Cobbers Picked Fifth In MIAC Preseason Poll

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Football is annually one of the most-anticipated seasons in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), and last year's rendition only elevated the attention to a new level. Not only did St. Thomas complete the first back-to-back 10-0 regular seasons in the storied history of the league and reach the national semifinals, but competition throughout the conference was fierce, leading to close games and unforgettable finishes throughout the season.

With kickoff of the 2012 football season drawing near, the anticipation is already building throughout the conference and the entire state. In a little more than a week, the nine MIAC football campuses will begin their weekend transformations from highly respected academic institutions to hotbeds of football fanaticism.

The national spotlight has already begun to shine on the MIAC, with as many as four teams receiving votes in the various national preseason polls. The Tommies again lead the way, ranked in the top 10 of a trio of polls and 13th in the fourth, while Bethel, Saint John's and St. Olaf also appear in the rankings.

Lindy's Sports Magazine has three MIAC teams in its top 15 to open 2012. UST is No. 4, Saint John's is 14th and Bethel is a spot behind at No. 15. The D3football.com Top 25 features St. Thomas at No. 8, Bethel at No. 17 and both St. Olaf and Saint John's in the "Others receiving votes" category. Bethel leads at No. 12, while St. Thomas checks in at No. 13 followed by Saint John's at No. 20 in the Compughter Rankings.com preseason rankings, and the Tommies are ranked No. 7 in the USA Today Division III Top 10.

Just as the leaves change throughout every Minnesota fall season, there will be plenty of change throughout the MIAC as well. Can St. Thomas extend its dominance into a third-straight season under the direction of two-time National Coach-of-the-Year Glenn Caruso? Will Steve Johnson's Bethel team control the line of scrimmage and close the gap? After a surprising 6-4 season in Collegeville, will legendary coach John Gagliardi get the Johnnies back in contention in his remarkable 60th season at the school (and 64th overall as a head coach) as he nears the unprecedented 500-win milestone (484-133-11 overall, 460-127-10 at SJU). Or will Jerry Olszewski's St. Olaf team or Terry Horan's Concordia squad continue the climb into the league's upper echelon?

Thankfully, those questions and more will start to be answered very soon.

Coaches say St. Thomas
Caruso's St. Thomas team has won back-to-back MIAC titles, and in 2012 the conference coaches predict the Tommies' reign will continue. UST was the unanimous pick to capture its third-straight championship, receiving eight of nine first-place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team) and a perfect total score of 64 points. The last team to win a share of the MIAC title three seasons in a row was the Saint John's squad of 2001-2003, while the last team to claim an outright three-peat was also the Jonnies, back in 1975-77.

Bethel - the Tommies biggest threat over the past two seasons - received the other first-place vote and topped a group of extremely close competitors for the No. 2 spot in the poll with 52 points. Just six points separated the Royals, third-place St. Olaf (48) and fourth-place Saint John's (46), meaning that all three are expected to provide Caruso's crew with a legitimate threat and the trio could be jockeying for position near the top of the standings all season.

Concordia is also a team to watch after winning four of its final six games a year ago, and the Cobbers check in at No. 5 with 37 points. Gustavus just barely edged Augsburg, 28-26, for the sixth spot in the coaches' poll, and Carleton (15) and Hamline (8) rounded out the final two spots in the rankings.

Awards watch
Leading up to the season, there were numerous MIAC football student-athletes nominated for prestigious honors, including the AFCA Good Works team, All-American status and the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List. Bethel's Erik Smith, Saint John's Stephen Johnson and St. Thomas' Michael Valesano were all selected as nominees for the 2012 Allstate American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) Good Work Team, which recognizes players committed to making a difference in their communities.

Meanwhile, St. Thomas' Curtis James, Riley Dombek, Chinni Oji, Harry Pitera and Garrett Maloney, Augsburg's Adam Carl, Saint John's Bobby Fischer, Bethel's Josh Wolfe and Concordia's Tom Knowlton were all named Preseason Division III All-Americans by various publications, including D3football.com, Lindy's Sports Magazine and Beyond Sports Network. In addition, Saint John's kicker Jimmie Mattson was named to the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List for the second consecutive season. The Fred Mitchell Award is annually presented to the nation's top collegiate kicker, regardless of division.

What's new?
There was one coaching change following the 2011 season, and Bob Pagel takes over as Carleton's new head coach in an interim capacity for the 2012 season. However, most of the prominent new faces in the MIAC will be under center this season. St. Thomas, Bethel, Augsburg, Concordia, Gustavus and Hamline all graduated their starting quarterbacks and will have new signal-callers leading their respective offenses. The changes at one of the most important positions on the field could certainly impact the conference standings, and how quick the new starters adjust to their new roles could very well be the difference in deciding the MIAC champion and potential NCAA playoff bids.

