Offense holds the key for the Luther College football team this season. The Norse averaged just over 17 points per game in posting a 5-5 record in 2009 and coach Mike Durnin says they will need more points if they want to improve on that mark.Defensively he says they need to do a better job of stopping the run.

Durnin says improvement on offense begins with a more effective ground game. Luther averaged 114 yards of rushing in 2009. He says they need to have an offensive line that knows what it is doing while having backs who run hard.

Chris Reynolds returns for his third season as a starting quarterback after throwing for more than 1,600 yards and rushing for more than 500 yards in 2009. Durnin says Reynolds has a great understanding of the game and is a good leader that the team rallies behind, but he now needs to go to another level.

Luther opens the season at home on September fourth against St.Olaf of Minnesota.

By Darin Svenson KDEC Decorah