OT: Bill Connelly Article on UMass

[uconnphil2016]

Now would be a really good time for UMass to get good

Mentions possibility of AAC interest. Don't think that's any sort of inside info, just conjecture. He also said in his podcast that the conference should kick out UConn and add SDSU, Boise, Colorado State to solidify its spot as a football conference, so I guess he doesn't understand much about conference finances.

 

[4in16]

Wow, lol.

 

[uconnphil2016]

With that being said, UMass probably will be decent this year. I predict that they beat us by a decent margin at home and then we get a solid wave of "drop uconn football" talk on twitter and the yard. It would be our most embarrassing loss ever, in my opinion. We've lost to some awful teams, and some FCS teams, but we've always sort of been able to hang our hat on the idea that at least we aren't UMass.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

With that being said, UMass probably will be decent this year. I predict that they beat us by a decent margin at home and then we get a solid wave of "drop uconn football" talk on twitter and the yard. It would be our most embarrassing loss ever, in my opinion. We've lost to some awful teams, and some FCS teams, but we've always sort of been able to hang our hat on the idea that at least we aren't UMass.

Get ready. They are better than us in any measurable metric you want to use.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Get ready. They are better than us in any measurable metric you want to use.

Oh absolutely. They could easily beat us by a couple of touchdowns on our own turf. It very well may get ugly. I don't care about losing to Towson or whoever, getting hammered by UMass at home would hurt infinitely worse in regards to program perception amongst UConn fans

 

[Exit 4]

Gotta win two games this year, URI and UMass. I agree, UMass will be ready for us - for sure. Scary.

 

[BlueDogs]

Get ready. They are better than us in any measurable metric you want to use.

Sad, but true.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Gotta win two games this year, URI and UMass. I agree, UMass will be ready for us - for sure. Scary.

ECU is our next best chance. Montgomery may be fired by mid season. Could be looking at a UCF George O Leary type year from them

 

[Nextmanup]

I think we win The UMass game.. will be tight but we will win. Seems the players have a totally different mindset and have been working hard so I believe this will be a win for us. Plus with some new players coming in to compete.. this will make the boys competitive and hungry.. something they were totally lacking last season..

 

[UConnJim]

UMass returns almost everything on offense, but UConn returns a lot, although UMass' QB had a much better year than Pindell. I would have to say advantage UMass. On defense, UMass has been decimated by graduation. They lose 5 out of their front 7 as well as 2 of their back-ups. The lose their starting SS and a back up CB. I would say the defensive questions means its tough to say which defense will be better. I'll call it a toss up. UMass loses their punter, LS, and holder. UConn returns all of their special teams specialists. Mass' special teams have been ranked near the bottom of college football for the past 4 years. I'll say advantage UConn.

UMass had two SEC games last year. They lost by 11 to Mississippi St, but the game was very competitive. UMass lost to Tennessee by 4, but Tennessee was not Tennessee last year. They ended up with a Sagarin rating of 92, one spot behind Tulane.

Based on last year's Sagarin ratings, UMass would be favored by 1 point.

I think the game is pretty evenly matched and given that the game is played at UConn, I think it could go either way.

 

[Pudge]

Why do sports writers opine on things that seem FAR out of their realm of knowledge or life experience set. UMASS ... under Whipple ... can be a good team one season or more. However, the fanbase, stadium status, location, dollars of support, etc etc ... mean that it is doomed without a life raft through some unforeseen circumstances.

 

[uconndogs]

I think UMASS was P's first game as UCONN's HC. Our defense was so dominant that I believe UMASS failed to get past midfield for most of the game. From there it has just been a steady stream downward under inept coaching regimes.

Not sure what UMASS has this season, but I don't see that as an automatic loss with Edsall at the helm. We'll see.

 

[gioff23]

Why do sports writers opine on things that seem FAR out of their realm of knowledge or life experience set.

Agreed. They should leave that approach to us!

 

[uconnphil2016]

I agree

 

[Husky68]

Get ready. They are better than us in any measurable metric you want to use.

Measuring against Temple they aren't better, we beat Temple and they did not. Looked at Massey ratings for 2017 and (must include FBS teams also) strength of schedule UConn 75 and Umass 98 and defense UConn 136 and Umass 187.
Also Umass lost to Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion and Hawaii all of which were rated more than 30 places worst than UConn's worse loses to ECU and Cincinnati.
UConn was no great shakes last year but neither was Umass. Umass giving up 63 in loss in its last game of the year to Fld Int'l the 111th ranked team in 2017 is not something that suggests anything but UConn 2017 level suckiness.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Measuring against Temple they aren't better, we beat Temple and they did not. Looked at Massey ratings for 2017 and (must include FBS teams also) strength of schedule UConn 75 and Umass 98 and defense UConn 136 and Umass 187.
Also Umass lost to Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion and Hawaii all of which were rated more than 30 places worst than UConn's worse loses to ECU and Cincinnati.
UConn was no great shakes last year but neither was Umass. Umass giving up 63 in loss in its last game of the year to Fld Int'l the 111th ranked team in 2017 is not something that suggests anything but UConn 2017 level suckiness.

