Colleges: UMass Minutemen
UMass, QB Doyle taking steps
September, 18, 2013
Sep 18
10:41
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
The phone call went something like this:
“Hello?”
“Hi, do you know who this is?”
“Your voice sounds familiar, but I don’t really know ... ”
“It’s Charley Molnar, the new coach at UMass. I just wanted to let you know that you’re the first recruit I’ve called since taking over, and that our offer still stands.”
That’s how A.J. Doyle, the Minutemen’s new starting quarterback, remembers the call that ultimately led him to switch his commitment and pledge allegiance to the home-state school making the big leap to the FBS level.
Coach and quarterback first met at a camp in South Bend, Ind., when Molnar was still at Notre Dame.
“It was just a lot of fun,” Doyle said of the Notre Dame camp. “I could tell [Molnar] had a great knowledge of the game and was a guy I could learn a lot from.”
“I looked at him and watched him work and I thought he was a [Division] I-A quarterback,” Molnar said in his weekly MAC conference call. “He just wasn't the guy we were looking for at the time where I was. Certainly, it was a name that resonated with me.”
It resonated enough that Molnar followed up that initial call with an in-home visit, sitting down with Doyle and his parents to discuss the future at UMass.
The coach was convincing.
“I just decided it was the right place for me,” said Doyle, who finished his career at Catholic Memorial by throwing for 11 TDs and only two interceptions as a senior in 2011.
The 6-foot-3, 226-pound Lakeville, Mass., resident said UMass had a lot to offer.
“The opportunity to play quarterback,” he said, ticking off a few things. “The opportunity to stay in-state, where I’ve been my entire life. The opportunity to join a program making the move from Division I-AA to I-A.”
It all added up to reconsidering his previous commitment to NC State, which was bringing him in as a linebacker after filling its need at QB.
Molnar is glad he was able to keep Doyle home. He’s been needed, the coach estimating that Doyle played approximately a quarter of UMass’ snaps in 2012, including a start in the season finale. He finished 55-for-97 for 415 yards, three touchdowns and eight interceptions in eight games as a true freshman.
“He made progress through the year, but had an injury that hampered him through spring ball and the summer,” Molnar said. “Only over the last several weeks has he been able to hit his stride. He was able to get in shape and throw the football better.”
That, combined with a sputtering offense through the first one and a half games in 2013, led to the coach calling on Doyle at halftime of the loss to Maine in Week 2. He led a late scoring drive against the Black Bears, then got the start against Kansas State in Week 3.
When the Minutemen (0-3, 0-0 MAC) host Vanderbilt (1-2, 0-2 SEC) on Saturday (noon ET on ESPNEWS and WatchESPN), the first time UMass has hosted an SEC opponent, Doyle will be under center again.
Though the stats still are far from pretty, with Doyle finishing the 37-7 loss to K-State 21-for-31 passing for 186 yards and two interceptions (one a pick-six), Molnar believes the offense is taking positive steps.
“We had 17 first downs with pretty good balance, with seven rushing and 10 passing,” Molnar said. “We threw the ball better from an efficiency standpoint.”
The head coach was quick to point out that the two interceptions weren’t all Doyle’s fault.
“Things happen on the field that were beyond his control,” he said. “Obviously at the end of the day, the interceptions go against him, but there were other people involved in those. I feel like we took a step forward at the quarterback position and, all in all, our team is going to be in a good place going forward.”
Doyle’s first turnover was taken back 38 yards for a TD, putting the Minutemen in an early hole on the road in Manhattan, Kan. But the sophomore wasn’t deterred. He led the team on a 46-yard scoring drive to end the first quarter with a 7-6 lead.
Unfortunately, that was the end of the scoring for the UMass offense.
With just 21 points in their first three games, the Minutemen rank dead last nationally (No. 125) in scoring average at 7.0 points per game. They are No. 104 in passing yards per game (166.3) and No. 110 in rushing yards per game (95.67).
Clearly, there is room for improvement.
“I felt like there were some throws that I made that were pretty good,” Doyle said, “but there were a lot of things I can improve upon heading into this Vanderbilt game.”
Things like making his protection checks better, being tighter with his footwork and hitting open receivers more consistently.
“This is all stuff I can work on through the entire week in practice,” Doyle said, “so that when I get in the game I can say, ‘Now I’ve seen this in practice the entire week, here’s what I have to do,’ and just go out and do that.”
Molnar likes to say the Minutemen are pounding at a rock as they continue to work in Year 2 of the transition, and that eventually that rock is going to break.
“I honestly feel we’re just a play away from this exploding where we’re putting up 30, 35, 40 points a game,” Doyle said. “When that rock explodes it’s gonna be a scary thing and we’re gonna be a scary team to play against.”
That day may not arrive this weekend against a Vanderbilt team that has held its own in losses to two teams currently in the Top 25, but the Minutemen believe it’s coming.
Only time will tell if Doyle will lead them there, but Molnar believes he’s just scratched the surface so far.
“The best football for A.J.,” Molnar said, “is in his future.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Orlin WagnerUMass QB A.J. Doyle hopes to lead the Minutemen to their first win of the season against Vanderbilt.
“Hi, do you know who this is?”
“Your voice sounds familiar, but I don’t really know ... ”
“It’s Charley Molnar, the new coach at UMass. I just wanted to let you know that you’re the first recruit I’ve called since taking over, and that our offer still stands.”
That’s how A.J. Doyle, the Minutemen’s new starting quarterback, remembers the call that ultimately led him to switch his commitment and pledge allegiance to the home-state school making the big leap to the FBS level.
Coach and quarterback first met at a camp in South Bend, Ind., when Molnar was still at Notre Dame.
“It was just a lot of fun,” Doyle said of the Notre Dame camp. “I could tell [Molnar] had a great knowledge of the game and was a guy I could learn a lot from.”
“I looked at him and watched him work and I thought he was a [Division] I-A quarterback,” Molnar said in his weekly MAC conference call. “He just wasn't the guy we were looking for at the time where I was. Certainly, it was a name that resonated with me.”
It resonated enough that Molnar followed up that initial call with an in-home visit, sitting down with Doyle and his parents to discuss the future at UMass.
The coach was convincing.
“I just decided it was the right place for me,” said Doyle, who finished his career at Catholic Memorial by throwing for 11 TDs and only two interceptions as a senior in 2011.
The 6-foot-3, 226-pound Lakeville, Mass., resident said UMass had a lot to offer.
“The opportunity to play quarterback,” he said, ticking off a few things. “The opportunity to stay in-state, where I’ve been my entire life. The opportunity to join a program making the move from Division I-AA to I-A.”
It all added up to reconsidering his previous commitment to NC State, which was bringing him in as a linebacker after filling its need at QB.
Molnar is glad he was able to keep Doyle home. He’s been needed, the coach estimating that Doyle played approximately a quarter of UMass’ snaps in 2012, including a start in the season finale. He finished 55-for-97 for 415 yards, three touchdowns and eight interceptions in eight games as a true freshman.
“He made progress through the year, but had an injury that hampered him through spring ball and the summer,” Molnar said. “Only over the last several weeks has he been able to hit his stride. He was able to get in shape and throw the football better.”
That, combined with a sputtering offense through the first one and a half games in 2013, led to the coach calling on Doyle at halftime of the loss to Maine in Week 2. He led a late scoring drive against the Black Bears, then got the start against Kansas State in Week 3.
When the Minutemen (0-3, 0-0 MAC) host Vanderbilt (1-2, 0-2 SEC) on Saturday (noon ET on ESPNEWS and WatchESPN), the first time UMass has hosted an SEC opponent, Doyle will be under center again.
Though the stats still are far from pretty, with Doyle finishing the 37-7 loss to K-State 21-for-31 passing for 186 yards and two interceptions (one a pick-six), Molnar believes the offense is taking positive steps.
“We had 17 first downs with pretty good balance, with seven rushing and 10 passing,” Molnar said. “We threw the ball better from an efficiency standpoint.”
The head coach was quick to point out that the two interceptions weren’t all Doyle’s fault.
