MORRIS, Minn. - The University of Minnesota, Morris football team looks improve off of a 6 win season, their best since 2006. Seventh year Head Coach
Todd Hickman welcomes many fresh faces along with 2012 veterans that will help the Cougars fight for a UMAC championship.
GAME NOTES
Hickman stated "The team is young, especially on the defensive side of the ball with the losses of some key veterans, although we are young, we will continue to keep getting better."
The offense is led by wide receiver Brendan Foss, a 2012 First Team CoSIDA All-American award winner. Foss averaged 112.7 yards per game, second in the UMAC including 789 total yards receiving. His eight receiving touchdowns were tied for third in the conference. Foss is complimented at the wide receiver position by fellow senior
Danny Kernan who recorded six touchdowns last year.
Leandro Dower returns for his fourth and final season switching positions from running back to wide receiver after posting 4.8 yards per rush for his career. The team also returns receivers
Roumy Desir and
Dalton DeGraffenreid. The offensive line is anchored by senior Tony Ruggenbuck who has started in 25 games since his freshman year. The biggest question going into the season is who the quarterback will be after the departure of last year's seniors
Derrick Foss and Daniel Garrigan who co-manned the position for the last four years. Offensive coordinator
Matt Johnson says "it will be a transition at the quarterback position with the loss of last year's seniors, but
Caleb McLaren has spent a year in our system already." McLaren has been named the first string quarterback for week one for the Cougars.
On the defensive side of the ball the Cougars welcome defensive coordinator Marty Hoffman who previously was the Special Teams and Co-Defensive Coordinator for Minnesota State University, Moorhead. Coach Hoffman said that "The learning process has been challenging, and we must overcome adversities from losses and position changes." He remains excited with the potential and improvement that the defense has shown during fall camp. Veteran players that will help ease that transition will be junior linebacker and UMAC All-Conference selection
Cody Hickman, who recorded 119 tackles, 9.5 of which were for a loss, two sacks, and three forced fumbles. The secondary is led by
Trevor Checkal, who had 52 tackles on the year was named a Second Team All-UMAC Defensive Back. Checkal also had three forced fumbles, three interceptions, a fumble recovery and 4.5 tackles for loss on the year. The defensive line is led by senior
Zach Kroells who had 63 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2012.
Special teams is highlighted by sophomore kicker
Cam Adel who was selected All-UMAC Second Team last year after making 7-8 field goals and was 29-33 in extra points. His long of 41 yards was the longest on the season in the UMAC.
Dalton DeGraffenreid also received All UMAC second team kick returner honors for his special teams contributions which included returning a kick and punt for touchdowns, the only player in the UMAC to do so. He also averaged 25.4 yards per kick.
The Cougar football team kicks off the season by travelling to Hamline University on September 7
th to take on Pipers. Opening kick is scheduled for 1 p.m. The Cougars first home game will be Saturday September 28 for their home coming match against Eureka College.
Written by Oray Tangen
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