madison, Connecticut, a town of a little less than 20,000 situated right on the Long Island Sound. He spent the first three years of his college career in Amherst, Massachusetts, which sits about 100 miles west of Boston. Up there, Driscoll joked, if the temperature hit above 90, they would cancel practice.

[Jack]

8 Days to Duquesne !!!!! Tickets have arrived Parking Passes have arrived.... Cant wait for the season to start !!!

Finally -- Jack and I are on the same page.

Nice to see you coming around '78 !!!

[78]

1. Holy shit, am I glad Hawaii is not on our schedule this year.
2. BYU looks pretty good against Arizona. I've moved this from lean UMass to lean BYU
3. Georgia Southern struggled a bit with a weak FCS team, although ended up winning 37-6. UMass should absolutely beat this team next week. If it doesn't, all bets are off.
4. FIU looked decent against Indiana. Not going to be a walk in the park down there.
5. Ohio struggled today against FCS Howard, but Howard is a hell of a lot better than Duquesne, with Cam Newton's brother at QB.Also, Ohio's backup QB played most of the game and played really well. He replaced the ineffective starter after the first quarter.

My takeaway, I still have hope this team can come back home 2-2, but am more strongly leaning toward 1-3 after the mess I saw today. Hopefully they get it all out of their systems, the mystery suspensions end and we get some hurt guys back for next week. If they come back 2-2. still a chance for a 6-6 season.

[stevemaz]

They need to split next two (sweep would be great), then beat Charlotte, CC, UConn, and Liberty to get to 6. I think S Fla, BYU, and GA are L's. The game at Ohio is leaning L but that could flip. best case 8 wins, worst case 3 (cant lose to Char or CC at home). The team has two major issues. 1. Whipple as OC (remains idiotic to not have one) and 2. DL.

[Carl Spackler]

They need to split next two (sweep would be great), then beat Charlotte, CC, UConn, and Liberty to get to 6. I think S Fla, BYU, and GA are L's. The game at Ohio is leaning L but that could flip. best case 8 wins, worst case 3 (cant lose to Char or CC at home). The team has two major issues. 1. Whipple as OC (remains idiotic to not have one) and 2. DL.

I can’t believe Bowl discussion is still alive after that performance. Not only is our DLine non-existent but our defense is confused and ill prepared. How many BC backs and tight ends were completely uncovered? Defensive line is totally undersized and overall defense looks slow. What happened to our largest in FBS OLine with all their experience??? Ally and Young had 29 yards on 17 rushes.....there was nowhere to go, the line was man-handled.
As usual we are under-estimating the remainder of the schedule, I’m sure we’ll have a few weeks where we play well and we’ll win a few of those games. Beating Ga Southern or FIU on the road with what we’ve seen thus far is a tall task.

[78]

I’ve now switched BYU into the solid loss column and think 6-6 is the best we can do this year...provided our backup punter/tight end doesn’t punt anymore. my expectations now are for a 5-7 season and hopefully a Whipple retirement.

[minutefanjsf]

They need to split next two (sweep would be great), then beat Charlotte, CC, UConn, and Liberty to get to 6. I think S Fla, BYU, and GA are L's. The game at Ohio is leaning L but that could flip. best case 8 wins, worst case 3 (cant lose to Char or CC at home). The team has two major issues. 1. Whipple as OC (remains idiotic to not have one) and 2. DL.

I can’t believe Bowl discussion is still alive after that performance. Not only is our DLine non-existent but our defense is confused and ill prepared. How many BC backs and tight ends were completely uncovered? Defensive line is totally undersized and overall defense looks slow. What happened to our largest in FBS OLine with all their experience??? Ally and Young had 29 yards on 17 rushes.....there was nowhere to go, the line was man-handled.
As usual we are under-estimating the remainder of the schedule, I’m sure we’ll have a few weeks where we play well and we’ll win a few of those games. Beating Ga Southern or FIU on the road with what we’ve seen thus far is a tall task.

We out performed expectations in week one and underperformed in week two. Every game needs attention to detail. The defense will get better, if suspended starters come back. The rushing game was abandoned early due to big deficit. I don't think they will be as bad as they were yesterday again this season.

[Carl Spackler]

They need to split next two (sweep would be great), then beat Charlotte, CC, UConn, and Liberty to get to 6. I think S Fla, BYU, and GA are L's. The game at Ohio is leaning L but that could flip. best case 8 wins, worst case 3 (cant lose to Char or CC at home). The team has two major issues. 1. Whipple as OC (remains idiotic to not have one) and 2. DL.

I can’t believe Bowl discussion is still alive after that performance. Not only is our DLine non-existent but our defense is confused and ill prepared. How many BC backs and tight ends were completely uncovered? Defensive line is totally undersized and overall defense looks slow. What happened to our largest in FBS OLine with all their experience??? Ally and Young had 29 yards on 17 rushes.....there was nowhere to go, the line was man-handled.
As usual we are under-estimating the remainder of the schedule, I’m sure we’ll have a few weeks where we play well and we’ll win a few of those games. Beating Ga Southern or FIU on the road with what we’ve seen thus far is a tall task.

We out performed expectations in week one and underperformed in week two. Every game needs attention to detail. The defense will get better, if suspended starters come back. The rushing game was abandoned early due to big deficit. I don't think they will be as bad as they were yesterday again this season.

I agree and that will translate to 4....maybe 5 wins.

“Out performed expectations in Week 1”? Really?