2023 Game 1: at New Mexico State

[Steve81]

Well, it is 4 days from kickoff and time for a thread.
New Mexico State board is on 247sports as our Fight Massachusetts board.
Go UMass!!!

https://247sports.com/college/new-mexic ... 42/?page=1

[eldonabe]

NMSU - 28
Umass - 13

[Old Cage]

https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/sports ... 621084007/

"New Mexico State football starts Jerry Kill's second year as favorites in home opener"

[stevemaz]

i think if this were a home game it would be a win..

New Mex state 30 Umass 23

[TheInsider]

Tough one to predict.. they have a play maker at Qb. Last year against us he made a few big plays when he came in.. outside of that, they didn't do much on offense. Again if we had a functional offense we win that game pretty easily. Thier defense which was a strength for them last year is very different. They lost a bunch of guys. For us, who knows. At least on paper we are better to mch better at every position group on the field than we were last year. Heart say 28-14... head says we lose by 4-7 points. It's hard to predict a win until we see what it looks like om the field.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Coin flip for me... I think the final is going to be 24-21, but I'm not sure who is going to come out on top.


Either way, I think we are going to be encouraged by what we see..... IF (IF) Casula has figured it out.

[TheInsider]

Sounds like Casula changed some things up.. plus it looks like they are pushing the ball down field much more. The real key to this game will be keeping their qb In the pocket. If they can do that and keep him from not creating and ripping off big runs, we win.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Sounds like Casula changed some things up.. plus it looks like they are pushing the ball down field much more. The real key to this game will be keeping their qb In the pocket. If they can do that and keep him from not creating and ripping off big runs, we win.

Practice is one thing, games are another. Also key is seeing if he sticks with these changes if there isn't initial success, or if he regresses back to the crap calls we saw last year. Barring catastrophic injuries, the O's success is all based on him learning from the mistakes he made last year and growing as a coach.

[TheInsider]

I was critical of many of his calls last year but you can't ignore our struggles on offense had more to do with our severe lack of talent at the qb position and if they actually put a ball on target it was often dropped.

[Old Cage]

Oliver Hodgkinson @ojhodgkinson · 3h
I’m excited to see UMass WR George Johnson III against a NMSU secondary featuring transfer talent Keonte Glinton and Andre Seldon.
Johnson is listed 6’0”, but his springy athleticism and timing allows him go up and make catches like this.

(Go to this guy's twitter to see the short video)

[InnervisionsUMASS]

I was critical of many of his calls last year but you can't ignore our struggles on offense had more to do with our severe lack of talent at the qb position and if they actually put a ball on target it was often dropped.

I haven't ignored that, though I believe "severe" is an overstatement. We've danced this tango many times already, Insider.

[Calmass9]

Two things can be true. The talent at QB last year was a major problem and Casula's astonishing lack of creativity with the play calling was also a major problem. Hopefully both are fixed on Saturday.

[Calmass9]

Line dropped a full point this morning and is down to +6.5 in most places. Money coming in on the Minutemen.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Two things can be true. The talent at QB last year was a major problem and Casula's astonishing lack of creativity with the play calling was also a major problem. Hopefully both are fixed on Saturday.

[ZooMass84]

Sat, Aug 26 open now

301 Massachusetts 44½ 45
302 NMS -8 -6

we're down to 6pt dogs!!!! the money is moving the line!!!!