“Things happen on the field that were beyond his control,” he said. “Obviously at the end of the day, the interceptions go against him, but there were other people involved in those. I feel like we took a step forward at the quarterback position and, all in all, our team is going to be in a good place going forward.”
Doyle’s first turnover was taken back 38 yards for a TD, putting the Minutemen in an early hole on the road in Manhattan, Kan. But the sophomore wasn’t deterred. He led the team on a 46-yard scoring drive to end the first quarter with a 7-6 lead.
Unfortunately, that was the end of the scoring for the UMass offense.
With just 21 points in their first three games, the Minutemen rank dead last nationally (No. 125) in scoring average at 7.0 points per game. They are No. 104 in passing yards per game (166.3) and No. 110 in rushing yards per game (95.67).
Clearly, there is room for improvement.
“I felt like there were some throws that I made that were pretty good,” Doyle said, “but there were a lot of things I can improve upon heading into this Vanderbilt game.”
Things like making his protection checks better, being tighter with his footwork and hitting open receivers more consistently.
“This is all stuff I can work on through the entire week in practice,” Doyle said, “so that when I get in the game I can say, ‘Now I’ve seen this in practice the entire week, here’s what I have to do,’ and just go out and do that.”
Molnar likes to say the Minutemen are pounding at a rock as they continue to work in Year 2 of the transition, and that eventually that rock is going to break.
“I honestly feel we’re just a play away from this exploding where we’re putting up 30, 35, 40 points a game,” Doyle said. “When that rock explodes it’s gonna be a scary thing and we’re gonna be a scary team to play against.”
That day may not arrive this weekend against a Vanderbilt team that has held its own in losses to two teams currently in the Top 25, but the Minutemen believe it’s coming.
Only time will tell if Doyle will lead them there, but Molnar believes he’s just scratched the surface so far.
“The best football for A.J.,” Molnar said, “is in his future.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
There’s been a change at the top of the UMass depth chart. Time will tell what difference it makes on the field.
A.J. Doyle will be the starter at quarterback for the Minutemen against Kansas State on Saturday (7 p.m. ET), replacing Mike Wegzyn. Doyle, a 6-foot-3, 226-pound Lakeville, Mass., native and former Catholic Memorial star, came into UMass’ 24-14 loss to Maine after halftime this past weekend and finished 7-for-17 passing for 67 yards and a touchdown.
The scoring strike came in the fourth quarter and pulled the Minutemen back to within 10 points after Maine had reeled off 24 unanswered. But it wasn’t enough to rally the team in its home opener at Gillette Stadium, as the Minutemen fell to their longtime FCS rival.
“We started off fast and went right down the field and scored in four plays,” UMass coach Charley Molnar said during his weekly MAC conference call. “We had a lot of confidence and what typically happens with teams who haven't won a lot of football games with a lot of young players is we just had small, individual breakdowns.
“It certainly hurt us offensively. It could have been anything from an errant throw to a misread by the quarterback to an offensive lineman oversetting on a defensive end. All those small accumulation of errors added up to a very poor offensive performance.
“Defensively, we played OK. At the end of the game, I think we were a little bit gassed and couldn't get the stop that we needed to get off the field and get the ball back to the offense to give us a chance.”
The Minutemen finished just 5-for-16 on third-down conversions, produced only 265 yards of total offense -- including just 64 rushing -- and turned the ball over twice. Certainly not the performance they were hoping for in the home opener, especially considering that the schedule doesn’t get any easier.
In Week 3, the Minutemen (0-2, 0-0 MAC) travel to Manhattan, Kan., to face Bill Snyder’s Wildcats (1-1, 0-0 Big 12). In Week 4, they host Vanderbilt (1-1, 0-1 SEC).
Then after a week off, conference play begins with a road trip to Bowling Green.
After watching tape of the Minutemen allowing Black Bears QB Marcus Wasilewski to outgain them by himself -- the senior going 20-for-28 passing for 267 yards and adding 10 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown -- the Wildcats may be licking their chops.
Through two games, the Minutemen have allowed 16 plays of more than 20 yards -- including six TDs from more than 30 yards out.
Molnar, ever optimistic despite the dreary results to date in UMass’ transition to the FBS level, said his message to his team this week remains a positive one.
“First off, it doesn't matter if we are playing Maine, Kansas State or anybody else; we go into each and every game with the objective to win,” he said. “Also, each and every player is trying to be a better player this week than they were a week ago. If we can get 11 players on offense and 11 players on defense to be better players, we will be better units and ultimately a better team.
“Our guys are in a good place and I think it would be real easy to get down, but our guys know their best football is ahead of them. Our trajectory is going up and they really believe that we are not too far off.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
A.J. Doyle will be the starter at quarterback for the Minutemen against Kansas State on Saturday (7 p.m. ET), replacing Mike Wegzyn. Doyle, a 6-foot-3, 226-pound Lakeville, Mass., native and former Catholic Memorial star, came into UMass’ 24-14 loss to Maine after halftime this past weekend and finished 7-for-17 passing for 67 yards and a touchdown.
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Mike McGinnis/Getty ImagesWith the UMass offense struggling, former Catholic Memorial star A.J. Doyle gets a shot at the helm.
“We started off fast and went right down the field and scored in four plays,” UMass coach Charley Molnar said during his weekly MAC conference call. “We had a lot of confidence and what typically happens with teams who haven't won a lot of football games with a lot of young players is we just had small, individual breakdowns.
“It certainly hurt us offensively. It could have been anything from an errant throw to a misread by the quarterback to an offensive lineman oversetting on a defensive end. All those small accumulation of errors added up to a very poor offensive performance.
“Defensively, we played OK. At the end of the game, I think we were a little bit gassed and couldn't get the stop that we needed to get off the field and get the ball back to the offense to give us a chance.”
The Minutemen finished just 5-for-16 on third-down conversions, produced only 265 yards of total offense -- including just 64 rushing -- and turned the ball over twice. Certainly not the performance they were hoping for in the home opener, especially considering that the schedule doesn’t get any easier.
In Week 3, the Minutemen (0-2, 0-0 MAC) travel to Manhattan, Kan., to face Bill Snyder’s Wildcats (1-1, 0-0 Big 12). In Week 4, they host Vanderbilt (1-1, 0-1 SEC).
Then after a week off, conference play begins with a road trip to Bowling Green.
After watching tape of the Minutemen allowing Black Bears QB Marcus Wasilewski to outgain them by himself -- the senior going 20-for-28 passing for 267 yards and adding 10 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown -- the Wildcats may be licking their chops.
Through two games, the Minutemen have allowed 16 plays of more than 20 yards -- including six TDs from more than 30 yards out.
Molnar, ever optimistic despite the dreary results to date in UMass’ transition to the FBS level, said his message to his team this week remains a positive one.
“First off, it doesn't matter if we are playing Maine, Kansas State or anybody else; we go into each and every game with the objective to win,” he said. “Also, each and every player is trying to be a better player this week than they were a week ago. If we can get 11 players on offense and 11 players on defense to be better players, we will be better units and ultimately a better team.
“Our guys are in a good place and I think it would be real easy to get down, but our guys know their best football is ahead of them. Our trajectory is going up and they really believe that we are not too far off.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
ESPN.com is breaking down the nonconference men's basketball schedules for each team in nine of the country's top leagues, including the Atlantic 10. Here's Myron Medcalf's take on UMass' foes:
MASSACHUSETTSCLICK HERE for the rest of Medcalf's analysis of the A-10's nonconference schedules.
Toughest: LSU (Nov. 12), Charleston Classic (Nov. 21-24)
Next-toughest: BYU (Dec. 7), Florida State (Dec. 21), Providence (Dec. 28)
The rest: Boston College (Nov. 10), Youngstown State (Nov. 17), at Eastern Michigan (Dec. 3), Northern Illinois (Dec. 14), at Ohio (Dec. 18), Miami-Ohio (Jan. 4), at Elon (Jan. 18)
Toughness scale (1-10): 6 -- With Chaz Williams returning, UMass could make its first appearance in the NCAA tournament in more than a decade. The team’s nonconference slate, possesses a few opportunities for wins that will impress the selection committee. The Minutemen will face LSU in just their second game of the 2013-14. A matchup against New Mexico in the second round of the Charleston Classic is a possibility (have to get past Nebraska first). BYU, Florida State and Providence could be interesting games to look back upon on Selection Sunday.
