DEVELOPING: UMass To MAC...???

Which seems odd... instead of bolstering the Big L-East or something along that line of questioning...

And this could happen as soon as next month... Mark Blaudschun of the Boston Globe reported on Friday.

The newspaper reported that MAC officials visited the campus and also Gillette Stadium -- where some UMass home games could be played.

"We're not going to comment on anything regarding that," said UMass athletic director John McCutcheon, according to the newspaper. "But our discussions involve football only and we are still talking about making a decision sooner rather than later."

Like Temple, UMass wants to remain in the Atlantic 10 for other sports, especially basketball ((considering the lucrativity of that conference over the MAC)), but the MAC would ask that the schools play non-conference hoops games against MAC opponents as a trade-off.

The move can't be made official until September when a moratorium is lifted for I-AA schools get the chance to jump to D1. UMass then would have to go through a two-year transition period before becoming a full MAC member in 2013.

Here's highlights from their loss to Rhode Island from a month ago...
((HT: UMassAthletics/CBS3))

TWTW I-AA: Spiders Steal One At UMass

((HT: UMass Athletics))

Division One wasn't the only group that had a bunch of ranked teams go at each other Saturday.

First off, don't be surprised if these guys find their way deep into the I-AA playoffs.

((What's that you said...? Playoffs...??? What is this strange concept of you speak in college football...???))

But Number 8 went up against Number 20 and Richmond went on a last-minute 60-yard drive to win 11-10 in Amherst...

Here's the highlights from UMass Athletics and CBS3Springfield...

Lucky Or Good...? Michigan Holds Off UMass

((HT: WXYZ-TV Detroit))

That's the question for Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez after yet another Appalachian State flashback that almost came true Saturday.

Denard Robinson had 345 yards of total offense and three touchdowns as he continued his early Heisman push. Robinson was 10 of 14 for 241 yards passing and hooked up with Darryl Stonum for TDs 45 seconds apart late in the first half. He also ran 17 times for 104 yards and a score that put the Wolverines ahead 35-17 midway through the third quarter.

UMass scored to get within five points with 2:05 left, but their onside kick went out of bounds and Michigan ran out the clock. They even led by 10 early and had a chance to do the same thing AppState did three years ago.

Here's your postgame...


We still think RichRod is gone after this year...

UMass Suspends Four From Football Team

((HT: Boston Herald))

Four University of Massachusetts football players have been suspended from the team following their arrests by Amherst police on drug charges.

The school said in a statement that the players were suspended for violating team rules.

The players were identified as James Carven, a junior defensive back from Hanover; Bob McLaughlin, a junior defensive lineman from Brewster; Mike Mele, a junior linebacker from Sea Girt, N.J.; and Shane Viveiros, a sophomore defensive back from Fall River.

Amherst Police Detective Richard MacLean said the four men were arrested around midnight Sept. 25 and charged with possession of a Class B drug. Mele and Viveiros were also charged with misuse of a liquor ID or license.

It was not immediately known if the men had attorneys.

New Division I-AA Poll- Preseason 2008

((Yes, we know, we said 'poll...'We know there is no love for Wilkie's Missouri State alma mater at all anywhere on the page. And we also know that we're calling it the Division I-AA poll. This whole FBS/FCS stuff is silly...))

According to the folks at The Sports Network... this is their handiwork...
We'll keep reminding you of that all season long...

1. Appalachian State (97) 13-2 2,546 1

2. North Dakota State (1) 10-1 2,275 9

3. Northern Iowa 12-1 2,204 4

4. Richmond 11-3 2,162 5

5. Massachusetts 10-3 2,148 7

6. James Madison (3) 8-4 2,078 12

7. Eastern Washington 9-4 1,951 8

8. Montana 11-1 1,848 10

9. Delaware 11-4 1,747 2

10. McNeese State 11-1 1,687 11

11. Southern Illinois 12-2 1,286 3

12. Youngstown State 7-4 1,228 16

13. Wofford 9-4 1,158 6

14. Cal Poly 7-4 1,081 24

15. Elon 7-4 1,028 23

16. New Hampshire 7-5 760 14

17. Georgia Southern 7-4 656 17

18. Eastern Illinois 8-4 622 18

19. South Dakota State 7-4 547 19

20. Eastern Kentucky 9-3 487 13

21. Villanova 7-4 396 NR

22. Central Arkansas 6-5 374 NR

23. The Citadel 7-4 317 NR

24. Harvard 8-2 316 21

25. Western Illinois 6-5 299 NR

Others receiving votes: Northern Arizona 249, Fordham 212, Delaware State 198, Jacksonville State 195, Yale 170, Sam Houston State 166, Montana State 146, Furman 120, Liberty 115, Jackson State 79, South Carolina State 76, Holy Cross 74, Hofstra 61, Colgate 56, Grambling 55, Norfolk State 48, Coastal Carolina 44, Hampton 41, Southern 32, Northwestern State 30, Tennessee-Martin 30, UC Davis 22, Weber State 17, Lafayette 16, Alabama A&M 10, Texas Southern 9, Brown 9, Nicholls State 9, Dayton 6, Tennessee State 5, San Diego 4, Albany 4, Maine 1, Prairie View 1.