“We are very excited to bring to the Raven football program a young, talented leader in Coach Bobby Ladner, said Dr. James L. Edwards, president of Anderson University. “At first meeting Bobby impressed us as one who understands and is deeply committed to our values and has the energy, intellect, experience, and vision to lead our program to success. We are very excited to welcome him to Anderson University and to Raven football.”

“I’m excited to have Coach Ladner leading our football program,” said Marcie Taylor, director of athletics for Anderson University. “Bobby brings valuable experience and knowledge, along with enthusiasm and a commitment to creating a top-notch football program with an environment that will motivate our student-athletes to excel in the classroom, on the football field, and in their daily lives.”

Prior to working at Olivet Nazarene University, Ladner served as a recruiting coordinator, defensive coordinator, and assistant athletic director at Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss. from 2004-2009. In addition to his extensive coaching duties, Ladner taught wellness and fitness as well as strength and conditioning classes at Olivet Nazarene University.

Ladner has produced 31 All-Conference players during his career as well as three NFL players and Belhaven won a conference championship in 2006. He worked with the Chicago Bears during training camp while at Olivet Nazarene and was the chair of the Belhaven Hall of Fame Committee.

Ladner graduated from Belhaven University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in sports administration/nutrition. He earned his Master of Arts in management and leadership from Liberty University in 2009.

After being recruited to Louisiana State University as a fullback in high school, Ladner transferred to Belhaven, where he was a four-year letterman on the football team. He was named All-Conference three times (2001-03) as well as All-American Honorable Mention after the 2003 season. He was a team captain as a senior and is the school’s all-time sack leader (36) and second in career tackles (252).

“It truly is a blessing and honor to be chosen to lead the Anderson University Football Program,” said Ladner.  “It is a joy to be associated with an institution that strives to impact lives every day.  My wife, Tori and I are excited for the opportunity to become a part of the Anderson University family.  The Anderson community is a special place with outstanding people and we are thankful to be a part of that.  I would like to thank Dr. Edwards, Dr. Baker, and Marcie Taylor for their leadership and vision for the institution.  I also would like to thank the search committee, our players, coaches and the entire Anderson family for believing in me and giving me this opportunity.”

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America’s top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.

Millikan will be a defensive back on the South team, which features two  Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference players.

The senior is a four-year starter for the Ravens in the secondardy and was an All-American in 2011 after leading the nation in interceptions with 11. He was 1st Team All-HCAC, 1st Team All-Region and the 3rd Team Associated Press Little All-American Team after the 2010 season. He was 2nd Team All-HCAC in 2011 after finishing with 34 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions.

The “D-III Football Senior Classic” will bring players who represent 238 D-III football programs, to a North vs. South format all-star game the first of December each year in Salem, Virginia. These players will have earned the honor to play against their best peers in a showcase for all to recognize the talent laden D-III football level.

“I am grateful to Jeff Judge for the many good years of service as the head football coach at Anderson University,” said Dr. Brent Baker, vice-president for Student Affairs at Anderson University. “His teams have provided more than a few exciting moments on the field and, of equal importance, I am appreciative of Jeff’s work to improve the academic success of his players.  We wish him the very best in the future.”

Judge has also been a Defensive Coordinator at Simpson College (1994-2000) and the Offensive and Recruiting Coordinator at Morehead State University (1990-94). He was also an assistant to the Athletic Director at Simpson. Judge earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Physical Education from Iowa State in 1987 with Secondary Teaching Endorsement and Coaching Endorsement. He added his Master’s of Science degree in Sports Administration from Purdue in 1989.

“Jeff Judge has been a valuable member of the AU Athletic Department over the past nine years as our head football coach,” said AU Athletic Director Marcie Taylor.  “He worked with great passion to recruit young men who would not only contribute to our football program, but to the greater campus community.  Jeff fostered relationships on our campus with faculty, admissions and academic support services that will continue to benefit AU athletics in the future.  I wish him all the best.”

A search for a new head football coach has begun immediately. Inquiries or questions about the position should be directed to Director of Athletics Marcie Taylor.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson continues to be recognized as a top Christian college: in 2011, US News & World Report ranked AU among the best colleges and universities in the Midwest for the eighth consecutive year. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business,education, music, nursing, and theology.

The freshman set three school records this season and led the HCAC in kickoff returns, kickoff return yards and return touchdowns. Bouwman finished with 43 kickoff returns for 1,008 yards and three touchdowns – all school records – and led the HCAC in return yards by more than 400.

Bouwman was also the third leading receiver with 23 receptions for 210 yards and added one punt return for 10 yards.

