Game 9: @ UConn

[m626t]

Yah, but for a while there early in the game, I thought the offense might have finally jelled. I was wrong.

[Ajmal]

Another brutal call was that third down run with Campiotti.

[69MG]

It’s time to fire Ryan bamford tonight. botched a 3rd major hire!!! Brown is not the answer.

Preech, I don't necessarily agree with every decision Bamford has made but I'm not blaming him on this one. Almost everyone I know who follows UMass football thought this was a good, maybe very good hire. It just hasn't worked out.

[Ajmal]

You can get on DB, but that was still the closest I’ve seen us to looking like an actual college football team all season. We actually pushed the ball downfield and would have gained more yards and extended more drives without drops and slips and a comedy of errors. It beats the high school stuff with the designed runs, which can work on occasion but not as a primary means of moving the chains. Olson looked the part a little bit and I can live with that being the takeaway from tonight.

[JoleonLescottsHair]

This really isn’t about a bad offense or bad play calls. It really, really isn’t. Sure, replace the offensive coordinator or head coach. Do that. Maybe there was a way to go 3-9 this year with some better calls and personnel decisions. Maybe. But we could be having that conversation at any level. We don’t need FBS to question the coach. We have over a decade of evidence now. The school made a mistake. Own it and move on.

[Sheck]

It’s time to fire Ryan bamford tonight. botched a 3rd major hire!!! Brown is not the answer.

Preech, I don't necessarily agree with every decision Bamford has made but I'm not blaming him on this one. Almost everyone I know who follows UMass football thought this was a good, maybe very good hire. It just hasn't worked out.

Yet. This is the worst job in FBS, we're just going to have to be patient. I expect the offense will be better next year with a full recruiting cycle and maybe a different person calling the plays.

[RagingCager]

I probably shouldn’t try to write anything at this time…. Too emotional, disgusted, AND pissed off. Don Brown who has had a level of respect as a DC previously, has been disappointing as the leader of this team (to put it mildly)! Let’s be honest, his hiring as head coach has been a disaster (so far), and, in my mind, if this game showed anything…. it showed they have the talent and a legit D1 QB to compete and win some games at this level; one of their biggest liabilities at this time seems to be the head coach!!! Just the fact that Olson has been held back all year in favor of that bullshit high school level running offense, is incomprehensible…. and he even took him out on a 3rd and 3 to run an ineffective pathetic QB keeper…. Un Fing believable!!!

Of course there was a laundry list of questionable calls and moves throughout the game that crippled, castrated, and demoralized the team… I don’t want to sicken you or myself any further by listing them all… if you watched the game, you know what they are… Fauria pointed some of them out on the CBS telecast. Coach Brown can be, and has been an effective D1 defensive coordinator… especially if he can focus solely on that side of the ball; but, to be honest, his tenor as a D1 head coach here has been a complete failure, and quite frankly, an embarrassment to himself,the university, the players, and the fans….they, we, deserve better…. HE deserves better! It’s time to stop placing blame elsewhere… the head coach ( and the person, or persons, responsible for hiring him and overseeing the program) are the ones solely responsible for the mismanagement of the talent and complimentary players on this team…. am I completely misguided or out of line to suggest that this program may be better served with Don Brown serving as defensive coordinator, while the entire operation is led by someone more suited for that challenging role?

Someone once said this of an effective coach ( I think it was Bum Phillips): “ He can take his’n and beat your’n, or he can take your’n and beat his’n!” What we are seeing here this season, is something resembling the opposite

[Bay Area UMie]

Mora has done a terrific job at UConn. Five wins, including wins over BC and Fresno State, with a true freshman quarterback who was #4 on the depth chart at the beginning of the year but was elevated after 2 games to #1 status due to injuries. The kid Turner only threw for 60 yards tonight- 6 for 13. No arm strength at all, he is limited to quick slants, screens and 10 yard out patterns. This was a winnable game given UConn’s very limited offensive unit.If Mora beats Liberty or Army and qualifies for a bowl the guy is worthy of some “Coach of The Year” votes-although Lincoln Riley’s quick turnaround at The University of Spoiled Children is my current vote for best coaching performance at this point. We have another opportunity against a very bad, 2-7 Arkansas State team next week. Lose next week and it’s looking like another 1-11 season.

