Umass Minutemen Militia on the move!

Good news everyone out there! The Umass Minutemen Militia now has an official domain:

http://umassminutemenmilitia.com

New content will be found on our official domain, so keep reading over there, and go Minutemen!

A call to arms from Coach Molnar!

"I dream of that stadium being full. To tell you that my expectations are lower than that, I would be untrue to myself because right now all I can think of is that stadium being full. If it was anything less than the lower bowl being filled up, I would be really disappointed. I think that our fans should come out en mass for so many reasons and fill that stadium up. No. 1, to send a message to the players that we are behind this football program 100 percent and we understand that this is a journey to get to the top of I-A football. We need that kind of send-off into I-A football. No. 2 is, I really believe this is a chance for us to show the nation that we have arrived to I-A football. I know that how competitive we are against UConn (in the season opener) will influence it to a degree, but I don’t think that should be it, I don’t think that should be the decision point of whether I go to the game or not. I think it should be the excitement, the newness, the once-in-a-lifetime event of being with the Minutemen as they take this foray into I-A football, I think everyone should be on board for that. We have enough fans, the fans are there. Are they willing to buy in and put their money where their mouth is and say “I’m going to spend my Saturday afternoons in Gillette Stadium watching my favorite team?” and that’s the decision each and every UMass fan has to make, and I’m hoping that they decide to go to that game because once they do and experience a full stadium and watching their football team. I think they’ll be hooked."


These are the words of Umass football coach Charley Molnar's when asked by Jeff Thomas of Masslive about his attendance goals for the Minutemen's first home game this year at Gillette. I'd have to say I agree with coach Molnar, success at the D-I level doesn't come overnight and as much as coach Molnar has done to raise expectations at Umass we still have to be realistic and we may not see great results for in their first road game at the FBS level against a Uconn team that two seasons ago was in a BCS bowl game. If we want Umass to be successful in the long run however, we must get out and support this team! Attendance is one of the major contingencies for becoming a full-fledged FBS member, not to mention the fact that the more this team sees us getting behind them, the more they'll want to succeed. Finally, more attendance means more money and more money means a better team in the long run. So get out and support your team, go Minutemen! 


Thanks to Jeff Thomas of Masslive whose full article can be found here:


http://www.masslive.com/umassfootball/index.ssf/2012/04/post_5.html

Return of the Commonwealth Classic

Umass and BC  have signed a 3 game series for 2014, 2016, and 2018.  While I know many BC fans may not be happy with this series, I for one am ecstatic about it. The Commonwealth Classic is a rivalry that can be used as leverage by both schools to keep prospects in state and to renew interest in college football in New England which has long been over looked in favor of football at the professional level. I'd also caution BC fans to be careful to overlook Umass in these games, while the talent levels may not be equal at both schools Umass will be trying to take these games to make people in the state take notice of them as a legitimate Division I program, not to mention the fact that the Minutemen will be battle tested considering all of their non-conference opponents will hail from BCS conferences.

What do all the BC and Umass fans out there think about this arrangement?

For a BC perspective on this series check out: http://www.bcinterruption.com

New Unis for Umass?

Being a devot reader of Paul Lukas over at www.uni-watch.com, I couldn't help, but think about Umass possibly adopting new uniforms in preparation for their move to the FBS. I'd love for Umass to make this move I think it would be an excellent re-branding and would reinforce the standard of excellence Coach Molnar has set for the team. Plus we know that new uniforms sell with recruits as evidenced by this article on new conference rival Eastern Michigan's new unis:

http://no2minutewarning.com/2012/04/13/eastern-michigan-getting-in-on-he-new-uniform-maction/

I know black uniforms sell with recruits as well as shown in this article on Mizzou's new threads:

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2012/04/12/new-missouri-football-uniforms-part-long-branding-consistency-process/

I think Umass would be better served however, by taking the black they've been using in recent years out of their color scheme and putting a greater emphasis on white or silver. I'd also love to see new Umass helmets maybe with one of the design schemes posted by Matt Vautour on the Daily Hampshire Gazette which you can find here:

http://www.gazettenet.com/blog/umass-sports/new-helmet-ideas-we-have-submissions

Or maybe they should return to one of the helmets below, two of my favorites from years past (Sorry about the picture quality on the second credit for both helmets goes to www. umass74.blogspot.com).

What are your thoughts? Should they change uniforms, and if so what should they go with?

A counterpoint to our friends at BC Interruption

I just finished reading two articles written by our friends over at BC interruption and wanted to offer a few thoughts on what I read. First I'd like to point out that I grew up a BC eagles fan and was in fact have been to Alumni Stadium many times including for their first ACC game against Florida State, but after going to Umass for my undergraduate degree I have become a devote Minutefan. While it may seem bold for a first year coach of a first year MAC team such as coach Molnar to proclaim "We want to be the #1 Team in New England" I think it's a good thing for New England football. For one it draws attention to a region that is known more for its ice hockey than its football and it get fans of Umass, BC, and Uconn excited about who is really number one in the region. Second I wouldn't call the Minutemen's opponents "mid-level" as they will be playing Michigan, Florida, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Penn State in the coming years, I know these might not be the powerhouses such as Maine, Northwestern, and Army that BC will be facing in the coming years, but they're better than nothing.

BC Interruption can be found here: http://www.bcinterruption.com/

Boston Herald article on the future of Umass football

I just read John Connolly's article on the future of Umass football and couldn't help, but walk away feeling positively about the shape this team is taking. It seems as though the players are starting to buy into Coach Molnar's system which will be crucial to their success this season. I also like the way it seems the no-huddle offense is running right now which according to the article "went 90 plus plays with out a turnover". Running the offense effectively at this up-tempo pace will be critical to the Minutemen's success in the MAC which is known for its high-scoring contests. The article discussed the future non-conference opponents has announced Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Florida, Colorado, Penn State, and Commonwealth Clash rival BC. I'll give my thoughts on this non-conference slate in a future post.

Connolly's full article can be found here:

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/college/football/view/20220422umass_football_sees_bright_future/srvc=sports&position=also

Welcome to the Umass Football Minuteman Militia Blog

Greetings,

Welcome to my blog. I'm Mike and this will be my second season as a Umass Football season ticket holder and first year blogging about the team. I graduated from Umass in 2011 and will always be a Minuteman at heart! I hope you enjoy the blog, and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to get in contact with me. Go Minutemen!