Nov. 7, 2006
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BELLINGHAM, Wash. -
UPCOMING GAME: Western Washington University Vikings (4-6, 2-5, 7th place tie) vs. Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mavericks (4-6, 2-5, 7th place tie) in a North Central Conference game on Sat., Nov. 11 (10 a.m. PT) at Blakeslee Stadium (7,000 cap., Grass) in Mankato, Minn.
Western, which will be playing its first game of 2006 on natural grass, posted back-to-back wins for the first time this season with a 10-6 come-from-behind victory over Augustana last week. The Viking had beaten Western Oregon, 17-14, the previous week with the go-ahead score coming in the last five minutes. All four WWU victories this season have been decided in the last eight minutes, two of them in the final 60 seconds.
Three weeks ago, Western lost 42-28 to arch-rival Central Washington in the fourth annual Wells Fargo Battle in Seattle for the Cascade Cup played before a crowd of 11,153 at Qwest Field. And prior to that, the Vikings fell 42-10 to South Dakota, ranked No.14 in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25. It was the fourth nationally ranked opponent they had faced this season.
Before that, Western rallied from a 14-point deficit in the final 5:07 to win 24-17 at St. Cloud State, scoring the winning touchdown on a blocked punt with 43 seconds to go. It was the first time that the Vikings had accomplished that feat in over 40 years.
Following a season-opening 28-23 loss at Humboldt State, Western had a string of four games against 2006 NCAA Division II playoff teams. The Vikings opened that stretch by upsetting No.15 Washburn, 16-13, on a field goal with 2.7 seconds remaining, then lost 38-10 to No.20 Nebraska-Omaha. Western next nearly upset No.4 North Dakota, leading 20-13 at halftime and having the ball inside the Fighting Sioux 40-yard line with less than a minute to play in a 26-20 loss. That was followed by a 20-10 loss to Minnesota Duluth.
All of Western's losses this season have been to teams ranked among the top 12 in the Northwest Region ratings.
Minnesota State has won its last two games. Last week, the Mavericks scored 33 unanswered points in defeating Central Washington, 33-17, after snapping an 11-game NCC losing streak the previous week with a 44-39 win at home over No.11 South Dakota.
Prior to that, Minnesota State had lost five straight games, three of them by seven or fewer points, after a 2-1 start.
In the first three weeks of the season, the Mavericks posted wins over Truman State, 34-16, and Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 33-22, with a loss at No.2 Northwest Missouri State sandwiched in between.
The Mavericks then dropped five in a row, 21-16 to Augustana, 21-14 to No.17 Nebraska Omaha, 24-3 to No.4 North Dakota, 16-13 in overtime to Minnesota Duluth and 16-3 to St. Cloud State.
SENIOR SALUTE: Eight Western seniors are playing in their final game Saturday. They are wide receiver Kellen Alley, tight end Tyler Birkley, defensive tackle Ryan Lucas, free safety Todd McClellan, quarterback James Monrean, defensive end Matt Overton, offensive tackle Brandon Torrey and offensive guard Peter Van Datta. Three of them are four-year letter winners - McClellan, Torrey and Van Datta; and two are three-year lettermen - Lucas and Monrean.
SERIES HISTORY: First meeting.
RADIO: KBAI (930 AM-Bellingham) is broadcasting all Western football games live this season with sports director Doug Lange handling the play-by-play duties for the 11th consecutive season. Providing the color commentary for the ninth straight year is former Viking quarterback Jason Stiles. The pre-game show with host Mark Scholten begins at 9:30 a.m. PT. The KBAI broadcast can also be heard on the Internet at wwuvikings.com.
All Minnesota State football games are carried live on KTOE Radio (AM 1420) with Casey Lloyd handling the play-by-play duties.
WEBCAST INFORMATION: Viking football is back on the Internet for 2006. To listen to the live broadcast via the web, go to www.wwuvikings.com and follow the links. The web provides streaming audio of the KBAI 930 AM radio broadcast of Western athletic events. The audio stream is only available during event broadcast times.
TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets for Viking football cost $12 for reserved seating, $8 for general admission adults, $6 for students and seniors and $5 for Western students. For ticket information, contact the WWU Athletic Department at 360-650-2583 (BLUE).
