Courtesy of GLIAC Director of Media Relations Jeff Ligney
Third GLIAC North, Saginaw Valley State (4-7 overall, 4-6 GLIAC)
Overview: Saginaw Valley State is ready to bounce back from a tough 2010 season on the gridiron as it looks ahead to the coming fall. SVSU has a number of players on both sides of the football who have gained experience for head coach Jim Collins. As a program, the Cardinals are hopeful they can turn the corner. Optimism is running high in Cardinal Country. The program will benefit from some major renovations that are taking place at Wickes Stadium, including the installation of lights, a new scoreboard and a new synthetic playing surface. Coach Collins should have good competition at several key positions that should produce high-quality results for SVSU. Jonathon Jennings appears to be the leading candidate to step in at quarterback this season, but he will be pushed. Ronnie Lark, Brandon Hayes and Nick Gallina give him some weapons. Defensively, the Cardinals should have a solid front seven to anchor the unit.
Offense: SVSU could have a nice competition at the quarterback spot coming into the preseason with Jonathon Jennings perhaps having the lead at the start of training camp. Jennings started in four games as a true freshman last season. Jennings passed for 1,064 yards last season with nine touchdowns. The competition, for Jennings, is expected to come primarily from Jesse Siwek. Some newcomers to the program also could provide competition. Ronnie Lark has worked hard to solidify his position at running back for SVSU. Last season, Lark rushed for 989 yards in GLIAC action with seven touchdowns. He will compete with Brandon Hayes, who has been involved in the offense during his career. David Pardun could be in the mix as well. At the receiver position, the name Nick Gallina continues to be a familiar one to fans of the Cardinals. Mike Peterson as well as Mark Thrash, Jeff Janis, and Michael Albrecht who all gained valuable experience last year as red shirt freshman. Look for possible contributions from Kurt VanEssen and newcomer Tim Hogue at receiver. Zach Cecich is back at tight end and Nate Hoyle adds depth at the position. On the offensive line, three starters are back in Nick DiPalma, Frank Toramina and Tevon Conrad.
Defense: On the defensive side of the football, the line is back and anchored by several experienced contributors. Seniors Paul Webb and Brandon Williams were starters and should be helped by returning starters Ryan Busch, who has been moved to tackle, and Nate Snyder. The defensive line looks deep and experienced. Mason Duke, Tony Iacovoni and Jordan Maccoux strengthen the depth. At linebacker, Grant Caserta is back for the Cardinals. A healthy Josh Fallon will be an important part of the SVSU linebacker corps. Brian Johnson and Murphy Wilson will be in the mix to compete for a linebacker job along with transfer Rodney Gallon, who can play inside or outside. In the defensive backfield, the safety positions should be led by Jeff Heath and Darius Middlebrooks while the corner positions could be grabbed by Noah Sumpter and DeAngelo Parris, who will compete with transfers David Touissant and Jon Bryant.
Special Teams: Kyle Kauffman is coming off a solid spring season and is expected to challenge for playing time at punter. At kicker, Thomas Goodroe returns. Cody Ballard was redshirted last year, but he showed a lot of promise during the spring. The Cardinals have also recruited some promising freshmen who may compete for opportunities.
Coaching: Jim Collins returns for his fourth season as the head man for the Cardinals. Collins has posted a 20-13 mark in his first three seasons at SVSU, including a 9-3 mark in 2009 and berth in the Division II playoff that same season.
Key Dates: Saginaw Valley State opens the season against Ferris State on Sept. 10 in a GLIAC home contest at 7 p.m. The Cardinals host rival Northwood in the "Axe Bowl" on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. and hosts Hillsdale for homecoming on Oct. 1. The Cardinals will host Ashland on Oct. 20, in the NCAA Division II Football "Game of the Week" that will air live on the CBS Sports Network. SVSU travels to face GVSU in the "Battle of the Valleys" on Nov. 12 at 1 p.m.
Complete Preseason Poll (Place, Team, First Place Votes, Points)
North Division
1. Grand Valley State (13) 85
2. Michigan Tech (1) 67
3. Saginaw Valley State 44
4. Northern Michigan 43
5. Northwood 38
6. Ferris State 37
7. Indianapolis 29
South Division
1. Wayne State (10) 80
2. Ashland (4) 73
3. Hillsdale 66
4. Ohio Dominican 38
5. Findlay 36
Lake Erie 36
7. Tiffin 13
