While the Blugolds’ football team obviously would take the same final score over a Concordia College squad that they defeated in the last seconds of their 2023 season opener, they are hoping for an ending that’s a little less heart- attack-inducing when the teams clash to kickoff the gridiron season this weekend in Minnesota.
In that game, a late fourth-quarter comeback by the Concordia Cobbers was silenced by a 33-yard field goal by Dan Zeuli in the closing seconds, giving the Blugolds the 31-28 victory in what was UW-Eau Claire’s Rob Erickson’s debut as head football coach.
With a full season now under his belt, Erickson is feeling confident that this year’s squad can impress the Blugold faithful all season starting when they travel to Minnesota to take on the Cobbers Saturday afternoon. Kickoff at SCHEELS Field at Nemzek Stadium at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, where the game is being held, is set for 1 p.m.
“I think that we will have a really good football team that’s really competitive,” Erickson said Monday morning during what was the first of regular weekly sessions with members of the media this season.
That said, he knows Concordia’s team and understands they will present challenges to the Blugolds this Saturday.
“It’s a winning football program,”Erickson said. “They’re known to be physical and they are big, their quarterback has composure.”
To combat that, Erickson plans to rely heavily on his seniors — there are 29 of them — to lead the way.
Despite having a team that is comprised of 40 percent newcomers, Erickson admits that the “upperclassmen are expected to see the most playing time.” And from practices that started a little under two weeks ago he feels that those veterans are “really playing at a high level.”
“As the season progresses, we will see, as they (the rookies) realize their role, but at the end of the day, they are still 18 and 19-year olds,” the UWEC head coach said.
Erickson readily admitted that he wasn’t sure how so many new players would adapt to the team’s culture, but he has been pleased that they are all in with the program and credits much of that attitude to the upperclassmen who have shown them the way.
“I never really knew how this was going to play out, but we have 29 seniors who have bought into our culture and are really good leaders. We’re going to rely heavily on those seniors,” Erickson said.
Notable returning Blugolds include the following:
Returning All-WIAC: Seniors Trey Fitzgerald, TE (2023-Second); Isaac Garside, WR (2023-Honorable); Gyanni Kanellakis, S (2023-Honorable); and Ivan Ruble, RB (2022-Second, 2023-Second)
Notable Returning Offensive Players: Seniors Harry Roubidoux, QB; Noah Strauss, OL; Jake Thompson, OL; and sophomore wide receiver Landon Tonsager.
Notable Returning Defensive Players: Sophomore Peyton Erikson, Seniors CB; Joel McGrane CB and Noah Nephew, LB; and sophomore Caden Tonsager, CB
Notable Returning Special Teams Players: Junior Evan Rettowski, KR/PR
As the team prepares for the second season of the Erickson Era, the head coach noted in a one-on-one interview with the Leader-Telegram late last month that he has already seen positive differences between last year’s squad and this one.
“I think we’re very deep and very competitive. Our size and depth have stood out to me,” Erickson said.
In that same interview Erickson noted that he feels there are several things this year’s team needs to focus on to be more competitive than the 2023 squad.
“We’ve gotta be more explosive on offense and our defense can’t give up big plays,” Erickson said.
This will be only the fourth time UWEC and Concordia have clashed on the gridiron and the Cobbers lead the series, 2-1, in a series that started in 2015. Besides last year’s game, the two teams also met in 2016. The Blugolds open their home schedule of games at Carson Park on Sept. 14 against Coe College.
Local News
Comments / 0