Thurs., Aug. 17, 2006

   OLATHE, Kan. -- From the end of the 2005 NAIA football season to the 2006 preseason poll, not much has changed. Carroll College is No. 1 and the University of Saint Francis is No. 2. But the rosters for both teams have changed dramatically from 2005 for the two teams who collided for the 2004 and 2005 NAIA Championship.

   USF, seeking its fifth consecutive undefeated regular season, has to replace 19 seniors including eight NAIA All-Americans and 10 All-Mid States Football Association first-team selections.

   “I feel that the glass is half full,” USF head coach Kevin Donley said looking at the 2006 season. “We’ve got a lot of experience back on defense and on offense, we’ve got some talented players who gave our No. 1s and No. 2s fits on scout offense and defense.”

    Derrick Alderman and William Knepper have been named captains for the 2006 season and Donley is counting on both for big things. Knepper was NAIA All-American first team as a sophomore in 2005. Alderman is a three-year starter at running back and the leading returning rusher.

    Carroll, winners of four straight NAIA title games, lost two-time NAIA Player-of-the-Year Tyler Emmert, but the Saints have two 1,000-yard rushers back in Jed Thomas and Ryan Grosulak. They also return seven starters on defense.

   Two USF opponents were in the preseason Top 25 with Walsh University the next highest MSFA Mideast League ranked at No. 13 and Geneva College at No. 20. Pikeville, the Cougars’ home opening opponent on Sept. 16, was in the received votes at No. 26.

    USF opens its season on Sept. 9 at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

   The Cougars are No. 2 in the Victory Sports Network Preseason Top 25 and the Don Hansen Football Gazette Preseason Top 25.

USF in NAIA Pre-season Top 25

1998 – NR
1999 – NR
2000 – No. 9
2001 – No. 5
2002 – No. 19
2003 – No. 11
2004 – No. 4
2005 – No. 2
2006 – No. 2