UW-Stout (6-3 in 2001)
With 10 starters back from the league's top defense and eight returning on an offense that finished third in the tough Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, UW-Stout appears to be sitting in a nice situation.

The lone starting defender the Blue Devils (6-3, 4-3) will need to replace was a key starter — cornerback Tony Beckham, who was drafted by the Tennessee Titans — but 10th-year coach Ed Meierkort sees only the positives when looking at his team.

"Obviously, replacing someone who was drafted by the NFL will be difficult," Meierkort said, "but lots of the teams (we played) made Tony a non-factor by not throwing there."

The other defensive backs more than carried their own. Senior Eric Moe is currently tied for the all-time Stout lead in career interceptions with 15. The second-team All-America choice picked off eight passes last season and defended a team-high 16 passes.

Tyrone Rhone, a transfer from Nebraska-Omaha who played basketball for the Blue Devils last season, is expected to step into Beckham's role.

"Tyrone is a very good football player," Meierkort said. "He has good cover skills and is a good leader. He needs to be very aggressive."

Juniors Kevin Dewey, Steve Anderson and Rob Weinstein, and sophomores Luke Rykal, Matt Kren and Jordan Sinz will vie for plenty of playing time.

Dewey has started since his freshman season and last year picked off three passes to go with his seven passes defensed. Anderson played in all nine games last year and started the final six games. Weinstein missed seven games last year due to an ACL injury.

In front of the defensive backs, the Blue Devils have a very deep linebacking corp, so deep Meierkort may move senior Mark Ralph, a second team all-conference linebacker, back to the fullback spot.

"That shows how deep we are at linebacker if we can move an all-conference linebacker to another position," Meierkort said.

Senior Jamie Spielman leads the linebacking corp. After two years as a second team all-conference pick, the Menomonie native moved up to the first team, despite missing three games with a broken ankle. Spielman led the team in tackles with 53.

Junior Chuck Vander Linden dropped right into a starting outside linebacking spot after transferring from Mankato State and responded with a team-high five sacks.

Ralph could certainly see time on the defensive side and he would be joined by sophomore Nate Rykal, sophomore Noah Mayer, sophomore Travis Phillips and junior Mark Johnson who all saw a good deal of time. Sophomore Arik Gunderson was on a positive track before breaking his leg early in the season.

Joining the Blue Devils at linebacker will be junior transfers Erick Hawkins and Eric Williams. Both bring speed and size to the position.

The 3-4 defensive scheme has helped the Blue Devils' defense and "has surrounded us with quality linebackers," Meierkort said. As a team last season, Stout allowed 276.7 total yards, 41.3 fewer yards than the second ranked team in the league.

The defensive line has benefited as well.

Meierkort calls junior Matt Mueller, "as good as any defensive lineman in the league," as Mueller, a second team all-WIAC selection, responded with 7½ tackles for losses for 34 yards. Three of those were sacks.

Junior Joe Kersten was also a second team all-conference pick, recording 8½ tackles for loss with three sacks. Senior Jarrid Gohs rounds out the returning starting three and the lone senior on the line had a team-high 10 tackles for loss and 3½ sacks.

The trio will be playing together for the third consecutive year, with their two previous years as the anchors to the league's top defense.

Sophomore Todd Reames is expected to see time on the line.

"We will allow our defense to roam around," Meierkort said. "We have been aggressive before, but we will let them take it to another level. We will allow our defense to be more free-spirited because we think our offense will be better."

And the offense begins with a sophomore quarterback who saw only limited time at quarterback in high school, but plenty of time at signal caller for the Blue Devils last season.

Sophomore Nick Ohman alternated at the spot to start out the year, but won the starting role about midway through the season. "Ohman can create plays," said Meierkort. "He can get us out of trouble. Some of our best plays last year were not drawn up."

Ohman ran for 291 total yards last year — second most on the team — and threw for 991, completing 77 of 165 passes, with only four interceptions. A year of experience can only benefit Ohman and the entire team. "Last year, he didn't know what he was doing," Meierkort said. "He does now."

While Ohman holds down the top spot, the Blue Devils will be looking for a No. 2 quarterback. Battling for that spot will be freshman and redshirts Brandon Olson, Jon Severson, Josh Weiler and Phil Ashfield.

Junior Luke Bundgaard returns to the tailback spot to continue his assault on the Blue Devils' record book. Currently the fourth ranked all-time leading rusher in Stout history with 2087 yards, Bundgaard, who put on about 12 pounds of muscle in the offseason, needs 570 yards to top Bob Johnson's career mark of 2656 yards. Bundgaard rushed for 721 yards last season with a 4.1 yard per carry average and scored five touchdowns.

Bundgaard could have some speedy buddies in the backfield with him. Ryan Engelbert is a transfer who red-shirted last year at Wisconsin. Engelbert brings a 4.5 time in the 40-meter.

Mike Etim and John Hendricks will get their reps at the tailback spot. Etim averaged 4.6 yards per carry and Hendricks was the team's most valuable offensive scout team player, earning the weekly award four times.

With the loss of fullback Eric Baker, that spot is the most glaring hole to fill on offense. Mark Ralph's return to fullback from linebacker will give the team a senior leader, plus a player who is not afraid to hit or carry the ball.

