The New York Giants signed Michael Cox to the active 53-man roster his week and                    Julian Talley to the practice squad as announced by the club. Talley had been                    activated to the 53-man roster previously.                    
                        
                    
                                                                                                     The New York Giants announced today that former UMass standout Julian Talley                    has been signed to the active roster for this week. Talley has been on the                    Giants' practice squad for the bulk fo the season. That puts three former                    Minutemen on the current New York active roster: Talley, Victor Cruz, and                    Michael Cox.                    
                        
                    
                                                                                                                                         A trio of Minutemen saw action last night for the New York Giants as Victor                        Cruz, Julian Talley and Michael Cox each played in the preseason game at                        Pittsburgh.                    
                                            
                    
                                            Cruz finished the game with one catch for 57 yards and a touchdown, while                        Talley had one catch for 29 yards. Cox was the team's top rusher with 33                        yards on 9 carries including a long run of 12 yards.                    
                                            
                    
                                                                                                                                                                                        
                    
                                                            
                                                                                                                                                  Jorge Castillo of The New Jersey Star-Ledger has a Q&A with former                    Minuteman Julian Talley who is an undrafted free agent for the New York Giants.                    The piece outlines some of the similarities between Talley and Victor Cruz.                    
                        
                    
                                                                                                                 Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has a story on how the success                    James Ihedigbo and Victor Cruz are having in the NFL has served as an                    inspiration and a blueprint to pro-football hopefuls Julian Talley and Tyler                    Holmes. Talley and Holmes are currently in Florida working out to prepare for                    various NFL scouting combines.                    
                        
                    
                                                                                                                 Steve Levine of the Daily Collegian recaps the tough loss for the football team                    to Villanova on Saturday.                    
                        
                    
                                                                                                                 A tough day for the UMass football team as the Minutemen dropped a 35-17                    decision to Villanova at McGuirk Stadium on Saturday.                    
                        
                    
                                                                                                                                                                                                            
                    
                                                                                             Jeff Thomas of the Springfield Republican has his game preview of today's                    contest at Richmond focusing on the Spiders need of a win for postseason hopes.                    
                        
                    
                                                                                                                 Jeff Thomas of the Springfield Republican has a look at Julian Talley's season                    so far following his career-performance against New Hampshire. The story also                    takes a look into the wideouts flair for entertainment and helping young                    children at a local elementary school.                    
                        
                    
                                                                                                                 Frank Dell'Apa of the Boston Globe has a preview of Saturday's game at Boston                    College focusing on the confidence built from past performances against FBS                    programs, including last year's narrow loss at Michigan.                    
                        
                    
                                            But this is a new era for football at UMass, which will move up to the                        Bowl Subdivision next season and join the Mid-American Conference. Narrow                        defeats at Navy (21-20, in 2006), Kansas State (21-17, in 2009), and                        Michigan (42-37, in 2010) indicate UMass can compete at the next level.                                             
                                            
                                            
                                            "In the last two years, in particular those games against Kansas State                        and Michigan, we certainly had our chances in big-time atmospheres,''                        Morris said. "Our players haven't played at Boston College but as a staff                        we have, and we know what to expect from Boston College football. We'll be                        ready to go. On paper, they are our best opponent, the strongest team we'll                        play.                      
                                            
                                            
                                            "If you go by the Michigan, Kansas State, and Navy games, those are                        good indicators of where you are as a program. I think we're a very                        competitive program but we still haven't recruited a truly FBS recruiting                        class. We're going to go out and play and compete with anybody we play                        against and our goal is to win the game."                                                    
                        
                                                                                                                                          Matt Vautour has a look at tomorrow's home-opener against Rhode Island at                    McGuirk Stadium and the motivation the Minutemen are using after last season's                    tough loss to the Rams to end the year.                    
                        
                    
                                                                                                                 Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has 
a look at                    UMass' early bye week and the work that will be done by the UMass football                    team - specifically the preparation of quarterbacks Brandon Hill and Kellen                    Pagel.                    
                        
                    
                                            University of Massachusetts football coach Kevin Morris said he                        probably wouldn't be making a decision on how he planned to use his                        quarterbacks until next week.                      
                                            
                                            
                                            A bye this early in the season is unusual but not unheard of. Morris is                        hoping to use this week to focus on improving his own team, including the                        quarterbacks, before preparing for Rhode Island next week.                      
                                            
                                            
                                            "We're really focusing on fundamentals and spending the week on us,                        making sure we're where we need to be. We'll put the focus on Rhode Island                        next week," said Morris, who said quarterbacks Brandon Hill and Kellen                        Pagel would both see considerable action in practice.                    
                                                                                             UMass All-Access catches up with a trio of wide receivers in Jarvis Bentley,                    Elgin Long and Julian Talley along with fullback Thad McCummings who were                    Thursday's Blueshirt MVP honorees.                    
                        
                    
                                                                                             UMass All-Access catches up with UMass Football Blueshirt MVP's Darren Thellen                    and Rob Blanchflower from Monday's practice and Julian Talley from Wednesday's                    practice session.                    
                        
                    
                                            
                    
                                            
                    
                                                                                             Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette looks at the UMass wide receiving                    corps today with a focus on Julian Talley's experience being crucial. The                    preseason All-CAA pick is the lone returning wideout with significant career                    receiving numbers. Jesse Julmiste and Tom Gilson are expected to push for                    starting roles as well.                    
                        
                    
                                            Vautour also rounds up several other key positions on the offense including                        the running back spot to back up Jonathan Hernandez.                    
                                            
                    
                                                                
                    
                                                                                                                 Happy Birthday to Football's Julian Talley, Women's Track &                    Field's Katherine Finnegan, and Women's Lacrosse's Sarah Mullen!
                    


                                                                                                          Check out the UMass Football Practice 6 Report With MVPs. Interviews with                    Shane Viveiros, Julian Talley, Emil Igwenagu, Stephane Milhim, Theo Agnew and                    coach Kevin Morris. The next practice is slated for Saturday morning. The UMass                    Football Spring Game is April 30 at 4 p.m.
                                                                                                          UMass receiver Julian Talley is mentioned as one of the top products of Winslow                    High School in the 
                    Courier-Post of New Jersey.                
                                                                             As the leading returning receiver, junior Julian Tallley was his added duties                    on his shoulders this season.  "I've learned a lot these past three                    years," Talley said after Monday's first practice of the season. "It's all                    coming together. I'm looking to be a guy everyone can count on. Not just me,                    the whole receiving corps has to get it done. But I have to be the leader."                     
Read Matt Vautour's complete story on the Winslow, N.J., native in the Daily                    Hampshire Gazette.