2008 Woodie Awards
COMMENTARY: Sluggish start to season won't last for football team
Eli Rosenswaike, Collegian Columnist
Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: Sports
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OK, not exactly. The score, opponent and starting lineups were a bit different this time - but for the Massachusetts football team, the way it earned the victory really was the same.
It was inconsistent and flawed. But once again, pure talent prevailed, and the Minutemen again started the season at 1-0 following a 28-16 victory over Albany on Saturday night.
Much like last year's season-opening, 40-30 win over Holy Cross, UMass committed unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, muffed punts, missed tackles and dropped passes.
That sluggishness will happen in nearly every facet, particularly during the first game of the season. And the Minutemen picked it up late, essentially dominating the game in the fourth quarter when it mattered most. They did it against the Crusaders in '07. They do it often. Chalk that one up to good coaching, a talented roster and clutch performances.
"It's about finding ways to win the game," UMass coach Don Brown said following the victory. "And I think we'll grow a lot from this one and there are several things that we can improve on.
"That will be the scenario this week [in practice], but at least we can do that with a smile on our faces."
UMass recovered just fine from last season's scare against Holy Cross, winning seven of its first eight games (the lone loss coming on the road to No. 12 Boston College).
Here's a message to the 15,112 fans that were in attendance on Saturday: This team will be fine, too.
Why? It's simple. Forget for a second that Don Brown's defenses are always stellar. Liam Coen is still here. That's all you really need.
The best quarterback in school history returns for his senior season to lead the offense. Sure, stars such as Matt Lawrence and the J.J. Moore/Rasheed Rancher receiving duo are gone, but UMass replaced Steve Baylark and Brandon London just fine last year. They'll do it again.
The talent is there. Tony Nelson showed it with his 171 rushing yards. Jeremy Horne showed it at wideout with a nice game-clinching touchdown grab in the fourth quarter. The offensive line dominated the entire game, keeping Coen on his feet and giving Nelson the room he needed to make plays.
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