Matt Schaeble saw considerable action late in the season, and pulled down three passes — a valuable skill for any Blue Devil fullback.

For the most part, last year's receiving corp was an untested lot, but they now have a year of experience behind them.

Sophomore Julio Vargas caught a team-high five TD passes as he averaged 11.9 yards per catch. Sophomore Seth Mattison averaged 12.1 yard per reception, Junior Theron Steward averaged 12.8 yards every time he touched the ball and sophomore Dan Austin scored a touchdown and averaged 14.5 yards per catch — tops for all returning receivers.

The Blue Devils also bring in junior Matt Sprester, a 6-5 transfer from Division II Minnesota-Duluth.

Tight end is up for grabs this year. Sophomores Jason Kuehn and Ross Jones saw action last year, with Kuehn pulling in one pass. Luke Neuman is the third of the trio that is around 6-4, 225-pounds or more. Ben Tarkowski will alternate at the fullback spot and the tight end spot.

With an offense that will be predicated on the run, the success of the offense rests a good deal on the offensive line. The Blue Devils lose only one starter on the line, but all of the potential starters have started at one time or another.
Clint Greenebaum was a second team all-conference pich at guard and center Josh Towner was an honorable mention choice. Tackles Ben Knepper and Adam Spiegel saw considerable action, as did guard Brian Buck and center Lucas Tatum. Nate Balkowitsch is expected to switch from the defensive line to the offensive line.

Andy Caulum, Dan Schneekloth and Mark Sobotta, along with a couple of true freshman will need to push the offensive line.

Justin Zmyewski demonstrated a strong leg, kicking six field goals — including game winners against UW-River Falls and UW-La Crosse — and finished with a team-high 36 points. Chris Parent is expected to return as the punter, and showed a penchant for pinning the ball in the corners, placing 15 kicks inside the 20-yard line.

If you want to talk parity, this league has shown just that in the last four seasons. From 1988 to 1997, only UW-La Crosse or UW-Whitewater captured the league crown. Since the 1998 season, six different teams have either won the title or shared it. During those four season, only Stout, in 2000, has won the title outright.

Meierkort expects his team to be in the thick of things again this year, along with Whitewater and River Falls and last year's co-champions UW-Stevens Point and UW-Eau Claire.

Stout will begin their season with three of their first four games on the road when they travel to Jackson, Miss., to take on Millsaps on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

"We go to Mississippi, then return home for a monster game with Eau Claire (Sept. 21)," said Meierkort. "Then we go to St. Thomas (Sept. 28) and to Platteville (Oct. 5).

"This will test us. We need to start fast, but the grind will still be at the end when we play the top teams in the conference. We must be mentally ready."

UW-Platteville (4-6)
The first three preseasons of UW-Platteville coach Mike Emendorfer's reign were highlighted by catchy slogans and public appearances to hype the new era of Pioneer football and the passing game the coach was installing.

The 2002 preseason is a little different. No catch phrases. No gimmicks or tricks. Instead, the Pioneers will enter the season with the idea their actions on the field will speak louder than anything. With seven all-conference players among the 17 returning starters, the UWP football program is anticipating the product on the field will sell itself.

"Going into the fourth year of the program, both for the coaches and for the players, there is a lot more ease and a lot more confidence going into the season," Emendorfer said. "We seem to be able to just settle in on the football part of it. The first few years, so much went into building the program and putting together some of the behind the scenes things. Now we go out there and work on techniques, Xs and Os and attitudes. It's refreshing for the coaches, and I think for the players, to know that we have a lot of the foundation set."

With just a handful of upperclassmen, the Pioneers finished 4-6, with victories against perennial Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference powerhouses UW-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater.

The Pioneers' high-powered offense broke most every school and five WIAC records during the year, and 10 of those starters return.

Quarterback Tom Stetzer threw for 3,130 yards and 17 scores as a sophomore. He topped the 400-yard passing mark three times and totaled 534 yards of offense vs. UW-Oshkosh. The 6-2, 200-pound Stetzer earned first team all-WIAC honors and helped the Pioneers lead Division III in passing yards per game at 358.8. Only four other schools in all divisions (led by Florida's 405 ypg) passed for more yards than the Pioneers.

Running back Greg Siebers broke the Pioneers' single-season reception record with 85 catches as a sophomore. He added 288 yards rushing, including 106 in the Homecoming win over UW-La Crosse. He was an honorable mention WIAC selection.

Receivers Matt Kent (first team) and Jason Leonard (second team) were both all-WIAC selections. Kent gained a school-record 996 receiving yards on 55 catches-eight for scores-while Leonard grabbed 79 passes for 711 yards and three touchdowns. Both are entering their junior years. In addition, senior Reggie Davis (53-543, six TDs) and sophomores Dan Holz (14-255) and Brandon Foldes (5-82, one TD) return after starting last year. Jimmy Richardson, who caught 32 passes for 575 yards and two TDs in 2000, returns after not playing last season.

The offensive line was a question mark entering last season, with only Stu Herbst as a returning starter. The line, however, earned passing grades for protecting the quarterback. The line allowed just 23 sacks in 567 passing plays, or an average of one every 24.6 passing play. Now Herbst leads and experienced group that also features second team all-WIAC pick Andy Paulsen, Dan Kuehn and centers Joe Schneider and Chris Lee.

