They jumped forward last year and reached the .500 mark for the first time in nearly two decades. With 15 starters back on offense and defense, the Hamline football team hopes to take another step forward in 2017. The Pipers, who went 5-5 overall last year, open the season Sept. 2 at Crown.

"It was a good training camp," said second year head coach Chip Taylor. "We're proceeding in the right direction. I'm excited to see how things will develop this year." 

One big key to the season: keeping the starters on the field. "We need to stay healthy," Taylor notes. "If we do, I feel very good about our starters."

On offense, QB Justice Spriggs, a junior, returns, as does RB Brendan Nachtrieb and a slew of talented receivers. Spriggs rewrote the school record book with 2,711 yards and 25 TDs in the air. Nick Kampa and Josiah Harris -- his top two targets in 2016 with 56 and 54 catches respectively are back as is Harrison Jones, who snagged 28 at a team leading 17.5 yards per catch. Nachtrieb is the leading returning rusher. Bailey West and Brandon Nordhausen, starters the last two years, anchor a revamped offensive line that includes Jay Hendrycks, moved from over from tight end.  "We would like to run the ball more this year," Taylor said. "We know we have a good,veteran group of receivers who compete well." 

On defense, Mitchell Maday, who set a school record last year with 4.5 sacks against Macalester and led the MIAC with a season total of 14.5 and veteran Jack Loughrey are returning starters on the line. Noah Jacobson, who saw a lot of playing time last season (37 tackles) will also be up front. Luke Trudell, who had 44 tackles last season, leads the linebacking corps. The graduation of Zach Schwalbach (85 tackles, 6 INTs) and Anthony Hill left openings in the defensive secondary. Taylor will be looking to Dalton Pakkala, who was third on the Pipers in tackles last year with 47, to show the newcomers how things are done. Kyle Johnson moved there from QB a year ago. Devin Ulmen, a speedster who had seven pass breakups last season, is back as well. 

Johnson has been one of the league's punters all three years he has been here. He has a career average of nearly 40 yards a punt and has recorded the MIAC's longest punt each of the past two seasons. Taylor calls the former signal caller "very athletic and a real weapon."  Kale Wurdeman, who kicked one field goal last year and five the year before, starts as the Piper placekicker with Johnson as the capable backup. 

For the Pipers to post their first winning season since going 7-3 in 1995, they will need to win games on the road. The unbalanced schedule calls for six away games and four at Klas Field. They will be going for their sixth straight opening day win at Crown, a team they beat 29-9 last year at Klas Field. HU then heads down Snelling Ave. to face Macalester in the battle for The Bucket. After a week off, HU opens MIAC play September 23 at Gustavus, a team they outscored by 42-40 last year.

The first home game is September 30 against Carleton at 7:00 p.m. Hamline's other games are against perennial MIAC heavyweights Concordia, St. Thomas and St. John's. In addition to the troika of games to open the season on the road, HU will visit St. Olaf, Augsburg and Bethel.