Colorado
vs.
UMASS
College Football
Pick with Analysis
9/6/14
UMASS will host Colorado at Gillette Stadium on Saturday as it continues it’s quest to become a legitimate Division 1A football program. Colorado is currently a -17 point road favorite at 5 dimes sportsbook with no total posted as this is being written Monday morning.
Last week UMASS only trailed Boston College 6-0 at the half on their way to an eventual 30-7 loss. But don’t let that 1st half result fool you. BC absolutely dominated UMASS. Check this out. 1st downs BC 27 UMASS 9. Total yards BC 511 UMASS 202. Time of possession BC 42 min UMASS 18 min. Lastly, here comes the biggie, rushing yards, BC 338 UMASS 55.
Those results should come as no surprise. This UMASS team was winning just 5 or 6 Games a year BEFORE making the move to division 1A. The past two years with the big boys UMASS has gone 2-22 winning one Game in each season. they beat Akron and Miami Ohio. Last season they played close Games against Western Michigan and Akron. Virtually every other Game over the past two seasons has seen UMASS on the losing end of a lopsided score.
This year they bring back former coach Mark Whipple who in turn as brought in several new players that weren’t on the roster just a few short months ago, including a transfer QB from Marshall and a couple of tall speedy receivers. Will that be enough? Doubtful.
You can look at programs like Utah State and UTSA and make a case for them against big name opponents based on their recent past. Teams build up to that big moment when they pull that shocking upset. But there’s nothing in the UMASS past or present to suggest that this week, in Gillette Stadium, before a sparse semi home crowd, UMASS will shock Colorado or for that matter, even play well.
Remember, this is a Colorado team that is in the midst of a rebuilding process. A rebuilding process aimed at having them able to compete with the likes of Oregon, UCLA and USC year after year in the PAC-12. This is also a Colorado team in off an opening week loss to Colorado State, further increasing the importance of a big time win here.
If Colorado comes in focused and ready to play and doesn’t overlook UMASS, they SHOULD mop the floor with this team. The difference in talent and depth is that significant. The bottom line here is that UMASS has done nothing to suggest that this is a spot they come up big. As a result, why try and be a hero by predicting that outcome. There’s only one way to look here if there’s a play to be made and that’s Colorado -17.