First Glance: UMass Minutemen

Name: University of Massachusetts
Mascot: Minutemen
Location: Amherst, MA
Year founded: 1863
Enrollment: 32,045
Conference: N/A (independent)
Head Coach: Don Brown

What You Need to Know:

• The UMass Minutemen are 1-9 with their lone win coming over FCS program Stony Brook. They’re currently on a seven-game losing streak.
• Texas A&M is 3-7 and 1-6 in SEC play, and are currently on a six-game losing streak.

Betting Lines:

• Texas A&M is a 33.5-point favorite despite having only scored more than 28 points once this season (31 against Sam Houston).

Historical Notes:

• A&M and UMass have never played each other.
• UMass has never beaten a Power 5 team.
• It’s been more than four years since UMass won a road game.
• Famous UMass alumni include actors Richard Gere, Bill Pullman and Bridget Moynahan, singer Natalie Cole. NBA players Marcus Camby and Julius Erving (Dr. J) and comedian Bill Cosby (yikes).

What To Watch For:

• Just win. Never thought we’d say this against UMass, but style points don’t matter for this team anymore. Just win. Literally any win will do.
• Body language. There’s nothing left to pay for this year, but we’ll be looking for even the smallest clues to how much this team is still motivated to play for Jimbo.

Media Blitz:

• Venue: Kyle Field (College Station, TX), remember home games?
• Kickoff: 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19
• TV: SEC Network+ (streaming only)
• While UMass does not have their own SB Nation team site, you can read some decade-old articles about them on SB Nation Boston.

Weather:

• Cloudy with a 40% chance of rain. High of 49, low of 38. You finally get a chance to wear all that winter A&M gear in your closet.