Irrational Excitement: UMass' Spring Game and You

Tonight at 7 p.m., YOUR Massachusetts Minutemen take the field against their most evenly matched MAC foe yet. No, not Akron. A.J. Doyle and the rest of first team offense of the Minutemen fight against the Minutemen's first team defense. On the other side, Todd Stafford and the second team offense try to put a dent in the second team defense.

Now things have been pretty bleak for UMass football these past 2 years, compiling a mere two wins in 24 tries. That's no reason, though, not to get out there tonight at 5 and start tailgating (or buying a feed of the game from the comfort of your home for those not in Massachusetts).

Tonight, everything is fresh. Every loss that was once on the books is now wiped clean. Every bad pass, run for loss, and that fumbled blocked field goal are forgotten. Instead, it's time to get irrationally excited over unreasonable conclusions.

Every time there's a wayward pass, a mistimed route, or a run for loss, wax poetically that our defense is unstoppable. The switch to the 3-4 must be working wonders! If the defense puts up 50 points, gush over how the change to the pro-style will have us averaging well over three touchdowns a game. No matter which second team performs better, wonder at the depth we have on the winning side of the ball.

Tonight is not a time to worry about the problems of the past. It's a time to get excited for the future. Head down to McGuirk, crack a beer, and start planning your trip to the College Football Playoffs folks. UMass football is back, and they're starting the season with a win.