(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - The Capital University football team reported to campus on Wednesday to begin practice leading up to its 85th season of competition and first under the direction of head coach Jim Bickel.
Capital is ranked seventh nationally in both the USA Today and d3football.com Preseason Polls after making its third straight NCAA postseason appearance as part of a 8-3 campaign in 2007. The Crusaders were also eighth in the Lindy's Preseason Poll and No. 14 in the Sporting News Preseason Poll while being selected to finish second in the OAC Preseason Media Poll and third in the OAC Preseason Coaches Poll one week ago.
Much of the talent from last year's squad will be returning this season in the form of 47 letterwinners and 16 starters including 10 on offense. Quarterback Marty Assmann (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Hartley HS) started the first four games of the 2007 season under center before suffering a season ending injury. Assmann is expected to take the lead in 2008 after throwing for 979 yards and four touchdowns in only four games last season.
Assmann will have a trio of familiar receivers to throw to in the upcoming season in Evan Blake (Kingston, Ohio/Logan Elm HS), Derick Alexander (Grove City, Ohio/Grove City HS) and Mando Ancona (Johnstown, Ohio/Northridge HS). Blake tallied team-highs of 39 receptions, 633 yards and five touchdowns for the Crusader air attack last season to earn Honorable Mention All-OAC accolades. He hauled in 11 catches for a school-record 304 yards in a 40-0 rout of Wilmington last season to be named the NCAA Division III National Offensive Player of the Week by the Football Gazette while also being named to the d3football.com National Team of the Week and earning OAC Player of the Week honors. Alexander and Ancona provided excellent compliments to Blake by each averaging 10 yards per catch with Ancona adding four touchdowns.
A pair of offensive lineman will also return in hopes of building upon an offense that averaged 219.6 total yards and 22.1 points per game last season. Senior Rodney Cyrus (Ashville, Ohio/Teays Valley HS) and junior Chad Davis (Grandview Heights, Ohio/Grandview Heights HS) will anchor a line looking to get the Crusaders off to another good start to match last season's six-game winning streak to begin the season.
An improved offense should be supported once again by one of the best defensive squads in the nation. The 2007 Crusader defense, which ranked third in the nation, limited opponents to only 13.3 points per game and 200.2 yards per game while recording a school-record 50 sacks. Junior linebacker Matt Heagen (New Concord, Ohio/John Glenn HS) and senior safety C.J. Steele (Hilliard, Ohio/Bishop Watterson HS) are back for the Capital defense in 2008 after winning All-OAC honors last season. Junior defensive back Ronnie Smith (Columbus, Ohio/DeSales) will once again be part of a talented secondary while helping the Crusader special teams as a kick returner, where he earned All-OAC Second Team honors last year after averaging 20.0 yards per kickoff return and 10.3 yards per punt return.
The strength of the Capital defense may be at linebacker as Heagen will be joined by the trio of Pete Ankrom (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield North HS), Brett Welch (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta HS) and Eric Andriacco (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder HS). The group combined for 164 total tackles including 14 behind the line of scrimmage and 7.0 sacks in 2007 while also forcing five fumbles.
Capital will begin its 2008 season by playing host to Adrian (Mich.) College on Sat., Sept. 6 at Bernlohr Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET.