Thursday before Albany --09/10/09

UPDATE: Chat with UMass RB Tony Nelson Friday @11:00 am on the UMass Athletic Dept website.

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Brett Kahn of the The Sports Network previews this week's games involving FCS Top-25 teams.

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UMass Head Coach Kevin Morris' weekly CAA telephone conference session is here.

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Smart Football on what makes a bad offense bad.

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New names on the UMass two-deep chart (all 2nd string):

• Jonathan Hernandez RB RSo. 5-11 190
• Emil Igwenagu FB 6-1 240
• Kevin Byrne DT Fr. 6-4 265
• Chas Thompson NT RFr. 6-3 290
• Warren Wilson CB RJr. 6-1 185
• David Cozzo CB RJr. 5-10 165

NFL Dreams Dept: Tony Nelson had an impressive showing at K-State last week. He averaged 5.6 yards a carry. More importantly, he was getting stronger in the fourth quarter. Nelson's 107 yards and 5.6 yards/carry were the best totals by a UMass running back in an FBS game I can remember. If Nelson is going to have a shot at the Pros, that's the way he's going to have to play.

NFL Dreams Part II: After the UMass-Appalachian State National Championship game in 2006, I talked to a professional sports writer. He said about James Ihedigbo "That hit (meaning the one on Mountaineers QB Edwards) is going to put him in the NFL."

Last year we had a couple of highly rated defensive backs that did not stick in the Pros. This year's UMass defense seems have put the thump back into UMass defensive play. If anyone on the UMass defense has NFL aspirations, then they need to hit like James Ihedigbo.