Exercising Your Demons | UMass (NCAA Football 14)

[apizzle1593]

PROLOGUE:

First and foremost, want to give a special shoutout to TheOtherPotterGuy for his story-line dynasty, I was definitely hooked, and I wanted to give my own a chance since A. I have 3 weeks of summer left before I start up Medical School again, and B. Because he got me absolutely hooked onto his. I think it'll keep me more motivated to continue it if I'm emotionally invested into the stories, and have to think of creative ways to keep progressing, I'll pull some minor things from him, and definitely want a storyline of adversity going on throughout it like he has in his. Literally, that guy is awesome.

This dynasty will be based off Blake Copeland (I had to steal part of the name from my predecessor!!) a 29-year old who had everything work out for him so far in life, until a freak accident in a football game drove him down a different path. I won't spoil anything more, I'll just say I'm going to try to keep it as real as possible, researching facts, and a lot of these "story-line posts" will be pretty lengthy, read it if you wish, if not, it's all cool. I just wanted an outlet and to get some feedback from the people interested! Thanks guys!


RULES:
System: Xbox 360
Game: NCAA Football 14
Rosters: Dericksun
Sliders: Matt10's OS Community Sliders (I haven't dabbled much with sliders, but I'll be sure to keep changing them to make it way more realistic, see who blows me out as they should, and be able to clip an upset here and there)
Difficulty: Heisman
Coach level and progression: Default and Normal
Coaching Trees: For every 1 into recruiting, 1 must go into game management to not abuse recruiting
Conference Re-Alignment: Updated currently, will see how things go before making changes
Recruiting Rules: No over-recruiting, allowed 4-5 extra scholarships from players leaving in order to cover transfers/anybody that is cut/suspended/kicked-off throughout the story line. Allowed 1 attempt at a 4* left un-recruited for story-line purposes
Speed Threshold: 40


MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION:

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SEASON RECAP:


AWARDS:


ALL-AMERICANS:


RECORDS:


MADE IT TO THE LEAGUE:

[apizzle1593]

CHAPTER 1: LAST CHANCE WHO?

Blake Copeland shot up out of his bed in cold-sweat, the goosebumps never go away, but at least the screaming has subsided over the years. The 29-year old reaches over to his night stand, takes a pull from his whiskey, and packs a lip while attempting the meditation technique his therapist has been recommending. It's a cold January night, used to be the type of nights he loved to put on some light alternative, and just think about life. These days, he escapes reality with attempts of sleep. It’s hard to imagine, just a few years ago Blake Copeland was on top of the world, living his dream, he was a member of the Carolina Panthers. Blake always excelled on the football field, there was never a challenge he didn’t overcome. He was a high school All-American, came out as a 5-star recruit, played football at West Virginia University, where he shattered records, and was drafted as the 8th pick overall. However, it all changed that one Sunday, and he remembers it so vividly the night terrors continue.

4 YEARS AGO:
ESPN BREAKING NEWS: “Today we have tragic news as after taking a hit from defensive back Blake Copeland of the Carolina Panthers, Wide Receiver Luke Kirkpatrick of the New Orleans Saints has passed away due to a spinal fracture at the C3 level, severing his spinal cord, we will have a moment of silence and keep his family in our prayers” Steve Levy so mournfully reported.

Blake Copeland has always loved football. He can’t get enough, he was touted as having a natural understanding and IQ for the game. He submersed himself in statistics, and sports psychology training as an undergrad. Anything that made him tick on the field, made him tick off the field. The off-season was his crutch, he missed the smell of the fresh cut grass, the noise of 60,000 people screaming, and coming together for one common goal: the thrill of competition. His goals were always to play in the NFL, retire, and pick up coaching. Hell, he had to continue to make money somehow into his 40s. He had a knack for being a natural leader, and was always admired for his passion. However, after that tragic day, Blake Copeland hasn’t been the same.

Blake sits in his one-bedroom apartment in the heart of Charleston, West Virginia. He’s still loved by the WVU fans who recognize him, however with his shaggy hair, and un-kept beard barely resembles the 18-year old safety who was a terror on the defensive end for the Mountaineers, laying down big hits, and intercepting passes. Blake rolls over and looks at the clock, 9:00 AM. His apartment looks as if a tornado had ran through it, with empty food bags, and beer bottles as his main decor.

