Chowder and Champions
Fansided

UMass Minutemen: 2017 college football preview

By Logan Jakubajtys

HADLEY, MA - SEPTEMBER 17: The Massachusetts Minutemen run onto the field prior to the game against the FIU Golden Panthers at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Hadley, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
HADLEY, MA - SEPTEMBER 17: The Massachusetts Minutemen run onto the field prior to the game against the FIU Golden Panthers at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Hadley, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The UMass Minutemen football program is still adjusting to the Division I FBS level, and they won’t be in bowl contention in 2017.

UMass has had their fair share of struggles on the football field since becoming an FBS school. In 2016 they went 2-10 after a 3-9 season in 2015. As an independent, the Minutemen have not been afraid to schedule tough opponents and to go into hostile environments. In that 2015 season, UMass played on the road at Notre Dame. Last season they hit the road for games at Florida and Hawaii. They also took on Boston College and Mississippi State at Gillette Stadium.

This year, UMass will again take on some tough opponents with road games against two powerhouse SEC teams, Tennessee and Mississippi State. Mark Whipple is doing everything right to turn this program around, now they just have to win.

In all likelihood, the Minutemen won’t do very well this season, and they won’t be bowl eligible. However, their commitment to schedule games against these stronger opponents will only help their program grow. UMass is able to recruit better nationwide and the players that they already have will continue to get better. While it’s a slow process right now, eventually the Minutemen are going to become a bowl eligible team every season.

For 2017, here’s how I see things shaking out for UMass on the gridiron.

2017 Schedule and Predictions

  • Sat. August 26th v. Hawaii L
  • Sat. September 2nd @ Coastal Carolina W
  • Sat. September 9th v. Old Dominion W
  • Fri. September 15th @ Temple L
  • Sat. September 23rd @ Tennessee L
  • Sat. September 30th v. Ohio W
  • Sat. October 14th @ South Florida L
  • Sat. October 21st v. Georgia Southern L
  • Sat. October 28th v. Appalachian State L
  • Sat. November 4th @ Mississippi State L
  • Sat. November 11th v. Maine at Fenway Park W
  • Sat. November 18th @ BYU L

UMass has the ability to make a small jump to a 4-8 record in 2017. They have an extremely difficult schedule this season, as some of their “easier” games are against well-established mid-level teams. While teams like Georgia Southern and Appalachian State aren’t going to blow by a lot of teams, they have proven that they can beat even the best of opponents. Those are going to be extremely difficult matchups for UMass.

The Minutemen should be able to earn wins over Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion, Ohio, and Maine, though none of those are a given. Ohio plays some of the best football in the MAC, and they’re going to bring that fire to Amherst. The game against Maine will be a fun one, as fans from both schools will pack Boston’s Fenway Park as part of the Gridiron Series.

Although a 4-8 record is not overly impressive, I would be pleased to see UMass make that jump. Being just 2 wins away from bowl eligibility will be a huge motivating factor for 2018.

2017 Top Player: TE Adam Breneman Sr.

More from Chowder and Champions

This season, a returning senior tight end will be the best player on the Minutemen offense. Breneman is a transfer from Penn State and he was huge last season for UMass. He caught 70 passes for 808 yards and 8 touchdowns. All were team highs. Some thought that Breneman would declare for the 2017 NFL Draft, but he will stay in Amherst for one more season.

Breneman and his high school QB Andrew Ford should be on the field together once again. The junior QB stole the starting job in Week 3 last season and heading into 2017 he’s the favorite right out of the gate. The chemistry between the two longtime teammates should help the UMass offense this year.

2017 Analysis

Again, UMass isn’t going to become bowl eligible or destroy anyone in a given game, but they should start to turn heads as they continue to improve. A few wins in a row early in the season should grab the attention of those who actually care to pay attention to how this program is rebuilding.

Next: Predicting every NFL game through Super Bowl LII

Expect a few highs, but quite a few lows as well for the UMass Minutemen in 2017. What are your predictions and projections for the Minutemen this year? Let us know on Twitter @CandCFanSided and look out for our upcoming UConn, Boston College, and New Hampshire football previews!

Home/Boston Sports