The Ravens had six players on the 2nd Team, led by sophomore running back Marcus Spann. He finished with 935 yards rushing and seven touchdowns and added 21 catches for 194 yards and another score.

Other 2nd Team selections were seniors Joe Davidson, Kaleb Donahue, Adam Rue, Leonard Wells and Jared Millikan.

Donahue ranked second in the HCAC in total tackles with 106, including 84 solos, and added five tackles-for-loss, nine pass breakups and two interceptions. Wells had 52 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, four sacks and two fumble recoveries and Millikan added 34 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions.

Davidson led the Ravens in receiving with 50 catches for 491 yards and four touchdowns and Rue started all 10 games on the offensive line this season.

Senior Nick Sharp and junior Jeremy Martin were named All-HCAC Honorable Mention. Sharp was second in the HCAC in passing with 2,053 yards and 15 touchdowns and Martin had 48 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, four sacks and three forced fumbles.

AU finished the season 1-9 overall and 1-7 in the HCAC.

Marcus Spann led the Ravens with 22 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown in the game. It was the sixth 100-yard rushing game for Spann this season, which is tops in the HCAC. The sophomore finishes the season with 935 rushing yards this season.

Miles McCollum completed 9-of-18 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown and Colton Priser was 1-of-3 for 10 yards as starter Nick Sharp missed the game with an injury.

Senior Joe Davidson led the receivers with four receptions for 33 yards and Walter Wheeler added three catches fro 116 yards and a touchdown.

Wheeler tied a school record with a 98-yard touchdown reception from McCollum in the third quarter. That tied Fred Bays 98-yard TD catch from Matt Preston in 1991.

AU outgained Manchester in the game 363-339, including 198-60 in the air.

Tyler Ganus led the defense with 15 tackles and senior Kaleb Donahue added 11 stops. Jeremy Martin had nine tackles and a sack and Todd Taylor chipped in with seven tackles in his final game.

AU finishes the season with a 1-9 overall record and a 1-7 mark in the HCAC.

Anderson

The senior racked up 19 tackles, four pass breakups, and an interception return for a touchdown in AU’s 53-50 loss to Rose-Hulman. He led the way with 19 tackles, 16 of the solo variety, and returned a Rose interception 23 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring in the contest.  Donahue leads the Ravens with 92 tackles this season. 

Anderson (1-8, 1-6 HCAC) will end the season at Manchester Saturday in the Bronze Ball game at 1:30 p.m.

The Engineers kicked a game-winning 20-yard field goal on the final play of the game after returning an interception 50 yards in the final minute to set up the game-winner.

The 103 combined points were the second most in school history, trailing only the 1969 game between Anderson and Indiana Central, which the Ravens won 78-43.

“That was a great game for the fans to watch with all the scoring,” said AU coach Jeff Judge. “We couldn’t stop them and they couldn’t stop us. It was just a matter of who had the last  possession and unfortunately for us, they had it at the end of the game.”

The teams combined for 51 first downs, 14 touchdowns, 445 rushing yards, 626 passing yards, 1,071 total yards, 262 kickoff return yards, 146 interception return yards and five interceptions.

There were eight touchdown passes, four touchdown runs, a interception return for a touchdown, a kickoff return for a touchdown and a safety on a completed pass.

Nick Sharp led the Ravens with 389 yards passing, completing 37-of-54 passes with four touchdowns and three interceptions – all career-highs.

J.T. Bouwman led the receivers with a career-high nine catches for 85 yards and added 156 yards on kickoff returns, including a 70-yard touchdown to open the third quarter. Bouwman set three school records on Saturday, including becoming the first Raven to have three kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same season.

He also broke Denny Kimmel’s season records for kickoff returns (37) and return yards (822). Bouwman now has 937 kickoff return yards on 39 attempts this season.

“J.T. has had a great season returning kickoffs and has been one of the highlights of our special teams this season,” said Judge.

Shane Peacock finished with eight receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown and Joe Davidson had six catches for 59 yards and a score. Walter Wheeler added five receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Marcus Spann finished with 48 yards rushing on 17 carries and added five catches for 61 yards, including a 38-yard TD reception.

Kaleb Donahue opened the scoring by returning an interception 23 yards for a touchdown on the first drive of the game. Jared Millikan added an interception later in the game and Leonard Wells and Matt Davidson added fumble recoveries.

Donahue led the defense with 19 tackles and four pass breakups while Nate Moser and Wells had 14 tackles each.  Abe Ridlen chipped in with 10 tackles and Joseph Quinn had a pair of sacks.