“Another day, another hangover. Only one way to combat this,” Blake mumbles as he opens the fridge and pops open another beer. He shifts his way into the living room, and sits down on the couch, turning on ESPN. Suddenly, a rapid knock approaches the door. “Coming,” he moans as he takes a swig of his beer, and shifts to the door.

“Jesus Christ man, what the hell is going on with you,” says a shocked man with clean-cut hair, and a freshly pressed suit. For anybody else, Blake would have just ignored it, but he could tell the persistence any day of the week.

“What the hell do you want Landon,” Blake complains to his younger brother, who although not as talented, shared the same passion for the sport. Landon was a sports agent, and a damn good business mind. His biggest trait however, was how much he cared for his older brother, and idolized him.

“I have some big news for you, and a major opportunity for myself. You might want to sit down,” Landon explains, searching for a chair in the lesser furnished apartment, deciding just to settle on the arm rest for the one couch his brother had. Blake moves over to the couch, groans, and looks dejected.

“Well, get on with it,” Blake says while taking another swig of his beer. For the last few years, it seemed drinking was the only thing that would keep Blake sane, and usually was enough to get him to pass out and not wake up from his night terrors, something that he considered a plus to numbing his feelings.

“I know this sounds insane, but Roc Nation and the agents have put a lot of faith in me along with a University, to lead their consulting team, and to hire a football coach, and even though you have zero coaching experience, both sides are on board because of your knowledge, and pure instinct for the game if you are…” Landon explains, tip-toing with his words.

“I really don’t want to be a safeties coach at the South Harmon Institute of Technology, you know that was just a movie right,” Blake reports, giving his first genuine laugh since he could remember.

“Oh no, they want you as a head coach, they think you have the type of football background to be an attractive hire, and have the entangibles to turn the program around, they haven't quite figured it out yet, but are willing to try anything at this rate, oh and it’s also a Division I school..” Landon quickly replies.

“Okay, so what’s the catch, why the hell would they want to offer me..” Blake questions his younger brother, Landon’s always been the business mind of the family, Blake sits there pondering what the hell his brother has gotten him into.

“Well, the program only won 2 games last year, but with their star QB being from Weirton, WV, he's going through some psychological issues, and where you were interested in it in undergrad, it seemed logical, plus they thought you could relate to some of these kids, and help turn it around, University of Massachusetts wants to sit down and have a meeting with you, and if you promise to continue therapy, and look like you have it together, I’m pretty damn sure they’re ready to offer you…” Landon trails off, he begins to stare at the ground, weary of what his brother will say next.

“Well ****, I’ll be damned” remarked a shocked Blake Copeland, and took another swig of his beer. He pondered a moment longer, "alright, what do I have to do," asking his brother.

"Well first, let's try to get cleaned up, and let's go over some logistics here," beamed Landon, seeing the first sign of life from his brother in over 3 years. Landon opened his briefcase, and let out a huge sigh of relief as his older brother headed towards the shower. "You're gonna do this, you're gonna live up to all you were destined for bro, I promise, all you need is a little push," Landon thought while saying a quick prayer.

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UMass Makes Unconventional Hire; Leaves Football World In Shock

AP – Hadley, (MA): In what is considered one of the strangest hirings of the off-season, and possibly quite even ever, University of Massachusetts have announced their 31st head football coach, Blake Copeland. You might remember Copeland as the hard hitting safety in the NFL, drafted out of West Virginia University, though an amazing football player in his own right, Copeland has zero prior experience as a coach. “I’m very excited to be here, and start this new chapter of my life, I appreciate the trust that the Athletic Director Ryan Bamford has put into me, and I’m looking forward to embracing the Minutemen culture, while producing results on the field.” Bamford was hired in 2015, and has been known to be a young innovative mind. He led the charge on getting the Cost of Attendance gap funded by the athletic department for student-athletes, a move appreciated by most. “Coach Copeland has one of the sharpest minds I have ever seen, and demands respect with his presence. At his age, he can connect with our guys, and could use his sports psychology background in order to help these young men become successful adults. I have no doubt that Coach Copeland will put in maximum effort and commitment to the position, and I’m looking forward to watching how things progress,” Bamford said in a prepared statement to the press.