CIVIC STADIUM: Western is in its 45th year of playing home games at Bellingham's Civic Stadium. The facility, built in 1961, has undergone a number of renovations over the years. The Vikings have a 121-86-7 (.582) record there. Last year, Western was 1-3 at home, its first losing record at Civic Stadium since 1990 (2-3). The Vikings finished 3-3 at home this season.
2005 RESULTS: Western finished 4-6 and was second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 3-3. Minnesota State finished 2-9 overall and was seventh in the NCC with a 0-6 record.
WESTERN REPORT: Riding its first two-game winning streak of the year, Western concludes its season with its first-ever trip to Mankato, Minn., to face Minnesota State, which like the Vikings has a 4-6 record and has won two straight games.
The Vikings have come from behind in the fourth quarter in all four of their victories, scoring the winning points last week with 7:35 to play.
They've also won the last two weeks with a defense decimated by injuries still only giving up a total of 20 points in the two games. None of Western's starting linebackers last week were listed as linebackers two weeks ago, and senior tight end Tyler Birkley started at defensive tackle.
Key to the defense has been strong play from the defensive ends and safeties. In the secondary, senior free safety Todd McClellan leads Western in tackles with 60 and interceptions with five, getting two picks each of the last two weeks in picking up back-to-back NCC co-defensive Player of the Week honors. He has also forced three fumbles. Junior strong safety Steve Davis, who played linebacker last week, has 56 stops.
At defensive end, junior Ryan Conwell has a team and NCC-leading 12.5 tackles for loss, including six quarterback sacks (6th in league), both team-highs, among his 34 stops, and has forced three fumbles, including one that set up the winning touchdown last week. Senior Matt Overton has 24 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, and leads the team in passes broken up with four.
On offense, freshman running back Craig Garner has started the last three weeks and surpassed 100 yards rushing each time. On the season, the speedy Garner has rushed for 489 yards and four touchdowns on 102 carries.
Senior quarterback James Monrean has completed 130-of-220 passes for 1,424 yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions. Sophomore Adam Perry has seen action in four games, and has directed the game-winning drives the last two weeks. He has completed 14-of-23 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
Sophomore Travis McKee leads the receiving corps with 30 catches for 422 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Brett Upchurch has 29 grabs for 339 yards and senior Kellen Alley has 16 receptions for 252 yards and three scores.
The offensive line, led by senior tackle Brandon Torrey, a first-team all-GNAC pick last season, has started the same group in eight of 10 games this season. Guard Peter Van Datta is the only other senior on the offensive line.
On special teams, sophomore Robby Smith is 12-of-19 on field goals, is perfect on 18 extra points, and has sent seven kickoffs for touchbacks. Garner has provided a major threat on kickoff returns, averaging 24.5 yards on 24 returns.
Heading the rash of injuries the Vikings have had were season-ending ones to junior middle linebacker Shane Simmons (shoulder/neck), the team's leading tackler with 56, in the fifth week; and junior running back Calvin McCarty (foot fracture), the team's leading rusher with 492 yards and five scores, in the seventh week. McCarty also had 30 catches for 278 yards.
MINNESOTA STATE: The Mavericks feature a wide-open offense that throws roughly twice as often as it runs. They rank fifth nationally in passing offense (280.8 avg.).
Triggering the attack is senior quarterback Ben King, who ranks fifth nationally in total offense at 289.1 yards a game. On the season, he has completed 250-of-419 passes for 2,682 yards with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. In the last two weeks alone, he has thrown for 938 yards and seven touchdowns, throwing for a school-record 505 yards, the most in the NCAA this year on a NCC-record 63 attempts against South Dakota, and following it up with 433 yards against Central Washington as the Mavericks rallied to win after trailing 17-0. King started 20 games in the 2003 and 2004 seasons before sitting out last season to concentrate on baseball, where he is a starting pitcher for MSU.
Junior wide receiver Bryan Dalton has 65 receptions for 775 yards (6.5 catches per game, ranks No.10 nationally) and three touchdowns. He has 24 catches in the last two weeks, making a school-record 14 grabs against South Dakota. Senior Tyrell Smith has 57 grabs for 604 yards and five scores. Another senior receiver, Josh Bryant, has 28 catches, and has also started two games at quarterback when King was injured, rushing for 171 yards in an overtime loss to Minnesota Duluth.
