AMHERST, Mass. -- UMass held its annual football media day on Wednesday at McGuirk Stadium. Close to 30 media members were on hand to interview the Minutemen about the upcoming season. The Minutemen also debuted their new Nike uniforms for the 2005 season.

Head Coach Don Brown spoke about the high preseason expectations for 2005. Check out his comments right here.

Brown's opening comments: We are about 11 days into camp, culminating with a 75-play scrimmage yesterday. I think we are about where I expected us to be. For our first units we have an idea of who our players so, its a nice change based on a year ago, especially on defense. Last year we had some new faces. The guys we expect to be playmakers are doing so and its nice to have a core group of guys who know what's going on, on both sides of the ball so they can lend leadership and help the concepts for the younger guys coming in. We are about where we want to be. Everybody fights, in camp, those little nicks and knacks. We dres our injured players in yellow shirts and we looked like canaries out there today, we had so many yellow shirts. We certainly had to fight our way through that heat wave as well.

Question: Has camp been smoother now that the players have familiarity with your system?

Brown: I think it has been much better. Two springs, a season and really only having to replace four players who were seniors on the offensive side of the ball. One position (fullback) had two players sharing it so really just three positions needed to be replaced. I think moving R.J. Cobbs over there has been a positive for the receiver corps. He has certainly given them some life. Brandon London and J.J. Moore certainly have picked up where they left off. I think the offensive line is doing a solid job and Steve Baylark is Steve Baylark and Matt Lawrence has been a nice welcome edition at tailback.

Question: What has surprised you if anything so far in camp?

Brown: That's a positive in that I don't think there has been anything overly surprising. Some of the young players' development has been fairly positive. (Wide receiver) Victor Cruz is a young guy that has potential on the offensive side. Matt Stotle is a defensive lineman that has exceeded expectations. With a couple of linebackers being down we have had a chance to look at George Byrd as a newcomer and he has held his own to this point. Really there really has not been an overabundance of surprises just guys we expected to be where they are.

Question: How well are the transfers integrating themselves to the system?

Brown: They have been great. We have had a number of them in, in the spring so a number of those guys have been here and there is some familiarity. Matt Lawrence, the tailback from UConn and Patrick Powell, the defensive end from Maryland, are certainly on par. They have done a good job as far as being good teammates. I think both of those guys have done a good job of not trying to be that "I-A" transfer that is going to come down and be a world-beater. They are just trying to integrate themselves into the system and be a part of the football team.

Question: What do you think about the preseason polls and being picked atop the A-10 North Division?

Brown: We are looking at September 1 at Richmond. I don't think anybody is going to be concerned with where we are ranked. It all comes down to potential and if potential turns into performance than we can live up to those expectations. If we don't perform well we won't live up to them - with that really not being an option. It's nice to have the respect (from the polls) and its nice to have people thinking about us. When people make those predictions its not how you started the last season but how you finished and we finished solidly and hopefully we can continue that way. Each year there are new challenges, new chemistry and knock on wood - injuries. There is a lot to deal with do sure.

Question: How does the quarterback situation look?

Brown: Tim Day is the incumbent and he's doing a good job. Liam Coen is certainly working hard and doing a quality job. Taylor Humphrey is better now than he was in the spring. I really like Scott Woodward from Mahar Regional, he has done a nice job as well. We have four guys with Timmy being the incumbent, we can continue to compete and evaluate every single day at the quarterback position just like we do at every other position.