The Pioneers proved they could move the ball in 2001. Their next step is to hang on to it and then move it over the end line. The Pioneers averaged 24.2 points per game and were minus-17 in turnovers.

"We have to get better offensively in terms of efficiency," Emendorfer said. "We have to score more points and eliminate turnovers. We're known for throwing the football and gaining yards, but the stats that are important for us are points scored and amount of turnovers. We have the athletes to improve upon those."

The defense showed major improvement under first-year coordinator Jamie Sailors, dropping their scoring and yards allowed averages by 5.2 points and 78 yards per game.

Eight starters return, including all-WIAC linebackers David McGraw (48 tackles) and Mitch Repka (89 tackles). Andy Hulst (40 tackles) started as a true freshman.

Three defensive starters return in the backfield. Justin Dahlberg, Adam Lewis and Jesse Nelson each had two interceptions. Brian Huiting (41 tackles) and Jeff Christensen (33 tackles) return after starting on the defensive line.

The Pioneers may receive immediate help from transfers Jimmy Harris, slated to push for a starting linebacker spot at Division I-A Lehigh, and safety Chris Wagner, who lettered in 2000 for Division I-A UW-Madison.

"I feel very confident this year defensively," Emendorfer said. "Coach Sailors did a good job in his first year. With most of the defense returning, they have a good idea of what it takes. Our first objective is to stop the run. We're going to be very aggressive up front. Our defensive line will have to battle 300-pounders, and because we'll be smaller, we'll have to be quicker and tougher."

The Pioneers also face a tough schedule, with an opener against NAIA Olivet Nazarene, the home opener vs. a Hope team coming off an 8-2 season and then versus Augustana, a playoff team in 2001. Then come the WIAC wars. An experienced UW-Platteville team is looking forward to the challenge.

"We've been able to attract quality student-athletes, but talent alone will not win football games," Emendorfer said. "The next things are attitude and chemistry to take the next step. We need to continue to work on attitudes, that we have strong attitudes, and on chemistry, that the returning players mesh with the new ones. We need to be able to have the right mind-set to come through in the fourth quarter. We know we are playing some of the top teams in the country. It's a matter of us having the right attitude and chemistry to be successful."

UW-Eau Claire (8-2 in 2001)
Can the 2002 version of UW-Eau Claire play as good a game as the game they might talk after sharing last year's Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship?

That is the concern of fourth-year head coach Todd Hoffner as he looks forward to trying to motivate his team to repeat. "Will we understand the need to work as hard to stay on top as we did to climb to the top," said Hoffner whose three previous teams went from 2-8 to 6-4 to 8-2 last season with both losses coming in double overtime.

One of the biggest improvements the Blugolds made from the 2000 season to the 2001 season was in defensive performance. To win eight games, which matched the third-best victory total in school history, the Blugolds held NCAA playoff team St. John's to 10 points, Division I-AA non-scholarship Valparaiso to nine, shut out defending WIAC champion Stout and limited perennial WIAC power La Crosse to seven points.

The Blugolds outscored their opponents 280-152 last season and normally got the jump on their foes by outscoring them 70-7 in the first quarter. The defense allowed opponents an average of 3.0 yards per rush and held opponents to a 94.29 pass efficiency rating.

Nine of the 11 defensive starters will return this season including D3football.com honorable mention All-American defensive end Austin Crow and All-Conference linebacker Brad Gawronski. The key loss is strong safety Jay Hoyord. The unanimous All-Conference pick also played for the Division III All-Stars in the Aztec Bowl. He led the team in tackles (101), pass interceptions (6) and fumble recoveries (3). Crow led the team in sacks (12) and tackles for loss (20) while Gawronski was third in tackles and second in interceptions (5). The other key hole to fill will be in the defensive line with the loss of noseguards Adrian Wilson and Beau Price. The replacement for that position will come from a shifting of existing personnel according to Hoffner.

Offensively, the Blugolds lose their entire backfield with quarterback Brian Rasmussen, tailback Darrell Souhrada and fullback Josh Stieler. Souhrada averaged more than 148 yards per game each of the past two seasons. He broke the school single-season and career rushing records as well as the conference career rushing and career scoring marks. Sophomore Dave Garrison is a top candidate to replace Souhrada after starting three games as a freshman when Souhrada was sidelined with an injury. Sophomore Nels Fredrickson will be a frontrunner for the signal-calling position. He was thrust into a starting role when Rasmussen missed last year's La Crosse game with an injury and directed the Blugolds to a 10-7 triumph that earned them a share of the conference title. Jesse Krzyzanowski made a lot of strides as a redshirt last fall and will also have a shot at the QB position, according to Hoffner.

In addition to the backfield losses, the Blugolds will need to replace three-year starters Jon Polasky and Bob Schmidt, a D3football.com second team All-American, in the offensive line. Mike Bestul, an All-Conference second team pick and first team Academic All-American, heads the list of four returning players with significant experience in the trenches, the others being Andy Jepsen, P. J. Madson and Brian McIntyre.

Also gone is wide receiver Jeremy Bergeron who led the team in touchdown receptions with seven. But the top two receivers in number of catches are back in the persons of tight end Brad Newton, an All-Conference first team selection, and Jason Foemmel who caught five TD passes. Foemmel has had two great seasons in a row according to Hoffner, and will serve as a team captain this fall.

Nick Diciaula, who was third on the team in scoring with six field goals and 23 extra points, could be a lethal weapon with some improvement in consistency said Hoffner. Matt Brink returns to handle the punting duties after averaging 36.4 per kick and putting nearly one-fourth of his kicks inside the 20. Opponents returned less than half of his punts and for only 4.4 yards per return.

The Blugolds have averaged better than 25 points per game since Hoffner became head coach but he faces his biggest challenge relative to the amount of rebuilding needed on the offensive side of the ball.

Offensive lineman Kerry Carlson, a junior college All-American and a transfer from Iowa State, could help in the offensive line where redshirt Dennis Peterson will offer a 280-pound body with tons of promise according to Hoffner. Redshirt Joe Gast will be a top candidate at running back while redshirt Andrew Jones should rank among the top four linebackers and Eric Schemenauer will be a contender on the defensive line.

Hoffner indicated that his recruiting class could be the best since he arrived in Eau Claire with quarterback candidates from two state championship squads and a bevy of strong perimeter players on defense.

Hoffner sees continued strength from top to bottom in the league with La Crosse, Stout and Oshkosh as teams to be reckoned with based on returning players and quality of recruits.

The Blugolds will get ready for the conference race with a strong non-conference schedule that includes three of the top teams from the MIAC including NCAA playoff teams St. John's and Bethel as well as Augsburg.

UW-River Falls (4-5 in 2001)
UW-River Falls returns several talented players and veteran coach John O'Grady thinks the team will be a solid unit during the 2002 season. "People in the WIAC will see the number of players who have graduated and there may not be a lot of expectations about us," said O'Grady. "But I think we'll be a real surprise."

Thirty-seven letter winners return from the 2001 team which finished 4-5 overall and tied for third at 4-3 in the WIAC. The Falcon wishbone offense will have more experience than the defense when the season starts. The offense returns seven starters while only three starters are back on defense.

Seven of 11 offensive starters are back with the Falcon line having the most experience back. Interior linemen Shaun Izdepski, Thor Johnson and Brad Roy are all seniors and will be looked upon to supply team leadership. Izpedski and Johnson are guards and Roy is at one of the tackle spots. Also back is junior center Andy Kotelnicki and sophomore tackle Jeremy Hotz. Greg Spahn will compete for playing time at center and Korwin Schmidt will play mostly tackle. Jake Knapmiller will see action at the tight end spot.

"In our interior we have a lot of experience back and that's something we need," said O'Grady. "It's a very stable group with a lot of experience."

In the backfield Dustin Vogelgesang returns after starting last year at quarterback. He rushed for 479 yards last year and led the team with eight rushing touchdowns. He completed 17 of 55 passes for 430 yards and two TDs. "Dustin's been dealing with a back injury from last year and I have some concerns about that," said O'Grady.

If Vogelgesang's back injury prevents him from playing, O'Grady has confidence in junior Tom Pulford. He carried the ball seven times for 52 yards in 2001. "Mentally, Tom is becoming a master of the offense. Right now the quarterback spot is up for grabs because of Dustin's physical condition."

The Falcons will be inexperienced at fullback. Dan Beyer and Preston Horton are two who could play at that spot. At halfback, junior Byron Grossenbacher returns. He carried the ball 23 times for 166 yards, averaging 7.2 yards a carry. John Peterlik played in every game last year. He carried the ball 28 times for 173 yards and averaged 6.2 per carry. "We're going to try to look a bit different this year with formations. We may use the I attack, with the option."

Wes Kennedy, who O'Grady says has outstanding speed, will see action at wide receiver. He played several downs last year, but did not catch a pass. He gives the Falcons a deep threat. Dan Booth and Corey Strinmoen will also play at wide receiver.

"Overall I think we have some weapons. We really need to establish ourselves offensively. Because we've had a big turnover on defense, it's important that we do what the wishbone offense does and that's dominate the clock, get a lot of first downs and score enough to beat teams."

The Falcons will be very inexperienced on the defensive side when the 2001 season starts where just three starters return. But O'Grady is optimistic because several players that have been in the program will now get their chance to play. "First of all it starts with coaching, and both Tom Journell and Kevin Bullis have been through this type of thing before which will help."

A piece of good news is that Jake Norby will return to the team afer a knee injury in the 2001 preseason that kept him out of the entire year. He will play at strong safety. In the 2000 season he made 28 tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up three passes. Also back is Luke Miska at free safety, who led the Falcons last year with 87 tackles. He intercepted two passes and broke up seven. Lew Parish and Roman Johnson will compete at the corner spots. Nate Mueller returns at one of the four linebacker spots. He had 20 tackles and recovered a fumble. Abe Garcia saw a lot of playing time and finished with 20 tackles and a fumble recovery.