Even though the program went just 2-10 last season, and only 7-25 in the last three, the hire of Copeland comes completely out of left field. Most would have expected the Minutemen to move to someone with experience, or give an upon-coming coordinator a shot at taking the reins over for the first time. However, the staff isn’t completely without coaching experience, as Head Coach Blake Copeland announced that he would be hiring Clint Trickett as his Offensive Coordinator. Trickett is famously known for his appearances in Last Chance U as the Quarterback’s coach, and was a Quarterback himself at West Virginia University. “We’re going to run a spread type of offense, with some personal tweaks. There should be a pretty even mix of play-calling, and I’m looking forward to begin working with this offense and see what we have on roster,” Trickett explained. The offense will be led by Redshirt-Sophomore Ross Comis, who is eligible to play this year after sitting out a year due to transferring from Old Dominion due to NCAA Transfer Rules. Comis is also from West Virginia, which should mean the coordinator and quarterback should be on the same wavelength fairly quickly.

Joining Trickett as Defensive Coordinator is Reed Williams, also a former player for the Mountaineers, who was Linebackers Coach and Academic Coordinator at West Virginia State University. “I value the work ethic of a kid, growing up in West Virginia, you had to earn everything, nothing is given to you. No matter what it is, especially respect. Everybody has a stigma against us natives, but we are just blue collar people trying to help others. Hopefully we can get these kids on track to not only be good football players, but embrace their school and state culture, and grow as individuals as well,” Williams remarked during the press conference. Williams is thought to bring the coveted 3-3-5 stack defense the Mountaineers used during his time there. The 3-3-5 helps to mask lesser athletic players, and can be a confusing look to teams that have not faced it before.

Though the Minutemen are lacking in experience coaching, all three share the same alma mater, and the same common goal: turn the program around. “We know the value of hard work, those West Virginia teams we were on beat guys that were highly touted recruits, and even though I was considered a blue chip, I came to work hard every single day. You don’t make it to the elite levels by just talent, you must train and be disciplined, and that’s what I’m hoping to show these kids here,” Copeland said when asked about the culture he wanted to bring. Between the experience of the three, they should bring the leadership to turn things around, with each of them possessing bowl game victories.

Another major questioning of the hire was the fact that nobody knew where Blake Copeland was before this job offer. There’s no sign of him being an assistant, or working any job related to football, and there’s rumors bubbling that Copeland still isn’t himself since then. When asked about the famous incident 4 years ago, Copeland declined comment, while seeming visibly faltered. One can wonder what type of mental state the head coach is in after dealing with such a traumatic experience.

As for the season, the Minutemen will open against highly touted Wisconsin, and will have plenty of work to do against what is one of the Big-10’s juggernauts. Wisconsin is a traditional power, while UMass is still trying to gain footing towards becoming a respectable program. Tickets will be available in one month, and are not expected to sell quickly. Though it’s only February, college football has already had it’s first head scratcher of the season. Only time will tell if Blake Copeland and staff were worth the gamble, but one has to think, how did this happen?

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PRE-SEASON, SEASON 1, YEAR 2017:
DEPTH CHART:

UMass Depth Chart - 2017
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	B. Davis	A. Breneman	T. Stafford
TE	T. Stafford	A. Breneman
LT	E. Wilkinson	M. Yerardi
LG	J. Largay	M. Yerardi
C	F. Hoeller	D. Dumais
RG	M. Boland	D. DiNicola
RT	J. Driscoll	D. DiNicola
WR	J. Williams	A. Isabella	B. Dingle
QB	R. Comis	A. Ford	R. West
FB	J. R-Woodgett	T. Stafford
HB	M. Young	S. Lindsay
Base 3-3-5 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	E. Asante	J. Previte	B. Dennis
NT	A. Ali-Musa	E. Asante	M. Patton
RDE	S. Holines	E. Asante	J. Previte
LOLB	S. Casali	V. Langston	R. Jones Jr.
MLB	S. Huber	V. Langston	R. Jones Jr.
ROLB	D. Downey	V. Langston	R. Jones Jr.
CB	J. Porter	J. Allen	J. Hamilton	B. Mangram
SS	J. Monteiro	A. Isabella
FS	K. Bailey-Smith	A. Isabella	J. Hamilton
SS	J. Hamilton	A. Isabella
CB	J. Allen	J. Hamilton	A. Isabella
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	M. Caggiano
P	L. Laurent
PR	J. Allen	B. Dingle
KR	J. Allen	B. Dingle
LS	F. Hoeller