[PreecherJenkins]

It’s time to fire Ryan bamford tonight. botched a 3rd major hire!!! Brown is not the answer.

Preech, I don't necessarily agree with every decision Bamford has made but I'm not blaming him on this one. Almost everyone I know who follows UMass football thought this was a good, maybe very good hire. It just hasn't worked out.

69- he interviewed one guy for this job. JMJ who inherited a dumpster fire at UConn ha ms five wins. Bambi hired a guy him and the shadow ad his daddy liked. In the portal era this should not be happening

[Floyd]

I liked that they opened it up a little offensively but thought they were a little too cautious on some calls. 1 win, whats to lose? A couple of those 4th and short I would have liked to see them go for it, build their confidence. This was winnable

[Old Cage]

At least we made ESPN's Top 10 this morning.

[Jack]

Pretty good game with some disappointing calls especially not going for it on 4th down and 1 or 2 deep in Ucon territory in the 3rd and then missing the fg - brutal. But overall it was a really fun night and its great to see the improvement in this program in just 1 yr under Brown. They look like an actual football team capable of successfully executing on both sides of the ball. Tough loss but fun competitive game which is pretty much what I was hoping to see. Looking forward to continuous improvement under Coach Brown as we move forward. Go UMass !!!

Per usual the clueless negative nellies on here have no idea what they are talking about….

[DeeDeeBee]

Thanks Jack!......needed that!
The offence finally showed up in the first half..
Casula should have nutted up games ago and went with Olsen. He's got an arm and when he's comfortable can be a real QB!
I see real improvement in the team.
I know...I know...the 2nd half...the wheels fell off
But I WILL BE PATIENT! It's hard..I know.
Had fun last night.
BTW....other than parking...that's not a bad stadium!
Also, the sound level of the recorded music was at tolerable levels...and wasn't drilled into your brain during every second the ball wasn't moving.

[wmmmfan]

Pretty good game with some disappointing calls especially not going for it on 4th down and 1 or 2 deep in Ucon territory in the 3rd and then missing the fg - brutal. But overall it was a really fun night and its great to see the improvement in this program in just 1 yr under Brown. They look like an actual football team capable of successfully executing on both sides of the ball. Tough loss but fun competitive game which is pretty much what I was hoping to see. Looking forward to continuous improvement under Coach Brown as we move forward. Go UMass !!!

Per usual the clueless negative nellies on here have no idea what they are talking about….

Your right Jack, there has been improvement this year over last year, our defense is FBS quality for the first time at this level. My concern is whether the offense is given the same confidence building the defense has been given. The defense has swagger again and plays with confidence even after they give up a big play. The play calling on offense is tentative and the players body language does not display the same confidence. Max Longman got me up out of my chair last night when he was furious they didn’t go for it on 4th down. THAT was the first time all year I’ve seen passion from the O since Alex Miller took over for Bell at the end of last season. The offense needs to play with same intensity the defense has, even Merriweather looks tentative. He’s a load, he needs to run with ferocity he had last year. Of course if we’d get out of the shotgun every play and he wasn’t starting 5 yards back on every run……….

[Floyd]

I agree re Brady. Kid can throw it. Fauria made a good point that the kid is only in his 3rd semester of college. He's got good size, good arm strength, and showed last night he's not afraid to run a little. He'll learn and develop. Get him a good group of receivers and a couple TEs and he'll move the chains. I like our RB group, but hard when everyone knows you're running the ball.

Thought the D played well except for a few plays. Seem to be hitting harder