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CU vs. Massachusetts – Prediction Thread
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Post your prediction … and any thoughts you might have about the game … by clicking on “Comment Now” above. Then scroll down to the “Comments” section to see how other Buff fans are seeing the game (Saturday, 12:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Mountain, KOA radio, Sirius radio channel 137).
I’ve gone on record with my “T.I.P.S.” for the game … Colorado 42, Hawai’i 27.
A CU at the Game mousepad for the prediction closest to the actual final score!
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Boston television station website picks UMass
From KSPR33.com … It is hard to call a Week 2 game a must-win situation, but Colorado’s contest versus visiting Massachusetts on Saturday could be one after the Buffaloes had trouble in paradise, losing 28-20 to Hawaii in their season opener.
Las Vegas oddsmakers expected Colorado to defeat the Rainbow Warriors, and the Buffaloes are heavily favored this week, but it’s tough to count on a team which has won 10 games combined over the last four years despite quarterback Sefo Liufau’s positive thoughts.”I think the team’s confidence is pretty high,” Liufau, who was 23-of-40 for 158 yards and an interception without a touchdown against Hawaii, told cubuffs.com. “But you definitely want a win this week and get yourselves back on track.”
The Minutemen should be a welcome sight for the Buffaloes, who prevailed in the only previous meeting 41-38 last season in Foxboro, Mass., behind three touchdown passes from Liufau. Massachusetts begins its fourth season in FBS and is 5-31 since making the move from the FCS’ Colonial Athletic Association, and was picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference’s East Division.
Nothing has come easy for the Buffaloes, though, as they have lost nine straight – one shy of the school record – since a 21-12 victory over the Rainbow Warriors during their two-win 2014 season.TV: 2 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Mountain.
LINE: Colorado -12.5
ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS (2014: 3-9): The Minutemen have already made great strides on offense under coach Mark Whipple, who begins his second season in his second stint at UMass following a run from 1998-2003 which included a Division I-AA (now FCS) national title in 1998. The Minutemen are led by 6-6, 238-pound graduate student quarterback Blake Frohnapfel, who threw 23 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions in 2014 when UMass scored 45 offensive touchdowns compared to 14 in 2013 and 17 in 2012. The Minutemen, though, must improve a defense which allowed 33 points per game last season and have a chance to do so behind senior linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox, who led the conference in tackles with 11.9 per game as an All-MAC performer in 2014.
PREDICTION: Massachusetts 34, Colorado 31
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34 Replies to “CU v. UMass – Predictions”
CU wins 42 to 28
Mass 38 CU 20. I hope I eat crow but I didn’t see much to be excited about in Hawaii outside of Diego.
Offensive production improves, but defense backsides a bit. Colorado wins in a close contest.
Cu 38
Mass 34
Prediction-Buffs have more than enough talent to overcome errors by HC in clock and game management.
Buffs 30
UMass 21
Here is my prediction. If you live outside the PAC-12 TV (mountain) area, you are not going to see the CU game. I live in the Bay Area and we get Wazzooo against Sacramento State. AKA the “snooze-fest”.
Go Buffs.
Try it again.
The Buffs take a lead into the 4th qtr. 26-24 and have to punt to UM with 2 min 14 seconds left in the game. UM chips away and gets to the Buffs 11 yard line with 6 seconds to play. At this point my old heart gives out and I miss the final play.
I hope I am wrong but I think UMASS is better than people think and the O Line problems we saw last week cannot be solved in one week. CU 20 UMASS 23
Whipple is far better coach than McIntire. U Mass QB eons better than Sefo. The better HC and better QB in a game like this wins. UMass 38 CU 30
Return to Nebraska please
That Boston TV station has the Minutemen confused with the Patriots. Buffs roll 44-24!
Cute, but hope you’re wrong.
