Steve Kovach

The 6-1, 270-pound veteran is entering his fourth year with the Green and White and feels his team can perform better than it has these past few seasons.

“There is a real feeling that these last few years we were much better than the final results indicated,” said Kovach. “Frankly, I think everyone is sick of falling short.”

He wants to set the tone in preseason. Preseason games are just as important as regular season games, said Kovach, and they need to be taken seriously if the Huskies want to live up to their expectations.

The Dogs host their only preseason game Aug. 26 against the University of Windsor Lancers before their league opener on Sept. 2 against the Alberta Golden Bears.

“These non-conference games give a lot of guys a taste of the game’s speed and intensity,” he said. “We expect Windsor to come in and compete hard.”

“We will use the non-conference game against Windsor to finalize our roster and determine starting positions for the season,” added Huskies head coach Brian Towriss.

The Huskies’ roster will not be set before that game and each player, regardless of their veteran status, will have to compete for their roster spot or their starting position.

“Everyone is constantly being evaluated and there is competition at every position,” said Kovach. “These games often result in some roster changes.”

With quarterback Laurence Nixon’s graduation from the Huskies program last year, former backup quarterback Trent Peterson is expected to lead the offence this season. However, probable second- and third-string quarterbacks Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren and Parker Siemens will still likely see playing time during the game.

The game will provide valuable reps for all of the quarterbacks, confirmed Towriss.

Along with the loss of last year’s quarterback, the Dogs have lost four offensive players to the Canadian Football League, including receiver Jade Etienne.

Mitch Stevens knows he has an opportunity to step up in the receiving position and has been training rigorously over the summer.

“I’ve been training with former Huskies running back Dave Stevens and defensive tackle Ryan Gottselig and, honestly, I’ve never felt better in my whole life,” he said. “I can’t wait to hit the field.”

He will have to be in top shape as he is competing for minutes against other strong receivers like Braeden George, Garrett Bolen, Shayne Dueck, Garrett Burgess and Jeff Moore.

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photo: Huskie Outsider/Flickr

Correction: in the August 11, 2011 print issue of The Sheaf, the photo attached to this article was credited incorrectly. The photo was in fact taken by Huskie Outsider.