SCHEDULE:
Week 1: @ Wisconsin
Week 2: Buffalo
Week 3: @ Kansas State
Week 4: Vanderbilt
Week 5: Florida Atlantic
Week 6: @ Florida State (#4)
Week 7: @ BYU
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Pittsburgh
Week 10: @ Central Michigan
Week 11: Akron
Week 12: @ Ole Miss (#11)
Week 13: BYE
Week 14: @ Georgia (#18)
Week 15: BYE

HEISMAN WATCH:

Heisman Watch - Updated: Aug 1, 2017
NAME	POS	SCHOOL		SEASON STATS
C. Blumrick	QB	Texas A&M		N/A
B. Bozeman	C	Alabama		N/A
B. Victor	WR	Ohio State		N/A
R. Bonnafon	HB	Louisville		N/A
A. Ofodile	WR	Oregon		N/A

PRE-SEASON TOP 25:

NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Aug 1, 2017
RK	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	Alabama	0	0	0
2	Clemson	0	0	0
3	Oklahoma	0	0	0
4	Florida State	0	0	0
5	LSU	0	0	0
6	Ohio State	0	0	0
7	Michigan	0	0	0
8	Stanford	0	0	0
9	Tennessee	0	0	0
10	Notre Dame	0	0	0
11	Ole Miss	0	0	0
12	Michigan State	0	0	0
13	TCU	0	0	0
14	Washington	0	0	0
15	Houston	0	0	0
16	UCLA	0	0	0
17	Iowa	0	0	0
18	Georgia	0	0	0
19	Louisville	0	0	0
20	USC	0	0	0
21	Oklahoma State	0	0	0
22	North Carolina	0	0	0
23	Baylor	0	0	0
24	Oregon	0	0	0
25	Florida	0	0	0

KEY PLAYERS:
Offense:
1. QB - Ross Comis - Sophomore (RS) - Weirton, WV - 76 Overall
2. WR - Jalen Williams - Senior (RS) - Atlanta, GA - 77 Overall
3. WR - Bernard David - Senior (RS) - Lake Worth, FL - 75 Overall

Defense:
1. MLB - Shane Huber - Junior (RS) - Brick Township, NJ - 83 Overall
2. RE - Sha-Ki Holines - Junior (RS) - Springfield, MA - 78 Overall
3. CB - Jackson Porter - Junior (RS) - Ellicott City, MD - 77 Overall

MISCELLANEOUS:

• Championship Contender - 126
• Toughest Place To Play - 126
• Prestige - 1 star
• Team Overall - 72 (overall) 74 (off) 71 (def)
• This is not the most talented roster, but hoping to find a system that works, will attempt to recruit some guys and will update that as the season goes on randomly! Looking forward to getting things started with Wisconsin!

[apizzle1593]

SEASON 1, CHAPTER 2: NEW BEGINNINGS

Sitting in his office at the UMass Football Performance Center, he looks out the window. “Jeeze, they’re putting me in charge of 55,000 square feet worth $35 million,” Blake exhales, hardly looking like the man his brother found in his apartment over a few months ago. Blake shaved his hair to a buzz cut, and got rid of his scruffily beard. He couldn’t believe that the school wanted to take an absolute flyer on somebody who was still trying to recover from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and was a slight alcoholic, but he has been the most motivated he had been in months. He wondered what was the extent of the truth his brother told UMass to even get the ball rolling for this to happen, but he stayed true to his word and continued therapy.

A quick brisk tap on the door pulls Blake out of his trance, “Come in,” Blake says, sporting a long-sleeve UMass Comfort Cool Adidas top, and a pair of gym shorts. Blake began working out again, and has looked the best he has in a few years, and looking like the star he was in a past life.