UMass set to host Maine in Gillette opener
September, 6, 2013
Sep 6
8:10
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
Week 1 went pretty much the way it was supposed to.
The Minutemen went into their opener at No. 21 Wisconsin with realistic expectations, hoping for a win but knowing they would likely start the 2013 season with a loss.
They did.
“Looking back at the Wisconsin game, they were a superior football team,” coach Charley Molnar said in his weekly conference call with the media. “I knew that going in and our team knew that going in. We felt like we had to play a near perfect game [to win], and in our sport, it's really, really hard to do with any team, especially a young team, such as ours.
“Our guys played hard, we were disciplined for the most part, we had some foolish penalties, but our guys were somewhat assignment-sound. We just weren't able to make any plays, and it really cost us at the end.”
The end was a 45-0 loss, with the Badgers piling up 393 rushing yards and nearly 600 yards of total offense.
But then the Badgers were coming off a Rose Bowl appearance, while the Minutemen were coming off a 1-11 season in Year 1 as an FBS program.
Week 2 brings UMass’ home opener at Gillette Stadium (2 p.m. ET on ESPN3), with a familiar foe on the opposite sideline in the Maine Black Bears.
The UMass-Maine rivalry goes all the way back to 1909 and includes 58 previous meetings at the FCS level. The 59th meeting will be the first time the teams play with UMass at the Division I level.
“I'm sure this game is awfully important to them, and we're going to have to bring our very, very best in order to win the game, there's no doubt about it,” Molnar said.
Maine opened the season with a 23-6 win at Norfolk State. Quarterback Marcus Wasilewski had 209 yards passing -- including an 85-yard TD toss to Zedric Joseph -- and 54 yards rushing in the win.
“As far as their ability to control the football, I think we are going have to make some turnovers, more than we did this past game, in order to upset their rhythm,” Molnar said of the Maine offense.
But the Black Bears’ defense got more attention from the UMass boss.
“I think watching their defense, they run a number of different pressures and coverage schemes. So, they keep your quarterback busy all afternoon,” Molnar said. “I think that they are aggressive on defense with lots of different looks that they like to use. I think it's going be a real challenge for us offensively.”
That means the Minutemen need more from starting QB Mike Wegzyn, who finished 9-for-23 passing for 73 yards and one interception against Wisconsin.
“For the most part, he took what the defense gave him,” Molnar said of Wegzyn’s day in Camp Randall. “There were some plays where I think he would've liked to have had them back. There was some tight coverage and he tried to get the ball in there -- where he had time and could've moved on to his next receiver.
“For the most part, he played poised and I thought he took a step up from some other games that he played last year.”
While the competition won’t be anywhere near as tough as it was in Week 1, the Minutemen will have to step up their game in Week 2 to prove to their fans that they’re ready to make Year 2 better than Year 1.
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
The Minutemen went into their opener at No. 21 Wisconsin with realistic expectations, hoping for a win but knowing they would likely start the 2013 season with a loss.
They did.
“Looking back at the Wisconsin game, they were a superior football team,” coach Charley Molnar said in his weekly conference call with the media. “I knew that going in and our team knew that going in. We felt like we had to play a near perfect game [to win], and in our sport, it's really, really hard to do with any team, especially a young team, such as ours.
“Our guys played hard, we were disciplined for the most part, we had some foolish penalties, but our guys were somewhat assignment-sound. We just weren't able to make any plays, and it really cost us at the end.”
The end was a 45-0 loss, with the Badgers piling up 393 rushing yards and nearly 600 yards of total offense.
But then the Badgers were coming off a Rose Bowl appearance, while the Minutemen were coming off a 1-11 season in Year 1 as an FBS program.
Week 2 brings UMass’ home opener at Gillette Stadium (2 p.m. ET on ESPN3), with a familiar foe on the opposite sideline in the Maine Black Bears.
The UMass-Maine rivalry goes all the way back to 1909 and includes 58 previous meetings at the FCS level. The 59th meeting will be the first time the teams play with UMass at the Division I level.
“I'm sure this game is awfully important to them, and we're going to have to bring our very, very best in order to win the game, there's no doubt about it,” Molnar said.
Maine opened the season with a 23-6 win at Norfolk State. Quarterback Marcus Wasilewski had 209 yards passing -- including an 85-yard TD toss to Zedric Joseph -- and 54 yards rushing in the win.
“As far as their ability to control the football, I think we are going have to make some turnovers, more than we did this past game, in order to upset their rhythm,” Molnar said of the Maine offense.
But the Black Bears’ defense got more attention from the UMass boss.
“I think watching their defense, they run a number of different pressures and coverage schemes. So, they keep your quarterback busy all afternoon,” Molnar said. “I think that they are aggressive on defense with lots of different looks that they like to use. I think it's going be a real challenge for us offensively.”
That means the Minutemen need more from starting QB Mike Wegzyn, who finished 9-for-23 passing for 73 yards and one interception against Wisconsin.
“For the most part, he took what the defense gave him,” Molnar said of Wegzyn’s day in Camp Randall. “There were some plays where I think he would've liked to have had them back. There was some tight coverage and he tried to get the ball in there -- where he had time and could've moved on to his next receiver.
“For the most part, he played poised and I thought he took a step up from some other games that he played last year.”
While the competition won’t be anywhere near as tough as it was in Week 1, the Minutemen will have to step up their game in Week 2 to prove to their fans that they’re ready to make Year 2 better than Year 1.
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
UMass heavy underdog at Wisconsin
August, 30, 2013
Aug 30
10:45
AM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
The odds are against them. Heavily.
When the Minutemen kick off the 2013 season, Year 2 at the FBS level for coach Charley Molnar & Co., it will be as a massive underdog to No. 23 Wisconsin.
Most betting lines have the Badgers pegged as about a 45-point favorite, playing at home Saturday (noon ET) in Camp Randall Stadium. And considering the Minutemen got throttled by 50 the last time they played a top-tier Big Ten team (a 63-13 loss to Michigan at the Big House in Week 3 last season), that doesn’t seem an outlandish number.
But that won’t stop Molnar from spreading an optimistic message about the upcoming season.
“Going into our first game, we are a more confident team than we were a year ago,” he said Monday, according to a transcript of his weekly MAC conference call. ”We are playing harder and playing together. We are still young in several spots and will play a lot of true freshmen again this year just like last season, but I see good things coming up.”
The Minutemen return 17 starters from last season, including quarterback Mike Wegzyn, tight end Rob Blanchflower (the team’s captain) and left tackle Anthony Dima (an Outland Trophy watch list member) on offense.
However, Blanchflower and would-be starting running back Jordan Broadnax will miss the Wisconsin game with injuries. Michigan transfer Ricardo Miller will step in for Blanchflower, with Stacey Bedell taking the place of Broadnax.
Perhaps the biggest challenge the Minutemen face will be on defense, where in 2012 they struggled to stop the run (ranking 117th out of 124 FBS schools in rushing yards allowed per game at 224.75). That just so happens to be Wisconsin’s greatest strength, as the Badgers finished 13th in the country in rushing yardage per game at 236.36.
So while it’s a long shot at best, Molnar isn’t setting his sights on anything but a win in Week 1.
“It's to go out there to win a football game,” he said of the team’s mindset against Wisconsin. “We're certainly not going out there with any other thought in mind. We are going out there to play our very best and play as close to perfect football as we can.
“They are awfully good -- they’ve been to the last three Rose Bowls, so it's certainly a great program. We're going to give them our best shot and I certainly think that our guys are going to step up to that challenge.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
When the Minutemen kick off the 2013 season, Year 2 at the FBS level for coach Charley Molnar & Co., it will be as a massive underdog to No. 23 Wisconsin.