"The line is where we have the most concern after losing players like Nick Basham, Jeremy Larson and Ryan Eiler." Nick Rue (17 tackles), Josh Meyer (5 tackles), Jeff Horton (11 tackles, one fumble recovery) will see action up front. "I think our defense, as time goes on, will be very good. It will be tough early in the season against the teams we'll be playing, but you've got to look at the whole picture. We'll be young and inexperienced, but not short of talent."

Sophomore Adam Bergdahl will probably handle the kickoff, placekicking and punting duties this year. He was 5-for-12 in field goals last year with his longest covering 42 yards. He was good on 17 of 20 PATs. He punted 39 times and averaged 33.6 yards a kick. Seven were downed inside the 20. Sophomore Brad Malpert retuns as the long snapper. Roman Johnson gives the Falcons some outstanding speed and O'Grady says he will return both punts and kickoffs. "There's no reason why our special teams won't be good."

The Falcons open with three non-conference games against scholarship teams. UWRF opens its season at Chadron State, a team that has reached the NCAA Div. II playoffs the past two years. Then the Falcons face Concordia-St. Paul, a team that has competed very well in the NSIC and finished 7-3 in 2001. The last non-conference game is at St. Ambrose, a team that finished 8-3 last year. All three games are on the road.

"The way I look at it right now, this is the best time to be coaching and playing in the WIAC because no matter who you are, you ought to feel like you've got a legitimate chance in every game. There's going to be five, six or even seven teams that have a chance going right down to the end. It will be tough to win the WIAC title undefeated — the winner might have one or two losses. I think the team that has the best defense will win it and right now I think that's Stout. Stevens Point will also have a strong team."

UW-Stevens Point (8-3 in 2001)
Despite returning 14 starters, including several key players from squads that have won conference titles three of the past four years, head coach John Miech is careful to place high expectations on this year's version of the UW-Stevens Point football team.

The Pointers are in an all too familiar situation, having sat in a similar position in 2000 with several key players back from a conference championship and NCAA playoff team before proceeding to finish 2-8.

"Even though we've won three of the last four titles and there's high expectations this year, we know what can happen," Miech said. "We're taking the approach that there's a lot of work to do and we can't rest on our laurels. Our guys know from experience not to take anything for granted."

UW-Stevens Point was forced to use that rebuilding approach last year and it resulted in an 8-3 record and second round appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs where the Pointers lost at St. John's 9-7 on a last-minute field goal.

Even though eight starters return on defense, there's plenty of rebuilding ahead for the Pointers this season as they look to replace WIAC co-Player of the Year Paul Schmitt at defensive end as well as four offensive linemen, including three first-team All-WIAC selections.

One of the positions that appears the most solid for the Pointers is quarterback where junior Scott Krause returns after taking all but three snaps last season. A double threat, Krause threw for nine touchdowns and rushed for nine scores a year ago.

"We're fortunate to have a quarterback that has a lot of big-game experience," Miech said. "He's an outstanding athlete and makes the big plays when we need them. He wants to have the ball in his hands when the game is on the line."

Sophomore Nolan Ott and redshirt freshman Dan Glinski also return at the quarterback position.

Krause will surely do plenty of running, but he'll have a solid trio of running backs behind him for the second straight year. Last year, Jason VanderVelden, Kurt Kielblock and Lance Gast all rushed for nearly identical numbers and VanderVelden and Kielblock are back this year, while senior fullback Ian Zertler may pick up where Gast left off. Redshirt freshmen Ryan Johnson and Ryan McMillen could also contribute in the backfield.

Krause probably hopes his wide receiver and tight end spots will be as wide open during the games as they are entering training camp. Junior Tony Romano and sophomore Ross Adamczak are both back at wide receiver, which is a position that caught just 36 of the team's 139 passes last year. Levi Massey will also contend for an end position.

There also is no clear-cut candidate entering training camp to replace graduated Steve Jones at tight end.

Literally the team's biggest holes to fill are in the offensive line where the Pointers need to replace four seniors and three All-Conference players. However, one thing's for sure — the Pointers will again feature one of the largest lines in Division III.

The one returning starter fits that billing as Luke Hilgeman will likely hold a tackle position at 6-8, 340 pounds. Another candidate for a spot is 318-pound sophomore Cliff Ruland.

"The line is a major rebuilding project," Miech said. "There will be a great deal of competition for starting spots, but it'll again average around 300 pounds per person."

Other contenders for playing time on the line are returning letterwinners Joe Hoell, who weighs 335 pounds, and Jeff Sieg at 275 pounds. Redshirt freshmen Cory Verdegan at 6-6, 310 pounds, T.J. Severson at 6-0, 290 pounds, Kyle Verhelst at 6-0, 290 pounds and Matt Karch at 6-2, 260 pounds also provide plenty of competition up front.

There's only one opening on the defensive line, but it's a big one in departed D3football.com second-team All-American Paul Schmitt at defensive end. Otherwise, junior Doug Mittelstaedt (6-1, 305), senior Matt Raduechel (6-0, 300), sophomore Josh Plisch (6-3, 295), junior Justin England (6-2, 275) and junior Tim Lium (6-0, 260) are all back on a deep defensive line and senior David Rogers (6-4, 240) returns at a defensive end spot. Craig Johnson (6-4, 235), who started at linebacker as a true freshman last season, make take over at the other end position and will be challenged by redshirt freshman Brent Hendricks (6-6, 235).