“I just wanted to see how things were coming along,” says his younger brother. Landon may work for Roc Nation Sports Agency, but he seems to make the trip to Massachusetts far more often than Blake would like. Landon always was the more studious type, he went to University of Connecticut for his Sports Management degree, one of the top programs in the country. Landon was always the one who had taken the back-seat to his brother’s fame, however, it seemed now he was the one who had things together.

“Well, I’m not sure where to begin on offense, we have minimal talent, and this is going to be an uphill battle trying to convince recruits that we will become a premier program with such little coaching experience on staff,” a stressed Blake Copeland replied. He leaned back in his chair, papers sprawled all over his mahogany colored desk. He felt his nerves rise, and started to toy with his pen.

“No, I want to know about you, how are YOU handling therapy and things,” Landon rolled his eyes. His brother always had a way of carrying himself like the older one, definitely was considered the worrier of the family. It was in part, what made Landon so damn successful, and charming, both characteristics needed in landing Blake the job.

“Don’t worry, I’m still going to work out my demons, and I’ve cut back my drinking, in fact, I haven’t even had a beer yet,” Blake snorted back, glancing at the clock it read 1:00PM. Blake worked hard on concentrating and losing the slight tremor he has in the mornings, though all he wanted was a drop of alcohol. He’s been attempting to limit his drinking only at night, in the comfort of his hotel room not to bring about any suspicion from the athletic department.

But in reality Blake enjoyed his therapy sessions, Dr. Monroe was a very kind woman, with long brunette hair, green eyes, who had just graduated from Harvard School of Medicine, and even though she was the same age as Blake, she seemed to be miles ahead of him in terms of maturity. It also helped that she was very attractive, and something about her quirky smile just made Blake want to open up to her, something he wasn’t very used to. He considered it a major perk of the job as opposed to dealing with his therapist in West Virginia, Dr. Hopkins, who just seemed so robotic at times.

“Alright man, I’m just here to check in, I just want to make sure you’re staying on course here. I risked a lot to get you this job, and I know damn well how capable you are once you finally get these things together, and I can’t wait to watch you succeed, but I gotta go, I have to go meet with Jae and see if we can get this extension thing figured out even if it still is a couple years away,” Landon remarked, turning sharply and heading out the door. Being a successful sports agent has it’s perks, and even with the travel obligations, Landon never misses a beat with his clients. “Wow, Landon is meeting with Jae Crowder, and I couldn’t even text someone outside my coaching staff and players right now,” Blake thought quietly to himself. He had been there a few months, but in order to combat his drinking, he kept away from bars and social events, and focused purely on football.

“Annnnnd back to what I can do with this roster,” Blake sighed, opening week against Wisconsin was coming up quickly, and the talent just wasn’t there for him yet. Blake did have one thing going for him though, and it was connecting with his players. As they warmed up to each other more from February until now in August, he began to cherish those guys more and more. They reminded him of his college days albeit, less physical looking, yet they seemed to be working their tails off, but he just wasn’t sure the talent was there yet. Blake packs in another lip, exhales deeply and begins to look over his depth chart with what he could tweak with, while waiting on Clint and Reed to get back from lunch. “What have I gotten myself into, this might not have been the best timing for this,” Blake sighs while attempting to sort out his game plan notes with the film he had been watching on Wisconsin.

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UMass Football Set To Kick Off in Madison
AP - Hadley, (MA): The season is set to begin for the UMass Minutemen, and after an eventful off-season leading to the hiring of 29-year old unproven coach Blake Copeland, the team is ready to hit somebody other than themselves. The Minutemen will travel to Madison, Wisconsin to face one of the premier programs in the Big 10 Conference, University of Wisconsin. The Minutemen are looking to improve off a 2-10 record set last year, leading to the firing of Coach Mark Whipple. "It's important to get off the ground running, having a good start to the season can build momentum going forward and push guys to work as hard as possible. I'm pleased with how hard the guys are working, and hopefully we can go out there and string together a good game," Coach Copeland said to media.

The Minutemen are led on offense by Sophomore-Red Shirt quarterback Ross Comis, who is considered a dual-threat. Comis is finally cleared to play having sat out a year due to NCAA Transfer rules, but had an impressive high school career leading his alma-mater Madonna to three Class A State Championships, and setting a West Virginia state record in rushing yards by a quarterback with 2,037 yards. "I've really been in tune with the system Coach Trickett has been running, I think when we spread the field it opens up more options, and tries to get guys in space. I'm looking forward to starting my UMass career on a positive note, and making plays in order to put our team in a position to win this game."

