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Terry, now UW-L’s head coach, also learned some valuable lessons from those fearsome foursomes.
“Defensive line might be the most important position on the field,” Terry said after Thursday’s morning practice. “You could argue for quarterback, too, but playing good defense is so important and it all starts up front.”
Terry would love to see the 2008 defensive line cause the kind of havoc that the 1992 and ’95 units did in helping the Eagles to national championships.
“If you can get guys that are scary and that you can’t block, who take you out of what an offense wants to do, that makes the entire defense a lot better,” Terry said. “I think we’re getting closer to that right now.”
The Eagles return five defensive linemen who all started at least five games last season, led by All-WIAC second team senior end Joe Troia (71 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3½) sacks.
Senior Mitch Dougherty, who led the team with four sacks, returns at the other end. Junior tackles Chris Anicete, Mike Lenzendorf and Dale Skrzypchak are back after getting extensive playing time last year.
Sophomore Donovan Winter and freshman Nicholas Matthews appear to have earned their way into the tackle rotation during camp.
“It’s a real good mix of young and old,” Terry said. “Some of the young guys are very talented and the older guys have that experience and talent, so I have high expectations. From the start, we’ve said we need to be better on defense, and that starts up front.”
Matthews, a Brookfield, Wis., native, caught coaching staff’s eye in preseason physical testing, prompting a move from the offensive line to defense.
“Nick Matthews, whoa, he’s a 4.95 (seconds in the 40-yard dash) defensive tackle at 295 pounds,” Terry said. “I know he’s going to help us a lot.”
UW-L ranked fifth in the WIAC in total defense (361.3 yards per game), sixth in sacks (17) and last in turnovers created (19) last season.
New defensive coordinator Jeff Conway, who moved up from linebackers coach after Mike Durnin left for Luther College (Iowa), made aggressiveness a priority during spring drills and preseason camp.
“We had a lot of reading and coverage things to do (last year) and now we kind of go and get the quarterback,” Troia said. “It’s a lot easier, not as much thinking, just going.”
Plus, there’s the chip-on-the-shoulder factor. The Eagles weren’t happy with their overall play on defense last year, particularly during a three-game losing streak to Whitewater, Eau Claire and Platteville that erased any playoff hopes.
“I looked at it as a losing season last year,” Troia said. “Now it’s time to crawl back. We’re the underdog in every single game this year, and I like that. We have a lot to prove.”
SCRIMMAGE TIME: UW-L will travel to River Falls today for a scrimmage from about 2 to 5 p.m. Terry and his staff will use the scrimmage to make some roster decisions before the team goes into preparation for the Sept. 6 opener against Hardin-Simmons (Texas).
