FALK AND BEIBERDORF RETURN ON OFFENSE FOR SECOND YEARS AS STARTERS
MOORHEAD, Minn (KVRR/Nick Couzin)— Minnesota State-Moorhead football was back on Nemzek field for the first time since the spring as it was the first day of fall camp. Its all in preparation for game one under the lights, September 1st against Sioux Falls.
The dragons are a young team returning just seven starters from last year’s squad who finished 5-6. The positive is those returners come in key positions.
Quarterback Tommy Falk is coming off his first season as starter throwing for over 2800 yards and 20 touchdowns plus gets a top receiving target back in Ryan Bieberdorf who is preseason all-NSIC after 696 yards and seven touchdowns in his first season as starter.
“It’s always nice at the quarterback position to have a guy that’s been in games. Knows what he’s doing. Lead the younger guys,” head coach Steve Laqua said. “We do have three young freshman QB’s we feel really highly about and it’ll be good to have all the older guys mentor them in. Quarterback is a key position. We’ll have to see who raises the top and battles and pushes Tommy for that first position.“
“I got to learn from a lot of mistakes last year and improve on it,” Falk said. “Whether it’s my body or overall play where I really needed to fix things from game experience.”
“It was definitely a learning curve for me coming in,” Bieberdorf said. “We had big leaders like Grady (Bresnahan) that were those guys so this spring and this summer have been big development for me trying to be a leader in that room.”
In order to get Bieberdorf and the other receivers the ball more efficiently, Falk has challenged himself in a few different areas.
“Mobility and just thinking the game a little smarter. Make a little better decisions,” Falk said. “It was a lot of small areas in itself. Having a good presence as a leader and being the guy like that. Putting the offense in good position so we can function efficiently over a game not just drives at a time.”
“He’s become a lot smarter. Making reads faster,” Bieberdorf said. “He’s throwing the ball stronger and got stronger over the summer so it’s good to see that.”
Falk also said there is a bad taste in the team’s mouth how last season ended and they’re ready to be better than fourth in the north division.
