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It’s been a long, hard road
SCSU’s defensive front has turned into the most vaunted in the NCC thanks to names like Pilarski, Cook and Peterson
By Matt Janda
Published:
Thursday, November 7, 2002
Media Credit: charles martin
Defensive tackles Jeremy Pilarski, Bryan Cook and linebacker Mickey Peterson have been the soul of the run defense this season. The Huskies held the most successful running team, UNO, to 57 yards last weekend to stand alone in second place in the NCC at 7-2.
Forgive the Husky front seven if they’re walking a little taller these days.
Life is good when you’re the fourth-ranked rush defense in Division II and no longer a target for one crushing defeat after another, as they were during the first three years of head coach Randy Hedberg’s tenure at SCSU.
It was real hard to get used to,” said senior linebacker Mickey Peterson, who is one of the last links to the ’99 defense, along with defensive end Bryan Cook and tackle Jeremy Pilarski. “Especially during my sophomore year when we were 1-9. It took its toll every week, it got harder and harder and we got real frustrated.”
Peterson was just breaking in with the Huskies and saw action in eight games, while Pilarski played in all 11 games. They won their first two games in Husky black, but were run over in the NCC, going 1-8 in conference play. They were subsequently run over, literally, for the next two years.
Now the Huskies are the hunters, throwing run-based NCC teams off of their games and holding firmly onto second place in the North Central.
“It’s a big weight off our shoulders, especially for the seniors,” Peterson said. “We’ve busted our asses for five years now and it’s finally paying off.”
It was the Huskies who were busted before this season. Conference running backs drooled at the prospect of tearing into the front line, which was inexperienced. Teams ran, passed and scored nearly at will, and the Huskies allowed 35 points or more in 13 of 22 games in ’99-’00, including 10 of 11 in 2000.
By last season, the run defense was last in the conference by a wide margin and SCSU had won only eight games in three years. But coming into 2002, the frustration of losing had given Hedberg what he needed: seniors that were motivated.
“If you have good seniors that will work hard in practice and in your off-season program, I think you’re going to have a good year,” he said. “They can be leaders for your underclassmen. I think these guys have done a great job of that.”
That’s been the story across the board for this team. Keyed by their leaders on offense and defense, players dedicated the summer of 2002 to off-season workouts and training on their own.
“I think a lot of the guys that had been here the whole time when it was real bad knew that it was going to take a huge effort on their part, in the off-season especially,” Pilarski said. “I think that definitely contributed to all of us older guys pushing everybody to work harder in the off-season to get better. I think that’s correlated through the season.”
That work works out to a 64.7 rushing yards per game against average, down 91.3 from last year’s. And it works out to SCSU being one win from doubling their last three season’s win totals combined.
The three mainstays have not only led by working, they’ve led with outstanding play. Peterson has notched 43 tackles, a sack and an interception, despite playing much of the season with a cast on his broken right hand. Pilarski has three sacks, five quarterback hits and a blocked kick, and has spent much of his time causing general havoc in the backfield. Cook, who was limited to 10 games in 2000-01 because of injury, has played in seven games this season and has recorded two sacks, one of which came against South Dakota State’s Dan Fjeldheim with no time remaining, sealing a dramatic Husky comeback.
The differences in starting defensive personnel are not wholly different from last year’s model, but there have been some changes. But the most outstanding difference won’t be found on the roster.
“Attitude’s probably the biggest thing,” Peterson said. “Coming in, knowing that we put the time in the off-season and knowing that we’re better than the guys in front of us.”
“I think we’re a lot smarter and just more settled down,” Cook said. “We’re not out there just running around. I trust all my teammates on defense to do their jobs and I can hold my own on my side.”
As any coach will tell you, these things are required for success at all levels of football.
There is still an outside chance that the Huskies will make the Division II playoffs, as long as they win out. Playoffs or not, it’s better than 1-9 again.
“It’s a successful season, compared to anything,” Pilarski said. “But that would definitely be the icing on the cake for sure, that would be a great feeling to go to the playoffs.”
These seniors will be leaving another solid core of players behind, a core that has a taste for winning and a new standard to measure itself against. It’s hasn’t been the easiest task, but the future looks good for the SCSU defense.
“Looking back to where this program has been, I’m glad to be a part of the rebuilding process,” Cook said. “I just see more success for this program. For me, anything here on out is going to be a bonus.”
