Coyotes look to face first test of the season in New Mexico

The Coyotes may be moving in a new direction with their offense and head coach, but they haven’t forgotten where they came from.

On Monday, retired head coach Joe Glenn visited practice to share some words of wisdom. As always, Glenn opened with a joke before speaking with the team about brotherhood, being Coyotes and taking Thursday’s game play by play. He stressed that in the lead up to the game against New Mexico the team remembers that no one is unbeatable and that they were seen as huge underdogs to North Dakota State University last year.

With head coach Bob Nielson having most of the past year to shape his team, the team will take on New Mexico Thursday night at 8 p.m. in This game will be the first true test of the Coyotes’ new offense, an offense senior quarterback Ryan Saeger noted might have a few kinks to work out.

“I’m sure there will be some kinks on Thursday night but we’re trying to prepare as best we can this week and to minimize those things,” Saeger said. “I think you’ve seen it in the games that have already been played on Friday and Saturday, a lot of mistakes in those games.”

These kinks are things that can prevent USD from winning, especially with an opponent like New Mexico on the schedule.

“You’ve got to play mistake-free and that’s the bottom line,” Saeger said.

For senior running back Trevor Bouma, the uptempo style took some getting used to, but once adjusted it allows for some explosiveness.

“It’s completely different than last year obviously, but it’s been fast and once you get accustomed to the tempo and get in shape it really gives the opportunity for all guys on the offense to make plays,” Bouma said.

Saeger and Bouma are two of this year’s captains along with fellow senior linebackers John Wessel and Jet Moreland, offensive lineman Nile Banks and safety Tyson Graham.

For Saeger, it’s an honor because of who decided it.

“It’s voted on by the team, my teammates, so it’s something positive to look at and know that my teammates trust me and put their faith in me to be a leader of this team,” Saeger said.

Bouma was named a captain after his junior season was cut short by injury. For him this season is a point to prove he’s able to finish strong.

“I’ve definitely been playing this year with a chip on my shoulder,” Bouma said. “Knowing that I didn’t finish the last two seasons, it’s kind of motivation in the back of my head to finish the season for my teammates and myself, to prove to myself that I can do it.”

For Graham, this new role is a way for him to expand his horizons and work on leadership skills.

“I think this is something that I really told myself that I had to work on, being a more vocal leader,” Graham said. “It used to be that my leadership was just shown through my play and my actions, but I put it on myself and the coaches put it on me to step out of my comfort zone and be more vocal.”

In addition to his selection as captain, Graham also earned a preseason all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection. This comes after picking off the second most passes in the conference a year ago.

Despite the nod, he’s careful to not let it get to his head.

“I just think of it as the hard work paying off but there’s a ton more work I have to do,” he said. “I try not to think about things like that, especially right now during the season I put it behind me and get ready to play some football and get my team a championship.”

New Mexico’s Football Bowl Subdivision status is not something the Coyotes will focus too much on, Graham said.

“I see them as another team who we’re strapping up and going against. They’re on scholarship, we’re on scholarship as well,” he said. “We’re just going to go out there and do our job and may the best team win on Thursday.”