USD football team eager to improve

This Saturday at 1 p.m. the University of South Dakota football team will put its work into action at the annual Red-White Spring Game.

Head coach Joe Glenn said the team still has plenty of aspects of the game that need work, but the last month of practice has been productive.

“It’ll be interesting to see how everyone is working together this Saturday,” Glenn said. “We just put in a lot of work this past month to get to this point. It’s been a grind.”

The offense is returning several key starters, including junior quarterback Kevin Earl, sophomore wide receiver Riley Donovan and sophomore running back Trevor Bouma.

On the other side, the defense is trying to replace former standout linebacker Tyler Starr, who holds the school record for sacks, and all four defensive backs of a group that gave up only 171.1 yards per game through the air, the ninth best in the FCS.

Glenn said his team needs to improve everywhere.

“Both sides of the ball have shown flashes, but neither is there yet,” he said. “The best teams show flashes all the time.”

This was Earl’s first offseason as the starting quarterback and he said he’s been meticulous about improving every aspect of his game. After throwing nine touchdowns and nine interceptions last year, he said he believes he’s ready to take the next step.

“We don’t have a game for quite awhile yet, so I have been treating every practice scrimmage like a game situation,” Earl said. “My overall comfort in the pocket is immensely improved from where I was last year during this time.”

Earl said the single biggest thing to being a successful quarterback is feeling comfortable in it, which he now believes he is. That also means he has to have a strong group of offensive linemen who give him the amount of time he needs to pick apart the defense, he said.

“Our offensive line is an area that could surprise people this year,” Earl said. “They all have a few years under their belt and that’s huge.”

Junior offensive lineman Derek Chancellor said he’s excited for the team to put the work its achieved on full display this Saturday.

“This will be the first edition of the 2014 Coyote football team,” Chancellor said. “Personally, I’ve put in so much work this offseason, and this game kind of signifies a new chapter for the upcoming season.”

Two players who were thought to be shoe-ins as starters for the team, wide receiver Terrance Terry and cornerback Tevin Foster, decided to leave the team over the offseason. Glenn said Terry graduated and decided against playing his senior year and Foster wanted to go back home to Oklahoma and play basketball.

“I’m always excited to see what guys can stand out and make some plays,” Glenn said. “There’s plays to be made and the Spring Game is an opportunity to show your game. The team isn’t anywhere near there yet, but I’m excited to see how far we’ve come.”

Once the game comes to a conclusion this weekend, the players will have most of the summer off. Chancellor said it’s vital to stay mentally focused and not get complacent during the time off.

“We need to continue making strides in the weight room by getting bigger, faster and stronger,” Chancellor said. “By the time August rolls around, guys need to come to practice ready to work every day. Making it count and rising up in the offseason is important.”

Photo: The offensive and defensive lines of the University of South Dakota football team faceoff at spring practice April 21 in the DakotaDome. (Rebecca Kroeger/The Volante)