QU football team embarks on new season with defense featuring new attitude, demeanor

QUINCY — Even if he had tried, Gary Bass wasn’t going to find a credible defense for the Quincy University football team’s defensive effort.

So the Hawks’ head coach did what was necessary.

He fixed the problem.

Bass, heading into his sixth season at the helm, made changes within the coaching staff, brought in crucial transfers and added depth at every level through recruiting. Now, a defense that ranked 161st in the nation — there are 163 Division II programs — in total defense by allowing 512.9 yards per game has a new attitude and an adjusted demeanor.

“Improving as a defense starts with playing confident and fast out there,” senior linebacker Peyten Chappel said. “It’s the biggest goal this year. We have to play fast and play hard.”

“It feels a lot different. Our d-line has been getting after the offensive line, closing down the gaps and letting us play faster. Everything about our defense is faster.”

It’s made practices more competitive.

“This team is something I’ve never seen,” senior wide receiver A.J. Hardin said. “It’s really balanced. These practices we’ve had up until now, it’s been back and forth. Just like today, you saw me score a touchdown and the next play the defense came up with an interception. It’s balance that I’m really seeing.”

It just might lead to the elusive complete effort.

“I want to see our team put together a full game,” senior left tackle B.J. Wilson said. “A lot of times, we’ve had the offense play well and the defense play bad or the defense plays good and the offense is OK and the special teams struggle. I want to see all three aspects of the game come together.”

If that happens, the Hawks are confident the first winning season since 2014 is within reach as they kick off Thursday night by facing Glenville State at QU Stadium.

“We have good athletes. We have big guys,” said Bass, whose team plays its first two games at home on Thursday nights and has six home games on the schedule. “We have the ability to go out there defensively and do a lot of really good things. So far, this fall has been a 180 (degree) turn with the way our d-line is playing, the way our linebackers are playing, the way our secondary is playing.

“We’ve played fast, aggressive and physical through our camp.”

The most critical aspect of that comes at linebacker.

Chappel, a second-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection a year ago despite missing the first two games with an injury, is fully healthy and could challenge Cody Leonard’s career record of 376 tackles. Chappel currently has 281 total tackles.

“As the leader of the defense, I want to be the person that motivates everyone and I really want to see improvements on that side of the ball,” Chappel said.

Being flanked by Peyton Plunkett, a former Palmyra all-stater who transferred from Northwest Missouri State, takes pressure off Chappel to make every play. Two Quincy Notre Dame products — Jackson Connell and Lake Bergman — figure into the mix at linebacker as well.

Up front defensively, the return of David Tabakovic, a 6-foot-2, 293-pound tackle converted from fullback, gives the Hawks a disrupter in the middle and sophomore Cole Schnettgoecke earned honorable mention All-GLVC honors last season.

A pair of sophomore defensive backs — second-team All-GLVC pick Kenshawn Bragg and co-captain Joseph Webb — anchor an athletic backfield.

“We have guys who will go after the ball and make plays,” Bass said.

The same holds true for a record-setting offense.

Last year, under the direction of offensive coordinator Kaleb Borghardt, the Hawks amassed 4,729 yards of total offense and averaged 35 points per game. Many of the central figures in that explosive attack return, including Wilson, who is garnering interest from NFL scouts and has been named to the Shrine Bowl watch list.

“I like the experience we have,” Wilson said. “This is our second year fully in this offense. Last year, we did pretty well, but now we have a full year of experience behind that. We’re older. We’re more mentally stable. We’re ready to get after it.”

Similar to the defense, pace is what sets the offense apart. 

“It’s the speed at which we run it,” Wilson said. “We all understand this is a fast-paced offense and we need to keep it moving. We have five units working together as one mechanism. The offensive will do its part. Wide receivers will do their job. Tight ends, quarterbacks, running backs, everyone is doing their job.”

The key to it is simply, according to Hardin.

“Head down and focused, being locked in on the plays,” he said. “Everyone on the offense really believes in what Coach Borghardt wants us to do. Follow our installs, follow our plays to the ‘T’ and it works out in our favor.”

Junior quarterback Tionne Harris engineers the offense, coming off throwing a single-season record 26 touchdown passes last season while amassing 2,568 yards. Hardin was his top target, grabbing 45 passes for 807 yards and nine touchdowns.

As good as those numbers are, Hardin realizes what creates those opportunities.

“BJ and Tionne lead us,” Hardin said. “We can’t do anything without the line. BJ leading those boys right and Tionne makes plays with his feet when things break down and I just so happen to be open at the end of it.”

The Hawks also return Tremayne Lee and Taylor Temple at running back. They combined for 1,362 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.

Two of those touchdowns were among the Hawks’ 15 scoring plays of 35 or more yards last season. The ability for the big strike enlivens everyone.

“It motivates us a bunch,” Wilson said. “When we’re chipping away down the field 2 yards, 3 yards at a time, we’re going to be tired, but we’re still ready to go. When it’s a 20- or 30-yard gain or a touchdown from 50 yards out, we’re hyped.”

The prospect of changing the trajectory of the program has the Hawks hyped, too.

“I’m really motivated to get back out there,” Chappel said.