Most betting lines have the Badgers pegged as about a 45-point favorite, playing at home Saturday (noon ET) in Camp Randall Stadium. And considering the Minutemen got throttled by 50 the last time they played a top-tier Big Ten team (a 63-13 loss to Michigan at the Big House in Week 3 last season), that doesn’t seem an outlandish number.
But that won’t stop Molnar from spreading an optimistic message about the upcoming season.
“Going into our first game, we are a more confident team than we were a year ago,” he said Monday, according to a transcript of his weekly MAC conference call. ”We are playing harder and playing together. We are still young in several spots and will play a lot of true freshmen again this year just like last season, but I see good things coming up.”
The Minutemen return 17 starters from last season, including quarterback Mike Wegzyn, tight end Rob Blanchflower (the team’s captain) and left tackle Anthony Dima (an Outland Trophy watch list member) on offense.
However, Blanchflower and would-be starting running back Jordan Broadnax will miss the Wisconsin game with injuries. Michigan transfer Ricardo Miller will step in for Blanchflower, with Stacey Bedell taking the place of Broadnax.
Perhaps the biggest challenge the Minutemen face will be on defense, where in 2012 they struggled to stop the run (ranking 117th out of 124 FBS schools in rushing yards allowed per game at 224.75). That just so happens to be Wisconsin’s greatest strength, as the Badgers finished 13th in the country in rushing yardage per game at 236.36.
So while it’s a long shot at best, Molnar isn’t setting his sights on anything but a win in Week 1.
“It's to go out there to win a football game,” he said of the team’s mindset against Wisconsin. “We're certainly not going out there with any other thought in mind. We are going out there to play our very best and play as close to perfect football as we can.
“They are awfully good -- they’ve been to the last three Rose Bowls, so it's certainly a great program. We're going to give them our best shot and I certainly think that our guys are going to step up to that challenge.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
UMass preseason preview: Growing pains
August, 22, 2013
Aug 22
1:31
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
Previewing Year 2 of UMass as an FBS program:
Massachusetts Minutemen
Coach: Charley Molnar (second season at UMass, 1-11)
2012 record: 1-11 (1-7 in Mid-American Conference)
Key losses: RB Michael Cox, WR Deion Walker, DB Darren Thellen, OL Quinton Sales, OL Nick Speller, OL Stephane Milhim
Key returnees: QB Mike Wegzyn, TE Rob Blanchflower, RB Jordan Broadnax, RB Stacey Bedell, OL Anthony Dima, P Colter Johnson, DL Stanley Andre
Newcomer to watch: DE Justin Anderson. Molnar is excited about this fifth-year transfer from Maryland, suggesting he could make a big impact as a grad student this season. Anderson’s career stats as a member of the Terps don’t look like much, with 31 tackles (19 assisted and 12 unassisted) and two sacks in 24 games (13 starts).
But the 6-foot-5, 280-pounder certainly has the physical tools to put pressure on passers, something that the Minutemen struggled to do in 2012. UMass had just 12 sacks in its first year at the FBS level, tied for 118th nationally and ahead of only Eastern Michigan in the MAC.
Anderson and Molnar are both hoping that the Blythewood, S.C., native can recreate the season another fifth-year transfer had for the Minutemen in 2012: Michael Cox transferred to UMass after graduating from Michigan, and turned 198 carries into 715 yards, five TDs and a berth with the New York Giants, as he got drafted in the seventh round.
Biggest games in 2013: vs. Maine, Sept. 7; at Buffalo, Oct. 19; vs. Western Michigan, Oct. 26; vs. Akron, Nov. 16
Biggest question mark heading into 2013: Can the Minutemen take a step forward in Year 2 of the transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision?
Molnar’s men have a year of FBS game experience and year in a Division I weight training program. Has that work improved their ability to compete in the Mid-American Conference?
If so, how much?
Forecast: As Coldplay frontman Chris Martin sang in “The Scientist,” “Nobody said it was easy/No one ever said it would be this hard.”
The same can be said for the Minutemen's transition to the FBS level.
Half of UMass’ 12 games in 2013 will be against teams that played in bowl games in 2012, beginning with preseason AP No. 23 Wisconsin (which lost to Stanford in the Rose Bowl in ‘12) at noon on Aug. 31 (Big Ten Network).
The Minutemen also have matchups with Kansas State (Tostitos Fiesta Bowl), Vanderbilt (Franklin American Mortgage Music City), Northern Illinois (Discover Orange), Ohio (AdvoCare V100 Independence) and Bowling Green (Military Bowl -- Presented by Northrop Grumman).
Before training camp started, Molnar set realistic goals such as reducing unforced errors and pre-snap fouls like false starts and illegal formations, and missing fewer tackles.
UMass will have to be better if it wants to draw well enough to avoid being put on probation by the NCAA. After UMass averaged just 10,902 in attendance in 2012, the NCAA stated that if the Minutemen don’t average at least 15,000 in actual attendance in 2013 they will enter a 10-year probationary period regarding the transition to Division I.
Failing to meet the 15,000 minimum standard could result in “restricted membership,” which according to NCAA bylaw 20.9.7.5.2 would mean UMass would be ineligible for postseason play and would have one year to meet the minimum requirement before having to reapply for admission to the FBS.
The win-loss record isn’t likely to be pretty again this season, but Molnar believes his team is light years better than it was when it started Year 1. Time will tell if he’s right.
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
Massachusetts Minutemen
Coach: Charley Molnar (second season at UMass, 1-11)
2012 record: 1-11 (1-7 in Mid-American Conference)
Key losses: RB Michael Cox, WR Deion Walker, DB Darren Thellen, OL Quinton Sales, OL Nick Speller, OL Stephane Milhim
Key returnees: QB Mike Wegzyn, TE Rob Blanchflower, RB Jordan Broadnax, RB Stacey Bedell, OL Anthony Dima, P Colter Johnson, DL Stanley Andre
Newcomer to watch: DE Justin Anderson. Molnar is excited about this fifth-year transfer from Maryland, suggesting he could make a big impact as a grad student this season. Anderson’s career stats as a member of the Terps don’t look like much, with 31 tackles (19 assisted and 12 unassisted) and two sacks in 24 games (13 starts).
But the 6-foot-5, 280-pounder certainly has the physical tools to put pressure on passers, something that the Minutemen struggled to do in 2012. UMass had just 12 sacks in its first year at the FBS level, tied for 118th nationally and ahead of only Eastern Michigan in the MAC.
Anderson and Molnar are both hoping that the Blythewood, S.C., native can recreate the season another fifth-year transfer had for the Minutemen in 2012: Michael Cox transferred to UMass after graduating from Michigan, and turned 198 carries into 715 yards, five TDs and a berth with the New York Giants, as he got drafted in the seventh round.
Biggest games in 2013: vs. Maine, Sept. 7; at Buffalo, Oct. 19; vs. Western Michigan, Oct. 26; vs. Akron, Nov. 16
Biggest question mark heading into 2013: Can the Minutemen take a step forward in Year 2 of the transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision?
Molnar’s men have a year of FBS game experience and year in a Division I weight training program. Has that work improved their ability to compete in the Mid-American Conference?
If so, how much?
Forecast: As Coldplay frontman Chris Martin sang in “The Scientist,” “Nobody said it was easy/No one ever said it would be this hard.”
The same can be said for the Minutemen's transition to the FBS level.
Half of UMass’ 12 games in 2013 will be against teams that played in bowl games in 2012, beginning with preseason AP No. 23 Wisconsin (which lost to Stanford in the Rose Bowl in ‘12) at noon on Aug. 31 (Big Ten Network).
The Minutemen also have matchups with Kansas State (Tostitos Fiesta Bowl), Vanderbilt (Franklin American Mortgage Music City), Northern Illinois (Discover Orange), Ohio (AdvoCare V100 Independence) and Bowling Green (Military Bowl -- Presented by Northrop Grumman).
