DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The much anticipated start to the college football season is here and pits the Duhawks on the road against Elmhurst College in week one. For Loras to start their season in similar fashion to that of a year ago, they'll need to build off the successes they had as a program and executive in all three phases of the game.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST ELMHURST •••
The Duhawks sport a 1-4 series record against Elmhurst, with their first series win coming in week one of the 2014 season by a final score of 39-17. Elmhurst has been a staple on the Duhawks schedule since 2010 under coach Steve Osterberger.

LAST MEETING VERSUS ELMHURST •••
Loras defeated Elmhurst on opening weekend of the 2014 season, 39-17, which marked the first victory of the Steve Helminiak era.  The Duhawks dominated the Bluejays on both sides of the ball, riding both senior Nate Carrier's 152 yards from scrimmage and sophomore Maurice Young's three interceptions to victory. Loras also received outstanding quarterback play from Dylan Jones  who passed for 285 yards and a touchdown. Both Carrier and Calvin Smith added two touchdowns on the ground. On defense, Loras shut down a dangerous Blue Jays rushing attacking by allowing just 2.8 yards per carry and 102 total yards.

SCOUTING THE BLUEJAYS •••
Josh Williams returns for the Blue Jays as an All-CCIW selection for the second time in his career. After finishing 2014 with 1,291 yards and 11 touchdowns Williams was also selected as an All-North Reigion player by D3football.com. Last season against the Duhawks, Williams was held to 68 yards rushing and 81 yards through the air. A major question mark for the Blue Jays in 2015 comes at the quarterback position. Following the graduation of All-CCIW selection Joe Camiliere, Elmhurst returns just one QB with playing experience in junior Logan Stelzriede who completed one pass for five yards last season.

DUHAWKS TO RETURN 16 STARTERS IN 2015 •••
With seven players from the offensive side of the ball and nine from the defensive side, the Duhawks are prepared to play with the chemistry they were unable to find until the second half of last season. Loras dealt with injuries at key positions last season, forcing a handful of players into unexpected starting roles. The most prominent case being now sophomore quarterback Bob Kelly, who stepped in for an injured Dylan Jones in week three of the regular season. With  seven starts under his belt and an entire offseason of work, Kelly will look to improve upon a record-setting performance as a freshman. Despite finishing the season with a 12-to-15 touchdown to interception ratio, Kelly set school records for passing yards in a season by a freshman with 1,703 and the school record for passing yards in a game by a freshman with 308 against Simpson College. The sky is the limit for Kelly, who will continue to connect with his favorite target, senior Nate Even for one final season.

DUHAWKS STILL IMPROVING PASSING GAME •••
In 2015 Loras returns each of their receiving threats from last season, including junior Danny Willis who missed all but six games last year due to  injury. Senior Nate Even will once again be the mainstay of the arial attack, but it's too soon to write off senior Jon Powers, or junior Josh Schulte. Powers has the size at 6-4 to become a key redzone target for sophomore Bob Kelly, while Schulte will look to build off a sophomore campagin in which he hauled in 33 receptions. Loras will once again look to a passing heavy attack in 2015 despite the talent and depth at the running back position.

EXPERIENCE KEY FOR YOUNG DEFENSE •••
This preseason junior Calvin Harridge and sophomore Maurice Young earned third-team All-American honors by USA College Football. Last season Harridge became an impact player on the Duhawk defense, posting 117 tackles (67 solo), 6.5 tackles for a loss, and two sacks. Harridge finished his season out with an All-IIAC Honorable Mention selection. Young became a fan favorite in just his first collegiate game, tying a school-record with three interceptions on Sept. 6 against Elmhurst. Aftering finishing his freshman season with 43 tackles (35 solo), seven pass breakups, five interceptions, and one tackle for a loss, Young was named as an All-IIAC Honorable Mention. Loras also returns both of their key pass-rushers from a season ago in senior J.P. Awe and junior Damon Davies. Awe ranked first in the IIAC last season with 8.0 sacks wtih Davies right on hiw tail in third with 7.0. A clean bill of health will also benefit senior Logan Kuehl this season. After dealing with a few nagging injuries last year, Kuehl will look to pair up with Harridge and recreate his 80 tackle (53 solo) performance from 2013.

FRESH FACES TO WATCH WEEK ONE •••
Coming into this season, the Duhawks knew they'd need to make up for the loss of Tucker Brady, Mike Canevello, and Dave Pirkle from the secondary. This season, the Duhawks will feature two new safeties. Sophomore Keshaun Smith headlines them following his freshman season spent at cornerback in which he recorded 41 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for a loss. In the backfield, Loras lost Calvin Smith, but junior college transfer Zach Minch has stepped in admirably looking to earn first team reps come game day. In his senior year of high school at Davenport Central, Minch set the Mississippi Athletic Conference rushing record with 1,946 yards and 21 touchdowns.