The University of Massachusetts football team will begin its pursuit of its third straight conference title and third straight playoff appearance at 6 p.m. Saturday against Albany at McGuirk Stadium. The following are some questions the Minutemen will begin answering as they try to remain among the elite teams in the Colonial Athletic Association and the Football Championship Subdivision.

How much of the rushing load can Tony Nelson be expected to carry? - Even when coach Don Brown had workhorse Steve Baylark in the backfield, he always utilized another back. But Nelson is the only experienced ball-carrier on the UMass roster. Emil Igwenagu, Brandon White and Chris Zardas, whom are all more naturally fullbacks than tailbacks, could all get a chance to be the team's No. 2 rusher.

Will starting kicker Armando Cuko and punter Brett Arnold put their previous struggles behind them? - In 2005 Cuko had a rocky rookie season before Chris Koepplin handled the place-kicking in 2006 and 2007. Cuko has more experience and a new technique as he'll try to find consistency in his second stint.

Arnold is the starter again after losing his job to backup quarterback Scott Woodward for the last game of the 2007 season. Arnold has plenty of leg, but consistency has eluded him too. He and Cuko will try to eliminate kicking from Brown's list of preseason concerns.

Who could be this year's Rhode Island? - Last year's Rhode Island loss in monsoon conditions hurt the Minutemen's playoff position. In 2005 an unexpected loss to Colgate contributed greatly to UMass missing the playoffs. Everyone expects games against Delaware, James Madison, Richmond and New Hampshire to be difficult, but who could sneak up on the Minutemen? Holy Cross just missed the postseason last year at 7-4 and hung with UMass before falling 40-30 in Amherst. Stud quarterback Dominic Randolph is back and the game is in Worcester on Sept. 6. If the Minutemen haven't resolved their early season question marks, this could be a scary game for them.

Brown has talked a lot about guys, who aren't yet "household names", needing to step up to become standouts. What previous sideline players are the most likely to find the spotlight? - The Minutemen better hope that a wide receiver or two makes this list. With no experienced wideouts returning, UMass needs somebody to emerge as a reliable target for quarterback Liam Coen. Brown suggested Joe Sanford and Victor Cruz. Coen thinks Julian Talley could be the guy.

On defense Josh Jennings and Andy Resende-Gomes are new starters at linebacker. Strong showings from either or both would give the defense a big boost.

Offensive linemen rarely ever become household names, but UConn transfer and former tight end Rob Getek has become a key part of the UMass unit.

Does UMass have any chance against Texas Tech? - The Minutemen have put scares in their Bowl Subdivision foes in recent years, hanging with Boston College and narrowly missing upsets against Army and Navy. The Red Raiders might feature the best offense UMass has ever faced. The game will serve as a showcase for Minuteman defensive back Sean Smalls.

ESPN's Mel Kiper listed Smalls among the best small college NFL prospects. Scouts will certainly be paying attention as he lines up against Texas Tech All-American wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

Can UMass capture a third straight conference title? - The Minutemen were picked No. 1 overall in the CAA's preseason poll, but their path to a third straight title looks tougher than last year when UMass's South Division opponents were Villanova, Towson and William & Mary, that division's bottom three teams. This year the Minutemen will face Delaware, Richmond and James Madison, all playoff teams a year ago. UMass though will host Richmond and Delaware.

Without graduated star quarterback Ricky Santos, New Hampshire likely won't be as formidable a foe, but Hofstra and Maine should both be better and Rhode Island is a big unknown under new coach Darren Rizzi.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. For more UMass coverage, including a UMass sports blog, go to http://www.gazettenet.com/blog/umass-sports.