Spartans Picked as IIAC Favorite
Aug 17, 2012 | Iowa Conference
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Rank
|
School (1st place votes)
|
Points
|
2011 Record
|
|
1
|
Dubuque (6)
|
52
|
9-2, 7-1 IIAC
|
|
2
|
Wartburg
|
48
|
8-2, 6-2 IIAC
|
|
3
|
Simpson (1)
|
41
|
5-5, 5-3 IIAC
|
|
4
|
Central (1)
|
40
|
7-3, 6-2 IIAC
|
|
5
|
Coe
|
39
|
6-4, 6-2 IIAC
|
|
6
|
Buena Vista
|
23
|
2-8, 2-6 IIAC
|
|
7
|
Luther
|
22
|
3-7, 3-5 IIAC
|
|
8
|
Loras
|
15
|
1-9, 0-8 IIAC
|
University of Dubuque Spartans
Head Coach: Stan Zweifel (Fourth year at Dubuque, 50-39-2 overall [9 years]) 2011 Record: 9-2 overall, 7-1 IIAC (champion) Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4 offense, 8/3 defense, 2/0 special teams Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 50/12
Iowa Conference Titles (Last):7 (2011) NCAA Playoff Appearances (Last/Result): 3 (2011; lost to North Central [Ill.], 59-13, in first round)
Dubuque returns 17 starters and 50 letter winners from last year’s 9-2 squad that won the program’s first Iowa Conference title since 1980 with a 7-1 mark. The Spartans’ offense returns seven of 11 starters but will need to replace league’s leading rusher (Justin Spaulding) and two of the league’s top three receivers (Gagliardi Trophy winner Michael Zweifel and Demacus Fleming) from 2011. Quarterback Wyatt Hanus is back after throwing for a league-record 35 touchdowns in league play. The senior signal caller, a first team all-league pick last season, led the IIAC in passing and total offense, completing 73.0 percent of his passes for 3490 yards and 44 touchdowns overall. He also added a touchdown on the ground. He ranked second in Division III in passing efficiency (189.36) and fifth in total offense (319 ypg). A big target for Hanus early on will be senior tight end Miles Hookstead, a second team all-IIAC pick. Hookstead made 33 grabs for 349 yards and six touchdowns last season.
The offensive line will be anchored by senior center Richard Skaife, a first team all-league pick last year, and junior guard Austin Hatzinger. The Spartans ranked in the top 10 in Division III in passing efficiency (third, 190.25), total offense (fourth, 489.91 ypg), passing offense (fifth, 323.82 ypg), and scoring offense (41.55 ppg).
Eight starters return from a Spartans defense that ranked first in the league against the pass (191.0 ypg), sixth against the run (170.3 ypg) and third overall (361.3 ypg). Leading the group in the trenches will be senior defensive lineman Stephen Vassalotti and senior defensive end Marice Hill. Hill ranked fourth on the team with 56 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also intercepted a pass against Central that he returned 44 yards for a touchdown and forced a fumble. Vassalotti, a 2011 first team all-league pick, was fifth on the team in tackles with 53 and posted team-highs with 13.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. He ranked second in the league in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss.
Senior middle linebacker Trevor Runkle, a two-time second team all-league pick, posted a team-high 90 stops, ranking 12th in the league. He also had 4.0 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, four pass break-ups and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown against Anderson (Ind.). Senior free safety Malcolm Stewart played in 10 games, amassing 51 tackles (1.5 for loss), intercepted one pass, broke up two others, forced two fumble and blocked a kick.
Junior punter/placekicker Steve Jones punted 20 times in 2011, averaging 34.0 yards per kick. He also placed three kicks inside the 20-yard line and had two of 50-plus yards. Picking up PAT/field goal duties full-time in the fourth game of the season, he finished the season converting 39 of 43 PATs and 2 of 4 field goal attempts. He also averaged 58.9 yards on kickoffs. Fellow sophomore Tyson Carter, ordinarily an offensive lineman, will handle long-snapping duties.
Dubuque head coach Stan Zweifel says, "This year's race will be decided by at least four teams. How that is decided is how consistent the team can be all year.”
