Media Day kicks off football season

Football
Jeremy Rice

The Massachusetts football team held its annual Media Day today.

After a two-hour practice, lunch was served, and UMass coach Don Brown and the players answered questions for print and television media alike.

The biggest questions in the air today revolved around the gaping hole left by the departure of running back Steve Baylark, who graduated last spring and is currently in camp with the Arizona Cardinals.

Senior Matt Lawrence and sophomore Tony Nelson will be competing for the starting nod, though they will likely share the load through most of the season.

The offense looked sharp in practice, including a number of impressive catches by the wide receivers. Wide receiver Rasheed Rancher will join J.J. Moore as the starting wideouts. Rancher impressed with a couple of nice grabs and looks ready to replace Brandon London. At 6-foot-5, the senior towers over the UMass defenders and should prove to be a huge target for quarterback Liam Coen.

The Minutemen get back to work on Sept. 1 at home against Holy Cross. The first league game is Sept. 15 at home against Towson.