Senior running back Brian Alberty is the leading rusher, having 303 yards on 75 carries. Alberty is also a receiving threat, with 55 catches for 588 yards and three scores.
Minnesota State's defense has also been a big-play threat, making 72 tackles for loss, forcing 18 fumbles and recovering 13, and returning three interceptions for touchdowns.
Leading the defense is sophomore free safety Blake Freese, who has team-highs of 68 tackles and seven passes broken up.
Freshman end Randy Earl has nine tackles for loss, including five sacks, both team-highs, and also has two interceptions and three fumbles forced. Senior safety Allen King leads the Mavericks in interceptions with three.
On special teams, senior Melvin Matlock is averaging 32.3 yards (ranks fourth nationally) on 30 kickoff returns, having a 100-yarder for a touchdown last week against Central Washington. Smith averages 10.4 yards on 23 punt returns, including a 94-yard score, but perhaps the biggest play of MSU's season was made by Jeff Fielder, who advanced a blocked field goal attempt 23 yards for the winning score as time expired against South Dakota.
Freshman placekicker Ben Spencer is 11-of-13 on PATs and 5-of-9 on field goals.
WWU PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS (by coaching staff) vs. Humboldt State, Washburn, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State, South Dakota, Central Washington, Western Oregon, Augustana
Offense - McCarty, McCarty, Torrey, Monrean, McCarty, Perry, Upchurch, Garner, Garner, Perry
Defense - Conwell, Simmons, Aumavae, McClellan, Conwell, Aumavae, Davis, Schmit, McClellan, Lucas/McClellan
Special Teams - Anderson, Smith, Bropleh, Smith, Garner, Elliott/Warren, Garner, Copsey, Copsey, Anderson
WWU INJURY REPORT: The status of middle linebackers James Day (shoulder/neck) and Jake Youngren (knee sprain) remains indefinite as it does with starting offensive tackle Dale Moore (broken hand) and defensive tackle Joe Samuels (dislocated toe).
SMITH'S KICKING EXPLOITS: Robby Smith, the first player signed by Coach Robin Ross, ranks ninth nationally in Division II, averaging 1.2 field goals per game. He had a string of successful field goals stopped at seven against Minnesota Duluth on Sept. 30, one short of the school record. But Smith bounced back, tying a school record with a 54-yarder versus St. Cloud State on Oct. 7. His three field goals against Washburn on Sept. 9, including the game winner from 40 yards with 1.7 seconds remaining were the most in a game by a Viking since Michael Koenen booted four on Nov. 3, 2001 in a 46-14 win over Western Oregon. Koenen now plays for the NFL Atlanta Falcons. Smith is second in the NCC in field goals made, converting 12-of-19, and is third in field goal percentage (63.2).
GARNER GETS HIS 100: Freshman running back Craig Garner has run for 421yards since becoming a starter three weeks ago, going over 100 yards in each game. In his first start against Central Washington, Garner ran for 180 yards on 19 carries (9.5 apc), the most by a Viking since 1996. He had a touchdown run of 59 yards and another carry for 52 yards, both of which doubled Western's previous best run from scrimmage this season. He also recovered an onside kick and returned three kickoffs for 67 yards. Two weeks ago versus Western Oregon, Garner had 133 yards rushing on 27 carries, including touchdown runs of 28 and 17 yards, and last Saturday against Augustana, he ran for 108 yards on 33 attempts. His season rushing total is 489 (4.8 apc) and his 42.3 rushing yards per game average is seventh in the NCC.
McCLELLAN ENDING CAREER IN BLAZE OF GLORY: Senior free safety Todd McClellan has intercepted two passes in each of Western's last two games and has been named NCC co-Defensive Player of the Week both times. His season interception total of five is tied for second in the NCC. McClellan also is tied for third among league leaders in forced fumbles with three and is 10th in passes defended. He leads the Vikings in tackles with 60.
