The Wiz of Odds

Massachusetts Toppled by Bowling Green

Wiz correspondent Greg Laughlin took in Saturday's matchup between Bowling Green and Massachusetts at McGuirk Stadium in Amherst, Mass. It was the first on-campus game for the Minutemen since 2011. McGuirk has been refurbished in conjunction with Massachusetts' move to Division I-A and the team had been playing at Gillette Stadium in the interim.

Not everything went according to plan. Massachusetts lost, 47-42, and a scoreboard at the stadium collapsed. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Deadspin has video from the ESPN3 broadcast of the moment of the board's collapse. Before and after images can be viewed at this link.

Massachusetts

There would be no winners without losers and Massachusetts is one of the losers. A big loser. Since joining Division I-A in 2012, the Minutemen are 2-22. Charley Molnar was fired after two years and Mark Whipple, who was head coach from 1998-2003, was brought in to restore order. But can he do it? Can anybody do it? Leaving the ranks of I-AA, where Massachusetts once ruled the landscape, now doesn't look like such a grand idea.

Massachusetts Falls Flat to Indiana in Home I-A Debut

Everything appeared to be in place for Massachusetts before Saturday's game against Indiana at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. There was an Air Force C5 Galaxy flyover from an all-Minuteman crew out of nearby Westover Air Reserve Base. Comedian Bill Cosby, who has a doctoral degree in education from UMass, participated in the ceremonial coin toss. Former players greeted the current team as they ran onto the field.

Then they kicked it off and it was clear the Minutemen, who were playing their first "home" game as a member of Division I-A, were overmatched. UMass lost, 45-6, and the margin could have been worse had Indiana quarterback Tre Roberson not been lost in the second quarter because of a season-ending broken left leg.

As for the Minutemen's new home field — Gillette Stadium — it's approximately 100 miles from the Amherst campus. Moving up to college football's big-time level is a calculated risk for UMass, and there are plenty of critics.

The announced crowd was 16,304, including Wiz correspondent Greg Laughlin, who sent along several photos from Saturday afternoon's festivities. There are more photos after the jump and can view Greg's full gallery by clicking here.

Massachusetts

A hearty welcome to Massachusetts, one of four new teams in Division I-A. Although the Minutemen have been playing football since 1879, this is going to be a season like no other. Seven of Massachusetts' games are on the road, including trips to Connecticut, Michigan and Vanderbilt. The other nonconference game is at home against Indiana. Now getting to a home game involves more than a walk across campus. The team will travel 94 miles from Amherst to Foxborough. That's where Gillette Stadium is located, and it's the new home of the UMass football. Officials are setting lofty goals and there is hope the team can lead the Mid-American Conference in attendance, but that will depend on the quality of the product under first-year coach Charley Molnar.

Thanks to Allen and Joshua. Click the image to enlarge.

After the jump is a promotional video for the new UMass license plate.