Blue Hawks' questions will be answered

The Dickinson State football team is ranked No. 7 in the NAIA's official preseason poll.

Does head coach DSU head coach Hank Biesoit care?

"We don't even talk about that," said Biesoit, who enters his 32nd season as a head coach. "They're still trying to learn plays and learn alignments, let alone look at preseason pick sheets."

If the Blue Hawks have one mindset heading into today's season opener against Montana State University-Western, Biesoit's outlook which includes making his players show how good they can be on the field before believing they're as good as others perceive them in a poll would be close to the top of the list.

"Rankings are based a lot on last year's finish," Biesoit said. "I think, the first ranking doesn't mean anything. We lost so many players."

The Blue Hawks were ranked No. 6 in the country last season when they opened their season on the road against unranked MSUN and lost 32-17.

"Rankings are based a lot on last year's finish," Biesoit said. "I think, the first ranking doesn't mean anything. We lost so many players. It's kind of a different path this year."

Although the Blue Hawks return 11 starters and were picked to finish first in the Dakota Athletic Conference coaches' poll, both Biesoit and the players know preseason rankings carry no meaning once the season begins.

At a midweek practice, DSU defensive lineman Karter Kleeman said the team is coming together but there are still hills to climb.

"There's a lot of stuff we need to do mentally," Kleeman said.

But it's not just improving on the field; DSU also must determine who will lead the way once game time arrives.

Two weeks ago, when the Blue Hawks began preseason practice, several starting positions were up for grabs. Who will start quarterback for the Blue Hawks was still undecided as of Friday night.

Biesoit admitted this could be a season where DSU begins the season with several different starters than they'll have by season's end.

"This is a team that's going to get nothing but better as we go along," he said.

DSU senior linebacker Phillip Russell said he has a feeling which players will rise to challenge once the season begins.

"I'm excited," Russell said. "There's a couple of guys I'm excited to see what they can do."

Despite seeing question marks at a couple of positions, the Blue Hawks have a few experienced defensive returners.

Kleeman said the defense will be one of the Blue Hawks' biggest assets. He added it will also have a different look than it has in the past.

"Instead of being big and strong, we're going to be really fast as a group," Kleeman said.

Senior defensive end Brenner Flaten and senior defensive back Jamal Guy also return for the Blue Hawks. Flaten had 43 tackles and three sacks last season, earning all-conference second team honors. Guy had 34 tackles and four interceptions.

Offensively, the Blue Hawks are thin, returning All-American honorable mention senior lineman J.R. Foreman, wide receiver Tyler Greff and tight end Jake Schmitz.

"At times we've shown promise offensively and defensively," Biesoit said. "We're just looking for a consistency."

Greff said the loss of several key players and the question marks that surround the team has led to the Blue Hawks cautiously optimistic about the new season.

"We're not taking anything for granted," he said.

Russell said he's anxious to get his senior season underway and forget about the preseason questions.

"I don't think any questions can be answered until the first game," Russell said. "Just that freshness and that need to prove yourself on the field."