UMass (0-0) at Tulane (0-0)
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Yulman Stadium, New Orleans
Colors: M, maroon & black; T, inexperienced & blue.
Mascots: M, Minutemen; T, Green Wave.
Gameday: Don Brown will start his second stint as the pinnacle soccer coach at UMass when the Minutemen go to the Big East to confront the Green Wave.
When Brown left UMass for Maryland after the 2008 season, the Minutemen have been a Division I-AA powerhouse that received Atlantic 10 titles and competed within the 2006 nationwide championship sport.
The scenario in Amherst is rather a lot completely different in the present day than it was throughout Brown’s earlier tenure. The Minutemen play an impartial FBS schedule and received only one sport in two seasons underneath Walt Bell. The Minutemen went 0-4 within the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and 1-11 final 12 months.
Brown’s job goes past putting in new techniques on offense, protection and particular groups that may finally elevate this system. Brown needed to overhaul the soccer tradition and that, he believes, requires a clear break from the current previous.
“I have focused completely on what is in front of us, not what’s behind us,” mentioned Brown. “I advised the children the primary time that I spoke with them, in case you reside prior to now you die within the current and also you don’t get any higher.
“You can’t live in the past, so move on, work hard and do what I tell you and let’s all work together to make this thing right. That has really been the approach. I don’t feel like when our guys go to work they are scarred by not having success a year ago.”
One of the gamers Brown will likely be counting on is returning tailback Ellis Merriweather, a 6-1, 220-pound earth-mover from Alpharetta, Ga.
Merriweather carried the ball 218 occasions for 1,138 yards and 5 touchdowns final season. The all-purpose again caught 22 passes for 165 yards and one landing. Those are outstanding numbers contemplating Merriweather was UMass’ solely viable offensive menace with opposing defenses centered completely on him.
“I am tired of hitting Massachusetts red jerseys and I can’t wait to get some red on those green jerseys or whatever color they are wearing,” mentioned Merriweather.
Source: www.bostonherald.com