Northwest Iowa — Morningside coach Steve Ryan says small college football may be as good as its ever been this fall because of the extra year provided by COVID.
The Mustangs return nearly their entire roster from a team that lost to Northwestern in the semifinals of the NAIA playoffs last spring, ending their bid for a third straight national title.
Ryan says players are taking advantage of the extra year because they love the game.
The Mustangs are ranked third and open on September fourth against Concordia of Nebraska. Northwestern is ranked second after falling in the NAIA title coach and coach Matt McCarty has an experienced team that gets an early start on Saturday at Presentation College in South Dakota.
After a deep playoff run in the spring McCarty’s team has only been practicing two weeks to get ready.
McCarty believes his team has the potential for another special season.
