Year of the QB
The MIAC will showcase a number of elite quarterbacks this season. Here are some of the best, listed in order of their team's projected MIAC finish.
Erik Peterson, Bethel: The senior from Orono was the MIAC's most valuable player last fall, when he threw for 3,034 yards and 24 touchdowns while leading his team to the league championship. Peterson was second in the MIAC in passing yards per game (252.8) and touchdown passes (24) and had a completion rate of 70 percent.
Matt O'Connell, St. Thomas: As a junior last season, O'Connell started only four games because of an illness and a broken leg. But in 2012, he set a St. Thomas single-season record for total offense, amassing 2,771 passing yards (with 22 touchdowns) and 819 rushing yards (five TDs). O'Connell is 15-2 as a starter.
Griffin Neal, Concordia: Neal, a senior, set a school single-season record last fall with 2,158 passing yards. A two-time all-MIAC pick, he has thrown for 3,651 career yards and is trying to become the first Cobbers quarterback to pass for 5,000 yards in his career. Neal has led his team to eight victories in each of his first two seasons as a starter.
Ayrton Scott, Augsburg: A first-team all-MIAC selection in each of his first two seasons, Scott has several Auggies records in his sights. He has 2,083 career rushing yards, only 143 yards short of the school record, and 17 rushing touchdowns, one shy of the program mark. The Minneapolis native also has thrown for 5,012 yards and 51 touchdowns.
Rachel Blount