Before training camp started, Molnar set realistic goals such as reducing unforced errors and pre-snap fouls like false starts and illegal formations, and missing fewer tackles.
UMass will have to be better if it wants to draw well enough to avoid being put on probation by the NCAA. After UMass averaged just 10,902 in attendance in 2012, the NCAA stated that if the Minutemen don’t average at least 15,000 in actual attendance in 2013 they will enter a 10-year probationary period regarding the transition to Division I.
Failing to meet the 15,000 minimum standard could result in “restricted membership,” which according to NCAA bylaw 20.9.7.5.2 would mean UMass would be ineligible for postseason play and would have one year to meet the minimum requirement before having to reapply for admission to the FBS.
The win-loss record isn’t likely to be pretty again this season, but Molnar believes his team is light years better than it was when it started Year 1. Time will tell if he’s right.
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
UMass picked to finish last in MAC
July, 23, 2013
Jul 23
8:53
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
Coming off a 1-11 debut season at the Football Bowl Subdivision level in 2012, perhaps it’s no surprise that UMass again has been picked to finish at the bottom of the Mid-American Conference in 2013.
The Minutemen received just 29 points in the voting by media members in attendance at MAC media day in Detroit on Tuesday, finishing seventh and last in the East Division and tying Eastern Michigan (sixth and last in the West Division) for fewest total points.
Ohio, with 15 first-place votes and 164 points, was chosen to win the East, while Northern Illinois, with 16 first-place votes and 138 points, was chosen to win the West. Northern Illinois, which returns 16 starters from the team that went to the Discover Orange Bowl after a 12-2 season that included an 8-0 conference mark, received 14 of 25 votes to win the MAC title game.
Toledo and Ohio were tied for second with three votes each to win the MAC title game.
UMass coach Charley Molnar knows his team still will be young and inexperienced in 2013, but he believes the Minutemen in Year 2 are “light years” ahead of where they were in Year 1. The only team that UMass beat in Year 1, Akron, also finished the season with a 1-11 record.
The Zips, coincidentally, were picked to finish sixth in the East, one spot ahead of the Minutemen.
The full results of the voting, with first-place votes in parentheses, are as follows:
East Division
1. Ohio (15) 164
2. Bowling Green (8) 154
3. Kent State (1) 119
4. Buffalo (1) 101
5. Miami 78
6. Akron 53
7. UMass 29
West Division
1. Northern Illinois (16) 138
2. Toledo (5) 122
3. Ball State (3) 108
4. Central Michigan (1) 67
5. Western Michigan 61
6. Eastern Michigan 29
The Minutemen received just 29 points in the voting by media members in attendance at MAC media day in Detroit on Tuesday, finishing seventh and last in the East Division and tying Eastern Michigan (sixth and last in the West Division) for fewest total points.
Ohio, with 15 first-place votes and 164 points, was chosen to win the East, while Northern Illinois, with 16 first-place votes and 138 points, was chosen to win the West. Northern Illinois, which returns 16 starters from the team that went to the Discover Orange Bowl after a 12-2 season that included an 8-0 conference mark, received 14 of 25 votes to win the MAC title game.
Toledo and Ohio were tied for second with three votes each to win the MAC title game.
UMass coach Charley Molnar knows his team still will be young and inexperienced in 2013, but he believes the Minutemen in Year 2 are “light years” ahead of where they were in Year 1. The only team that UMass beat in Year 1, Akron, also finished the season with a 1-11 record.
The Zips, coincidentally, were picked to finish sixth in the East, one spot ahead of the Minutemen.
The full results of the voting, with first-place votes in parentheses, are as follows:
East Division
1. Ohio (15) 164
2. Bowling Green (8) 154
3. Kent State (1) 119
4. Buffalo (1) 101
5. Miami 78
6. Akron 53
7. UMass 29
West Division
1. Northern Illinois (16) 138
2. Toledo (5) 122
3. Ball State (3) 108
4. Central Michigan (1) 67
5. Western Michigan 61
6. Eastern Michigan 29
UMass' Dima, BC's Pierre-Louis on watch lists
July, 11, 2013
Jul 11
4:43
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
Another day, another pair of players from local teams landing on preseason award watch lists.
On Wednesday, it was specialists Nate Freese (Boston College place-kicker) on the Lou Groza watch list and Colter Johnson (Massachusetts punter) on the Ray Guy watch list. On Thursday, it was two guys from opposite sides of the line of scrimmage in the news, as UMass offensive tackle Anthony Dima was included on the Outland Trophy watch list and BC linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis was included on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.
The Nagurski award goes to the national defensive player of the year, while the Outland award goes to the nation’s top interior lineman.
Dima, a 6-foot-7, 302-pound fifth-year senior, is a two-year starter at UMass after transferring from Hofstra. He’s one of three MAC linemen on the Outland list (along with Kent State defensive tackle Roosevelt Nix and Toledo center Zac Kerin).
Pierre-Louis, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior, is on the Nagurski watch list for the second straight season. In 2011, the award went to BC’s Luke Kuechly.
Despite playing in just nine games in 2012, Pierre-Louis ranked fourth on the Eagles with 85 tackles. The speedy outside linebacker has 252 career tackles, with 145 of those the solo variety and 14 for a loss.
The BC ‘backer is one of 12 ACC players on the Nagurski list (for a complete list of the ACC’s representatives, go here ).
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
On Wednesday, it was specialists Nate Freese (Boston College place-kicker) on the Lou Groza watch list and Colter Johnson (Massachusetts punter) on the Ray Guy watch list. On Thursday, it was two guys from opposite sides of the line of scrimmage in the news, as UMass offensive tackle Anthony Dima was included on the Outland Trophy watch list and BC linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis was included on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.
The Nagurski award goes to the national defensive player of the year, while the Outland award goes to the nation’s top interior lineman.
Dima, a 6-foot-7, 302-pound fifth-year senior, is a two-year starter at UMass after transferring from Hofstra. He’s one of three MAC linemen on the Outland list (along with Kent State defensive tackle Roosevelt Nix and Toledo center Zac Kerin).
Pierre-Louis, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior, is on the Nagurski watch list for the second straight season. In 2011, the award went to BC’s Luke Kuechly.
Despite playing in just nine games in 2012, Pierre-Louis ranked fourth on the Eagles with 85 tackles. The speedy outside linebacker has 252 career tackles, with 145 of those the solo variety and 14 for a loss.
The BC ‘backer is one of 12 ACC players on the Nagurski list (for a complete list of the ACC’s representatives, go here ).
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
BC's Freese, UMass' Johnson on watch lists
July, 10, 2013
Jul 10
8:07
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
Though both Boston College and UMass struggled in 2012, it wasn’t all bad for the Eagles and Minutemen. Amidst the wreckage were some standout performances, ones capable of giving hope to beleaguered fan bases.
Two of those performances got a couple of specialists some recognition on Wednesday, as Nate Freese and Colter Johnson were named to the watch lists for the Lou Groza and Ray Guy awards, respectively.
Freese, a rising senior for BC, was one of the most accurate field goal kickers in the country, finishing 18-for-20 on field goals (.900). He enters 2013 tied for third nationally in field goals per game, at 1.4.
Johnson, a rising senior for UMass, led the MAC in punting average at 43.6 yards per kick. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder had 66 punts for 2,880 yards as the Minutemen went 1-11 in their debut season in the FBS.
Freese is one of 30 kickers, including four from the ACC, on the Groza award watch list; Johnson is one of 25 punters on the Guy award watch list.
And while their production in 2012 got them this far, it’s a safe bet that both would trade some of their individual opportunities for more team wins in 2013.
Two of those performances got a couple of specialists some recognition on Wednesday, as Nate Freese and Colter Johnson were named to the watch lists for the Lou Groza and Ray Guy awards, respectively.
Freese, a rising senior for BC, was one of the most accurate field goal kickers in the country, finishing 18-for-20 on field goals (.900). He enters 2013 tied for third nationally in field goals per game, at 1.4.