PERRY LEADS COMEBACKS: Sophomore quarterback Adam Perry has come off the bench to be a central figure in three Western comeback wins this season. Perry threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Travis McKee with 7:35 remaining to lift the Vikings to a 10-6 victory over Augustana last Saturday. On Oct. 7 against St. Cloud State, he replaced senior starter James Monrean with eight minutes remaining and helped Western pull off its biggest comeback in 40 years. The Vikings trailed 17-3 when Perry was sent in. He threw a 10-yard touchdown that made it 17-10. The Vikings' defense took over from there, blocking consecutive St. Cloud punts. The first set up a short rushing touchdown that tied it 17-17, and second was returned 2 yards for the winning touchdown by Steve Davis with 43 seconds left. On Oct. 28, Perry replaced Monrean after he was injured and led a 68-yard scoring drive that turned a 14-10 deficit into a 17-14 victory over Western Oregon. In Saturday's win over Augustana, Perry entered the game late in the second quarter and went 7-of-10 for 70 yards, including 6-of-8 for 55 yards in the fourth quarter. In all this season, Perry has completed 14-of-23 passes (60.9 percent) for 154 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
VIKING NOTES: The fourth annual Wells Fargo Battle in Seattle for the Cascade Cup between arch-rivals Western and Central Washington drew a crowd of 11,153. The contest has surpassed 11,000 all four years with the 2003 meeting being played before 16,392, a record for a non-NCAA Division I collegiate football game in the state of Washington.
Brandon Elliott was named NCC Special Teams co-Player of the Week for his performance in Western's 24-17 victory over St. Cloud State. It was the first time in at least 40 years that the Vikings had come back from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to win
Western leads the NCC in red zone offense (85.2, 23-of-27) is tied for first in PAT kicking (18-of-18) and. The Vikings also rank second in punting (33.7), third in kickoff returns (20.9) and fourth in field goals (12-of-19, .632).
Western, which lost the ball six times against Central Washington (three fumbles and three interceptions), had a three-game streak of no turnovers earlier in the campaign ... Placekicker Robby Smith was named Don Hansen's Football Gazette Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the Vikings' 16-13 upset of No.15 Washburn. He and linebacker Shane Simmons were named NCC Special Teams and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively ... Prior to the Washburn upset, the last time Western had defeated a top 15-ranked opponent was on Oct. 23, 1999 in a 26-14 win over Chadron State at Bellingham ... Running back Calvin McCarty's three rushing touchdowns versus Humboldt State were the most by a Western player since 2002.
NCC PRESEASON POLL: Western was picked to finish eighth among nine teams in the 2006 preseason North Central Conference coaches poll and last in the media poll. North Dakota was the first-place pick in both polls.
HEAD COACHES: Robin Ross (Washington State, 1977) is in his first year (4-6) as head coach at Western and brings three decades of coaching experience to his new post. He was the defensive coordinator for two of the finest Viking teams in school history in the mid-1990s.
Ross has spent most of his career as an assistant at the NCAA Division I-A level. He also coached in the National Football League, being the linebackers coach with Oakland for two seasons, helping the Raiders have the ninth-ranked defense in the NFL in 2000, when they were 12-4 and reached the AFC Championship Game.
Last year, Ross was linebackers coach at Oregon State University, where the Beavers led the PAC 10 in run defense, allowing 108.0 yards per game. He spent the previous four seasons as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach at University of Oregon. The Ducks won the 2001 PAC 10 championship, finishing second in the ESPN Coaches Poll after defeating Colorado in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl. He was also at Oregon as an assistant during the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
Ross came to Western in 1994 and in his first season, the Vikings led the NAIA Division II in scoring defense, allowing just 11.5 points a game and five times holding opponents without a touchdown. Western, which posted its first national playoff victory that season with a 21-2 triumph at No.1-ranked Linfield, ranked third nationally in rushing defense at 76.0 yards a contest and fifth in total defense (260.3) with 42 takeaways (26 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries).
In 1995, Western finished 9-1, going 9-0 for the first undefeated regular-season for the school in 57 years and being ranked No.1 nationally in NAIA II for five weeks. The defense allowed 13.7 points a game, ranking seventh nationally in that category.
Immediately prior to coming to Western, Ross had been defensive coordinator at Iowa State University from 1987 to 1993. He has also been a defensive coordinator at Fresno State University (1996) and University of Cincinnati (1984 and 1985).
