The 2014 Gustavus football team will begin its season on Saturday against Crown College at 1:00 p.m. on Hollingsworth Field.
St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus football team heads into the 2014 season energized and with a great deal of confidence after what Head Coach Peter Haugen described as a great leap forward in 2013. The Gusties capped the most successful season of Haugen’s tenure with an overall record of 6-4 and an MIAC mark of 4-4. Gustavus picked up signature wins over St. Olaf 45-19 on Homecoming in late-September and Saint John’s in a double-overtime thriller 23-20 in early-November. Of Gustavus’s four losses in 2013, three were by eight or fewer points. Peter Haugen returns a total of 28 letterwinnners (nine on offense and 19 on defense) from last year’s team. The Gusties lost six starters on offense and five starters on defense.
“Certainly last year was a step forward and I think the expectation from our players and coaches is that we continue to make progress,” said Head Coach Peter Haugen. “The attitude of the this team is strong. It’s a group of young men that is hungry, focused, and looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
Mitch Hendricks will once again take the reigns of the Gustavus offense after throwing for 1,938 yards with a 61.2 completion percentage.
Offensive Line
Key Losses: Lyle Opdahl (Norwood Young America, Minn.), David Gschneidner (Edina, Minn.), Trevor Winkelman (Eagan, Minn.), Wyatt Adams (Chaska, Minn.)
Ones To Watch: Marcus Kelly (Jr., Woodbury, Minn.), Zach Vine (Sr., Lino Lakes, Minn.)
Notes: – Lyle Opdahl and David Gschneider were named to the MIAC All-Conference First Team last season.
– Gustavus ranked fifth in the MIAC in rushing offense last season. The Gusties totaled 1,788 yards rushing on 390 attempts for an average of 178.8 yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry.
– Gustavus’s 29 rushing touchdowns ranked third in the league.
Coach’s Comment: “We lost some quality players from last year, but what we bring back are some young, talented players who are athletic. They didn’t get a ton of game-experience last year because we were able to stay healthy but were given a lot of opportunities to develop as a unity in practice. They’re ready to take on the challenge that has been presented and it will be fun to watch them get thrown into the fire.”
Running Backs
Key Loss: Jeffrey Dubose (Sr. Paul, Minn.)
Ones To Watch:Luke Martinez (Jr., Lenexa, Kan.), DaiVon Poole (Fr., San Antonio, Texas), David Cliett (So., Maplewood, Minn.)
Notes: – Jeffrey Dubose ran for a school-record 1,459 yards with 24 rushing touchdowns last season. He carried the ball 265 times and averaged 5.5 yards per rush and 145.9 yards per game.
– Gustavus ran the ball in 55.4-percent of its plays. The team ran for over 200 yards in five of its games last season. The Gusties were held under 100 yards rushing just once all season.
Coach’s Comment: “Jeffrey set the bar so high and that has worn off on the ones who are looking to fill that position. They understand that Gustavus has a heritage of great running backs and they’re excited to hopefully add to that legacy.”
Quarterback
Key Losses: None
One To Watch:Mitch Hendricks (Jr., Laporte, Minn.)
Notes: – Mitch Hendricks started in all ten games and was 188-for-307 (61.2%) for 1,938 yards through the air as a sophomore. He averaged 193.8 yards passing per game and finished with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Hendricks also totaled 142 yards rushing on 64 attempts (2.2 ypr). His completion percentage of 61.2 ranks third in single-season school history.
– Gustavus ranked seventh in the MIAC in passing offense with an average of 198.4 yards per game and 10.4 yards per completion. The Gusties’ nine passing touchdowns ranked last in the league.
Coach Haguen’s Comment: “Mitch had a quietly nice year last season and we expect him to continue to grow as a quarterback, leader, and student of the game. He will have more opportunities in the passing game this year and is feeling confident in being a more high-profile part of this offense. To go along with Mitch’s progression, we’re also very pleased with Sam Lundberg behind him and feel we have two solid quarterbacks with firms grasps on our system.”
After leading the team with 703 receiving yards a year ago, Matt Boyce will once again look to be one of Hendricks’s top targets in the passing game.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Key Losses: Phillip Butler (St. Paul, Minn.)
Ones To Watch:Matt Boyce (Jr., Excelsior, Minn.), George Buchner (So., Excelsior, Minn.), Gabriel Boyce (Jr., Excelsior, Minn.), Spencer Chinelly (Sr., Bloomington, Minn.)
Notes: – Matt Boyce and George Buchner return as two of Gustavus’s top three receivers from a year ago. Boyce led the team with 703 yards on 58 receptions for an average of 12.1 yards per catch and 70.3 yards per game. Buchner caught 32 passes for 341 yards for an average of 10.7 yards per catch and 24.1 yards per game.
– Gabriel Boyce is a Division II transfer from Concordia University, St. Paul where he played in nine games and caught 29 passes for 326 yards last season.
Coach’s Comment: “It’s a talented group of receivers – there’s no doubt about that. What’s interesting is that they each bring unique abilities to the receiving corps. Whether it’s the ability to stretch of the field, make plays in space, or be a possession-type guy who runs crisp routes, they all mesh well together. With a lot of depth throughout, the expectation is to be the dynamic group that we’ve seen in practice.”