Who's back?
Despite the graduation of some of the MIAC's most decorated QBs and Fritz Waldvogel - a two-time MIAC MVP as a dynamic receiver and returner, there are still a ton of talented players back on gridiron in 2012. The defending champs lost Waldvogel and QB Dakota Tracy, but have an extremely solid foundation back. All-American center Curtis James returns for Caruso, as do Preseason All-American punter Garrett Maloney and All-MIAC linebacker Harry Pitera, just to name a few.

Bethel's strength will continue to be its ground game and stout defense, with returners in place to solidify both aspects once again. Offensive lineman Josh Wolfe - a Preseason All-American and All-MIAC selection - is back to lead the line, while All-MIAC defenders Seth Mathis and Erik Smith are back to anchor the Royals' front seven.

Meanwhile, one of the league's most potent passing attacks is also back intact. St. Olaf QB Dan Dobson returns for his senior season after All-MIAC Second Team honors in 2011 and the league lead in total offense (249.4 ypg). His top two targets also return - All-MIAC WR Stephen Asp and All-MIAC Second Team WR Jake Schmeising - who combined for nearly 1,400 yards and 16 TDs last season.

The Johnnies will look to bounce back from an unusual season in Collegeville, starting with one of the MIAC's top returning defenders. Senior CB Bobby Fischer was an All-American a year ago in addition to his All-MIAC selection, and he's been tabbed as a Preseason All-American heading into this season. Senior RB Stephen Johnson will again anchor SJU's ground game after earning All-MIAC Second Team honors, and Connor Bruns emerged as the Johnnies' starter at quarterback a year ago and will look for an expanded role this year.

A trio of All-MIAC selections return for Concordia, as the Cobber look to carry momentum over from the 2011 season. Senior OT Tom Knowlton anchors a strong offensive line, and the All-MIAC selection has been named a Preseason All-American this year. Juniors Mark Wychor (nose guard) and Bryce Hentges (safety) were among the best in the league at their positions last year, earning All-MIAC honors and returning to lead the defense.

Augsburg said goodbye to standout QB Marcus Brumm, but bring back two of his top weapons. Adam Carl was an All-MIAC and All-Region Second Team tight end last season, and is a Preseason All-American choice in 2012. Also back is standout RB Tyler Maxwell, who was the only freshman to earn All-MIAC honors last season thanks to 121.3 yards per game and a school-record 13 TDs. Second Team All-MIAC LB Bryce Vee is back to lead the Auggie defense.

Gustavus will count on senior OL Brian Grundmeyer to build on his All-MIAC Second Team selection from a year ago to make life a little easier for senior QB Mureuk Mena, who moves to a new position after playing well at wideout in 2011. Carleton's Jordan Soteros will again be one of the MIAC's most exciting players, as the return specialist and defensive back was an All-MIAC and All-Region Second Team selection a season ago. Hamline also has a star back in the defense backfield, as John-Michael Vandenberg returns after leading the Pipers in tackles en route to 2011 All-MIAC Second Team honors.

Circle these dates
The 2012 MIAC football season kicks off in just nine days, with seven of the nine teams opening their season with nonconference games on Saturday, Sept. 1. The first two Saturdays will be devoted exclusively to nonconference competition, with MIAC play starting on Saturday, Sept. 15. The season runs through Saturday, Nov. 10 and the battle for the MIAC title and positioning in the standings could come down to the final slate of games.

Each season, one of the hottest tickets is the annual contest between St. Thomas and Saint John's. This year should be no different, and fans won't have to wait long for the latest chapter in this storied rivalry. The Tommies travel to Collegeville on Sept. 15 to kick off conference play, with a 1 p.m. scheduled start time. In another game becoming an annual event, St. Thomas will host Bethel on Oct. 13 at 1:10 p.m. in St. Paul.

Bethel's schedule ends with a flourish, as the Royals travel to Northfield for a rematch of one of last season's unforgettable finishes with a Nov. 3 game at St. Olaf, and then Bethel hosts SJU in the season finale in Arden Hills on Nov. 10. The Johnnies host the Oles in another rematch of a last-second finish on Sept. 29, and SJU will travel to Augsburg on Oct. 6 in a replay of what was possibly the most exciting finish in all of Division III a year ago when the Auggies completed a long pass for the win with no time remaining. The Johnnies also needed overtime to score a win at Concordia, and the rematch of that classic game will take place in Moorhead on Sept. 22.

Augsburg will travel across town to face Hamline in a rare night game on Sept. 22 with kickoff set for 7 p.m. under the lights in St. Paul. Carleton squares off against cross-town rival St. Olaf on Oct. 20 on the Knights' home field, and another final-day matchup of teams looking to work their way up the standings will take place in St. Peter when Gustavus hosts Concordia on Nov. 10.

Click here for the complete MIAC football preview

2012 MIAC Football Preseason Coaches' Poll
Coaches voted for every team in the conference except their own team. Points were assigned for each vote (eight for first, seven for second, etc.) Teams are ranked in order of highest point total to lowest with vote totals listed and first-place votes shown in parentheses.