Ross, 52, began his coaching career at Long Beach State University in 1977. A graduate of Washington State University, where he also spent one season as a defensive line coach, Ross was a second-team all-PAC-8 pick as an offensive lineman. He was a 10th round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 1976, and spent one preseason with the Seattle Seahawks.
Ross, who is the 13th head coach in the 95-year history of Western football, is a graduate of El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, Calif. He and wife Jean have been married for 25 years.
Jeff Jamrog (Nebraska, 1987) is in his third year (12-20) as head coach at Minnesota State. Last season, he directed a young squad that finished 2-9, be five of the losses were by five points or less, including taking eventual national runner-up Northwest Missouri State to overtime. In 2004, he coached the Mavericks to a 6-5 mark, the program's first winning season since 1994. Jamrog spent four years at Nebraska (2000-03), the Cornhuskers playing in the national championship game in 2002. He also spent three years at New Mexico (1997-99) as defensive coordinator, was the defensive coordinator at Nebraska-Omaha for three years (1994-96) and worked as the inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at South Dakota from 1990-93. He served as a graduate assistant at Nebraska in 1988 and 1989.
VIKINGS ARE FOOTBALL-ONLY MEMBER OF NCC: Western is a football-only member of the North Central Conference, one of the nation's most prestigious NCAA II alignments. The Vikings, along with arch-rival Central Washington, begin playing a full slate of eight NCC games this fall. The two schools had been competing as part of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The NCC, founded in 1921, currently has nine members in all, the others being Augustana SD, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State Mankato, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, St. Cloud State MN and South Dakota. Over the past three years, the NCC has had three of its member institutions leave to move up to NCAA Division I. North Dakota State and South Dakota State left after the 2003-04 academic year, and Northern Colorado left after 2002-03. In 2005, there was a four-way tie for the NCC title between Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota Duluth. North Dakota played in the NCAA II national championship game in 2003 and won a national title in 2001. The Vikings have played eight games (2-6) with NCC foes over the previous four seasons, splitting with Nebraska-Omaha and South Dakota State, losing three times to St. Cloud State and once to North Dakota.
LAST WEEK'S GAME:
Nov. 4 at Bellingham, Wash. - Western 10, Augustana 6 Perry throws winning TD pass with 7:35 to play
Quarterback Adam Perry threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Travis McKee with 7:35 to play, lifting Western to a 10-6 victory over Augustana in a North Central Conference game at Civic Stadium.
Western improved to 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the NCC. The Vikings, who posted back-to-back wins for the first time this season, have trailed in the fourth quarter of all four of their victories.
Augustana fell to 5-5 overall and 3-5 in the NCC with its third consecutive loss.
Western's game-winning drive was set up when defensive end Ryan Conwell forced a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Brandon Elliott at the Augustana 35. Perry then threw a 21-yard completion to wide receiver Kellen Alley, and two plays later, found McKee in the back of end zone for the go-ahead score.
Augustana failed to cross midfield on its next two series, but a bad punt snap by Western gave Augustana the ball at the Western 46 with 16 seconds left. On second-and-10, quarterback Tommy Flyger connected with Ryan Rothenberger to the 27, and the clock stopped temporarily for the first down with one second left.
Flyger then threw to the end zone for Chris Pomerleau, but the pass fell incomplete.
The first three quarters of the game were played in a driving rain and a steady 25 m.p.h. wind from the southeast that sometimes gusted to nearly 40. The conditions made passing difficult, as the teams combined for just 141 yards through the air, 65 of those yards coming in the fourth quarter.
Perry, who entered the game early in the second quarter, was 7-of-10 for 70 yards, going 6-of-8 for 55 yards in the fourth quarter.
Augustana opened the scoring on its first possession of the game, moving 58 yards in 10 plays to set up a 23-yard field goal by Dan Grossman. The lead extended to 6-0 in the final minute of the first half as a botched punt snap by Western led to a 28-yard Grossman field goal.
Western reached the scoreboard midway in the third quarter, as its first completion of the day, a 15-yard pass from Perry to wide receiver Brett Upchurch, set up a 28-yard field goal by Robby Smith.
Augustana had a 246-191 advantage in total offense as fullback Jeremy Huber rushed for 130 yards on 24 carries. Flyger, a preseason Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-American, was 8-of-26 passing for 71 yards with two interceptions despite completing 4-of-6 for 33 yards on his opening drive of the game.
