Central College football coach Jeff McMartin believes a more experienced defense will help the Dutch return to their winning ways. Central yielded just over 25 points per game in 2012 in posting a 5-5 record.
It was only the second time since 1960 the program failed to produce a winning record. “We still have some question marks, some things we got to keep working on, but I do like the guys we are rolling out there,” McMartin says. He says you want to try and stay healthy, but he thinks they have enough depth to be an effective defense.
McMartin says the Dutch were hurt by mistakes and the big play a year ago. “There’s probably going to be a handful, maybe four plays in a game that’s going to determine if you are going to win or lose,” McMartin says. He says you never know if those plays will happen in the first or the last quarter and you have to avoid the big plays.
Central has a tough opener against a Wisconsin-Oshkosh team that rolled up 644 yards in a 47-28 victory last year. “That was last year and I think we have to treat this like a new season, as it is and not worry how it went last season and focus on that. We need to learn from it and move forward,” McMartin says.
He says the goal is to play relentless and disciplined football and that will give them a shot to win.