Here is a team-by-team look at the football teams of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference:
|Northern State|
|Wolves|
Coach: Tom Dosch, seventh year, 32-32.
2011 record: 5-6 (4-6 NSIC).
2012 opener: 1 p.m. Saturday at Augustana College in Sioux Falls.
Top offensive returnees: Jared Jacobson, so., QB (42-88-3, 488 yards, 4 TDs; 53 carries, 446 yards, 4 TDs), Chris Morton, sr., WR (35 catches, 528 yards, 7 TDs), Mark Hanley, sr., WR (41 catches, 503 yards, 1 TD).
Top defensive returnees: Paul Woodward, so., DB (54 tackles, 1 INT, 11 pass deflections), Marquis Mulkey, sr., DB (53 tackles, 2 INTs, 11 pass deflections), Logan Dosch, jr., DB (46 tackles, 1 INT, 8 pass deflections), Logan Fahnhorst, sr., LB (29 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT).
Top special teams returner: Felip Alfaia, sr., K (8-for-11 FGs, 26-for-29 PATs).
Notes: The Wolves return five of their top seven tacklers from last season . . . Northern State was third in the NSIC last season in time of possession at 31 minutes, 4 seconds per game . . . NSU freshmen Matt Thorson and Joe Parsley both have older brothers on the Augustana team: Sam Thorson and Ben Parsley.
|Augustana College|
|Vikings|
Coach: Mike Aldrich, third year, 17-7.
2011 record: 6-5 (6-4 NSIC).
Top offensive returnees: Josh Hanson, sr., QB (238-387-7, 2,640 yards, 18 TDs; 82 carries, 100 yards), Dajon Newell, so., RB (168 carries, 887 yards, 7 TDs; 23 catches, 171 yards, 1 TD), Grant Gebhardt, so., WR (31 catches, 403 yards, 4 TDs).
Top defensive returnees: Austin Luecke, sr., LB (107 tackles, sack, 1 INT), Ross Peterson, jr., LB (84 tackles, 1 sack), Joel Slinden, jr., DL (38 tackles, 2 sacks).
Top special teams returner: Drew Behrens, sr., K/P (25-for-30 PAT, 15-for-24 FGs; 59 kickoffs, 59.5 average, 6 TBs; 64 punts, 39.4 average).
Notes: Luecke, a Groton grad, is a preseason All-American . . . Augie’s five losses last season were by a combined 24 points. Six points determined the outcome of three games.