Johnson, a rising senior for UMass, led the MAC in punting average at 43.6 yards per kick. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder had 66 punts for 2,880 yards as the Minutemen went 1-11 in their debut season in the FBS.
Freese is one of 30 kickers, including four from the ACC, on the Groza award watch list; Johnson is one of 25 punters on the Guy award watch list.
And while their production in 2012 got them this far, it’s a safe bet that both would trade some of their individual opportunities for more team wins in 2013.
UMass football tries to drum up enthusiasm
May, 22, 2013
May 22
9:20
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
The spring session completed, University of Massachusetts football coach Charley Molnar can now turn his full attention to recruiting.
But instead of future players, Molnar and the Minutemen are setting their sights on future fans. The school has planned events in the Greater Boston area and Western Mass. through June, hoping to drum up enthusiasm about UMass football at the FBS level headed into Year 2.
Molnar knows it’ll be a hard sell after his program went 1-11 in Year 1 in the Mid-American Conference.
“I think we’re light years ahead of where we were a year ago as a football team,” Molnar said by phone Wednesday. “We still have some areas of concern. The biggest thing now is lack of depth at certain positions.”
The head coach pointed to offensive line and wide receiver as two trouble spots. Molnar said he usually likes to have between 12 and 14 wideouts on the roster, with 10 or 11 of those players on scholarship. At the moment, he said, the latter number is more like 7 or 8.
“I can’t create depth overnight,” he said. “We’re going to have to play young players at a lot of positions again this year.”
That includes the O-line, a clear position of need for the Minutemen after they struggled to both run the ball and protect the quarterback consistently in 2012.
“The improvement was good, the depth again is an area of concern,” Molnar said of the offensive line. “You’re talking about an influx of new football players at that position. How many guys are going to be ready to be quality backups remains to be seen.”
The Minutemen haven’t added just players, bringing in four new coaches in the offseason (including the first strength and conditioning coach dedicated solely to football in the school’s history). It’s all geared toward reaching two goals: success on the field and in the stands.
UMass averaged 10,902 fans at its five home games in 2012, down from more than 13,000 in its last FCS season in 2011. Two of the five games at Gillette Stadium drew fewer than 10,000 fans, with a low of 6,385 in the season-closing loss to Central Michigan.
Molnar said people, recruits and fans alike, have been receptive to UMass. And he expects the more than $34 million construction project underway at McGuirk Stadium, upgrading the facility to meet MAC standards and building a new “performance center” to house the football locker room, weight room and coaches offices under one roof, to enhance the Minutemen’s status going forward.
“Right now our facilities would have to rank at the very, very bottom of 1-A football,” he said. “A year from now our facilities will be at the top of mid-major football and better than what many BCS programs have to offer.”
But even with gleaming new digs, there’s no guarantee the product on the field will look a whole lot better in 2013.
“On the inside looking out we could see a lot of signs of progress that fans in the stands couldn’t see,” Molnar said. “The fans only understand wins and losses. … We’ve certainly closed the gap. I wouldn’t say we’ve arrived by any stretch of the imagination.”
When you’re trying to build a program, and a fan base, from the ground up, perspective is important.
“As a fan they’ll look at wins and losses, and so will I,” Molnar said.
But for now, progress will be measured in smaller increments than that.
“Do we turn the ball over less?” the coach said. “Do we have fewer pre-snap fouls? False starts. Illegal formations and substitutions. These are things that go wrong before the ball’s ever snapped. Let’s just get the ball snapped and go from there.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
But instead of future players, Molnar and the Minutemen are setting their sights on future fans. The school has planned events in the Greater Boston area and Western Mass. through June, hoping to drum up enthusiasm about UMass football at the FBS level headed into Year 2.
Molnar knows it’ll be a hard sell after his program went 1-11 in Year 1 in the Mid-American Conference.
[+] Enlarge
Mark L. Baer/US PresswireCharley Molnar says UMass is far ahead of where it was last year, but still lacks depth in key areas.
The head coach pointed to offensive line and wide receiver as two trouble spots. Molnar said he usually likes to have between 12 and 14 wideouts on the roster, with 10 or 11 of those players on scholarship. At the moment, he said, the latter number is more like 7 or 8.
“I can’t create depth overnight,” he said. “We’re going to have to play young players at a lot of positions again this year.”
That includes the O-line, a clear position of need for the Minutemen after they struggled to both run the ball and protect the quarterback consistently in 2012.
“The improvement was good, the depth again is an area of concern,” Molnar said of the offensive line. “You’re talking about an influx of new football players at that position. How many guys are going to be ready to be quality backups remains to be seen.”
The Minutemen haven’t added just players, bringing in four new coaches in the offseason (including the first strength and conditioning coach dedicated solely to football in the school’s history). It’s all geared toward reaching two goals: success on the field and in the stands.
UMass averaged 10,902 fans at its five home games in 2012, down from more than 13,000 in its last FCS season in 2011. Two of the five games at Gillette Stadium drew fewer than 10,000 fans, with a low of 6,385 in the season-closing loss to Central Michigan.
Molnar said people, recruits and fans alike, have been receptive to UMass. And he expects the more than $34 million construction project underway at McGuirk Stadium, upgrading the facility to meet MAC standards and building a new “performance center” to house the football locker room, weight room and coaches offices under one roof, to enhance the Minutemen’s status going forward.
“Right now our facilities would have to rank at the very, very bottom of 1-A football,” he said. “A year from now our facilities will be at the top of mid-major football and better than what many BCS programs have to offer.”
But even with gleaming new digs, there’s no guarantee the product on the field will look a whole lot better in 2013.
“On the inside looking out we could see a lot of signs of progress that fans in the stands couldn’t see,” Molnar said. “The fans only understand wins and losses. … We’ve certainly closed the gap. I wouldn’t say we’ve arrived by any stretch of the imagination.”
When you’re trying to build a program, and a fan base, from the ground up, perspective is important.
“As a fan they’ll look at wins and losses, and so will I,” Molnar said.
But for now, progress will be measured in smaller increments than that.
“Do we turn the ball over less?” the coach said. “Do we have fewer pre-snap fouls? False starts. Illegal formations and substitutions. These are things that go wrong before the ball’s ever snapped. Let’s just get the ball snapped and go from there.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
Victims honored at UMass spring game
April, 21, 2013
Apr 21
4:13
AM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
AMHERST, Mass. -- Gary Menin's last-minute decision to take part in the halftime ceremonies at UMass' annual spring game Saturday wasn't by design.
Menin, a 30-year-old attorney, held back tears as he explained the shock of hearing the news Friday morning of the death of his former roommate of two years in Somerville. He collapsed to his knees and broke down in his Milton home, in shock and disbelief.
Sean Collier, a 26-year-old MIT campus police officer, was slain in the line of duty during the nearly 20-hour manhunt for two suspects connected to Monday's Boston Marathon bombings.
"I didn't know him in the capacity of a cop. I knew him grilling in the backyard. I knew him playing Frisbee in the park by Tufts," Menin began, eyes welling up. "He's a real person, and now a lot of people aren't going to get to know him. They'll read about him, but you don't get to hear his voice, or play 'Rock Band' with him, you know, stuff you do with roommates."
Saturday afternoon at McGuirk Alumni Stadium, those who were unable to finish Monday's marathon were invited to run a ceremonious "finish" at halftime of the annual intrasquad scrimmage that concludes spring practices. Menin was among the six taking up the offer, running a lap around the perimeter of the gridiron and finishing with a scamper across the 50-yard line, with football players forming a gauntlet along the last 50.
Menin, a UMass alum, was one-tenth of a mile from the finish line when the explosions went off, and found himself circumnavigating around the block another mile to find his family, who were waiting at the finish line at the time.
He may not find closure over losing his former roommate to such senseless violence.
"If this is how I feel, I can't imagine what his family is going through," Menin said.
But he felt honored to be able to partake in today's ceremonious run.
"Unfortunately I found out very last minute I wanted to do this for Sean," he said. "It's nice to have everyone here. Everyone's been so great in Boston, but in Massachusetts and all around the world as well."
