MSU Defense looks strong

Copy of story from

THE MINOT DAILY NEWS
PO Box 1150
Minot. ND 58702

www.minotdailynews.com ,

By MICHAEL LINNELL, Sports Editor mlinnell@ndweb.com

Newspaper story (link)

Defense was the name of the game.

The Minot State University football defensive unit kept the offense out of the end zone during the first of two scheduled scrimmages Monday night at Herb Parker Stadium.

So was it how good the defense played or was the offense sub par?

"It is hard to tell," MSU head coach Mike Sivertson said.

It was probably a combination of both.

The Beavers defensive line and linebacking corps put constant pressure on MSU's quarterbacks Ryan Jutras and Jon Meier, causing errant throws. And, while the Beavers backfield tandem of Neil Graham, Manny Gutierrez and Andre James was able to garner some yards, the defensive group held a decisive edge.

"This is a good benchmark for our guys," Sivertson said. "This is only the seventh time we have met and we aren't going to throw the whole thing at them. We are looking for guys to make some strides now."

Graham's presence, along with defensive end Blaine King, was a boost for the Beavers. Both players missed the entire 2005 season due to injuries and both look good early this season.

"They are only taking about a third of the snaps, so we are bringing them along slowly," Sivertson said. "That is the dilemma. We don't want to bring them back too soon, but the medical staff said that the both need time to practice and play."

Sivertson liked what he saw with King's game, considering that he has been out of football for more than a year.

"Blaine has been outstanding so far and is really running well," Sivertson said. "He will be a boost."

The Beavers, who were hampered by fumbles last season, put three balls on the ground as the defense forced two turnovers.

"The way to score with our system is to force turnovers and to not give up big plays," Sivertson said. "That is one of the reasons that the game went the way it did."

MSU's offense had trouble completing passes as both quarterbacks and their receivers couldn't connect on numerous occasions and had a couple of dropped balls. The Beavers did have a first-and-goal from the 5 late in the scrimmage before the defense tightened up. The MSU offense also had a bad snap on a 35-yard field goal attempt and kicker Marko Babic was just short on a 45-yard attempt.

But, for Sivertson and his staff, the evaluation process that happens after the game is as important as the game itself.

"(The scrimmage) is a good chance to see where were are and where we are deficient," he said. "We aren't doing too much scheming, especially for the quarterbacks. We want to see the light become brighter for some of our players."

MSU will be back on the field Friday for the last of its scrimmages. The action starts at 4 p.m. at Herb Parker Stadium.