Joining Comis on offense are star receivers Jalen Williams and Bernard Davis. The two Seniors are looking to take some pressure off the young quarterback and attack a good Wisconsin secondary. If the Air Raid part of the Spread can get going, it could lead to a good day for running back Marquis Young who is getting his first collegiate start. "Our plan is the same thing we've been preaching all summer, stay in your comfort zone, take care of the football, and execute. If we can come out and minimize mistakes, I see no reason why we don't have a chance, hell I've seen crazier things in my life," Offensive Coordinator Clint Trickett explained.

The defense for the Minutemen will have a new-look transitioning into a 3-3-5 stack, played by Defensive Coordinator Reed Williams with his time at West Virginia University. Star middle-linebacker Shane Huber is expected to lead the charge, and Williams was giving him high praise earlier. "Man Shane reminds me so much of myself when I was at WVU, he works his tail off every single day in practice, and is a very underrated prospect. I believe if he keeps working the way he does he will not only be a stop gap in this 3-3-5 against good running teams, but could see himself playing on Sundays." It's yet to be seen how much a shift in defensive strategy will benefit or hurt the Minutemen, however it's promising to know they had a whole off-season to adjust.

As for Wisconsin, they return to the field after going 11-3 in 2016, and are looking to make a repeat appearance in the Big 10 Championship Game. Experts expect them to win this game handily. Wisconsin boasts a tradition of tough running, and pounding the ball down your throat, with Sophomore Bradrick Shaw and Junior Chris James leading the way. "Boy those guys are just tough workers, they will take a hit, bounce back up and want to go again, I'm blessed to have two guys so committed to a program," head coach Paul Chryst said of his duo. Coach Chryst has led his program to a 21-6 record since taking over in 2015, and is looking to improve even more this season. "Every game is a challenge, and where this is the first game of the year, I'm sure the guys will be jacked up to play, and really give it a good showing. They've been riled up all summer, and we collectively as a unit are excited to open up our season at Camp Randall in front of the best fan base in America," Chryst remarked.

With the major changes taking place, it will be interesting to see how the UMass Minutemen perform in their new look systems. With the controversial hiring of Blake Copeland, the Minutemen have created some buzz, however, it seems that the talent gap in this contest could swing the result Wisconsin's favor.

PREDICTED SCORE:
UMass - 10
Wisconsin - 31

[apizzle1593]

Massachusetts Minutemen at Wisconsin Badgers
Sep 2, 2017	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Massachusetts Minutemen (0-1)	14	3	21	7	45
Wisconsin Badgers (1-0)	14	10	21	7	52

Team Stats Comparison
	MASS	WIS
Total Offense	501	591
Rushing Yards	173	192
Passing Yards	328	399
First Downs	25	16
Punt Return Yards	0	14
Kick Return Yards	173	181
Total Yards	674	786
Turnovers	0	2
3rd Down Conversion	5-14 (35%)	2-6 (33%)
4th Down Conversion	2-3 (66%)	0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conversion	0	0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	5-4-1 (100%)	6-4-1 (83%)
Penalties	0-0	1-5
Possession Time	16:26	11:34