Western safety Todd McClellan, one of eight seniors playing his final home game, had two interceptions for the second consecutive game, giving him five for the season. He led a defense that because of injuries played two safeties at outside linebacker and had tight end Tyler Birkley start at defensive tackle.
Running back Craig Garner paced the offense with 108 yards on 33 carries, his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game.
LAST YEAR'S MEETING: None
NEXT GAME: 2007 opener.
WEBSITE: For the latest results, statistics and updates, including reports on all Western athletic events, visit the Vikings website at wwuvikings.com.
PROBABLE TWO DEEPS
WESTERN WASHINGTON
OFFENSE
TE 87 Steen Raisl (6-6, 235, Fr.-SQ, Tacoma, WA/Stadium) 86 Logan Cullen (6-3, 235, So.-1V, Anacortes, WA) 88 Tyler Birkley (6-1, 220, Sr.-TR, Modesto, CA/Highland KY/UC Davis)LT 70 Brandon Torrey (6-3, 290, Sr.-3V, Graham, WA/Bethel) 76 Scott Allanson (6-3, 265, Fr.-SQ, Everett, WA/Jackson)LG 53 Chris Miller (6-3, 275, Fr.-RS, Everett, WA/Mariner) 68 Chris Corey (6-4, 270, Fr.-SQ, Federal Way, WA/Decatur)C 66 Dan Trask (6-2, 270, So.-SQ, Aberdeen, WA) 63 Jason Paull (6-3, 275, Fr.-RS, Vancouver, WA/Mountain View)RG 67 Peter Van Datta (6-2, 280, Sr.-3V, Bremerton, WA/Central Kitsap) 78 Phil Hayes (6-4, 330, So.-1V, Renton, WA/O'Dea)RT 68 Chris Corey (6-4, 270, Fr.-SQ, Federal Way, WA/Decatur) 59 Dale Moore (6-2, 285, So.-1V, Vancouver, WA/Evergreen)WR 19 Brett Upchurch (6-1, 175, Jr.-2V, Sammamish, WA/Eastlake) 37 Matt Hoss (5-9, 170, So., Vancouver, WA/Mountain View)WR 18 Travis McKee (6-5, 215, So.-1V, Bothell, WA) 9 Matt Wilson (5-10, 190, Jr.-2V, Auburn, WA)WR 80 Kellen Alley (6-2, 210, Sr.-1V, Bremerton, WA/Montana State) 81 Casey Dell (5-11, 185, Jr.-2V, Moxee, WA/East Valley)RB 20 Craig Garner (5-6, 160, Fr., Tacoma, WA/Lakes) 17 Tyler Roberts (6-0, 195, Fr-RS, Friday Harbor, WA) 23 Jon Williams (5-10, 185, Jr.-2V, Redmond, WA)QB 14 James Monrean (6-2, 230, Sr.-2V, Bellingham, WA/Sehome) 6 Adam Perry (6-0, 195, So.-SQ, Longview/R.A. Long)
DEFENSE
LE 93 Matt Overton (5-11, 250, Sr.-1V, Tracy, CA/Diablo Valley JC) 52 Mike Lisenby (5-10, 225, Jr.-SQ, Bothell, WA)T 88 Tyler Birkley (6-1, 220, Sr.-TR, Modesto, CA/Highland KY/UC Davis) 71 Junior Aumavae (6-1, 295, So.-1V, Palmer, AK/Palmer)T 94 Ryan Lucas (6-5, 285, Sr.-2V, Vancouver, BC/North Delta/Simon Fraser) 90 Joe Samuels (6-2, 275, Jr.-1V, Palmer, AK/Lane CC)RE 99 Ryan Conwell (6-5, 235, Jr.-2V, Kent, WA/Kentwood) 58 William Jackson (6-1, 235, Fr.-RS, Seattle, WA/O'Dea)LB 43 Caleb Jessup (6-0, 200, Fr., Kenmore, WA/Inglemoor) 32 Dan Winter (6-0, 210, Fr.-RS, Lacey, WA/North Thurston)LB 49 Brandon Elliott (6-2, 230, Jr.