Shrewsbury resident Lisa Lunt, 30, was stopped a few miles back from the finish line when the explosion went off, and Saturday wielded an American flag during the lap -- just as she did for the entire race on Monday, as a tribute to servicemen deployed overseas.
"I'm a UMass alum, and today I really wanted to be a part of it," Lunt said. "If people can die overseas for our country, I can carry a flag for 26 miles. It's a small price to pay."
Players also paid tribute to Collier and the three victims who lost their lives in Monday's bombing by placing the full names of each on their nameplates on the backs of their jerseys. Defensive back Randall Jette wore the nameplate of Collier; he was joined by linebacker Stanley Andre (Martin Richard), wide receiver Klysmann Afonso (Krystle Campbell), tight end Brandon Howard (Lu Lingzi), and tight end Rob Blanchflower, who wore a "#BostonStrong" nameplate.
"I know how it is growing up in Dorchester," says Andre, who hails from the same part of Boston as Richard, the 8-year-old who lost his life in Monday's bombing. "Dorchester is a tough neighborhood. Not to see him grow, it's tough to experience and witness. It's really an unfortunate tragedy."
Afonso, a midyear walk-on from Medford, grew up on the city's Lawrence Street, a short distance from the 29-year-old Campbell's Park Street residence. And while he didn't know Campbell or her family personally, he knew folks that were close to her.
"I know some of my friends who have worked with her family and said she was just a joy to be around," he said. "I was so proud to have her name even on my nameplate. That was just a huge honor for me to represent Medford, her and the bombing victims."
UMass head coach Charley Molnar called Saturday's event "really high" on the list of most memorable moments of his decades-long coaching career.
"This is was much bigger than I ever thought it would be," he said.
He also said he plans on trying to run for next year's race.
"After the events on Monday, I was absolutely determined that I want to run Boston in 2014," he said. "I'm going to enter my first marathon in Long Branch, N.J., in a few weeks, and just see where I'm at, and maybe get a couple more under my belt to see if I can qualify."
Menin, a 30-year-old attorney, held back tears as he explained the shock of hearing the news Friday morning of the death of his former roommate of two years in Somerville. He collapsed to his knees and broke down in his Milton home, in shock and disbelief.
Sean Collier, a 26-year-old MIT campus police officer, was slain in the line of duty during the nearly 20-hour manhunt for two suspects connected to Monday's Boston Marathon bombings.
[+] Enlarge
Brendan Hall/ESPNBoston.comRunners who were prevented from completing the Boston Marathon cross the finish line at UMass.
Saturday afternoon at McGuirk Alumni Stadium, those who were unable to finish Monday's marathon were invited to run a ceremonious "finish" at halftime of the annual intrasquad scrimmage that concludes spring practices. Menin was among the six taking up the offer, running a lap around the perimeter of the gridiron and finishing with a scamper across the 50-yard line, with football players forming a gauntlet along the last 50.
Menin, a UMass alum, was one-tenth of a mile from the finish line when the explosions went off, and found himself circumnavigating around the block another mile to find his family, who were waiting at the finish line at the time.
He may not find closure over losing his former roommate to such senseless violence.
"If this is how I feel, I can't imagine what his family is going through," Menin said.
But he felt honored to be able to partake in today's ceremonious run.
"Unfortunately I found out very last minute I wanted to do this for Sean," he said. "It's nice to have everyone here. Everyone's been so great in Boston, but in Massachusetts and all around the world as well."
Shrewsbury resident Lisa Lunt, 30, was stopped a few miles back from the finish line when the explosion went off, and Saturday wielded an American flag during the lap -- just as she did for the entire race on Monday, as a tribute to servicemen deployed overseas.
"I'm a UMass alum, and today I really wanted to be a part of it," Lunt said. "If people can die overseas for our country, I can carry a flag for 26 miles. It's a small price to pay."
Players also paid tribute to Collier and the three victims who lost their lives in Monday's bombing by placing the full names of each on their nameplates on the backs of their jerseys. Defensive back Randall Jette wore the nameplate of Collier; he was joined by linebacker Stanley Andre (Martin Richard), wide receiver Klysmann Afonso (Krystle Campbell), tight end Brandon Howard (Lu Lingzi), and tight end Rob Blanchflower, who wore a "#BostonStrong" nameplate.
"I know how it is growing up in Dorchester," says Andre, who hails from the same part of Boston as Richard, the 8-year-old who lost his life in Monday's bombing. "Dorchester is a tough neighborhood. Not to see him grow, it's tough to experience and witness. It's really an unfortunate tragedy."
Afonso, a midyear walk-on from Medford, grew up on the city's Lawrence Street, a short distance from the 29-year-old Campbell's Park Street residence. And while he didn't know Campbell or her family personally, he knew folks that were close to her.
"I know some of my friends who have worked with her family and said she was just a joy to be around," he said. "I was so proud to have her name even on my nameplate. That was just a huge honor for me to represent Medford, her and the bombing victims."
UMass head coach Charley Molnar called Saturday's event "really high" on the list of most memorable moments of his decades-long coaching career.
"This is was much bigger than I ever thought it would be," he said.
He also said he plans on trying to run for next year's race.
"After the events on Monday, I was absolutely determined that I want to run Boston in 2014," he said. "I'm going to enter my first marathon in Long Branch, N.J., in a few weeks, and just see where I'm at, and maybe get a couple more under my belt to see if I can qualify."
In previewing the Atlantic 10 tournament, which begins Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, ESPN.com college basketball writer Eamonn Brennan lists UMass point guard Chaz Williams as one of his five players to watch and lists the Minutemen, who open play Thursday night at 9 against George Washington, as his sleeper pick:
Sleeper pick: This is kind of a funny question, because as I mentioned in the intro, at the start of the season it felt as though this league had about 10 sleepers. Those ranks have dwindled, of course, but there are still plenty of threats that didn't get a first-round bye. Xavier has improved steadily over the course of the season (and the first rule of Xavier is never bet against Xavier); Richmond is a threat to get hot and rattle off a handful of wins with Derrick Williams back from injury; anything can happen with Charlotte, but it's a tough out; and Saint Joe's … well, OK, let's not go too far. If I had to settle on one, I'd probably go with UMass. The Minutemen are the team with the most on the line, and they certainly have the talent to go deep.CLICK HERE to read the rest of Brennan's A-10 tourney preview.
The pairings are set for the Atlantic 10 tournament, with the sixth-seeded University of Massachusetts to open against No. 11 George Washington on Thursday night (9 p.m.) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The winner of that game will face No. 3 seed Temple in the quarterfinals. The Owls beat VCU, 84-76, on Sunday.
UMass, which was 9-7 in the A-10 for the second straight year, suffered what may have been their worst loss of the season -- at least in terms of their standing in the eyes of the NCAA tournament selection committee -- at the hands of the Colonials, losing 79-76 on Jan. 19 in Amherst. The Minutemen trailed much of the day and fell behind by 16 in the second half before staging a furious rally that fell short.
UMass' chances of getting an at-large bid to the Big Dance appear slim, although wins of Temple and second seed VCU in the semifinals could conceivably at least put them in the bubble conversation. But clearly if the Minutemen want their first NCAA bid since 1998, they'd best win four games in four days. And the way the bracket sets up, they could have four teams who already have beaten them -- GW, Temple, VCU and St. Louis or Butler -- lined up ahead of them.
The winner of that game will face No. 3 seed Temple in the quarterfinals. The Owls beat VCU, 84-76, on Sunday.
UMass, which was 9-7 in the A-10 for the second straight year, suffered what may have been their worst loss of the season -- at least in terms of their standing in the eyes of the NCAA tournament selection committee -- at the hands of the Colonials, losing 79-76 on Jan. 19 in Amherst. The Minutemen trailed much of the day and fell behind by 16 in the second half before staging a furious rally that fell short.