"It'll be tough to replace someone like Paul," Miech said. "But everyone else is a year older and you always have to try to replace great players."

Junior Nick Haffele led the team with 92 tackles last season and is the projected starter at middle linebacker. Five other players will battle for playing time as the Pointers look to fill the spot departed by unanimous All-Conference performer Heath Novitzke. Senior Joe Makovec was the top backup last year, while sophomore Brett Ehret started two games as a true freshman two seasons ago and returns after a year off. Kyle Korinek, Wes Kornowske and Jeff Crandall also return at the linebacker position.

Two-time All-Conference performer Dillon Maney is back at free safety after posting 78 tackles and six interceptions a year ago. Three of his picks came in the WIAC title-clinching win against UW-Eau Claire.

"I can't see a better free safety in the country than Maney," Miech said. "He's got great range, he's an outstanding tackler and he plays his best in all the big games."

Matt Stoehr is back at cornerback after starting last year as a true freshman, while experienced sophomores J.J. Chaudoir and Ryan Bentley both return at strong safety. The other returnees in the defensive backfield are senior free safety Andy Heller and redshirt freshman Chase Kostichka.

Junior Cory Kahl placed 19 punts inside the 20-yard line last year and gives the Pointers a solid returner on special teams. Kahl will be challenged by honorable mention All-State performer Ryan Prochnow.

Kahl will also battle to take over the placekicking duties for exited All-Conference performer Ricardo Vega. Other contenders include redshirt freshman Ryan Mullaney and three incoming freshmen, led by honorable mention All-State prospect Dan Heldman.

Sophomore Chad Cartier also returns after handling all of the long-snapping duties last season.

The return positions are wide open with several candidates, including redshirt freshman Ryan Johnson.

Miech is also pleased with several quality incoming freshmen as well as possibly 17 transfers that will make for competitive battles at nearly every position during training camp.

Those battles will have to be resolved quickly, since the Pointers face one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules with traditional powers Augustana and Ohio Northern followed by Division I-AA Butler.

"What the new NCAA playoff selection process has done is it has allowed us to have outstanding non-conference games and not hurt our goals for a conference title and NCAA berth," Miech said. "You don't gain anything by beating someone 52-7. We want to be challenged and play great competition before the conference race starts."

UW-Whitewater (5-5 in 2001)
The 2002 Warhawks will return eight starters on offense and five on defense from a 2001 team that finished 5-5 overall and 2-5 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Leading the way for an offense that finished first in the WIAC in scoring last season, averaging 30.6 points per game, will be two-time second team all-WIAC selection Chad Wurth. The junior running back has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first two seasons at Whitewater gaining 1,207 yards in 2000 and topping the WIAC with 1,019 last year. The Warhawks' starting fullback, junior Jesse Klemp, will also return this season.

"One of the finest tailbacks we've had — following in a great tradition," UW-Whitewater head coach Bob Berezowitz said of Wurth. "He played with injuries and still gained 1,000 yards last year. He's proven to be one of the finest running backs in Division III."

Creating holes for Wurth along the offensive line will be two-time all-WIAC lineman Jeff Kraus at right guard. Other starting offensive linemen returning will be senior left tackle Matt Andreshak and junior left guard Chad Nimm.

Last year Randy Borgardt and Reggie Stauss split time at the quarterback position with Borgardt leading the team late in the season. Borgardt threw for 966 yards and 13 scores last season. Randy is also a pitcher on the UW-W baseball team, earning first team all-WIAC honors in 2002.

"We will play with one quarterback, we won't play musical chairs," said coach Berezowitz. "We'll let them compete to find out who it will be. You have to have one guy out there leading the team."

The receiving corps will look to replace Steve Tenhagen, a first team all-WIAC performer in 2001 and first in the WIAC in scoring with 98 points (16 touchdowns in 10 games). Sophomore wide receiver Eric Stauss, who started opposite Tenhagen last year, will look to be Borgardt's main target. Last season Stauss caught 39 balls for 587 yards and four touchdowns, while earning honorable mention all-WIAC honors. The tight end position will be filled by returning starter junior Adam Whittaker, who, like Stauss, earned honorable mention all-WIAC honors in 2001.

"It will be very difficult to replace Tenhagen because he was also a great blocker," noted Berezowitz. "We have a group of young receivers, however, that may help us become a better overall receiving team."

On the defensive side of the ball, UW-W's strength will lie along the defensive line. Despite losing three time all-WIAC performer Peter Katz, the D-line will return two starters. Senior defensive ends Mike Saddy and Dan Flanagan will be looked upon to provide experience for the defense. Saddy recorded 68 total tackles last season and two sacks. Flanagan will look to return to his first team all-WIAC form of 2000.

"Katz was a three-year starter, who was a leader on and off the field, and he will be missed," said Berezowitz.

The defensive backfield will also return two starters as senior strong safety Eric Salopek and junior cornerback Josh Sternquist are back. Salopek played in all 10 games last season for Whitewater and finished fifth on the team in tackles with 61 and recorded one interception.

The linebacking group will lose two starters but return junior linebacker Derek Bergum. Last season Bergum led the WIAC in total tackles with 105, including 12 for loss and recorded two sacks. With his efforts Bergum garnered honorable mention all-WIAC for 2001.

