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SCSU offense banking on experience
Huskies look to stay competitive by staying with their strong suit- will they stack up in the always tough NCC?
 Media Credit: Blair Schlichte Quarterback and team captain Keith Heckendorf practices Monday for Saturday’s game against Northern Michigan.
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As the 2002 Huskies football season unfolds, there are going to be a lot of questions.
Will they be able to run the ball effectively? Will the defense play together and stop the run? Will the new additions truly bring much needed depth? Can they win a close game against the North Central Conference’s higher echelon teams?
For all of the questions this promising team poses, they always have two resounding answers in the form of junior quarterback Keith Heckendorf and senior wideout Ben Nelson.
The Huskies’ 1-2 combination can deliver a knockout punch to any defense in the NCC and they have the numbers to prove it.
Heckendorf and Nelson connected on SCSU’s first two scores last season, setting the tone for what would prove to be the best year for a Huskies passer/receiver tandem in recent memory.
All Heckendorf did last season was set SCSU single-season records for passing yardage (2,406), completions (184) and touchdowns (26). He was named second team All-NCC after leading the conference in total yards per game. Injuries plagued him in the last three weeks of 2001 in the form of a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the Nebraska-Omaha game and a knee injury against New Haven that ended his season. As a third-year starter, Heckendorf knows that his team will be looking to him to get them through some tough situations, a task he feels he is better prepared to handle.
“Over the last two years we’ve been in a lot of situations,” he said. “There have been some close games and some that weren’t so close. You start to understand how things work, and how you need to prepare. All the little things from that experience really help you to be ready for when the game’s on the line and you need the winning drive at the end.”
Ben Nelson teamed with Nate Lehman in 2001 to torture NCC secondaries. He gained over 1,000 yards through the air and shattered the single-season record for touchdowns with 16. He is one solid season from setting school records for touchdowns and yardage. Nelson has had at least one catch in the last 23 games, dating back to November of 1999.
Lehman, his second team All-NCC counterpart graduated, leaving Nelson as the main target for defenses. Huskies’ head coach Randy Hedberg compensated for this by moving junior running back Tim Greene to wide receiver, and is very excited about the rest of the corps that includes sophomores Dan Thomsen and Luke Stallings. Hedberg said that a trio of freshmen, Daryn Ploeckelman, Ryan Koch and
Ed DeShazer, could all see game action.
In a wide-open passing system that often features three, four and occasionally five receivers, the Huskies will need their guys to play well. Heckendorf shares his coaches’ excitement about the wideouts.
“A lot of guys have stepped up. Tim (Greene) hurt his ankle, but we’re confident in whoever we put in there,” Heckendorf said. “We’ll have three or four guys rotating in and any of them can get the job done. If I go back there and do my job, I have confidence they’ll go out and do theirs.”
The only real question surrounding the offense is the one about the running game. After a season where the ground game was mediocre (56.9 yards per game and three touchdowns) the Huskies knew where their weakness lay. Leading rusher Bill Stallings (344 yards) graduated and Greene (313) moved to wideout, leaving room for competition between a number of candidates. The most likely choice appears to be a player who has returned to SCSU after two years away.
“The running back position is in real good hands,” Hedberg said. “We’re still looking at a couple of guys. Brian Olson (junior) played for us in ‘99, transferred to Colorado and came back. He practiced with us for a year and has two years remaining. I think he’s going to do a very good job at running back.”
Olson led SCSU in rushing in ‘99 with 540 yards on 151 carries and five touchdowns. He will be challenged by junior Josh Williams, the only other Husky on the roster who took snaps in the backfield in 2001. Senior Nick Hatton returns from injury and redshirt Matt Birkel should see some time.
The running game needs to be effective for the passing game to flourish and should be bolstered by an experienced offensive line that returns four starters. Anchoring the line will be 6-8, 315 pound senior Joe Keller, who started all 11 games at right tackle last season. Keller will be moved to the left side and given the job of watching Heckendorf’s back. The Huskies return both starting guards, Cory McLouden on the left and Jim McCarville on the right. Both showed durability last season, playing in all 11 games, and should continue to improve throughout 2002.
Starting at center will be junior Andy Kaczor, who started the first three games of 2001, but fell victim to illness. He was granted a medical hardship redshirt and will start his junior season over. Hedberg says Kaczor’s health has returned to 100 percent and that he has made all of the preseason practices.
The only position that is still undecided is the right tackle. Hedberg has chosen his starter for game one and will continually reevaluate as the season progresses.
“Matt Henry (sophomore) has really done a nice job there and I think he’ll probably be our starter going into the first game,” Hedberg said. “Jon Scovill (a freshman who is competing for the spot) will be a big part of our line and will back up at a couple of positions.”
At tight end, SCSU returns senior Matt Huebner, who gained the starting slot last season when Eric Gunderson succumbed to injury. Huebner caught 19 passes for 285 yards in 2001 and provided solid play on the line. His size (6-4, 265 pounds) make him an effective blocker and a large target for his quarterback. Huebner will see most of the snaps, but sophomore Clint Grundahl will be the second tight end in two-end formations. Three freshmen, Dan Mundahl, Tim Bartsch and Chad Ely, will all look to contribute off the bench.
The Huskies will also have experienced help in the kicking game. Junior kicker Nick Orndorff comes back looking to help with the scoring, having converted 29 of 31 extra points last season. He also added four field goals on nine tries, the longest being a 41- yarder against Northern Colorado.
Sophomore Scott Dirkes had a quality season in 2001, averaging 37.4 yards per punt. His experience will help the Huskies in the field position battle and he will be pushed by junior Ben Wagner, who returns to the team after a one-year layoff.
Hedberg feels that his team is ready to grow into a winner. His coordinators, Paul Rudolph (offense) and Scott Underwood (defense) each have a full season under their belts and know their players.
“Our scheme requires that the players feel very comfortable in it,” Hedberg said. “That’s the key: the continuity of the offensive and defensive schemes. That’s critical, and we’ve been fortunate to have two quality coordinators.”
“We’ve grown over the last couple of years and we’ve made strides. We took a large stride last year, and I think we’re on track to do that again.”
The Huskies open their season 1 p.m. Saturday at Selke Field. They will be looking for retribution at the expense of the Northern Michigan University Wildcats, who downed SCSU 27-24 in the season opener last year. The Wildcats will field a much different team, featuring a new head coach and new starters at quarterback, running back and several defensive positions.
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