Lights host sixth-ranked DSU in opener

Lights host sixth-ranked DSU in opener
Ryan Divish
Havre Daily News Sports Editor
rdivish@havredailynews.com

It could be worse for the Montana State University-Northern football team. There are five other teams ranked higher than the Dickinson State University Blue Hawks that the Lights could be playing in their season opener.

Northern will have the unenviable task of opening its 2005 campaign by hosting a Blue Hawk team that is ranked sixth in the NAIA national preseason poll and that already has a win this season.

"It really would be nice if we were opening the season with 'little sisters of the poor college' in our first game," joked second-year Lights head coach Mark Samson. "There is still a confidence factor with this team that needs to be taken care of. We're going to go out to win. I just hope the kids feel we can beat them."

After three weeks of practice with only two scrimmages, the Lights are ready to stop beating up on each other and play in a real game. It doesn't matter who it is.

"We definitely need a game," Samson said. "We need to see where we are at, especially being as young as we are."

Samson only wishes that it was Dickinson's first game as well. There is a mindset of getting that first game under your belt that he believes is crucial.

"I know (head coach) Hank (Biesiot) will try and downplay it," Samson said. "But I know it's an advantage. Every team starts the season with a lot of questions. There are a lot of little things that you are concerned with that the first game answers."

Samson was somewhat right as Biesiot characterized last week's 38-24 win over Black Hill State as verification of his team's inadequacies.

"I don't know how much it helps you," Biesiot said. "All it did was show us that we're green as grass at some positions. We have a lot of new players in the offensive backfield and at receiver."

Indeed, those were two of the places where DSU doesn't return key players. The Blue Hawks lost All-American running back and the school's all-time leading rusher in Jace Schillinger. The former Baker standout racked up more than 4,100 yards and 53 touchdowns in his career at DSU, including 1,406 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.

The Blue Hawks also lost leading receiver Adam Eckert, who had 30 catches last season. Eckert did a little bit of everything, accumulating 2,754 all-purpose yards and 31 touchdowns in four years.

"You really can't replace veterans like that fast," Biesiot said.

Dickinson had hoped to offset Schillinger's loss by adding transfer Larry Aldridge, who earned All-American honors as a tailback at Si-Tanka Huron University last season, before the school closed.

However, as of press time, Aldridge hadn't been ruled eligible by the NAIA. Complications with his transfer have arisen and Biesiot still doesn't know if Aldridge can play on Saturday.

"We're still running into some problems," Biesiot said. "We haven't got an NAIA ruling on what happens when a school closes. But we're hoping to get him eligible for this game."

Aldridge isn't like Schillinger. He doesn't have the size and power and prefers to run outside of the tackle and use his speed. He rushed for 2,193 yards and 16 touchdowns last season.

Samson said his defense is preparing as if Aldridge will be suited up and on the field.

"We're expecting him to be there," he said. "Hank has him listed as the starter on the depth chart. But I still expect him to use several different running backs."

It probably doesn't matter who is doing the running, considering the Blue Hawks return their massive offensive line, led by senior All-American Josh Epperly. He is joined by all-conference performers Dustin Quintus and J.R. Foreman and returnees Matt Eustice and Jason Brock. The group has helped Dickinson average 225 yards rushing per game the last two seasons.

A punishing ground game has been Biesiot's calling card at DSU and it will be as long as he's coach.

"Whether we do it well or we don't, we're going to run the football," he said. "We're not going to change, that's who we are as a team."

But don't let the run-first offense fool you, Dickinson will throw the football. They lull teams to sleep with run after run, before slapping them awake with a big pass gain.

Senior quarterback Mike Spargo is back after earning all-conference honors a year ago, throwing for 17 touchdowns. Spargo lost his favorite target in Eckert, but Rafe Espinoza is back to provide a big target. The 6-4 Espinoza is a great all-around athlete who played some quarterback for the Hawks two years ago. Spargo and Espinoza connected on a 34-yard touchdown pass last week.

Samson hopes his defense will be better than a year ago against DSU. The Lights' defense gave up 368 yards of total offense, including 241 yards rshing in a 38-0 loss. He knows the defense is more experienced and prepared this year.

