BURNSVILLE, Minn. - With student-athletes set to report to campus this weekend, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference has announced the 2022 NSIC Football Preseason Coaches' Poll, with Concordia-St. Paul picked 11th overall and sixth in the NSIC North Division.
Augustana claimed the top spot in the overall poll, collecting five of the 13 possible first place votes (coaches are not able to vote for their own team) while the first place votes were spread around to four different programs, each collecting multiple first place votes. Bemidji State scooped up four overall first place votes and was picked second in the preseason poll with 145 points, trailing Augustana by eight (153).
The Beavers also collected the maximum six first place votes in the NSIC North Division and secured 36 points, topping second place preseason pick Minnesota Duluth in the division, with UMD picking up the other first place vote.
Overall, Minnesota State (3) and Sioux Falls (2) each secured the remaining first place votes and were tied for fourth in the poll, while Minnesota Duluth didn't pick up any first place votes but was ranked third with 142 points, just three shy of BSU.
Concordia collected 141 points overall for the 11th spot, ranking ahead of Minot State (36), SMSU (26) and Upper Iowa (25) while the NSIC North saw CSP pick up 10 points, beating out Minot State (8).
The Golden Bears open the 2022 season at home on Thursday, September 1 with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff at Sea Foam Stadium against Augustana. The schedule features four straight night games to start the year, two at home (Augie & Sioux Falls) and two on the road (at SMSU & Wayne State). Homecoming is set for October 1 against Minnesota State in the first day game of the season while NSIC North Division play opens on October 8 on the road at preseason North Division favorite Bemidji State.
Fans can purchase tickets to home football games online including Homecoming and season ticket packages.
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The Golden Bears enter the 2022 season focused on a return to health combined with the continued development of a young 2021 roster.
"I am excited about the focus and commitment our team has demonstrated this past offseason. We have grown our leadership, improved our culture and regained health. I believe we will have players that will become amongst the conference's best this season," said head coach
Shannon Currier, who enters his 11th season leading Golden Bear football this fall.
Offensively, CSP returns quarterback
Conner Cordts, who was having an historic freshman campaign under center, just the second freshman to start week one at quarterback since Concordia became a Division II program (1999), joining NSIC Hall of Famer James McNear. He had his breakout performance in week two, completing 20-27 for 249 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions in a win over Upper Iowa. He had his best individual performance in week four against SMSU, completing 22-33 for 260 yards and three touchdowns, adding 41 rushing yards on nine attempts. He went down injured early in week six, missing the rest of the year, but he opened his career with just one turnover in five-plus games including a streak of 111 passes without an interception to start his career.''
"Conner is one of the better young up and coming quarterbacks in the league. He started as a freshman and was off to a solid start before suffering injury," said Coach Currier.
He'll have his top early season target
Nathan Gimza back on the outside, with Gimza producing 153 yards on 11 catches and a touchdown in three games before being lost to a season-ending injury. Additional weapons including 2021 second-leading rusher
Jaylin Richardson, entering his sophomore season following a freshman campaign when he compiled 234 rushing yards while ranking as the second-leading pass catcher with 15 receptions out of the backfield a year ago.
The skill position will be boosted by increased continuity and development up front with returning starters
Brody Card,
Sam Marshalek on the interior who combined to start all but one game last year, while four other returners secured at least a start for the Golden Bears.
On defense, senior safety
Rhett Sheehan had his top season with 63 tackles and three interceptions among his five passes defended while adding a pair of forced fumbles. He's played in all 33 games across the past three seasons and brings 143 career tackles and 12 passes defended to the CSP secondary.
"Rhett is a returning All-Conference player and is one of our strongest leaders. He will be a four-year starter and I'm expecting him to build off of last year," said Coach Currier.
The defense also returns breakout linebacker
Andrew Egnarski who led the team with 68 tackles and 5.0 sacks and is the top returner with 6.0 tackles for loss while a number of young players made starts in the secondary and at linebacker to build up additional experience.
The squad's kicking game, one of the best in the Northern Sun, is also coming back led by Fred Mitchell Award candidate
Sam Henson who was 10-13 on field goals with a long of 48 and
Parker Dahlman who averaged 40.1 yards per punt with 12 of 50-plus yards. Both enter their sophomore seasons.
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NSIC PLAYERS TO WATCH
#5 Rhett Sheehan (S, 6-0, 190, Sr., Menomonie, Wis. / Menomonie HS)
- Led Concordia with three interceptions, compiling 85 return yards with a long return of 44
- Ranked second on the defense with 63 tackles
- Produced at least four tackles in each of the last nine games of the season
- Had a season-high 10 tackles with an INT and a pass breakup against Bemidji State (10/9)
- Compiled 143 tackles across 33 career games in the CSP secondary with 12 passes defended
#5 Conner Cordts (QB, 6-2, 195, So., Peoria, Ariz. / Cactus HS)
- Passed for 857 yards and a 58.2 completion percentage (82-141) in 5-plus games
- Committed just one turnover (INT) as a redshirt freshman starter in 141 passing attempts
- Produced six touchdown passes
- Added 82 rushing yards including a single-game high of 41 yards
- Was just the second freshman to start at QB in week one since CSP moved to the NSIC in 1999
