SMSU Football Set to Begin Spring Drills
Seniors Jim Nelson (77) and Tom Kolb are two of SMSU's 10 starters that return on offense
3/27/2008 1:41:39 PM
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MARSHALL, MINN.: The Southwest Minnesota State University football team will begin spring practice for the upcoming 2008 season on Monday, Mar. 31 beginning at 3:45 p.m. at Mattke Field. SMSU has scheduled 15 practices, including two scrimmages during spring drills that are scheduled to conclude on Apr. 26 with the annual Spring Game beginning at 2 p.m. at Mattke Field.
Mustang head coach Eric Eidsness, who is entering his fifth season in 2008, announced the team will practice Monday afternoons from 3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., Wednesday mornings from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. (except Apr. 2), Friday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (a complete schedule is located on page 3).
SMSU has 91 players on its spring roster and returns 47 letterwinners from 2007, including 10 starters on offense, seven on defense and both placekicker and punter. Last season’s team finished 2-9 overall and 2-7 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, which tied for eighth place in the 10-team conference. SMSU lost five of its games by a total of 24 points.
The spring roster features 46 players on offense, 43 on defense and two kicker/punters. The SMSU offense has five quarterbacks, four running backs, 13 wide receivers, 19 offensive lineman and five tight ends. The SMSU defense has 12 lineman, 16 linebackers and 15 defensive backs. The roster includes 15 seniors, 23 juniors, 30 sophomores and 23 redshirt freshman.
The Mustang offense returns 10 starters including two-year starting quarterback senior Josh Shudlick. A 2007 honorable mention All-NSIC honoree, Shudlick completed 250 of 444 pass attempts for 2,942 yards with 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while also rushing for two touchdowns. He finished the 2007 season strong passing for over 300 yards in the final five games becoming the first SMSU quarterback to do so since 1992. Senior Tony Rislov also returns at quarterback having played in 17 games during his career with 12 starts.
At running back the team returns its top two rushers including junior Zach Wysong, who earned honorable mention All-NSIC honors last season. Wysong rushed for a team-high 651 yards and six touchdowns on 164 carries and has now rushed for 1,254 career yards ranking ninth all-time in school history. He also was a threat catching the ball out of the backfield as he finished the season third on the team in receptions with 35 for 368 yards while recording a team high five touchdowns. Junior Paul Benesh also returns after playing in 10 games and finishing the season with 435 yards and two touchdowns on 96 attempts. He has rushed for 851 yards and eight touchdowns in his two-year career.
SMSU not only returns its starting quarterback and leading rusher it also returns its top six and eight of its top nine receivers from last season’s team. Junior wide receiver Derek Townsend led the team a year ago with 50 receptions for 698 yards and four touchdowns while senior tight end Matt Fischer finished second on the squad with 36 receptions for 387 yards and two touchdowns while earning honorable mention All-NSIC accolades. Sophomore wide out Bret Ballantine had a solid rookie season in 2007 finishing fourth on the team with 29 catches for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Junior receiver Blake Wilson also returns in 2008 after ranking fifth with 25 receptions for 334 yards and one touchdown. Senior receiver Tim Cariveau (12 receptions), sophomore receiver Sean Patrick O’Leary (12 receptions) and sophomore tight end Shane LaDage (eight receptions) round out the top receivers returning from last season. Another addition to the receiving corps is senior Ryan Wudtke, who missed last season with an injury. In 2006 he started eight games and finished fourth on the team with 16 receptions for 157 yards.
The Mustang offensive line returns all five starters that helped lead an SMSU offense that averaged 357.3 yards and 23.4 points per game in 2007. Three players who have started a combined 65 games in their career earned post-season honors a season ago led by junior Bill Noethlich, a second team All-NSIC honoree, who started all 11 games at left tackle. Senior right guard Jim Nelson and senior center Tom Kolb also return after both earned honorable mention All-NSIC honors last season. Rounding out the returning starters are junior left guard Tony Weiler and sophomore right tackle Josh Ferryman who both started all 11 games a season ago.
