It was a rough initial trip through the GLIAC in 2012, and this year, Malone University will try to improve on the 1-9 mark it garnered during that trip. Some key contributors are back on defense, particularly in the secondary, where safeties Brandon Commodore and Demarco Donaldson return after strong campaigns. Donaldson was second in the GLIAC, averaging 11 tackles per game, but he and Commodore will need some help from the front seven if the Pioneers hope to allow opponents to score fewer than the 35.9 points per game they allowed a year ago.
Leading the offense once again for coach Mark Hehman will likely be the experienced Will Szpor. The junior quarterback will be backed by his top three rushers of a year ago, including juniors Malik Felton and Steven Niewiedzial. The backfield tandem saw almost identical touches a year ago, and they will be Szpor’s top targets in the passing game.
Malone will know early how it stacks up in the league, as its crossover games include trips to Saginaw Valley State University and Wayne State University. Those games are sandwiched around a visit from Hillsdale College, so the Pioneers will know where they stand as September draws to a close. They then have a mid-October date with crosstown rival Walsh University and visit Ashland University to close the month of October.