-2V, Auburn, WA/Fife) 50 Mike Braund (6-0, 215, Jr.-SQ, Bellevue, WA/St. Mary's CA)LB 33 Steve Davis (5-9, 190, So.-1V, Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin) 47 Tieba Bropleh (5-10, 225, Jr.-2V, Bremerton, WA)LC 36 Maurice Jones (5-8, 175, So.-SQ, Tacoma, WA/Spanaway Lake) 12 Danny Van Datta (5-11, 160, Fr., Silverdale, WA/Central Kitsap)FS 22 Todd McClellan (5-10, 200, Sr.-3V, Lacey, WA/Timberline) 25 Mike Schmit (5-10, 195, Jr.-1V, Vancouver, WA/Columbia River)SS 46 Danny Cumming (6-0, 175, Fr.-RS, Friday Harbor, WA) 33 Steve Davis (5-9, 190, So.-1V, Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin)RC 28 Anthony Rosso (5-10, 185, So.-1V, Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla) 16 C.J. Green (5-7, 185, Fr.-RS, Federal Way, WA)
SPECIAL
K 10 Robby Smith (5-8, 165, So.-TR, Bellingham, WA/Ventura JC) 83 Ace Younggren (5-11, 190, So-1V, Snohomish, WA)P 45 Corbin Anderson (6-0, 195, Jr.-1V, Veradale, WA/University/EWU) 26 Josh Lider (6-2, 180, Fr.-RS, Bellevue, WA/Sammamish)H 15 A.J. Porter (6-1, 225, Jr.-2V, SeaTac, WA/Kennedy) 19 Brett Upchurch (6-1, 175, Jr.-2V, Sammamish, WA/Eastlake)LS 93 Matt Overton (5-11, 250, Sr.-1V, Tracy, CA/Diablo Valley JC) 99 Ryan Conwell (6-5, 235, Jr.-2V, Kent, WA/Kentwood)SS 93 Matt Overton (5-11, 250, Sr.-1V, Tracy, CA/Diablo Valley JC) 99 Ryan Conwell (6-5, 235, Jr.-2V, Kent, WA/Kentwood)PR 22 Todd McClellan (5-10, 200, Sr.-3V, Lacey, WA/Timberline) 20 Craig Garner (5-6, 160, Fr., Tacoma, WA/Lakes)KR 8 Chris Robinson (5-10, 210, Jr.-2V, Lakewood, WA/Clover Park) 20 Craig Garner (5-6, 160, Fr., Tacoma, WA/Lakes)
MINNESOTA STATE
OFFENSE
TE 88 Jeff Fielder (6-5, 260, Jr., Salina, OK/Salina/Bakersfield College) 47 Dan Harke (6-1, 240, Sr., Stevens Point, WI/Steven Point Area)LT 77 Adrian Battles (6-4, 280, Fr.-RS, Milwaukee, WI/Vincent) 64 Mike Zeidler (6-3, 290, Fr.-RS, New Berlin, WI/Eisenhower)LG 78 Kory Andersen (6-2, 310, Sr., Hanska, Minn./St. James./Illinois State) 74 Josh Clausen (6-3, 285, So., Kansas City, MO/Winnetonka)C 55 Zach Verdin (6-1, 275, Sr., Westlake Village, CA/Westlake/C. of the Canyons) 65 Ben Roberson (6-3, 290, Sr., Zumbro Falls, MN/Lake City)RG 62 Jake Droessler (6-2, 295, So., Storm Lake, IA/Storm Lake) 70 Jeremy Clark (6-4, 310, Fr., Waukesha, WI/Waukesha South)RT 75 Adam Van Zeeland (6-4, 275, So., Kimberly, WI/Kaukauna) 68 Andy Schoonover (6-4, 275, So., Boyceville, WI/Boyceville)WR 1 Tory Chappel (6-0, 190, Jr., Sacramento, CA/Valley/Sacramento City College) 80 Chris Nowlin (6-0, 185, Fr., Alvin, TX/Alvin)WR 84 Bryan Dalton (5-11, 200, Jr., Tampa, FL/Sickles/Range CC) 2 Joshua Bryant (6-3, 205, Sr., Southfield, MI/Southfield/Mesabi Range CC)QB 12 Ben King (6-1, 185, Sr., Marshfield, WI/Marshfield/Eastern Illinois) 2 Joshua Bryant (6-3, 205, Sr., Southfield, MI/Southfield/Mesabi Range CC)RB 5 Bryan Alberty (5-8, 185, Sr., Riviera Beach, FL/Wellington/Tex A&M-Commerce) 38 Dan Smedberg (6-2, 240, Sr., Fond du Lac, WI/Fond du Lac) 22 Julian Phipps (5-8, 185, Fr.