UMC Picked 16th in NSIC Preseason FB Coaches' Poll

BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston was picked to finish 16^th in the 2013 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Football Coaches’ Poll released Tuesday morning by the conference office. The Golden Eagles, coming off their most NSIC wins since 2004, were picked to finish in a tie for seventh in the NSIC North Division.

Keith McBride (Sr., RB, Lodi, Wis.) and Ricky Jacobs (Sr., LB, Junction City, Kan.) were selected as UMC’s Players to Watch for the 2013 season.

McBride appeared in 10 games, starting six as a redshirt junior for the Golden Eagles. He played mostly as a fullback last season, blocking for NSIC All-Conference running back Richard Haley, but will come into the season as UMC's feature running back in 2013, a position he held prior to battling injuries over the last two seasons. McBride was primarily used in a receiving role last season, catching 23 passes for 245 yards in 2012. His best game came in UMC's season-ending win against U-Mary as he had a career-high nine catches for 130 yards versus the Marauders. McBride has rushed for over 1,700 yards in his career with nearly 700 yards as a sophomore and nearly 1,000 yards in his freshman campaign. McBride was also stellar in the classroom last season, he was an NSIC Fall All-Academic selection.

Jacobs had an immediate impact for the Golden Eagle defense in his first season in the Maroon and Gold after transferring from Independence C.C. Jacobs was third on the team with 55 tackles during his junior campaign helping lead to an All-NSIC North Honorable Mention selection. He started all 11 games at linebacker. In addition, Jacobs picked up 4.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He was second on the team in interceptions with three on the season. Jacobs also had one pass break-up and two forced fumbles on the year.

Minnesota State University, Mankato were selected by the league coaches as the preseason favorites in the league. The Mavericks were also picked to win the NSIC South Division. The Mavericks received 13 first-place votes and amassed 223 points. University of Minnesota Duluth was picked second in the poll, receiving two first-place votes. The Bulldogs under the leadership of new head coach Curt Wiese, were picked to finish first in the NSIC North Division. Winona State University was picked third in the poll while St. Cloud State University was picked fourth and received one first-place vote.

St. Cloud State quarterback Phillip Klaphake was picked as the NSIC North Offensive Preseason Player of the Year. Klaphake is a three-time All-NSIC North selection. St. Cloud State defensive back Jack Moro was picked as the NSIC North Defensive Preseason Player of the Year. Moro led the NCAA Division II in interceptions last season with 11. Wide Receiver Carrington Hanna of University of Sioux Falls was picked as the NSIC South Offensive Preseason Player of the Year after earning All-NSIC South Second Team honors in 2012. Concordia University, St. Paul defensive lineman Zach Moore was picked as the NSIC South Defensive Preseason Player of the Year after earning All-America honors in 2012.

Golden Eagle football players will report to camp Aug. 13 with the first practice taking place Aug. 15. UMC currently has 78 players scheduled to report to camp including 50 returnees and 28 newcomers. The Golden Eagles will be under the leadership of long-time high school coach Mike Fritze, who takes over as interim head coach from Paul Miller, who is on a leave of absence due to health concerns. UMC is coming off a 2-9 season in which they halted a skid in the NSIC that spanned 39 games, with wins over Concordia-St. Paul and University of Mary.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.

The University of Minnesota, Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).

 

NSIC Overall Preseason Coaches' Poll	Points		North Division	Points
1. Minnesota State (13)	223		1. Minnesota Duluth (6)	48
2. Minnesota Duluth (2)	207		2. St. Cloud State (2)	42
3. Winona State	191		3. Northern State	36
4. St. Cloud State  (1)	183		4. Bemidji State	34
5. Sioux Falls	159		5. U-Mary	23
6. Bemidji State	140		6. Minot State	21
7. Wayne State	137		7. Minnesota Crookston	10
8. Northern State	128		MSU Moorhead	10
9. Augustana	125		South Division	Points
10. Concordia-St. Paul	96		1. Minnesota State (6)	48
11. U-Mary	82		2. Winona State (2)	44
12. Southwest Minnesota State	77		3. Sioux Falls	32
13. Upper Iowa	63		4. Wayne State	31
14. Minot State	57		5. Augustana	27
15. MSU Moorhead	35		6. Concordia-St. Paul	16
16. Minnesota Crookston	17		7. Southwest Minnesota State	15
first place votes in ( )			8. Upper Iowa	11