By Don Stoner
Augsburg Sports Information Director
MINNEAPOLIS -- This is the second column of preseason coverage of Division III football conferences. Today, we preview the race in the Minnesota conference.
Traditionally, the football race in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has been between St. John's and everyone else, ever since head coach John Gagliardi replaced another legend, Professional Football Hall of Fame charter member Johnny "Blood" McNally, as the head coach at the college nestled deep in the woods of central Minnesota. Now, Gagliardi is 44 wins away from Grambling coach Eddie Robinson's college football's all-time victory record of 408.
"I've been coaching since 1953, the year Custer went through here," Gagliardi joked via telephone from Collegeville, Minnesota, during last week's MIAC preseason news conference. "I could tell it was tough for him (Custer), because he couldn't defend the flank against us when we scrimmaged them."
And MIAC opponents chasing the Johnnies have usually been as futile as Custer was at Little Big Horn. Since 1989, St. John's has won or shared eight of the 12 conference championships, and the Johnnies have never finished below fifth place in the MIAC since 1960 (sixth place, the only below-fifth MIAC finish in Gagliardi's 47-year career at SJU).
Will this year be the same, with the other nine MIAC teams chasing the Johnnies? Or will the Bethel Royals, the only team to beat the Johnnies in MIAC play last year, finally claim its elusive first conference title? How about St. John's old nemesis, St. Thomas?
Last year, five of the 10 MIAC teams entered the final week of the season with a mathematical chance to win the championship, and with it, the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. This year could be the same. While the Johnnies are the clear favorites to win its third MIAC title in a row, there are at least six other teams that have solid shots to win the championship. And if things fall into place in the West Region, clearly the strongest region in the nation, two MIAC teams could qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1997.
Here is a brief preview. (Complete team previews, supplied by school SIDs, can be found elsewhere on this site.) We've separated the MIAC into three categories - Playoff Contenders, Potential Surprise Teams and Spoilers.
Teams are ranked in D3football.com's predicted order of finish.
Playoff Contenders
1. St. John's (11-2 overall, 8-1 MIAC in 1999)
Gagliardi said of his Johnnies' prospects for the season, "It's always nice to have a returning quarterback." Tom Linnemann returns for his senior year as the Johnnies' signal-caller, after seeing his 1999 campaign end early when he broke his leg against St. Thomas in Week 3. He's thrown for 33 touchdowns and 2,542 yards in his career, and his return helps strengthen the offense. All-MIAC running back Chris Moore, who rushed for 1,101 yards despite
missing three games with an injury, also returns to an offense that averaged 400 yards per game last season.
The defensive corps is probably the strongest in the league, despite losing linebacker Brandon Novak, one of the best linebackers to play in the conference in recent memory, to graduation. Linebacker Beau LaBore (111 tackles, 6 interceptions in 1999) and lineman Brian Zirbes (91 tackles, 13 tackles for loss) lead the defense, along with cornerback Will Gibson (75 tackles, 4 interceptions, 10 pass breakups).
2. Bethel (8-2, 7-2)
Consecutive 8-2, conference runner-up campaigns have established the Royals as a consistent contender for MIAC supremacy. But the big question facing the Royals this season -- who will play on the offensive line? All five starters graduated, including Team of the Year member Chico Rowland. If the Royals can create another solid group up front, the rest of the offense is very solid, with six of the top seven receivers and three of the top four rushers returning to an offense that averaged 408 yards and 34.78 points per game last year. Three players -- senior Joe Persuitti, senior Bart Becker and sophomore Scott Kirkhoff -- will contend for the starting quarterback post, and all are capable of leading the team. The leading returning rusher in conference play, senior Josh Savageau (1,030 yards, 10 touchdowns). Eric Carlson returns at wide receiver after missing five games due to injury in 1999. He averaged more than 100 receiving yards per game, however, and is a key receiving threat.
On defense, the secondary is led by senior cornerbacks Ben Matthews and Kris Collins. Hans Bengston returns at free safety. Two starters return on both the defensive line (Rick Meyer, Mike Hendel) and linebacking corps (Ben Kidd, Jason Holm). The defense was the MIAC's third-best in yards allowed last year.
Potential Surprises
3. Concordia-Moorhead (6-4, 6-3)
Concordia returns 11 starters, including eight on one of the stingiest defenses in the league last season (allowing just 83 points in conference play). Defensive end Mark Hankel and linebacker Joel Vettleson lead the way on the defense. Hankel had 14 sacks last season. All four secondary starters (cornerbacks Dan Tollefson and Eric Wold, safeties Travis Olson and Jeff Hartquist) are back. On offense, Jeff Hertel returns at quarterback for his senior season and second as a starter. A traditionally strong rushing attack (seniors Jason Braaten and Len Crouse) will guide the offense, but the Cobbers will need to get some production through the air to challenge for the league title.