Whitewater's special teams unit will not lose much this season as both punter Kyle Haug and placekicker Andy Barribeau return. Barribeau, a senior, made 90% of his PATs last season (30 of 33) and 50% of his field goals (4-8). Haug, a junior, finished second in the WIAC in yards per punt last year with a 37.8 average. Haug received honorable mention all-conference honors for his efforts. Chad Wurth will handle the punt returning duties again this year.

It will only take a few points for Whitewater to improve on back-to-back 5-5 seasons. Last season Whitewater was 1-3 in games decided by three points of less, with all four of those games coming against conference foes. UW-W must also face a tough non-conference schedule in addition to their WIAC schedule. Whitewater will begin the season hosting two-time defending NCAA D-III champion Mount Union and two weeks later will travel to St. John's to face the Johnnies. St. John's and Mount Union are ranked 1-2 in the Street and Smith's Division III preseason poll, along with three ranked WIAC teams, giving UW-W one of the toughest Division III schedules in the country.

"This will be the most challenging schedule since I've been involved with UW-Whitewater — and that covers a lot of years," noted Berezowitz. "We have an opportunity, for both UW-W and the WIAC, to put our name on the map. We represent the conference so it's a chance to show the strength of the league."

UW-La Crosse (4-6 in 2001)
Coming off a 4-6 campaign, the 2002 UW-La Crosse football team looks to regain the top spot of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Larry Terry begins his third season at the helm of the Eagles and returns 40 letterwinners and 12 starters from last year's squad, which finished 3-4 in the WIAC.

The Eagles have recorded 30 winning seasons in the last 32 years and are 84-25-1 (.769) in their last 110 games.

After settling in with Terry as head coach, UW-L is ready to challenge for the WIAC title in 2002. The Eagles finished fifth in the conference in total offense (329.1) last season. "We are confident that our offensive production will improve even with the graduation of our signal-caller from last season, Josh Boraas," says Terry. The quarterback position is wide-open heading into preseason practice according to Terry. Senior Matt Makaryk saw limited time last season, playing in three games, but threw only one pass. Several freshmen will also battle it out for playing time.

"We feel our quarterback, whoever ultimately wins the job, will be surrounded by some pretty good talent, which should take some pressure off of him to make plays," says Terry. "We need to improve our pass efficiency and increase our completion percentage."

The Eagles' backfield returns its top two rushers in senior Ross Moline and junior Andrew Mocadlo, who combined for 961 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Moline led UW-L in rushing despite missing two games with injury. He rushed for 595 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. Mocadlo, who earned All-WIAC Second Team honors as a freshman, came back to rush for 366 yards (3.6 average) and three touchdowns in 2001. Despite Moline and Mocadlo combining for 961 yards, the Eagles ranked seventh in the conference in rushing offense a year ago, averaging 104.1 yards per game.

Junior Darrick Smith also returns to provide depth at tailback and the coaching staff has high hopes for redshirt freshman Mark Wilcox.

Senior Mike Smith is back at fullback after missing five games with injury. He rushed for 255 yards and led the team with seven touchdowns in 2000. Matt Pagel and Nate Idhe will also compete for playing time at fullback.

"We think we have speed, talent and depth in the backfield," says Terry. "We're looking for significant improvement in our rushing per game totals."

Unlike heading into the 2001 season when the Eagles didn't know who was going to catch the ball, eight of the Top 10 receivers return this year. Senior Matt Rizzo earned All-WIAC First Team honors last season after setting a school record with 77 catches. He finished with 965 receiving yards, second in single-season school history, and had five games with at least 100 yards. Rizzo caught seven touchdowns. Sophomore Jason Kettenhofen looks to regain a starting spot after missing most of last year due to injury. Sophomore Scott Burnoski is coming off a season where he caught 18 passes for 322 yards. Junior Chester Janke returns to start at tight end after finishing second in catches (28) and fourth in yards (249) last season. He earned All-WIAC Honorable Mention honors.

"Our wide receiving corps will have several good targets for our quarterback," says Terry. "We feel like we can distribute the ball to any of our quality receivers if Rizzo draws too much attention."

The offensive line returns three starters, including sophomore starting tackles Troy VanZile (left) and Andrew Mc Glenn (right). Junior Chris Ahrens returns at the starting left guard position. The center and right guard positions figure to be battled out in preseason practice. Returning players include redshirt freshman Adam Dow and seniors Mark Formanek and Richard Henert at center while redshirt freshmen Adam Petchel, Chris Meeusen, Michael Gorder, Matt Hegge, Adam Witkiewicz, Dave Jacobson and sophomore Nicholas Skretta also return.

"The offensive line is young as we did a considerable amount of redshirting last fall. We have several quality players returning and with the addition of a great recruiting class competition will be strong for all spots in preseason practice," says Terry. "We feel this group will emerge as a strength of our team."

The Eagles' defense led the WIAC in turnover margin (+14) a year ago while ranking second in scoring defense (17.2) and fourth in total defense (349.6).