"Last year, we were still learning the defense and couldn't do a whole lot with it," he said. "Everyone in the world knows what they are going to do offensively. Hank isn't going to change. I just feel we are a better team defensively than last year. We have much better speed and quickness. We really need to run to the ball."

The Lights' undersized defensive line will be put to the test as Dickinson likes to overload, use trap blocks and basically manhandle opponents up front. Much of the responsibility will fall onto Northern's crew of fleet, young linebackers, led by Kennedy Anderson and Dilan Saisbury and a secondary led by Jake Eldredge, Marc Samson and newcomer Kelly McBryan.

"We're going to move our front around and use a bunch of slants to try and keep them off-balance," Samson said. "We have to do something because we don't have the size up front. We need to make tackles and have at least three guys on the ball at all times." But it wasn't just the Lights' defense that struggled against DSU last year. The Northern offense managed just 208 yards against the Blue Hawks, while squandering key scoring opportunities.

It's a game that Coach Samson and his son and quarterback, Kyle, would like to forget.

"Kyle hates looking at the film of that game," Coach Samson said. "That may have been the worst football game he has played in his entire life, going all the way back to fifth grade. He played so poorly and made so many bad decisions. But he's improved since then and knows he will play better."

Kyle Samson will have to play better for the Lights to have a chance. He is the most consistent offensive player returning from last season, after averaging 214 yards of total offense per game.

"You always want to key on the ball defensively," Biesiot said. "Kyle has got the ball in his hands most of the time trying to make something happen. He's the type of kid that can win games and take a team the distance of the field by himself."

However, Kyle Samson should have some more weapons this season. Northern returns three receivers from last year led by all-conference performer Nick Arnold and Havre native Dan Wirtzberger. They will be bolstered with the addition of Eldredge and Marc Samson, who will also play some receiver to give the Lights some additional speed.

"If you get those two the ball at least four times a game, something's going to happen," Coach Samson said. "It takes so much pressure off of our other receivers just having them out there."

Also look for running backs Don Saisbury and Saxton Shearer to be prominently involved. Saisbury will line up all over the field, including tight end, where the Lights won't have their top two tight ends for the time being.

"Donny is going to have to do a little bit of everything," Samson said. "Saxton is starting to understand the offense better and we're going to use him a lot."

The Northern offense will be going up against a veteran Blue Hawk defense that allowed just 15.8 points and 85 yards rushing per game last season. Dickinson returns almost all of its front seven, led by All-American defensive end Kylan Krauser, who had nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss last year.

Against Black Hills last weekend, Krauser intercepted a screen pass and rumbled 41 yards for a touchdown. He also blocked a punt, scooped up the ball and ran it into the endzone for his second score of the game. He is joined up front by All-American defensive tackle Ross Walker and returnees Dustin Roberts and Brenner Flaten of Glasgow.

DSU did lose starting middle linebacker Mike Staudinger to graduation, but returns leading tackler Philip Russell, who had 90 tackles last season. He will be joined by former Sidney standout Lico Sifuentes who saw plenty of playing time last season.

Biesiot believes his defense will be ready for the Lights' offensive attack, but is still a little concerned with defending the Lights' option attack.

"We have prepared for it," he said. "But we don't run it with the same effectiveness in practice that they will run it with in the game."

Dickinson's other losses come in the secondary as Jason Garcia graduated and Marcus Davis was dismissed from the team. The Blue Hawks return all-conference safety Aaron Johannsen of Medicine Lake and cornerback Kevin McElvaney.

"We need to be able to throw the football," Coach Samson said. "We have to be able to spread them out and throw it around because I don't think anyone that plays them will be able to run between the tackles."

Samson would love to start the season the way last season ended, with a win. That would make it two wins in a row and a small winning streak, something that hasn't happened often in the Lights program since its reinstatement in 1998.

It won't be easy for his youthful squad. He hopes his players understand that there will be some bumps in the road.

"The big part is the mental game," he said. "We need to learn how to bounce back if something goes wrong. It's part of growing up. We need to keep plugging away and believe good things will happen."