UMass comes up just short in Kingston

 

UMass came up just short against the Rams in Kingston. The UMass defense, playing without both starting safeties, gave up 17 points in the fourth quarter. Darren Thellen and Shane Viveiros would have made a difference, but UMass was just shy of being a playoff team all year.

We made some errors in the game. We had a punt blocked. Caleb Violette missed a field goal, although in his defense, as a friend pointed out, Violette is really a punter, not a field goal kicker.

We had a bunch of penalties in the first half. In the second, we gave up a couple of big returns.

Maybe it would not have made any difference. Villanova upset Delaware in overtime. That knocks the Hens out of the CAA championship, out of #1 and out of the #1 seed. It also puts William & Mary as the top ranked CAA team. The Hens would be #2. UNH would probably be ranked ahead of Villanova.

So UMass, even with a victory, would have been the #5 CAA team. We would have been waiting until tomorrow morning to find out if the committee would have granted the CAA five slots in the playoffs.

I listened to the Richmond-William & Mary game on satellite on the way home. Unlike UMass, there was no drama in that game as the Tribe thumped the Spiders 41-3.

UMass write-up on the game here.

Rhody write up here.

287 days until UMass opens the 2011 season. Go UMass!