4. St. Thomas (7-3, 7-2)
There are many questions facing the Tommies this season. Just three defensive starters return (junior end Andy Kaiser, junior defensive tackle Aaron Johnson and senior cornerback Brent Gjovik) from last year, and the Tommies will have to replace graduated quarterback Greg Kaiser and the entire offensive line. And there are just 12 seniors on the 117-man Tommie roster. But head coach Don Roney's offense still has big-play potential and depth in the skill positions. Nick Ambrasas walked on at Minnesota and was on the travel roster last year as a backup quarterback. This year, the junior transfers to St. Thomas and should start, which may be the key to Tommie fortunes this year.
5. Augsburg (6-4, 5-4)
Coach Jack Osberg's Auggies return 13 starters, including a program-record 18 seniors, to a squad that has finished 6-4 in consecutive seasons. Prospects for a fourth consecutive winning season -- which would be the first occurrence in school history -- depend heavily on the performance of senior quarterback Paul Tetzloff, who threw for 2,439 yards in 1998, but struggled in an injury-marred 1999 campaign (1,352 yards). Wide receivers Mark Johnson and Desman Oakley will be the team's hope on offense, along with running back Brian Warden. The 4-3 defense is strong, including linemen Matt Chappuis and Andy Howard and linebackers Kurt Werk and Joe Souba. The big question will be replacing a secondary that lost three of its four starters to graduation.
6. Gustavus Adolphus (7-3, 6-3)
The Gusties lost 16 starters to graduation last season, but there are solid individuals returning to St. Peter in what coach Jay Schoenebeck calls "a transition year."
Key among those returning will be quarterback Joe Thorvig, who threw for 1,437 yards in his first year as a starter last season. Wide receiver Brady Brau and linemen Andy Kopperud and Jesse Harvey also return. On defense, five starters return, including all-conference linebacker Brian Bergstrom, who set a school record with 136 tackles as a sophomore. The secondary is strong, with Ryan Frank, Brad Arndt and Zach Zimmer returning, and defensive end Tim Sundby is also back. The big test will come early for the Gusties, as they travel to national powerhouse Trinity (Texas) for its nonconference game Sept. 9.
7. St. Olaf (3-7, 3-6)
This could be a breakout year for the Oles, as head coach Paul Miller has a veteran squad for the first time in his four-year tenure in Northfield. The MIAC's top passing quarterback from last season, Joe Hammond (2,021 yards), is back for his junior year, and he will have solid receivers Steve Ryan and Brian Sprout at his disposal. Two-time all-conference selection Jeremy Young leads the defense, along with lineman Courtney Moseman and linebackers Matt Lafferty and Greg Medeck. The secondary has three starters back. The big question for the Oles will be in the kicking game, where solid placekicker Hakkon Nelson was lost to graduation.
Spoilers
8. Carleton (2-8, 1-8)
Knight coach Bob Sullivan said that it's "as good as it gets" in Northfield, as the Knights have a predominantly junior- and senior-dominated team for the first time since Carleton's MIAC championship team of 1992. The Knights' strength is in its defense, including all-conference ends J.J. Franz and Jeff Thurk and cornerback Josh Schroeder. Kyle Swartout, who has rushed for 1,427 yards the last two seasons, leads the Carleton offense.
9. Macalester (2-8, 1-8)
Probably the most underrated player in the entire MIAC is Scots quarterback Aaron Quitmeyer, who has quietly thrown for 3,536 yards the last two seasons. Ten of 11 offensive starters return to Macalester, including all-conference wide receiver David Schumacher and Ty O'Connell. Running back Grant Huett is back, along with the entire offensive line. The big question for the Scots comes in the defense, which allowed 467 yards per game last year and returns six starters. Linebackers Nick Fruge and Nate Eitzmann are the team's strengths. The entire secondary will feature newcomers.
10. Hamline (2-8, 1-8)
Veteran coach Dick Tressel joked at the preseason news conference, "If we could only be in a league that was 5-(foot)-10 or under, we could be really competitive." The Pipers lost 16 starters to graduation, and there isn't a lot of size returning to a relatively young team. But two-year starting quarterback Tim Couchman is back, along with end Doug Amsden and running back Joe Kvamme. The linebackers - Brian Fearing, Ryan Wodele and Ben Nyquist - are the key to the Piper defense.
This column is drawn from a variety of sources, including the outstanding work and research of sports information directors from Division III schools all over the Midwest.