Defensive Line
Key Losses: Donte Green (Minneapolis, Minn.)
Ones To Watch:Andrew Lonneman (Sr., Adrian, Minn.), Mitch Snare (Sr., Rosemount, Minn.), Zach Severson (Sr., Savage, Minn.), Cameron Cropsey (Sr., Eagan, Minn.), Travis Pepper (Sr., Overland Park, Kan.)
Notes: – Donte Green was named to the MIAC All-Conference First Team following last season.
– Three of the defensive line’s four starters from last season return to the lineup in including Andrew Lonneman, Travis Pepper, and Cameron Cropsey.
– Cameron Cropsey led the unit last season with 59 tackles (28 solo). He also had 13 tackles for loss and four sacks – both of which were team-highs.
– Gustavus ranked second in the league in rushing defense, allowing just 119.2 yards per game on the ground.
Coach’s Comment: “No question, there are a lot of guys coming back to the defensive line who have played a lot of snaps. It’s a veteran, confident group, but we have to continue to bring some of our younger players along. What will be key for this group is its ability to stay healthy and develop the ones who sit behind the starters and key contributors.”
Linebackers
Key Losses: Joe Haas (Mission, Kan.), Lucas Kleinschrodt (Alden, Minn.)
Ones To Watch:Matt Keller (Sr., Eagan, Minn.), Anthony Boyce (Sr., Excelsior, Minn.), Zack Martinez (Jr., Lenexa, Kan.), Kyle Krzmarzick (Jr., Sleepy Eye, Minn.)
Notes: – Joe Haas was named to the MIAC All-Conference First Team. Haas led the team in tackles for the third straight season, finishing with 60 (32 solo). He completed his Gustavus career ranked 13th all-time with 236 tackles.
– Anthony Boyce earned All-Conference Second Team honors after making 37 tackles (18 solo), intercepting one pass and breaking up five others.
– Matt Keller finished fourth on the team with 45 tackles (16 solo).
Coach’s Comment: “Joe Haas set bar high for this group of linebackers, and seniors Anthony Boyce and Matt Keller want desperately to add to a legacy of great linebackers in this program. These guys coming back are not only talented and driven, but they understand the game and have bought into Corey Shea’s system.”
Jake Forcier will anchor a secondary that held opponents to 200 yards passing or less on four occasions last year.
Defensive Backs
Key Losses: Beau Bachman (St. Peter, Minn.), Torey Asao (Chaska, Minn.), Zach Dilger (South St. Paul, Minn.)
Ones To Watch:Jake Forcier (Sr., Watkins, Minn.), Xavier Fust (Sr., Columbia Heights, Minn.), Michael Hintze (Sr., Brooklyn Park, Minn.), Nick Frandsen (Sr., North Oaks, Minn.)
Notes: – Zach Dilger earned First Team All-Conference honors last season. He made 38 tackles (30 solo), intercepted three passes, and led the team with 12 pass breakups.
– Cornerback Torey Asao was named a Second Team All-Conference performer in 2013 after making 41 tackles (30 solo) and picking off a team-best four passes.
– Gustavus ranked fourth in the MIAC in passing defense, allowing an average of 197.6 yards per game. The Gusties came up with a total of 16 interceptions, which ranked second in the league. The team held opponents to less than 200 yards passing four times last season.
– Jake Forcier ranked third on the team in tackles with 47 (26 solo).
Coach’s Comment: “In the secondary we have a group of experienced upperclassmen followed by some young, raw ability. Losing Zach Dilger to a summer injury is obviously a blow, but guys like Xavier Fust and Nick Frandsen alongside a veteran like Jake Forcier make up a core group of seasoned d-backs. Even Michael Hintze, a guy who made the move to corner just this year, has progressed faster than expected and is ready to dive into a new challenge.”
Specialists
Key Losses: Beau Bachman (Returner, St. Peter, Minn.), Jordan Rudenick (Punter, Nicollet, Minn.)
Ones To Watch:Thomas Schleusener (Sr., Rapid City, S.D.), Matt Boyce (Jr., Excelsior, Minn.)
Notes: – Beau Bachman handled all of Gustavus’s punt returns last season.
– Thomas Schleusener returns as the team’s primary kicker. He hit 9-of-15 field goals and knocked down 35-of-38 extra points. Schleusener also averaged 58.2 yards per kickoff, and 38.6 yards per punt with five punts being downed inside the 20-yard-line.
– Matt Boyce returned seven kicks for a total of 196 yards (28.0 ypr).
Coach’s Comment: “It’s great to have Thomas back. We were in a tough position going into the spring Thomas’s junior year and felt we needed some help at that position. Thomas came over from the soccer program and out of nowhere led our team in points. Both as our kicker and punter, we’re excited to see him take another set forward in his senior year.”
The Gustavus football team will open its 2014 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 1:00 p.m. against Crown College on Hollingsworth Field.
“Especially early in the season, we are looking to see how this team functions – how it operates,” concluded Haugen. “It can be a game of mistakes at this point, so we need to efficiently execute the things we do best. On top of that, I want to see a team that is hungry and ready to compete. We feel like we’ve got the ball rolling in the right direction and Saturday is the first step in proving that.”
GO GUSTIES!!!