Steve1981
Heisman
Posts: 5,452
Joined: Nov 2010
Reputation: 269
I Root For: UMass
Location: North Quabbin Region
|
RE: UMass Football
Mike Traini just put up a 2016 Football review. Here is a large portion of the article.
Quote:There are a lot of ways one could describe the 2016 Massachusetts Minutemen football season. Some are good, some are not, and some are in-between. UMass made some strides in the past year, improved in some areas, but didn’t get better in others where a step up remains a necessity. They competed in their first season as an FBS Independent in 2016, and against a very difficult schedule managed to hang tough with some strong Power Conference opposition. They also, despite that schedule, left some wins on the table and are still plagued by some of the same issues that existed in their first FBS season.
This article is long overdue, and for that, we apologize. What it lacks in punctuality we hope it makes up for in content and analysis. As it stands, a season recap with some time in between the end of the season can allow for a more thorough and even-toned synopsis, leaving out the potential for knee-jerk reactions or opinions driven on emotion.
Let’s start with the positives. Against the most difficult and high-profile schedule in the school’s history, the Minutemen competed in the majority of their games, including putting scares into all three SEC opponents they faced on the year. In fact, the depth and strength of UMass’ schedule became even more clear during the College Football Bowl Season:
All nine of UMass’ bowl-competing opponents either won or nearly won their postseason games. South Carolina was the only team to lose, and that was in overtime to USF.
Moral victories are not a trackable stat, but it is a sign of progress for the Minutemen to remain competitive against that level of competition, as opposed to the far more lopsided losses they suffered in years past at the hands of Power Five teams.
In the face of that schedule, the Minutemen played a ton of young players, not only on special teams but in key positions. The Minutemen’s 2016 recruiting class was their best ever, and many of those athletes chose the University of Massachusetts for the opportunity at early playing time. True freshman offensive lineman RaQuan Thomas started the majority of the season at left guard, where his 6-foot-5, 390-pound (!) frame helped fool opponents into thinking he wasn’t a first-year player. True freshman cornerback Isaiah Rodgers earned a starting nod before midseason and seized the opportunity, showing he’s ready for an even bigger role in 2017. True freshman wide receiver Sadiq Palmer saw action in most games, and while his utilization (or lack thereof) can be debated, he made the most of the routes he was given to run.
It wasn’t only the freshman that contributed either. JUCO transfers like quarterback Andrew Ford, who started the season as the backup, came on as an injury replacement, subsequently earned the starting job and is now the de facto starter for next season, and linebackers Tedrick Lowery and Colbert Calhoun, all played significant minutes (Lowery’s limited by injury) to help the UMass units perform the best they could.
The Minutemen competed on national television on several occasions, which is always beneficial in an attempt to build their brand as an FBS team. They also cashed some large checks from their SEC opposition, which is always beneficial in an attempt to balance the books as an FBS team.
While their record was not what anyone might want to see at 2-10, UMass handled what was always going to be their most difficult year ever quite well, all things considered. This writer was telling anyone who would listen as far back as two years ago that 2016 was going to be a bear, and it certainly was.
Despite those difficulties, UMass had a chance to improve on that 2-10 mark over the course of the season last year, and they failed to accomplish that. Games against Tulane, Old Dominion, and Hawaii were all serious missed opportunities for UMass to pick up victories in a results-driven industry. The manner in which they lost those games, and the others on their schedule, is a cause for concern.
I'ts not all sun and roses, but I'm a fan and looking forward to some signing season surprises and the spring football game.
http://umass.247sports.com/Article/A-Sea...n-50343294
(This post was last modified: 01-08-2017 10:38 AM by Steve1981.)
|
|