Only four starters are back in 2002, but 21 defensive letterwinners return.
UW-L's defensive line returns three starters in 2002. Senior Thaddeus Rego, junior Jeremy Duerr and sophomore Mike Cummings return at defensive tackle while senior Robert Lerner is back at one of the defensive end positions. Rego recorded 17 tackles, including two sacks and two fumble recoveries despite missing half the season with injury. Duerr and Lerner each finished with 33 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. Duerr also tied for the team lead with three fumble recoveries and added one interception. Cummings started early last year before missing a majority of the season with injury. Senior Peter Schmidt will also compete for time at defensive tackle.
Junior Khary Jeffers looks to regain a starting spot at defensive end after missing the 2001 season with an injury. Junior Cory Thompson and sophomore Matt Buelow saw time last year at defensive end and are expected to vie for playing time in 2002

"There are some quality defensive linemen coming back. In any year the strength of this unit can be a real crystal ball as to how well a team will do and we have high expectations for our defensive line," says Terry.

The Eagles will need to fill the void of losing its three starting linebackers from last season. Jason Ott, Scott Baranczyk and Kurt Schmidt were the top-three tacklers a year ago, combining for 243 tackles (24 for loss) and seven fumble recoveries. Seniors Jake Ritter and Bryan Sievert along with junior Dustin Powell and sophomores Adam Schneider, Kevin Fitzgerald and Kevin Bleck will battle for playing time. Red-shirt freshman Josh Hamre may also see action.

Terry also expects transfers Gene Janke and Deke Stanek to be in the mix at linebacker. Janke is a freshman transfer from the Air Force Academy while Stanek is a sophomore and wrestled at North Dakota State University.
Senior John Pietenpol is the lone starter returning in the secondary. Pietenpol recorded 42 tackles and two fumble recoveries at strong safety last season. Seniors Joe Wegner and Jim LaBlonde saw playing time at cornerback last year while junior Chad Wedan and sophomore Jeremy Nickelotti played at safety.

"We're concerned about the graduation of three quality defensive backs (Nate Lancaster, Brian Portilia, Jeremy Unertl) from last season, but we feel our front seven will take some of the pressure off the secondary," says Terry.
Senior punter Bryan Morris earned All-WIAC Second Team honors last season after averaging 35.7 per attempt. He had 30 punts inside the 20-yard line, five inside the 10 and six inside the 5-yard line.

Junior placekicker Jedediah Jensen was 8-for-13 in field goal attempts last year and is 17-for-32 in his two-year career. He earned all-conference second team honors as a freshman.

Junior Todd Kes is expected to take over the long snapping duties after red-shirting last year.

Heading into the 2001 season, eight defensive starters returned, which allowed little time for the backups. Terry thinks the offseason has seen a renewed work ethic and commitment from his returnees as they see increased opportunities with the graduation of the seniors. "All of our returning defensive players see a chance to play a significant role this season and they have worked really hard in the offseason."

Terry is expecting another tough WIAC race in 2002. "The league is so tough top to bottom and our players realize that," says Terry. "Our tough non-conference schedule (Illinois Wesleyan, D-II Washburn and Division I-AA non-scholarship Drake) should get us ready for the WIAC."

UW-Oshkosh (3-6 in 2001)
UW-Oshkosh enters Year Three of head coach Phil Meyer's era looking to climb another notch up the ladder in the WIAC standings. Oshkosh returns 32 lettermen, including seven starters on offense and five on defense, from last year's squad that defeated the eventual WIAC champion for the second consecutive season. The Titans turned in stellar performances in defeating defending WIAC champion UW-Stevens Point in 2000 and UW-Stout a year ago, but also agonized through a 1-11 record in its remaining 12 league games. Matching, and possibly improving upon, its three WIAC wins of the past two seasons is one of Meyer's goals for his Titans in 2002.

Among the absentees for the Titans this fall are All-WIAC Second Team selections David Gaulke, a placekicker, and Rick Lewandowski, a defensive lineman. Gaulke concluded his career with 173 points, the second-highest total in Oshkosh annals, while Lewandowski had 39 tackles for losses, including 17 quarterback sacks the past four seasons as a starter in 34 games.

Also gone is quarterback Alan Beversdorf, Oshkosh's second all-time leading passer with 5,507 yards, offensive linemen Allan Dreblow and Luke Venne, linebacker Lucas Jachthuber and defensive back Keith Kamps. All five players saw extensive playing time the past four years, with Kamps totaling 37 starts, Dreblow 33, and Beversdorf and Venne 27 each.

Returning starters for the Titans on offense are junior tight end Chad Lindsley, junior left tackle Lucas Koenecke, junior center Mike Gaynor, junior right tackle Troy Holzhueter, senior split end Steve Wagner, senior running back Matt Kaufman and sophomore running back Nick Weber. Wagner received All-WIAC Second Team accolades a year ago after catching a team-leading 46 passes for 509 yards and five touchdowns. Looking to fill the void of Beversdorf at quarterback is sophomore Nick Wara, who threw only 28 passes during his rookie season.

Defensively, starters returning for the Titans are junior linebacker Derick Bielmeier, sophomore linebacker Dan Mulqueen, senior linebacker Justin Schneider, junior cornerback Noah Paquin and senior strong safety Nick Carlson. Carlson led the Titans with 84 tackles a year ago.

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