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By HANNAH BEVIS

Friday dawned bright and hot without a cloud in the sky, and UMass football coach Don Brown was ecstatic to see the weather forecast. With the first game of the season at New Mexico State, Brown wants his team used to playing in high temps. “It was a...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Somehow, Sam Breen will play basketball next season somewhere other than UMass.The two-time reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year signed a professional deal with Finland’s Vimpelin Veto Koripallo, the team announced on Instagram on Monday. Breen, a...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Former UMass running back Ellis Merriweather carved a place in the NFL.He signed an undrafted free agent deal with the New Orleans Saints on Monday after attending the team’s rookie mini camp. It was his second camp invitation along with the Green Bay...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Once Ellis Merriweather steps on the Green Bay Packers practice field, it won’t matter that he wasn’t drafted.It won’t matter that he went to junior college or UMass. Or that the team hadn’t contacted him much during the draft process.He’ll have a...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Ellis Merriweather never took the easy path to the NFL.The former UMass running back began his college career at Garden City Community College after a standout career at Alpharetta High School in Alpharetta, Ga. Garden City reached the NJCAA National...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST — The brightest spot of the past UMass football season wants to crank up the lumens even more.One of the best pass defenses and stingiest third down defenses is only getting better.“We’re a lot better than we were last year at this point, I...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST – Steve Casula examined every aspect of the UMass football team’s offense in the offseason.The Minutemen finished last in the country scoring just 12.5 points per game and were third from the bottom gaining just 265.8 yards per contest. They...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST – Jerry Roberts Jr.’s family and football family converged at UMass, so he met both there.His younger brother Jyree Roberts signed with the Minutemen during the early signing period, pledging to play for the coach that gave the elder Roberts a...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST – Gino Campiotti raced toward the front pylon. This year he met the football there from inside the end zone and hauled in a catch for a (spring practice) touchdown as a tight end rather than diving to score from outside like last season when...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST – Emphasizing the “UMass” part of UMass football has been key to the Minutemen’s recruiting efforts under Don Brown over the past year.When he went out on the road after taking the job a year and a half ago, Brown would ask where UMass rated...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST – Tuesday’s spring practice gave UMass football coach Don Brown an extra spring in his step.“I like the way our guys are working. I like the way they're interacting with one another,” Brown said. “People call it culture and attitude, whatever...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST – Don Brown doesn’t mind his defense winning some spring practice days and losing others compared to the offense. The pendulum indicates the strength of a program.“For good teams, the pendulum swings back. It just does,” Brown said. “If you're...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST – Alex Miller spends most of his time in the corner of the UMass football practice facility.While the quarterbacks, receivers and backs throw routes and practice handoffs on the playing surface, the offensive line drills to the fundamentals....

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST — Familiarity brought focus in the UMass football team’s first spring practice of 2023.The Minutemen opened the session in the indoor practice bubble Wednesday. They’ll practice 13 more times ahead of the April 29 spring game.“You know what’s...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Maximus Lockett looked like a basketball player. He stood 6-foot-7, 185 pounds as a freshman and played varsity basketball at Northampton. Basketball occupied most of his life, as Lockett traveled the country on the AAU circuit and logged highlight...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Youth didn’t serve the UMass football team last season, so head coach Don Brown sprinkled in some experience.The Minutemen announced 13 transfers joined the program Wednesday as part of national signing day. Three are graduate transfers with one year...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST — Justin Moore laughed to himself standing in the paint.He and the rest of his DeMatha Catholic teammates hadn’t had to play much defense yet during the 2018 WCAC basketball semifinal because Josh Wallace hounded the opposing point guard 94...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST – The UMass defensive backs group would spend a lot of time in the principal’s office, because they have bullied the Minutemen’s offense this spring.Few catches occur uncontested, and those that do require a perfect route from the receiver....

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST – Even when he was UMass’ acting head coach at the end of last season, Alex Miller never stopped coaching offensive linemen.The former UMass center took the helm of the program after Walt Bell’s firing in early November. He was head coach Don...