Tigers Kick Off 2014 Season against Blue Devils

MITCHELL, S.D. – The long offseason is at an end and the Dakota Wesleyan University football team is ready to hit the field for the first time in 2014 coming off one of the most successful campaigns in program history.

After playing its first three games on the road in 2013, the Tigers will take advantage of playing in front of their home crowd for the first three contests this season, including a first-week matchup with the University of Wisconsin-Stout at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6 at Joe Quintal Field in Mitchell, S.D.

DWU finished the 2013 season ranked 20th in the nation and missed out on a spot in the national tournament, which includes 16 NAIA teams from across the country. Coming into the 2014 season, DWU was ranked 21st in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Poll. The Tigers were also picked to finish third in the GPAC by the league's coaches and media.

For the second year in a row the Tigers and Blue Devils open against each other. UW-Stout, an NCAA Division III program, won the first ever meeting between the schools 35-20 in 2013. The Blue Devils scored 27 unanswered points and held off a DWU rally to pick up the win.

UW-Stout comes into the 2014 season coming off a 4-6 season. The Blue Devils return key pieces in the offensive backfield, including starting quarterback Hank Kujak. The senior handled most of the signal calling for UW-Stout in 2013 while throwing for 2,183 yards and 11 touchdowns. Senior Tanner Kuehn and sophomore Adolfo Pacheco provide an experienced tailback tandem for the Blue Devils. Pacheco earned All-WIAC honors after rushing for 965 yards on 171 carries as a freshman.

The Blue Devils are coached by Clayt Birmingham, who enters his fifth season with the program. Birmingham has a career record of 18-22 at UW-Stout.

For the first time in four years, DWU will have a new signal caller under center after the graduation of the school's all-time leading passer Jon Bane. To help fill the void, third-year DWU coach Ross Cimpl brought in three new quarterbacks to compete for the starting job. Luke Stephens, a 6'2 sophomore transfer from Chico, Calif., sits atop the depth chart coming out of fall camp. True freshman Dillon Turner, from Salem, Ark., will back up Stephens in week one, while Austin Buysse, from Minneota, Minn., will redshirt in 2014.

"The quarterbacks come into a very good situation," Cimpl said.  "You have an experienced offensive line in front of you and one of the best running backs in the nation behind you.  We need a guy who can distribute the football and make the correct decisions."

After a record-breaking 2013 season, senior running back Francois Barnaud returns for his final campaign in the Tiger backfield. The Belle Fourche, S.D., native set the single-season rushing record for DWU in 2013 with 1,893 yards and scored 14 touchdowns on the ground, while earning Beyond Sports Network All-American Second Team and All-GPAC First Team Offense honors.

"Fran is one of the best running backs in the country," Cimpl said about Barnaud, who is entering his fifth season with the Tigers.  "We expect him to be a guy who other teams have to change their game plan for.  He is going to get a lot of attention from other defenses as well as in our offensive scheme.  He will be a huge focus in every game he plays for both teams."

Jake Verry, Kyle Hencke and Spencer Bloch are all back for their senior seasons with DWU on the offensive line, which will look to provide protection for a new quarterback and open holes for the Tiger running game.  Verry and Hencke were named to the All-GPAC Second-Team Offense in 2013, while Bloch will look to return to form after missing a large portion of last season with an injury.

At linebacker, junior Brady Bonte returns after a strong 2013 that saw him earn a Beyond Sports Network All-American Honorable Mention and a spot on the All-GPAC First-Team Defense.  Bonte led the Tigers with 88 tackles and nine sacks in 11 games last season.  He added 20 tackles for a loss and an interception return for a touchdown as a sophomore.

Sophomore linebacker Adam Bormann saw playing time in 11 games for DWU in 2013 as a freshman.  He returns after finishing with 55 tackles, two sacks and a team-high three fumbles recovered last season.  On the defensive line, Sam Kiger, Brady Mudder and Cohl Ratermann figure to play key roles for DWU, while Jared Van Winkle and Josh Fiedler will provide depth in the defensive backfield.

Following a tough road schedule in 2013, which saw the Tigers away from Mitchell for seven games, the schedule becomes more home friendly in 2014. DWU, will play seven games at Joe Quintal Field, including five of the first six. In-state and non-conference rival Dakota State University comes to Mitchell for a night game at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4. The season concludes at home for DWU against Dordt College on Nov. 15.