Tom Dosch Tuesday: Jimmies aim to send seniors out strong

John M. Steiner / The Jamestown Sun By Paul Garcia II Today at 8:25 AM Listen Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? JAMESTOWN — The University of Jamestown football team did what head coach Tom Dosch has preached all season against MSU Moorhead. The Jimmies created three takeaways, limited explosive plays and turned in what Dosch called their best special teams effort of the year. It still was not enough in a 16-10 loss to the Dragons at Charlotte and Gordon Hansen Stadium. ADVERTISEMENT “We made them earn it,” Dosch said. “Played extremely hard, created takeaways and made them earn it.” On the tape MSU Moorhead finished with nearly 500 yards on 83 plays, but UJ kept the Dragons to 16 points and finished plus-three in the turnover margin. Dosch said field position helped keep UJ within striking distance. “Our punting game was very good,” Dosch said. “They started several drives coming out of their own end. When you do that and you don’t turn the ball over and make them have to drive it the whole way, then you’re giving yourself a chance.” The frustration came on money downs. Both Moorhead touchdowns came on fourth down. “We just got to be able to go for the knockout punch on third and especially fourth down,” Dosch said. Offensively, Riley Svanda caught five passes for 70 yards after entering with three receptions on the season. ADVERTISEMENT “He really competed,” Dosch said. “It was fun to see him continuing to gain confidence as the game wore on.” UJ turned a late takeaway into points after Brody Schnecker forced a fumble recovered by Xander Jarosh. Jacob Mattick then connected with Svanda for 35 yards, setting up a touchdown. “We took advantage of a short field, which we have not done a very good job of this year,” Dosch said. The Jimmies otherwise struggled to sustain possessions, rushing for 48 yards and going 1-for-10 on third down. “We had some guys open, and we didn’t get it to them,” Dosch said. “A couple times we cut some of our routes short and either didn’t catch it or were short of the sticks.” Beyond the box score Matthew Dosch’s touchdown pass to Jordan Theisen came from a package UJ had established earlier. Dosch had been used in short-yardage and goal-line situations, allowing UJ to use play action off the look. ADVERTISEMENT “We said if we get down there again, since we had run him quite a bit, we were going to run him, and then that play got set up by what we’d done previously,” Dosch said. The fake worked, leaving Theisen open for the score. “Jordan’s has five career catches and three of them are touchdowns,” Dosch said. Opponent outlook UJ closes the season Saturday, Nov. 14, at Northern State (South Dakota), where the Wolves’ offense starts with running back Hank Kraft. Kraft has rushed for 1,681 yards on 199 carries with 15 touchdowns while adding 195 receiving yards and three scores. “Hank Kraft is their guy,” Dosch said. “Powerful, fast guy, hard to bring down and very explosive.” Northern State has also shown more balance through quarterback Joey Dube-Garrett and its play-action passing game. ADVERTISEMENT “You’ve got to pick your poison a little bit,” Dosch said. “When a team runs the ball that well and has a back who’s that good, you’ve got to figure out a way to limit his yards.” Dube-Garrett impressed Dosch with his accuracy against Minot State. “His fakes and his play action are very good,” Dosch said. “They gave him time and had a lot of guys open, and he found ways to get it done.” The trip also takes Dosch back to a former coaching stop. “It’ll certainly be a little unusual for me,” Dosch said. “But it’s not about me really.” Jimmie notebook Saturday will be the final game for UJ’s seniors. “We want to send these guys out the right way and compete like crazy and give ourselves a chance when the fourth quarter rolls around to get a win,” Dosch said. ADVERTISEMENT The finale also gives younger players another opportunity. Jeremiah McCarty played 70 snaps against Moorhead after injuries forced him into a larger role. “He responded very well,” Dosch said. “Now, can we stack up back-to-back good games for him and maybe some other younger guys as well?” Dosch said a strong finish could provide needed offseason momentum. “Let’s get a springboard,” Dosch said. “Let’s get momentum into what’s next.” Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? Tags Tags UNIVERSITY OF JAMESTOWN JAMESTOWN JIMMIES JAMESTOWN STUTSMAN COUNTY By Paul Garcia II Paul Garcia II is a sports reporter for The Jamestown Sun. Paul is an Air Force veteran where he was stationed at Minot Air Force Base. After finishing his contract with the Air Force, Paul obtained a bachelor's degree in Communication and Media Studies at University California of San Diego, and a Master's in Sports Journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University. Twitter Listen to this article Conversation ADVERTISEMENT What To Read Next Subscribers Only UND Hockey NCHC suspends Western Michigan forward Adam Benák 0m ago · By Brad Elliott Schlossman College Durkin’s clutch shot leads Gophers to win in Cincinnati 11h ago · By Andy Greder / St. Paul Pioneer Press Men's Sports Bison to return to 24-team playoff goal 15h ago · By Jeff Kolpack ADVERTISEMENT Get Local Must Reads North Dakota Voters in 2 North Dakota counties reject property tax increases 1d ago · By Jack Dura / North Dakota Monitor North Dakota North Dakota's Pembina Gorge State Park completes first season 3d ago · By Maxwell Marko Pro What do the Vikings need at the trade deadline? 13h ago · By Dane Mizutani / St. Paul Pioneer Press Lifestyle What if this winter’s forecast holds true? 3d ago · By Don Kinzler