-RS, St. Paul, MN/Cretin-Derham Hall)SB 9 Tyrell Smith (6-1, 175, Sr., Detriot, MI/Cody/C. of the Canyons) 2 Joshua Bryant (6-3, 205, Sr., Southfield, MI/Southfield/Mesabi Range CC)
DEFENSE
RE 52 Telema Bobmanuel(6-1,245,Jr.,Brooklyn Park,MN/RobbinsdaleCooper/SouthDakota) 99 Grant Smith (6-2, 260, Jr., Farmington, MN/Farminton/Rochester CC)DT 67 Chris Brunkhorst (6-4, 285, So., Rochester, MN/Rochester Lourdes) 79 Jared Schwanz (5-11, 285, Fr.-RS, St. James, MN/St. James)NG 93 Brad Diel (6-3, 265, Fr.-RS, Mankato, MN/East) 91 Spencer Dickinson (6-3, 270, Jr., New Ulm, MN/New Ulm)LE 96 Randy Earl (6-5, 265, Fr.-RS, Racine, WI/J. I. Case) 79 Jared Schwanz (5-11, 285, Fr.-RS, St. James, MN/St. James)OLB 42 Steve Porter (6-2, 235, Sr., Toluca Lake, CA/North Hollywood/Glendale JC) 36 Kevin Klug (6-2, 195, Fr., Caledonia, MI/Caledonia)MLB 3 Dan Ficcadenti (6-1, 210, Sr., White Bear Lake, MI/White Bear Lake) 36 Kevin Klug (6-2, 195, Fr., Caledonia, MI/Caledonia)OLB 23 Chad Breeden (6-0, 215, Jr., Mayfield, OH/Mayfield/Central Florida)44 Trey Roemhildt (6-2, 225, Fr.-RS, Waterville, MN/Waterville-Elysian-Morristown)RCB 6 Melvin Matlock (6-0, 195, Sr., Las Vegas, NV/Centennial/Mt. San Antoino College) 4 Kelvin Rodgers (6-1, 175, Fr., East St. Louis, IL/East St. Louis)FS 7 Allen King (6-0, 185, Sr., San Diego, CA/Lincoln/Mt. San Antoino College) 24 Ryan Weinzieri (6-0, 180, So., Savage, MI/Burnsville)SS 8 Blake Freese (6-1, 215, So., Eden Prairie, MI/Eden Prairie) 27 Jacob Phelps (6-1, 190, Fr., Eau Claire, WI/Eau Claire North)LCB 10 Nick Wilson (5-9, 190, Sr., Mankato, MI/Mankato West) 21 Thaddeus Gibbs (6-1, 200, Sr., Laurel, MS/Laurel/Jones JC)
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK 17 Ben Spencer (6-2, 180, Fr., St. Paul, MN/Cretin-Derham Hall) 45 Jonathan Christensen (5-9, 175, Sr., Lamberton, MN/Wabasso/Iowa State)P 45 Jonathan Christensen (5-9, 175, Sr., Lamberton, MN/Wabasso/Iowa State) 16 Jason Tompkins (6-0, 180, Sr., Frazier Mountain, CA/Frazier Mt./C. of the CanyonsLS 56 Ryan Pentimalli (6-1, 255, Jr., Oak Creek, WI/Oak Creek/N. Dak. State Coll.) 75 Adam Van Zeeland (6-4, 275, So., Kimberly, WI/Kaukauna)PR 9 Tyrell Smith (6-1, 175, Sr., Detriot, MI/Cody/C. of the Canyons) 6 Melvin Matlock (6-0, 195, Sr., Las Vegas, NV/Centennial/Mt. San Antoino College)KR 6 Melvin Matlock (6-0, 195, Sr., Las Vegas, NV/Centennial/Mt. San Antoino College) 9 Tyrell Smith (6-1, 175, Sr., Detriot, MI/Cody/C. of the Canyons)