Buffs Defense continues to improve and in several cases throughout the game dominates Umass offense. Of course as we all know that is what happens when there is a Legit Coach on that side of the ball. Umass produces several decent drives as they do have a good qb and wr’s. They score once on a short field due to a cu turnover. The Buff offense improves and has a few glimpses of last years production. However it is not as consistent as we would hope. Enough to produce about 400 yards. Defense comes up with 2-3 turnovers. BUFFS 38-27
Channeling Mac1 the OC decides to forget the pass and go to a run dominant offense. The buffs put up 350 yards of running and a massive time of possession advantage. The size and strength of the buffs we have been hearing about finally comes into play and by the 4th quarter it really means something and the buffs take what was a close game and blow it open to win by 3 touchdowns.
CU24 UMass 21 This should be a blowout but until the Buffs can demonstrate that they can win against supposedly lesser teams, I will hold back on any spreads. I will gladly be proven wrong by the Buffs and see the 9 game losing streak broken.
I say, “WOW”, to just about everyone. I was as heartbroken as just about anyone last week. However, playing in Hawaii is never easy. Especially when trying to finish a game at 3AM, oh the game also happened to take 4 hrs to play. (Amazing every time we got the ball rolling they had an injury and then the guy was back in 2 plays later)
This team is improved, and I put way more blame on the O-line than QB or WR. They will get things in line, and come out in dominate fashion.
42-10, one touchdown coming at the hands of the D
In spite of what we saw last week, I still think this is a much improved team, and now they really have something to prove at home.
CU-41 UMass – 23
Im convinced we are a real OC, ST coordinator and QB away from regularly winning games without excuses.
The lack of football IQ from all three is staggering.
Let’s just say that there is no imagination in play design and play calling in the past couple of years. Just too damn predictable. If Sefo is having to run in desperation, where is the 3 step drop-back and release-the-ball play to negate the blitzing ?
I have yet to see an over-all good implementation of plays really designed to get the ball into the hands of some of our best artillery… the speed and talent of our receiving corps.
And if I see another run up the middle on 3rd and 16 I think Lindgren should get tarred-and-feathered and put on a one-way train outa’ town.
Prediction: Not hard to figure out. UMass and their DC knows what we are going to do as we ARE PREDICT-ABLE. Our “D” in going to improve as Leavitt won’t stand for Crawley being good in practice and poor on game day and our LB’s seal the run and we blitz more to negate UMass passing.
Final: Our RB’s have a good day. “D” wins the game for us, even tho’ we still shoot ourselves in the foot on “O” and ST. CU 27 UMass 21
To your point, when was the last time we even attempted a screen pass to a RB to negate pressure ? ( yeah, not that garbage WR screen which always looks like a trainwreck….) With lindgren, by the time they do run it it will be with the biggest, slowest back in the game and be a lui-fowl (duck) into the dirt.
Re: Crawley, maybe he practices good because who he’s going against arent as good as we thought.That would explain two problems……
J, good points. It still kills me to see our opponent do a little swing pass out in the flanks for a TD….. or a pass in an area their WR’s have cleared. Can’t we do something similar ?
Let’s face it, Lindgren doesn’t have a clue.
I have said before and I’ll say it again: “I think my 7 y.o. grandson could beat Lindgren in the best of five games of checkers, monopoly and Madden Football.” (Oh ! I should add….as per Rush Limbaugh…. with one side of his brain tied behind his back).
How many passes did we have to a TE on a slant in Hawaii ?
I thought our TE’s were supposed to detract attention away from our WR’s.
Lindgren does NOT know how to implement a well designed plan and sequence of plays on “O”….. PERIOD.
I still say we win (only because I want to believe in our Buffs) but I have doubts creeping in.
CU 42 Umass 14
Time to stop talking and get it done. if they lay an egg this week, there are much deeper problems.