UMass' chances of getting an at-large bid to the Big Dance appear slim, although wins of Temple and second seed VCU in the semifinals could conceivably at least put them in the bubble conversation. But clearly if the Minutemen want their first NCAA bid since 1998, they'd best win four games in four days. And the way the bracket sets up, they could have four teams who already have beaten them -- GW, Temple, VCU and St. Louis or Butler -- lined up ahead of them.
UMass done in by Butler's board work
March, 7, 2013
Mar 7
11:33
PM ET
By Steve Richards | ESPNBoston.com
AMHERST, Mass. -- Thursday night’s visit to the University of Massachusetts by Butler, in all likelihood the Bulldogs’ one and only game in Amherst as an Atlantic 10 foe, certainly created a buzz in the area.
But from start to finish, the visitors took most of the sizzle out of the matchup.
The 9,341 fans at the Mullins Center, just shy of being the first sellout at UMass since 2006, were willing, but Butler controlled the tempo largely by dominating on the boards, handing the Minutemen a 73-62 loss that deals a serious blow to any hopes UMass had of garnering an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
UMass, which hasn’t been to the Big Dance since 1998, had been on the fringes of the bubble conversation. But a high profile win over Butler, which had been in the Top 25 for 11 weeks before dropping out in the most recent polls, plus a season-ending win over Rhode Island on Saturday and a couple of wins in next week’s A-10 tournament would have made UMass a legitimate talking point for the selection committee.
Instead, at 18-10 overall and 8-7 (tied for seventh) in the league, the Minutemen likely will be an NCAA afterthought unless they win the A-10 tourney.
“We couldn’t find our rhythm or our groove,” said point guard Chaz Williams, who normally drives the UMass offense but was given little room to maneuver by Butler’s defense. Williams finished with 8 points and 8 assists. “We weren’t getting any transition points and we weren’t getting any rebounds. Our game is transition, and we weren’t getting any transition chances. It was real frustrating.”
To Williams’ point, UMass had only six fast-break points and were outrebounded, 37-20. Butler had 17 offensive rebounds, which often led to open shots and hoops that demoralized the Minutemen and the crowd.
“You get outrebounded by 17, that’s unacceptable,” UMass coach Derek Kellogg said. “When you don’t get any defensive rebounds, you’re not going to get any transition baskets and that’s what happened tonight. They actually out-toughed us.
“We understand it was a missed opportunity with a great crowd. The fortunate thing is the season’s not over. We still have an opportunity in front of us.”
UMass missed its first three shots and trailed from wire to wire. The Minutemen got within a point midway through the first half, but were behind 30-22 at the break, their lowest output in the first 20 minutes this season.
Butler built the lead to 14 in the first 2:30 of the second half, and while UMass got within 8 and briefly caused the Bulldogs some problems with its pressure defense, it failed to capitalize on the other end. And while Butler was flummoxed by VCU's "havoc" defense in an 84-52 blowout on Saturday, the Minutemen's pressure was nowhere near as relentless or disruptive.
A pair of wide open dunks by Kameron Woods (17 points off the bench) on passes by Roosevelt Jones (8 assists) on back-to-back possessions extinguished any flicker of fire for the Minutemen, giving Butler a 54-41 lead with 8:47 to play.
Butler, which got 17 points from Rontei Clark and 13 points and 15 rebounds from Andrew Smith, held a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
The Minutemen rode their 3-point shooting to a big win at Xavier last weekend (13 for 25), but were just 4 for 18 beyond the arc on Thursday. Senior Terrell Vinson (17 points on 6-of-9 shooting) was their only reliable option offensively.
Despite the disappointing outcome on his Senior Night, Vinson isn’t ready to pack it in.
“Yeah, I’d rather have the win,” he said, “but the season is far from over. We’ve got a lot more games.”
But from start to finish, the visitors took most of the sizzle out of the matchup.
The 9,341 fans at the Mullins Center, just shy of being the first sellout at UMass since 2006, were willing, but Butler controlled the tempo largely by dominating on the boards, handing the Minutemen a 73-62 loss that deals a serious blow to any hopes UMass had of garnering an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Cal Sport Media/Anthony NesmithBig man Andrew Smith (13 points, 15 rebounds) helped Butler dominate UMass off the glass.
Instead, at 18-10 overall and 8-7 (tied for seventh) in the league, the Minutemen likely will be an NCAA afterthought unless they win the A-10 tourney.
“We couldn’t find our rhythm or our groove,” said point guard Chaz Williams, who normally drives the UMass offense but was given little room to maneuver by Butler’s defense. Williams finished with 8 points and 8 assists. “We weren’t getting any transition points and we weren’t getting any rebounds. Our game is transition, and we weren’t getting any transition chances. It was real frustrating.”
To Williams’ point, UMass had only six fast-break points and were outrebounded, 37-20. Butler had 17 offensive rebounds, which often led to open shots and hoops that demoralized the Minutemen and the crowd.
“You get outrebounded by 17, that’s unacceptable,” UMass coach Derek Kellogg said. “When you don’t get any defensive rebounds, you’re not going to get any transition baskets and that’s what happened tonight. They actually out-toughed us.
“We understand it was a missed opportunity with a great crowd. The fortunate thing is the season’s not over. We still have an opportunity in front of us.”
UMass missed its first three shots and trailed from wire to wire. The Minutemen got within a point midway through the first half, but were behind 30-22 at the break, their lowest output in the first 20 minutes this season.
Butler built the lead to 14 in the first 2:30 of the second half, and while UMass got within 8 and briefly caused the Bulldogs some problems with its pressure defense, it failed to capitalize on the other end. And while Butler was flummoxed by VCU's "havoc" defense in an 84-52 blowout on Saturday, the Minutemen's pressure was nowhere near as relentless or disruptive.
A pair of wide open dunks by Kameron Woods (17 points off the bench) on passes by Roosevelt Jones (8 assists) on back-to-back possessions extinguished any flicker of fire for the Minutemen, giving Butler a 54-41 lead with 8:47 to play.
Butler, which got 17 points from Rontei Clark and 13 points and 15 rebounds from Andrew Smith, held a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
The Minutemen rode their 3-point shooting to a big win at Xavier last weekend (13 for 25), but were just 4 for 18 beyond the arc on Thursday. Senior Terrell Vinson (17 points on 6-of-9 shooting) was their only reliable option offensively.
Despite the disappointing outcome on his Senior Night, Vinson isn’t ready to pack it in.
“Yeah, I’d rather have the win,” he said, “but the season is far from over. We’ve got a lot more games.”
Former University of Massachusetts pitcher and Pittsfield, Mass., native Matt Torra, a 28-year-old minor leaguer still working at earning a shot in the bigs, hopes to open some eyes while pitching for Italy in the World Baseball Classic next month.
Torra's paternal great-grandfather was born in Italy, which makes him eligible for that country's team in the WBC.
"I'm really looking forward to that opportunity," Torra told the Daily Hampshire Gazette. "I think it's going to be a great experience."
Torra, who was a sandwich pick (between the first and second round) in the 2005 MLB draft, signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals in December and expects to be assigned to the team's Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.
"As I'm getting later in my career as a minor leaguer, joining the Nationals is hopefully going to give me that boost that I need," Torra told the Gazette. "Hopefully something positive comes of it."
Torra was profiled last summer in a feature story by ESPNBoston.com contributor Marty Dobrow (CLICK HERE).
Torra's paternal great-grandfather was born in Italy, which makes him eligible for that country's team in the WBC.
"I'm really looking forward to that opportunity," Torra told the Daily Hampshire Gazette. "I think it's going to be a great experience."
Torra, who was a sandwich pick (between the first and second round) in the 2005 MLB draft, signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals in December and expects to be assigned to the team's Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.
"As I'm getting later in my career as a minor leaguer, joining the Nationals is hopefully going to give me that boost that I need," Torra told the Gazette. "Hopefully something positive comes of it."
Torra was profiled last summer in a feature story by ESPNBoston.com contributor Marty Dobrow (CLICK HERE).
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Jack McCluskey
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and covers college sports and more for ESPNBoston.com. Send any questions or comments for Jack here and follow him on Twitter (@jack_mccluskey).