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		MASS	WIS
4:48	(MASS) TD UMass: J. Williams, 9 Yd pass from R. Comis (M. Caggiano kick)	7	0
4:22	(WIS) TD Wisc: Q. Cephus, 9 Yd pass from A. Hornibrook (R. Gaglianone kick)	7	7
1:39	(WIS) TD Wisc: B. Shaw, 4 Yd run (R. Gaglianone kick)	7	14
0:06	(MASS) TD UMass: B. Davis, 6 Yd pass from R. Comis (M. Caggiano kick)	14	14
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		MASS	WIS
3:29	(WIS) TD Wisc: B. Shaw, 1 Yd run (R. Gaglianone kick)	14	21
1:16	(MASS) FG UMass: M. Caggiano, 25 Yd FG	17	21
0:00	(WIS) FG Wisc: R. Gaglianone, 24 Yd FG	17	24
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		MASS	WIS
6:12	(MASS) TD UMass: M. Young, 57 Yd run (M. Caggiano kick)	24	24
5:55	(WIS) TD Wisc: B. Shaw, 77 Yd run (R. Gaglianone kick)	24	31
4:32	(WIS) TD Wisc: J. Peavy, 24 Yd pass from A. Hornibrook (R. Gaglianone kick)	24	38
3:23	(MASS) TD Umass: J. Allen, returned fumble 29 Yds (M. Caggiano kick)	31	38
3:05	(WIS) TD Wisc: B. Benzschawel, returned fumble 51 Yds (R. Gaglianone kick)	31	45
0:18	(MASS) TD Umass: J. Williams, 5 Yd pass from R. Comis (M. Caggiano kick)	38	45
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		MASS	WIS
5:41	(WIS) TD Wisc: A. Taylor, 19 Yd pass from A. Hornibrook (R. Gaglianone kick)	38	52
3:41	(MASS) TD UMass: A. Breneman, 14 Yd pass from R. Comis (M. Caggiano kick)	45	52

Massachusetts Minutemen PASSING C/A YDS TD INT R. Comis 26/47 (55%) 328 4 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD M. Young 13 101 7.7 1 R. Comis 18 72 4.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD J. Williams 10 123 12.3 2 B. Davis 8 119 14.8 1 A. Isabella 4 40 10.0 0 A. Breneman 2 30 15.0 1 T. Stafford 1 16 16.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK J. Driscoll 0 4 J. Largay 0 1 F. Hoeller 0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD K. Bailey-Smith 5 0 0 0 J. Allen 5 0 1 1 S. Huber 4 0 0 0 J. Porter 3 0 0 0 E. Asante 2 0 0 0 S. Holines 2 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG M. Caggiano 1/1 (100%) 6/6 (100%) 9 26 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 L. Laurent 4 151 37.7 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J. Allen 7 173 24.7 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J. Allen 0 0 0 0

Wisconsin Badgers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT A. Hornibrook 23/29 (79%) 399 3 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD B. Shaw 16 137 8.5 3 A. Hornibrook 6 55 9.1 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Q. Cephus 11 174 15.8 1 J. Peavy 5 122 24.4 1 T. Fumagalli 4 54 13.5 0 A. Taylor 3 49 16.3 1 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK T. Fumagalli 5 0 Q. Cephus 3 0 D. Edwards 2 0 A. Taylor 2 0 J. Dietzen 1 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD D. Dixon 9 0 0 0 C. Obasih 4 4 0 0 Q. Sagapolu 4 2 0 0 J. Cichy 7 0 0 0 N. Nelson 5 0 0 0 N. Jamerson 5 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG R. Gaglianone 1/2 (50%) 7/7 (100%) 10 24 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 A. Lotti 2 88 44.0 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD C. James 6 178 29.6 0 A. Taylor 1 3 3.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD C. James 1 14 14.0 0

Valiant Effort Falls Just Short for UMass In Opening Game
AP - Madison, (WI): In what looked more like a Big 12 game, UMass had Wisconsin fans breathing heavy until the final whistle. Wisconsin defeated UMass in a 52-45 thriller, with the Minutemen trading punch for punch with the Big 10 Juggernaut, until they finally came up short. "This one definitely hurts, we had all the opportunities to go out and win that game, however just fell short of making a major stride for this program, but it's back to the drawing board and gearing up for next week," a dejected Blake Copeland said.

Copeland was coaching his first game in charge of an NCAA program, and almost led UMass to an iconic program victory. Things started out bad for the Minutemen as Wisconsin connected on a 60 yard pass play on the opening play of the game from Alex Hornibrook to Jazz Peavy, and it seemed like a blowout was en route. However, on the very next play, Hornibrook threw an interception to Sophomore James Allen in the red zone, and just like that the Minutemen had life. They led a balanced drive down the field, and Sophomore quarterback Ross Comis connected with star wideout Jalen Williams in the end zone for the Minutemen to take the lead. However, the first and only lead for the Minutemen was short lived. On the very next drive Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook connected with sophomore wide receiver Quintez Cephus to tie the game up, and the Badgers never looked back.

