UMass @ Old Dominion

[Gil Dobie]

ODU 30, UMass 27

Hard to see ODU scoring 30 against anybody in the CAA.

Their offense scored only 10 against Delaware...and 7 of those came after a fake punt. Yes, a fake punt is part of the game, but really, they weren't going anywhere all day.

ODU is home and Delaware is better than UMass IMO.

[VBR_Productions]

Below is the Zone's analysis of UMass to date and the factors that will decide the outcome of the game. I share this more for ODU fans since there are limited (but informed) UMass fans on this site. In short, Hernandez and Holmes are beasts who could individually change the course of the game.

http://www.caazone.com/2011/09/28/umass ... ll-season/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[alvin kayak]

Not to be a smart A$$ but isn't Georgia State a member of the CAA? Or do they not count entirely yet?

I know ODU's offense did very well against Georgia State.

[Steamin' Cleveland]

Not to be a smart A$$ but isn't Georgia State a member of the CAA? Or do they not count entirely yet?

I know ODU's offense did very well against Georgia State.

Ga. St. Is an independent this season. They will be a caa member next season. In 2013 they will be sec champions. In 2014 they will be bcs champions. In 2015 they will be in the NFL.

[andy7171]

Not to be a smart A$$ but isn't Georgia State a member of the CAA? Or do they not count entirely yet?

I know ODU's offense did very well against Georgia State.

Ga. St. Is an independent this season. They will be a caa member next season. In 2013 they will be sec champions. In 2014 they will be bcs champions. In 2015 they will be in the NFL.

[CAA Flagship]

UMass favored by 5 points per 5dimes

[MonarchMan]

I too wondered about the blackout. It's just another way to get me to buy more stuff.
The real thing though is how will the Monarchs fair against UMass. If you saw them against Delaware, you would know that ODU has a very good team. If not for a called back DeMarco TD things woul have been much different. Hence our better ranking this week in the FCS polls.
My prediction: ODU 35 UMass 21

[Punk]

UMass 31 ODU 24

The first CAA win still looms large. I hope I'm wrong, and will be cheering til I'm hoarse for a Monarch victory. The zone pass D and the special teams kick coverage worry me, especially with the return man the Minutemen have.

[State Line Liquors]

If you saw them against Delaware, you would know that ODU has a very good team.

If you were actually an educated football viewer, you would have watched the UD vs. ODU game and wondered if either team was really very good at all. That game was incredibly sloppy, and the book is still very much open on both squads.

[CAA Flagship]

If you saw them against Delaware, you would know that ODU is not Delaware State.

If you were actually an educated football viewer, you would have watched the UD vs. ODU game and wondered if either team was really very good at all. That game was incredibly sloppy, and the book is still very much open on both squads.

Fixed his quote. Is that better?

[State Line Liquors]

If you were actually an educated football viewer, you would have watched the UD vs. ODU game and wondered if either team was really very good at all. That game was incredibly sloppy, and the book is still very much open on both squads.

Fixed his quote. Is that better?

I'm not trying to rain on parades, but the truth is that if either ODU or UD thinks they're going to be able to play as poorly as they did last week and win this conference or make noise in the playoffs, they've got another thing coming.

Focus on what's ahead, because it's another major test for both squads coming this week. UMass and Maine are definitely not pushovers.

[CAA Flagship]

Fixed his quote. Is that better?

I'm not trying to rain on parades, but the truth is that if either ODU or UD thinks they're going to be able to play as poorly as they did last week and win this conference or make noise in the playoffs, they've got another thing coming.

Focus on what's ahead, because it's another major test for both squads coming this week. UMass and Maine are definitely not pushovers.

I don't disagree.
Regarding what happened last weekend, it is obvious that watching a game with a predisposition of the opposing team can lead to a different analysis. I felt that the announcers had this predisposition that Delaware was the superior team and should win easily. I can't blame them. And I feel that Hen fans viewed the game the same way. The problem is that football is very difficult to analyze without this predisposition, let alone with it.
Let's look at the Delaware rushing attack. Did they have a bad game? Is ODU better than expected? Did ODU just have a great game and played better than their talent level? I don't know. Time will tell though.
Same with DeMarco's performance. I would like to think he, and his receivers, had a bad game and that the Delaware D had a lot to do with that. Others seeing DeMarco for the first time say "he sux". Again, I don't really know the answer but time will tell.
Then there are those games where the gameplan is designed and executed perfectly. This can turn a bad team into a good team for a day. Or maybe the matchups of one team vs. another team tip the balance in an unpredictable direction. Maybe that is what happened to ODU. Time will tell.
In other words, sometimes a good play or game by one team looks like a bad play or game by the other. The predisposition will usually determine what side of the fence you are on.
I'm enjoying ODU football one play at a time regardless of the outcome of the games. "On paper" or "logically thinking", we shouldn't be competitive with too many programs right now. It appears that we are at least middle of the FCS pack which means that we are playing with the casino's money as fans. The next few weeks will determine how much money we are playing with.

