Game Notes

CROOKSTON, Minn. -

Gameday Info

Location: Crookston, Minn.
Away Team: University of Minnesota, Crookston (0-1, 0-1 NSIC)
Home Team: Concordia University, St. Paul (0-1, 0-1 NSIC)
Date: Sat., Sept. 8
Stadium: Ed Widseth Field
Seating Capactiy: 2,000
Online Video: NMTV
Live Stats: https://netfiles.umn.edu/users/smithsd/livestats/xlive.htm
Radio: KROX 1260
Play by Play/Color: Chris Fee and Chris Bruggeman
Sideline Reporter: Jake Fee
Twitter: UMCAthletics
Facebook: Golden Eagle Sports

Quick Hits

• Richard Haley Named Preseason All-American
    University of Minnesota, Crookston running back Richard Haley (Sr., Detroit, Mich.) was selected to the Beyond College Sports Network (BSN) Preseason All-American Second Team prior to the start of his senior season. Haley is coming off a stellar senior year in which he ran for 1,556 yards and surpassed the Golden Eagle mark for most yards in a season. Haley will look to mirror his first year at UMC as he heads into his second year in the Maroon and Gold.

• Paul Miller Takes Overs Reins of UMC Program
    Paul Miller, who has 35 years of coaching experience across NCAA Division II, Division III and high school level. Miller has previously been a head coach at St. Olaf College and Hamline University. He served as offensive coordinator last year for UMC during one the program's most successful offensive seasons in which they averaged 304.5 yards of offense, including 231.5 yards on the ground per game.

• Golden Eagles Picked 16th in League
    UMC has nowhere to go but up in the minds of the league as they were picked 16th in the NSIC Preseason poll. The Golden Eagles will look to prove the league wrong this season as they welcome in over 40 new faces on top of a strong core of returnees who showed improvement on the gridiron last season.

• Miller Assembles Top-Notch Staff
    UMC head coach Paul Miller's first staff came together quite brilliantly as he brought in two coaches with NFL pedigrees in Richie Wessman (QB/WR) and Ty Knott (DC). Miller also welcomes in former Boise State player and Fresno State staff member Jeff Cheek (OC) and former Tulane player and Tennessee Tech staffer Andrew Higgins (OL), who both bring a DIvision I pedigree to Crookston. Returning to the staff are Sean Knox (DB/ST) and Mark Dufner (LB).

The Scoop

The Game
    Both the University of Minnesota, Crookston and Concordia University, St, Paul will be looking to get back on track after losing in week one. The Golden Bears won last year's meeting between the two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) foes 38-20 in St. Paul, Minn.

Minnesota, Crookston
    TThe University of Minnesota, Crookston look to be led by a running game that will utilize both Richard Haley (Sr., RB, Detroit, Mich.) and Keith McBride (Sr., RB, Lodi, Wis.). Haley, a 2011 NSIC North Division All-Conference First Team pick rushed for 75 yards on 16 carries in the first game of the season versus Winona State University. Haley was a 2012 Beyond College Sports Network (BSN) Preseason Second Team All-American. At quarterback, UMC utilized both sophomore A.J. Barge (Carrollton, Ga.) and freshman Derek Stewart II (Carson, Calif.) in week one. Stewart was 9-of-19 for 87 yards in the opener. Stephen Henderson (Sr., TE, Chatsworth, Calif.) led the team in receiving against Winona State with four receptions for 56 yards.

    On defense, the strength of the defense lies in the defensive backfield as three starters return from 2011. 2010 NSIC Honorable Mention selection Cecil Brown, Jr. (DB, Edison, Ga.) led the team in tackles with 9.5 against Winona State. Freedom McCullough (Jr., DB, Valley Village, Calif.) and NSIC Player to Watch Tevin Kellum (Jr., DB, Detroit, Mich.) also return. Greg Lofquist (So., DL, South St. Paul, Minn.) had 5.5 tackles in the opening game against the Warriors. Deryck Woods II (Jr., DL, Keller, Texas) racked up the first sack of the season for the Golden Eagles versus the Warriors last week.

    In the kicking game, look for Henderson to handle the kickoff duties and field goal role this season for the Golden Eagles. Henderson averaged 56.0 yards a kick against the Warriors in a vital part of the game with the rule change of the kickoff being from the 35 yard line and players only getting a five yard running start instead of the former 10 yard start on kickoff coverage. In addition, touchbacks on kickoffs will be marked to the 25 instead of the former standard of 20. Chris Secrest (Sr., K/P, Hollywood, Fla.) will handle the punting duties for UMC. Secrest averaged 34.0 yards on seven punts versus Winona State.

Concordia-St. Paul
    Concordia University, St. Paul fell 32-26 to University of Mary in the opening week of the season in St. Paul, Minn. The Golden Bears were led offensively by sophomore running back Tre Spears against the Marauders. Spears rushed for 117 yards on 26 carries. At quarterback, sophomore James Peterson started the opener. Peterson was 30-of-48 for 431 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. The Golden Bears racked up 588 total offensive yards against U-Mary. At receiver, the Golden Eagles will have to key on 6-4 target Cordell Smith after he caught eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown last week.

    Defensively, Concordia-St. Paul gave up 360 total yards to U-Mary including 359 in the air. They held the Marauders to only one yard in the ground game. The Golden Bears were paced by 10 tackles by linebacker Jordan Halverson. Halverson had three tackles for loss against U-Mary. In addition, watch out for defensive backs Denzell Blackmon and Jay Moten. Blackmon forced two fumbles last Saturday while Moten had an interception.

The Rundown

• In the last five meetings between UMC and Concordia-St Paul, the Golden Eagles are 0-5. UMC fell 38-20 to the Golden Bears in St. Paul last season.

• Paul Miller will coach his first home game as the head coach of the Golden Eagles against Concordia-St. Paul.

• 14 newcomers made appearances for the Golden Eagles last Thursday against Winona State.

• Five newcomers (1 offense, 4 defense) made starts against Winona State. Kevin Williams started at fullback while Rene Lawson, defensive end, Cole Jackson, defensive tackle, Ricky Jacobs and Barry Lenon, both linebackers, made starts on defense in their first games as Golden Eagles.

• Marcus Galan scored the first touchdown of the 2012 season as he returned an interception 85 yards to the end zone versus Winona State.

• In the theme of the recently completed Olympics, UMC defensive lineman Cole Jackson is the son of former Olympic Gold Medalist Kevin Jackson, who is the current head wrestling coach at Iowa State University.

• Three players who earned All-Conference honors in 2011 return for UMC. Jeremy Kelly (Honorable Mention), along with Richard Haley (First Team) and Brody Davidson (Honorable Mention) return to the fray for the Golden Eagles.

• UMC returns six starters on offense and four on defense from the 2011 squad. UMC's most experienced positions groups are the offensive line (Jeremy Kelly, Mike Johnson and Sam Smith) and the defensive backfield (Cecil Brown, Freedom McCullough and Tevin Kellum).

• New UMC quarterbacks/wide receivers coach Richie Wessman was a back-up quarterback behind three current NFL players at the University of Southern California
Carson Palmer - Oakland Raiders
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