"Defensively, I just did't make the right decisions today," explained UMass Defensive Coordinator Reed Williams, "Wisconsin found ways to exploit the blitz packages, and seemed no have no trouble in the pass or run game, I'm going to live in the film room and work on correcting these mistakes for next week." Wisconsin, normally a ground and pound team, played with a very balanced offense as they had 399 passing yards to go along with 192 rushing yards. "We didn't want to be stale in our play calling, everybody knows that we can run the ball, but we have a damn good quarterback under center, and I want to loosen the leash on him a little bit this year, and he rewarded that with a big game," Badgers Head Coach Paul Chryst explained. Chryst went on to give credit to UMass and Coach Copeland, "Man are you kidding me? I have no idea how he's never been a head coach before, because they had an amazing game plan, and really executed well, we were just able to make more plays to come out victorious, but that was a helluva game called by Blake, he has no reason to hang his head today."

To credit the Minutemen, they stayed close every minute, with the score only 24-17 in favor of the Badgers at halftime. UMass managed to trade punches with Wisconsin until a 4th and 22 with a 1:03 left on the clock eventually sealed their fate. Quarterback Ross Comis attempted a deep pass to Jalen Williams, but had it swatted away by Badgers defensive back Natrell Jamerson. "I just knew that was a do or die moment for us, and I had to come out and make a play, as a unit we didn't perform to our standards, and there's plenty to fix, but for now we got a W in the column in front of our fans, and that's where we had to start," the Senior beamed.

For the Minutemen, next week is another test against the Buffalo Bulls, who also started their season with a loss against a Big 10 power, #5 Ohio State. "The offense looked really good and fluid, and I'm so proud of the way Ross performed in his first game, but it's the start of a new week and we gotta draw from the positives, and try to work on fixing the negatives. I'm hoping to get a big time win in front of the home fans, and work on getting bowl eligible," Copeland said. The match-up will pit two teams that went 2-10 last season, and are winless so far this season. The Minutemen will be attempting to protect home turf, and Coach Copeland looking to get a win and prove he belongs in the NCAA ranks.

HEISMAN WATCH, WEEK 2:

Heisman Watch - Updated: Sep 8, 2017
NAME	POS	SCHOOL		SEASON STATS
Connor Blumrick	QB	Texas A&M		14-46, 270 Yds, 16 Car, 44 Yds, 3 Total TDs
Bradley Bozeman	C	Alabama		N/A
Binjimen Victor	WR	Ohio State		N/A
Reggie Bonnafon	HB	Louisville		N/A
Alex Ofodile	WR	Oregon		N/A

I have no idea why these are the guys on the Heisman Watch, but I'm gonna assume this gets updated in a week or so...

NCAA NEWS AND TOP 25, WEEK 2:

• Florida State Stumbles 28-27 To The Pittsburgh Panthers
• Florida Avoids Upset With 7 Point Victory Against Toledo
• Oregon Rolls FCS Opponent Southeast Missouri State 55-0
• Vanderbilt Stuns Ole Miss In Season Opening Game 31-15
• Texas Dominates New Mexico State 33-6 In Opener
• Ohio State Opens In Style 44-7 Against Buffalo
• All Eyes Are On Notre Dame vs Michigan in The Big House This Week
• USC and Washington State To Open Pac12 Play This Week

NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Sep 4, 2017
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	1	Alabama (38)	0	0	1502
2	2	Clemson (22)	0	0	1444
3	3	Oklahoma (1)	1	0	1387
4	5	LSU	1	0	1322
5	6	Ohio State	1	0	1218
6	7	Michigan	0	0	1163
7	8	Stanford	1	0	1109
8	9	Tennessee	1	0	1055
9	10	Notre Dame	1	0	1001
10	4	Florida State	0	1	796
11	15	Houston	0	0	742
12	16	UCLA	1	0	692
13	18	Georgia	0	0	592
14	13	TCU	0	1	550
15	19	Louisville	0	0	544
16	20	USC	1	0	510
17	21	Oklahoma State	1	0	448
18	22	North Carolina	0	0	401
19	14	Washington	0	1	371
20	23	Baylor	1	0	354
21	NR	Boise State	1	0	354
22	NR	Pittsburgh	1	0	354
23	24	Oregon	1	0	308
24	11	Ole Miss	0	1	272
25	25	Florida	1	0	262