[State Line Liquors]

I read what you're saying and don't really have any bones to pick with it. I'll just leave my analysis that neither team appeared to execute consistently well on both sides of the ball. If either team expects or hopes to win consistently in the CAA, even in what is perceived to be a down year by most, we need be better.

Sorry to take this thread further off topic, but:

From a UD fan's perspective, fumbling footballs inside your opponents redzone, or allowing opponents to score on poor punt snaps, or missing 25 yard gimme field goals, or allowing opponents to convert obvious fake punts, or not hitting the right holes in the ground game, are allsymptoms of failed execution that will lead to disappointment. In our game against West Chester, our all conference center forgot how to snap in the shotgun and killed 4 drives. Against the Naval Academy we dropped several very catchable balls, made some incredibly stupid penalties, and tackled remarkably bad at the edges. DSU we executed flawlessly but played a team that's probably fit to be used for glue. UD won't win many more games this year if we don't improve on our performance from last week.

Good luck against UMass, they have been a pretty consistent performer through the years in the CAA/Yankee, etc.

[CAA Flagship]

I read what you're saying and don't really have any bones to pick with it. I'll just leave my analysis that neither team appeared to execute consistently well on both sides of the ball. If either team expects or hopes to win consistently in the CAA, even in what is perceived to be a down year by most, we need be better.

Sorry to take this thread further off topic, but:

From a UD fan's perspective, fumbling footballs inside your opponents redzone, or allowing opponents to score on poor punt snaps, or missing 25 yard gimme field goals, or allowing opponents to convert obvious fake punts, or not hitting the right holes in the ground game, are allsymptoms of failed execution that will lead to disappointment. In our game against West Chester, our all conference center forgot how to snap in the shotgun and killed 4 drives. Against the Naval Academy we dropped several very catchable balls, made some incredibly stupid penalties, and tackled remarkably bad at the edges. DSU we executed flawlessly but played a team that's probably fit to be used for glue. UD won't win many more games this year if we don't improve on our performance from last week.

Good luck against UMass, they have been a pretty consistent performer through the years in the CAA/Yankee, etc.

Trying to be objective, I look at what happened to UD this way.
- Fumble - It was helmet on ball. It happens even with Sunday players. Hayes didn't put himself in a dangerous position like ODU's Vaughan did on his fumble on the kick return. Vaughan should not have jumped to gain the extra yard when bodies are traveling at him at full speed.
- Punt snap - That was a mistake by one player that cost the team (snap hit personal protector). Then your punter made a mistake of not downing the ball. Result, punt "block" and TD. That's just a freak play and not necessarily a fundamental team problem.
- Missed FG - Again, this is one player's mistake that cost the team.
- Not hitting the right holes - I don't have an answer for that one. If that is what happened, then again it is a mistake by one player. But I don't remember holes being there to hit, but that is what happens when you watch the game with ODU glasses on.

When we played the Tribe last year they fumbled into the end zone for a touchback, missed 3 field goals, and threw an INT. They still won the game and went on to win a very tough CAA race. If they played anyone but GSU in the playoffs they might have made it to Frisco.

Delaware is fine. Mistakes happen at times but perservering is the key for a good team.

[ODUfanRazor]

ODU 30, UMass 27

Hard to see ODU scoring 30 against anybody in the CAA.

Their offense scored only 10 against Delaware...and 7 of those came after a fake punt. Yes, a fake punt is part of the game, but really, they weren't going anywhere all day.

and we also had a 56 yard touchdown run called back.....I think our offense will be just fine.

[ODUfanRazor]

Last week I predicted a close game between Delaware and odu, one where odu stays with them for 3 quarters and UD pulls away at the end. I was exactly right.

This week, I'm picking odu to win at home in another very close, fairly low scoring game (in the 20's for both teams). I think once again odu will win the special teams battles, create a few turnovers, capitalize on them and use the crowds energy at home to pull out a squeaker and get the monarchs their first CAA win in the programs history!

Regardless, I'll be here win or lose to discuss the results after the game.

Go blue (or for some reason, this week, black??) lol

[LastMinuteman]

Hopefully UMass puts up a better fight than Hampton and Gardner-Webb.

[VBR_Productions]

Hopefully UMass puts up a better fight than Hampton and Gardner-Webb.

We beat Hampton only by a FG and Gardner Webb held us to 14 points last season.

Jonathan Hernandez is fantastic but once we recovered from your counterpunch of 26 straight points, we had too much momentum for Pagel and Hill. Good game and good luck in the MAC.

[Gil Dobie]

Hard to see ODU scoring 30 against anybody in the CAA.

Their offense scored only 10 against Delaware...and 7 of those came after a fake punt. Yes, a fake punt is part of the game, but really, they weren't going anywhere all day.

ODU is home and Delaware is better than UMass IMO.

Congrats ODU

[DJnVa]

ODU 30, UMass 27

Hard to see ODU scoring 30 against anybody in the CAA.

Just quoting this in case it gets edited

[oduengineer]

Hard to see ODU scoring 30 against anybody in the CAA.

Just quoting this in case it gets edited

Yeah but 48 isn't 30. Right cluck?