![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jmusportsblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/Massachusetts.jpg\" "\\"Massachusetts\\"")
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The Basics:\u00a0 <\/strong>First up is former North Division member UMass, a team that we think may be considerably stronger in person than they appear on paper.\u00a0 The Minutemen finished a disappointing 5-6, 3-5 CAA last year after a strong 4-2 start that included a win over New Hampshire and a tight loss at FBS Kansas St. in the opener.\u00a0\u00a0 A dreadful 0-5 road record doomed this team, though it was their only home loss, to the Dukes on Senior Night, that sealed their fate\u00a0and crushed their playoff chances.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0UMass has been a consistently strong CAA program the last decade.\u00a0 This will be Head Coach Kevin Morris’ second year.<\/p>\n What you don’t know: <\/strong>UMass landed one of the top prizes in the HU\/NU transfer lottery in Running Back John Griffin.\u00a0 Griffin ran for over 1000 yards, was 1st Team All CAA last year, and NU’s MVP.\u00a0 Although there are other good backs in the Conference, Griffin unarguably did more with less than any skill position player in the CAA last year for the Huskies and should team up with Jonathan Hernandez to form one of the strongest backfields in 2010.<\/p>\n JMU Question: <\/strong>Returning 2nd Team all CAA LB Tyler Holmes is from Blacksburg HS in Blacksburg, VA.\u00a0 How is he not playing for the Dukes?!<\/p>\n 2010 Outlook: <\/strong>UMass returns only four starters on each side of the ball, but those low numbers are deceiving, at least on offense.\u00a0 They return QB Kyle Havens and three linemen to protect him.\u00a0 Although they lost badass OL Ducasse to the NFL Draft, with Griffin in the mix\u00a0at RB, if they can find anyone to catch a few balls, they could be dangerous on offense.\u00a0 The question marks with this team are 1) defense, where they have to replace their entire line, and 2) leadership.\u00a0 That 0-5 road record and disastrous finish to the season\u00a0(including an ugly home loss to the Dukes on Senior Night in Amherst and an uglier loss on the road in the finale in what turned out to be the last game for the Flying Dutchmen) seem to\u00a0suggest a lack of leadership, and Coach Morris will have to hope a few guys step up in that regard.<\/p>\n Long-term Outlook: <\/strong>UMass is a big state school (27,016) with decent history, a decent home following (never had less than 12k until the finale against JMU on Thanksgiving week when they were falling apart), and\u00a0proud tradition\u00a0in other sports (think Marcus Camby).\u00a0 The Minutemen play in the A-10 in other sports, but if the dominoes start falling in College Football the next few years, you’d have to think they’d have some serious decisions to make about the direction of their football program.\u00a0 Falling back into a lower-level FCS conference in the Northeast, trying to go back to a reformed A-10, and considering a jump to the next level would all seem to be realistic options for this program.<\/p>\n Prediction: 6-5, 4-4 CAA<\/strong>.\u00a0 This is a team that could really surprise someone (think W&M in the opener at home on Labor Day Weekend) and could easily lose to someone traditionally beneath them (think at RhodeI to close the season in what could also be the Rams last game ever), but if they can survive a tough start to the season (home for W&M and always tough Holy Cross, then at the Big House to play the Wolverines), they could hang around all season.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n