Issues on Offense still
CU-34-20
CU 21
UMASS 17
UMass: 31
CU: 28
Well fellas i wish i had your enthusiasm for a lopsided score.I remember the BUFFS being down 31-20 in the 3rd quarter last year but able to pull out the win 41-38.I have a feeling Saturday’s game will be more of the same.I do think having played a game will help the BUFFS compared to some whom might believe UMASS has an edge because they have an extra week of prep.Practice can’t replace actual game experience.I do think UMASS feels that they can play with the BUFFS because of last year and they might have a point.Defensively i believe the BUFFS are better than last year not all the way there but getting there.They should make a difference but the problem i think is the O-LINE and Sefo’s ability to lead his team to victory.I think we all have to see it and not just in this game but improving each week.If the O-LINE protects better and Sefo makes better decisions coupled with the improved play of the Defense i can see a blow out which it should be anyway.But again i have to see it to believe it.One victory over UMASS doesn’t mean much but it can be the beginning of something.Hopefully this is the beginning !!! BUFFS 33 UMASS 29
Buffs lose a heart breaker in triple overtime after failing to contain the Minuteman new and improved rushing attack!
Love your website and all your updates Stuart!
CU 41 UMass 17
I’m pretty confident that the Buffs are no happier than any of us fans, and that they know they can, and will play better this weekend.
Being back home and sleeping in their own beds (and their own time zones!) I see them coming out and playing lights out.
I hate missing this game, but I’ve now got a Freshman in High School that plays Friday nights here in Iowa. Hopefully a future Buff!!
Go Buffs this Saturday!! And Stuart, I’ll try to look you up at the 3 games I plan on making…Oregon, Stanford and USC. I’m usually in 219, Row 55, around seat 32 or so. Hope to see you then!
And again, Go Buffs!!!!
Buffs 34 Umass 20
Let’s go Buffs!
From NW Buff …
Stuart, First, as always your T.I.P.S. are a joy!
Some thoughts pertaining to what I ‘saw’ from the Hawaii game and 3 points for this game, that should take us to your prediction.
If the staff was not prepared for an all out rush on the first punt by a Freshman kicker in his first collegiate game, then that is on the staff. If it was just a blown assignment, FIX IT.
Offensive line play was sub-par to awful on numerous series, but what concerns me most is that they seemed unable to respond during the game. ADAPT & FIX IT DURING the GAME! Otherwise, the logical conclusion is that they were not ready or that they do not have the talent to be D-I starters in the first place.
Sefo and the passing game. First and foremost if you are under pressure and running for your life, it is ‘a little’ hard to read the open routes and execute. On the whole pass protection was a disaster, including from the running backs. From my view, the route patterns were well conceived and on numerous occasions more than one receiver was open. That being said, it is hard to design plays that will work well when the opposing D can use a 3-4 man pressure successfully. But, also after watching Sefo through 20 games I’m not sure that I can say that he is particularly adept at seeing the whole field. This has nothing to do with character, grit or heart, just a trait. I now live in the NW and this was noted when he was in HS, so maybe I’m using eyes from another era in judging him. Sefo can lead a team to a wining record, with a little help from his line.
My prediction, if our D gives the same effort as they did in Hawaii and the O shows marked improvement.
COLORADO 45 UMass 17
Yes coaching could have been better, much better, but the elephant in the room that is hardly acknowledged by the media and certainly not by the team itself is the simple truth that seven straight years of bad recruiting results in a program that lacks (as you put it) D1 talent. Until we close the talent gap to a reasonable degree, we should expect losing seasons.
Yes, agreed, but that doesn’t explain poor play schemes, play calling and plays designed to succeed. That’s totally in the lap of the OC. PERIOD.
EVEN GOOD ATHLETES CAN’T SUCCEED WITH POORLY DESIGNED PLAYS.
YOU HAVE A POINT, HOWEVER IT JUST SUCKS SAM…. NO GETTING AROUND IT.
I’m with you Sam. Better athletes will make any scheme look better. Bufftrax I don’t disagree that the poor schemes or poor play calling but if we had even average PAC 12 talent I believe we would have won the Hawaii game.
CU 42 UMass 21