The Mustang defense returns seven starters and is headlined by senior strong safety Tyler Reed, a 2007 first team all-region honoree. Reed became just the third SMSU player to earn first team all-region honors at the NCAA Division II level (since 1995) as he led the squad with 101 tackles including 56 solo stops. He also had three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and five pass break-ups. Reed added two touchdowns during the season returning an interception and a fumble for scores. Also returning is junior free safety Bryce Haessly, who ranked second on the team with 74 tackles and added two interceptions, and sophomore linebacker Robbie Slinkman (55) and junior linebacker Levi Bullerman (50), who ranked fifth and sixth respectively on the team in tackles. Bullerman recorded a team-high 10 tackles for loss and two sacks.
The defensive line returns all three starters from 2007 and will add a veteran who missed last season with an injury. Junior defensive end Nick Wagner led all lineman with 43 tackles including seven and a half sacks while junior defensive end Matt Carmody finished with 42 tackles and ranked second with eight and a half tackles for loss. Junior nose guard J.D. Koedatich started all 11 games a season ago and racked up 34 tackles including six for loss. Senior nose guard Brad Wolf returns after suffering an injury in fall camp last August that sidelined him the entire season. Wolf, the 2006 NSIC Defensive Newcomer of the Year, posted 35 tackles including four for loss during the 2006 season.
Also returning on the defensive line is sophomore nose guard Michell Moya (13 tackles) and sophomore defensive end Chris Christianson (17 tackles, team-high three sacks) who both gained valuable playing time in their rookie seasons. At linebacker SMSU has a host of players who played major snaps a season ago including senior Michael Liggins (35 tackles), sophomore Jason Fernholz (33 tackles), junior Shaye Thomas (32 tackles) and sophomore Paul Muecke (13 tackles). The defensive secondary returns four players who saw significant time in 2007 including junior cornerback Kevin Wagner, who started three games and recorded 20 tackles. Junior safety Michael Hagny had 15 tackles and one interception while sophomore safety Alex Mayorov added 11 tackles and one pass break-up. Sophomore cornerback Ryan Laustad will also add depth after playing in six games and finishing with one interception and seven tackles while sophomore cornerback Curt Gosser played in five games with seven tackles.
The SMSU special teams returns a pair of key veterans at both placekicker and punter. Senior kicker Scott Talcott booted 10 field goals last season, was a perfect 25 of 25 on point after attempts and finished second on the team with 55 points. A second team All-NSIC honoree in 2007, Talcott ranks second in school history with 21 career field goals made. Senior punter Korey Roethler returns for his final season after a solid junior campaign in which he earned honorable mention All-NSIC honors. Roethler finished last season with a 37.6 yard average which included 13 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
SMSU will have nearly 30 players who have signed since the national signing day in February join the 91 players on the spring roster when fall camp opens on Aug. 6. The Mustangs open the 2008 regular and conference season hosting Minnesota, Crookston on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. The game will also be the first ever played at the new Regional Events Center on the SMSU campus.
Tentative 2008 Spring Practice Schedule
Mon. March 31 3:45 p.m. (helmets)
Wed. April 2 2 p.m. (helmets)
Fri. April 4 3:30 p.m. (shells)
Sat. April 5 10 a.m. (shells)
Mon. April 7 3:45 p.m. (full pads)
Wed. April 9 6 a.m. (full pads)
Fri. April 11 3:30 p.m. (shells)
Sat. April 12 10 a.m. (scrimmage #1)
Mon. April 14 3:45 p.m. (full pads)
Wed. April 16 6 a.m. (full pads)
Fri. April 18 3:30 p.m. (shells)
Sat. April 19 10 a.m. (scrimmage #2)
Mon. April 21 (makeup day for bad weather)
Wed. April 23 6 a.m. (full pads)
Fri. April 25 3:30 p.m. (helmets)
Sat. April 26 2 p.m. (spring game)