Using the transitive property rarely ever works out. If you want to believe they’re not better than us have at it I won’t argue. It’s not like anyone is saying it’s an unwinnable game for us.

 

[Fishy]

Why do sports writers opine on things that seem FAR out of their realm of knowledge or life experience set. UMASS ... under Whipple ... can be a good team one season or more. However, the fanbase, stadium status, location, dollars of support, etc etc ... mean that it is doomed without a life raft through some unforeseen circumstances.

For the same reason that you opine on things far out of your realm of knowledge.

It's fun.

 

[Excalibur]

Not sure what UMASS has this season, .

Better players than us . . .

 

[Husky68]

Using the transitive property rarely ever works out. If you want to believe they’re not better than us have at it I won’t argue. It’s not like anyone is saying it’s an unwinnable game for us.

You are right since you picked these words "It’s not like anyone is saying it’s an unwinnable game for us", why didn't you say its not like anybody said ""Oh absolutely. They could easily beat us by a couple of touchdowns on our own turf." It very well may get ugly" If a poster says they can easily beat us by a couple of touchdowns on our own turf - you tell me how winnable that poster is saying the game is.
Don't use the transitive property doesn't work argument here 'cause it works for what is being discussed ('cause it is not being used to prove UConn is better just that the common opponent stat exists and it exists and is a measurable metric). Your quote to be exact was "Get ready. They are better than us in any measurable metric you want to use." This is obviously a measurable metric, never said it was dispositive, just a measureable metric where UConn was better. Sloppy arguing.
Massey had Umass as a much worse defense than UConn (hard to imagine). Don't know how they rate or if it was accurate but it is a measurable metric.
Umass had the same record as UConn (again based on Massey) but UConn played the tougher schedule. Would suggest teams are pretty similar in skill and if anything UConn is better but does not point to Umass being better.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

You are right since you picked these words "It’s not like anyone is saying it’s an unwinnable game for us", why didn't you say its not like anybody said ""Oh absolutely. They could easily beat us by a couple of touchdowns on our own turf." It very well may get ugly" If a poster says they can easily beat us by a couple of touchdowns on our own turf - you tell me how winnable that poster is saying the game is.
Don't use the transitive property doesn't work argument here 'cause it works for what is being discussed ('cause it is not being used to prove UConn is better just that the common opponent stat exists and it exists and is a measurable metric). Your quote to be exact was "Get ready. They are better than us in any measurable metric you want to use." This is obviously a measurable metric, never said it was dispositive, just a measureable metric where UConn was better. Sloppy arguing.
Massey had Umass as a much worse defense than UConn (hard to imagine). Don't know how they rate or if it was accurate but it is a measurable metric.
Umass had the same record as UConn (again based on Massey) but UConn played the tougher schedule. Would suggest teams are pretty similar in skill and if anything UConn is better but does not point to Umass being better.

Tl;dr

 

[noeynox]

I wanted Whipple over P, when it was clear those were the choices, but I'm shocked he's still employed at UMass.

 

[B1GEast]

If we loose to Umass

 

[gopher2]

I think UMASS was P's first game as UCONN's HC. Our defense was so dominant that I believe UMASS failed to get past midfield for most of the game. From there it has just been a steady stream downward under inept coaching regimes.

Not sure what UMASS has this season, but I don't see that as an automatic loss with Edsall at the helm. We'll see.

As I recall they never crossed their own 45 except on 1 play which was called back on a penalty. But their D performed pretty well holding us to 2 TDs and some field goals.

 

[Scrutineer]

Gotta win two games this year, URI and UMass. I agree, UMass will be ready for us - for sure. Scary.

I lived in Western Mass from 1990 to 2011 and you are so right. They were so much in our shadow that they were obsessed with trying to beat UConn, especially in basketball.

There was a constant drumbeat about how we were afraid of them and time and again I heard one of Calipari's favorite sayings, "I understand why they wouldn't want to play us". He was a master at making insinuations.

 

[Scrutineer]

I wanted Whipple over P, when it was clear those were the choices, but I'm shocked he's still employed at UMass.

Me too. I met him when an organization I was working with was setting up a group ticket buy and he was great to talk with and even met several of us at Rafters for dinner. This was during his first stint there, probably the early or mid 90's.

Maybe someone here can inform as to why he was not hired at UConn. He was a winner and certainly had to have been ticked off when Pasqualoni was hired.

Thus, any games UMass plays against UConn with Whipple as head coach could turn out like what happened with John McKay at USC when Notre Dame ran up a score on USC one year. McKay said he'd never lose to them again and he proved it. Of course, Whipple will want to beat UConn anyway, but being passed over for Pasqualoni may have given him extra special motivation.