Rams boosted with youth in 2011

Cornell College's football roster got another heavy injection of youth when the players rolled in for preseason practices Aug. 13.

The Rams had several newcomers play prominent roles last fall, including eight freshmen who were thrust into starting roles. And fans can look for more of the same in 2011 with head coach Vince Brautigam's first full recruiting class now on board.

"Our goal was to reach 30 (first-year) kids, and we were able to do that," said Brautigam, who enters his 20th head coaching season and second at Cornell. "There are definitely some players in the freshman class that will see varsity playing time right away. We brought in potential starters and backups at every position in this class."

Cornell has 33 players in this incoming class, making it one of the largest here in some time. Brautigam knows the group will be important in reversing the fortunes of last year's 0-10 finish.

"The big thing is how well we can mash the freshman class in with the returning players," Brautigam said. "It's extremely important that happens, sooner rather than later because more than half of our team will be freshmen."

The team's newcomers will draw from the leadership of 12 returning starters and 28 total lettermen. The Rams bring back five All-Iowa Conference performers, led by a trio of 2010 second team selections in senior defensive lineman Aaron Spickermann (Mechanicsville/North Cedar), senior linebacker Tyler Bailey (West Branch/West Branch) and sophomore safety Nick Brautigam (Dubuque/Wahlert).

Senior offensive lineman Jeff North (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) and sophomore linebacker Geoffrey Miller (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou) earned IIAC honorable mention accolades a year ago.

"The all-conference kids will be the backbone of our team. They will need to step into leadership roles," Brautigam said. "We have experience on both sides of the ball. Now we have to build depth and consistency. I think the returning players are hungry and do want to win. I think the players are more comfortable with me and know my expectations.

"We're going to be a young team," Brautigam added. "But along with youth comes enthusiasm. My expectation is to get better every practice and every game. We need to become consistent and be able to finish off games."

DEFENSE

Second-year defensive coordinator Jay Davis has six starters back from his unit, including last year's top three tacklers in Bailey, Miller and Brautigam.

The defense is anchored by Bailey, a 2011 Preseason First Team All-American linebacker by Consensus Draft Services. Bailey led the Rams with 110 tackles, which ranked third in the IIAC. He registered 70 solo stops and 8.5 tackles for loss.

Miller will work alongside Bailey at outside linebacker after an impressive freshman campaign in which he totaled 90 tackles, fifth-most in the IIAC. He had at least one tackle for loss in his first eight collegiate games and finished with four pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

The returning linebacking group includes senior Craig Furstenau (Strasburg, Colo./Strasburg), junior John Podmeyer (Las Vegas, Nev./Canyon Springs) and sophomores Jeremy Demlow (Oceanside, Calif./Vista) and Christopher Holihan (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman). Furstenau and Podmeyer are multi-year letterwinners.

Brautigam heads the secondary, where he started the first nine games of 2010 before an injury sidelined him in the finale. He was seventh in the league with 79 tackles, 37 coming in his final three games. Sophomore Jeffery Bollnow (Tucson, Ariz./Mountain View) brings back 41 tackles and a team-high eight pass breakups from his cornerback position. Senior Tyler Geissler (South Bend, Ind./Clay) and junior Marnel Desir (Fort Pierce, Fla./St. Lucie West Centennial) are veterans in the backfield.

The defensive front is led by seniors Spickermann and Erik Krol (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle), both three-year letterwinners who started all 10 games last fall. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Spickermann posted 41 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and a team-high 3.0 sacks. Krol was in on 22 stops and 3.0 tackles for loss. Adding depth to the line are juniors Shane McNally (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) and Vincent Osborne (Lake Park, Fla./Suncoast). McNally (formerly tight end) and Osborne (running back) are both making position switches.

OFFENSE

Junior quarterback Andrew Burdick (Apollo Beach, Fla./Lennard) headlines an offense that returns five starters and 13 letterwinners. Burdick, with 17 starts under center the past two seasons, already ranks among Cornell's career leaders in completion percentage (56.1, third), completions (294, fourth) and pass attempts (524, fourth). He needs 95 completions and 187 pass attempts to become the program's all-time leader in both categories.

Burdick was 114-of-205 passing for 1,334 yards and six touchdowns in 2010. He also rushed for 168 yards on 115 carries with three scores. Burdick has passed for 3,502 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career.

Burdick will be challenged by sophomore Juan Flores (Alta Loma, Calif./A.B. Miller), who showed flashes at quarterback his rookie season with three starts in nine games played. Flores was the team's top rusher, netting 291 yards on 78 carries with one touchdown. He completed 51-of-94 passes for 376 yards and one score.

Sophomore Hayden Howard (Aurora, Texas/Harvest Christian Academy) is the lone returning running back after playing sparingly in 2010. He carried six times for 24 yards in seven games. Sophomore Kody Karjala (Buckeye, Ariz./Buckeye Union) is moving to running back after playing quarterback a year ago. Brautigam said the running back position is wide open, expecting several newcomers to contribute immediately.

Senior Thomas Connor (Deltona, Fla./Deltona), a three-year letterwinner, brings playmaking ability to the receiver position. He is the team's top returning pass catcher, hauling in 29 passes for 248 yards with one touchdown. Connor has totaled 847 receiving yards in his career.

Junior Chris Lopez (12 catches, 111 yards, 1 TD) and sophomore James Scully (12 catches, 194 yards, 1 TD) were solid contributors at tight end a year ago. Of the incoming freshman class, Brautigam labeled receiver as the team's deepest position.

On the offensive line, the Rams have good size and experience at the two tackle positions with seniors North and Zach Schwarz (Marengo, Ill./Marengo), both starting every game in 2010. North is listed at 6-5, 295 pounds, Schwarz at 6-7, 290. Junior lineman Sean Langan (Peoria, Ariz./Ironwood), who started part-time last fall, is back in the mix after missing time due to injury. Senior Dan Wherry (Clarence/North Cedar) and sophomore Derek Therrien (Berwick, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville) will also battle for starting spots.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Sophomore Anthony Bridges (Terrell, Texas/Terrell) is back to handle kicking and punting duties after a solid rookie season. He made good on 13-of-14 PATs and converted 5-of-10 field goals with a long of 42 yards. Bridges netted a 35.4-yard average on 52 punt attempts. He placed five punts inside the 20 and boomed a long one of 74 yards.

Connor will give the Rams a boost in the return game. He led the IIAC last fall with a 21.6-yard average on 24 kick returns. Brautigam returned four kicks for 54 yards.

SCHEDULE

Cornell's 2011 schedule features only one home game in September, but three of the last five contests at Ash Park Stadium. The Rams open the campaign Saturday, Sept. 3 with their first-ever meeting with Olivet College in Olivet, Mich. Cornell meets its second nonconference foe, Macalester on Sept. 10, in Mount Vernon.

The Rams make their final round this fall as members of the IIAC before rejoining the Midwest Conference in 2012-13. The team opens IIAC play Sept. 24 at Buena Vista. The Rams have conference games at home against Wartburg (Oct. 1), Dubuque (Oct. 15, Homecoming), Loras (Oct. 29) and Luther (Nov. 5).

The IIAC has three teams ranked in the D3football.com Preseason Poll. Coe heads the list at No. 10, followed by No. 15 Wartburg and Central which received votes