MARSHALL, Minn. - The Southwest Minnesota State University football team, under the direction of sixth-year head coach Cory Sauter, begins spring practice in preparation for the 2015 season on Monday, March 30, at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
SMSU will conduct 15 practices/scrimmages during spring drills that will close on Saturday, April 25, with the annual Spring Game at the Schwan Regional Event Center. 
 
The Mustangs will practice four times a week during the first three weeks of drills and twice the last week, capped by the Spring Game. Practices will be held with weekday afternoon sessions starting at 3:45, while the three Saturday practices will be held at various times.
 
SMSU has 71 players on its spring roster and returns 37 letterwinners from last season's team, including seven starters on offense and eight on defense. The 2014 team finished 3-8 overall, including tied for sixth in the NSIC South Division and 13th overall in the 16-team NSIC.
 
On offense, SMSU must replace two-year starters at both quarterback and running back this season. Quarterback Charlie Kern started 23 games the last two seasons, including completing 229 of 363 pass attempts for 2,246 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. Running back Tyler Tonderum rushed for a team-high 930 yards with six touchdowns on 204 attempts.
 
Sophomore quarterback Blake Gimbel has the most experience on the 2015 roster, appearing in six games last season, completing 36 of 63 passes for 332 yards and one touchdown. He came on in relief for an injured Kern in week 10 last season, completing 7 of 13 passes for 106 yards and one touchdown, to help SMSU rally from a 21-13 deficit and defeat Winona State 39-34.
 
Senior running back Davontay Stevens is the team's top returning rusher from 2014, amassing 483 yards and one touchdown on 76 carries for a 6.4 yard average. He rushed for 90 or more yards in three games and had one 100-yard rushing game. Also returning is junior running back Ashanti Payne, who finished last season with 131 yards and one touchdown on 36 carries. He also caught seven passes for 57 yards and one touchdown.
 
SMSU returns its leading receiver from 2014 in sophomore Nate Huot, who caught 52 passes for 649 yards with a team-leading nine touchdowns. Huot, who caught five or more passes in five of the last eight games a season ago, was named All-NSIC honorable mention and was voted SMSU's offensive MVP. Junior Ty Steffensen (25 receptions) and senior Kevin Parks (21 receptions) both return at wide receiver, after combining for 46 catches and 513 yards with one touchdown in 2014.
 
The Mustangs return six players that made five or more starts on an offensive line that helped an offense average 27 points and 400 yards per game. Junior left tackle Grant Greenfield started all 11 games last season, while senior Alan McCaulley started a combined 11 games at both guard and tackle.
 
Other returning starters include junior Nate Thompson, who started nine games at center and guard, senior Joe Grant, who started the final six games at left guard, sophomore Austin Hilgert, who started the last six games at guard and center, senior Quinn Bullard, who made seven starts at right guard and sophomore Kane Hutchinson, who started in five games at right tackle, but missing the final five games due to an injury.
 
On defense, SMSU returns its top three and six of its top seven tacklers from the 2014 season. Senior safety Jared Twedt led the squad with 95 tackles, was second with 56 solo stops and had one interception. Junior safety Casey Hertz finished second with 94 tackles and recorded a team-high 57 solo tackles with one interception.
 
Junior linebacker Tyler Flud, named SMSU's team MVP in 2014, started all 11 games last season and ranked third with 88 tackles and was second with seven tackles for loss. Another returning starter at linebacker, senior Alex Burton, recorded 59 tackles and was third on the team with five tackles for loss.
 
At cornerback, senior Andrew McReynolds, a 2014 second team All-NSIC South honoree, and two-year starter, returns after leading the team with four interceptions last season and recorded 48 tackles. Another senior cornerback, Donovan Woods, is a three-year starter and returns after racking up 38 tackles last season. Both McReynolds and Woods were named All-NSIC honorable mention in 2013.
 
Senior defensive end AJ Page will anchor the defensive line after battling injuries in 2014. Despite missing two games, Page, who was named second All-NSIC South in 2013, led the team with 9.5 tackles for loss and was also the team leader with three sacks.
 
SMSU must replace kicker/punter Mike Wenk, who earned All-American honors in 2014, after leading the conference with a school record 43.1 yard punt average, while also making 8 of 9 field goals and 24 of 27 PATs.
 
McReynolds led the team in both kickoff (18.7) and punt (12.2, one touchdown) return average in 2014.
 
The spring roster features 34 players on offense and 39 on defense and includes 14 seniors, 19 juniors, 14 sophomores and 24 redshirt freshmen. The offense has 13 offensive lineman, 10 wide receivers, four running backs, three quarterbacks, two tight ends and one long snapper. The defense has 15 linebackers, seven defensive ends, seven cornerbacks, six safeties and three nose guards.
 
SMSU will also welcome nearly 50 players—who signed during the national signing day in February—which will join the 73-player roster when fall camp opens on Aug. 12.  The Mustangs open the 2015 regular season with a conference game on Thursday, Sept. 3, at the Minot State University.
 
Tentative 2015 Spring Practice Schedule
Mon.   March 30   3:45 p.m. 
Tues.   March 31   3:45 p.m.  
Thur.   April 2    3:45 p.m.
Sat.      April 4   10 a.m.  
 
Mon.   April 6    3:45 p.m.  
Tues.   April 7    3:45 p.m.  
Thur.   April 9   3:45 p.m.  
Sat.     April 11   3:45 p.m. (scrimmage)
 
Mon.   April 13    3:45 p.m.  
Tues.   April 14    3:45 p.m.  
Thur.   April 16    3:45 p.m.  
Sat.      April 18    10 a.m.  -- held at the Marshall Regional Track & Field Complex
 
Tues.   April 21    3:45 p.m.  
Thur.   April 23    3:45 p.m.  
Sat.      April 25     1 p.m. (spring game)