AU (1-8, 1-6 HCAC) finishes the season next Saturday at Manchester in the Bronze Ball Game. Kickoff from North Manchester is at 1:30 p.m.

Marcus Spann led the Ravens with 143 yards rushing and a touchdown, marking the 10^th 100-yard rushing game in his 13-game college career at Anderson. Spann is second in the conference in rushing with 766 yards and six touchdowns. It was his fifth 100-yard rushing game this season, which is two short of Denny Kimmel’s school record.

“Marcus just keeps churning out 100-yard games in his career,” said AU coach Jeff Judge of the sophomore back. “He had a career-high 29 carries today and we have to just keep giving him the ball and letting him make plays. He can break a long run on any play and he did that again today (on a 39-yard run).”

Nick Sharp completed 19-of-36 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown and backup Miles McCollum also threw a touchdown on his only pass attempt of the game for one yard.

Shane Peacock led the receivers with five catches for 55 yards and J.T. Bouwman added five catches for 32 yards. Matt Cook and Walter Wheeler each had a touchdown reception for the Ravens.

Franklin scored touchdowns on 10 of its 13 possession in the game and racked up 582 total yards of offense, including 349 through the air. AU finished with 294 total yards, including 154 on the ground.

“That was the best offense we have played against this season,” said Judge. “They have great balance and their quartback does a good job of controlling the game and not making mistakes. They are just a solid football team in every aspect.”

Kaleb Donahue led the defense with 14 tackles and Tyler Ganus added 11 stops. Leading tackler Todd Taylor added eight tackles and Nate Moser chipped in with eight stops as well.

AU (1-7, 1-5 HCAC) hosts Rose-Hulman next Saturday for Senior Day. Kickoff from Macholtz Stadium is set for 1:30 p.m.

The Yellow Jackets scored the winning touchdown with 49 seconds left in the game to escape Anderson with the victory.

“It’s disappointing to lose Homecoming, but our guys fought hard and never gave up despite trailing by two touchdown in the fourth quarter,” said AU coach Jeff Judge. “Our defense was outstanding in the second half and kept us in the game until our offense could get going.”

Defiance took a 21-7 lead at halftime and still led by 14 points heading into the fourth quarter. AU scored twice in a six-minute span on two touchdown runs by backup quarterback Miles McCollum from 4 and 1 yard, respectively.

The Ravens recovered a fumble on the next Yellow Jacket drive, but couldn’t convert a 39-yard field goal with just over five minutes left in the game. Defiance drove 78 yards for the game-winning score.

Defiance only had nine total yards in the second half until the final drive. Defiance finished with 374 total yards while AU had 270 yards of offense.

Marcus Spann led the Ravens with 93 yards on 22 carries and added three receptions for 14 more yards.

Nick Sharp completed 17-of-33 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted on a tipped pass in the final 30 seconds to end the Ravens last-second drive.

Joe Davidson led the receivers with five catches for 47 yards and J.T. Bouwman added four catches for 27 yards.

Kaleb Donahue led the defense with 16 tackles and Akeem Hill had eight stops. Will McClain had six tackles, two sacks and Jared Millikan chipped in with five tackles, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Jeremy Martin and Cody Christensen added sacks for the defense.

AU (1-6, 1-4 HCAC) travels to HCAC leader Franklin (7-1, 6-0 HCAC) next Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

The award is given annually to a former Raven football player that excels in sportsmanship, leadership and academics. Dick Young coached the AU football team from 1964-75, winning five conference championships and Coach of the Year awards, including four in a row from 1968-71.

Akers is in his first season with the AU Football Staff and will work with the wide receivers in 2011.

Akers was a four-year letterman for the Ravens in football, finishing with 83 catches for 872 yards and three touchdowns in his career. He led the team in receiving with 31 catches for 288 yards in 2009 and topped the team again in 2010 with 34 receptions for 388 yards and two touchdowns.

He graduated from AU last spring with a degree in History/Political Science.

Trailing 17-6 midway through the fourth quarter, AU scored a touchdown to cut the lead to 17-12 with 5:20 left.

Nate Moser intercepted a pass on the next Bluffton possession, giving the Ravens the ball at the Beavers’ 33 with just under three minutes left. AU drove to the 25 before falling short on a fourth down play to end the game.

Nick Sharp led the Ravens with 241 yards passing and a touchdown, completing 28-of-46 passes.

Joe Davidson led the receivers with nine catches for 76 yards, including a 15-yard TD catch. D.J. Johnson had seven catches for 46 yards and Adam Mandeville added three receptions for 14 yards.

Torrance McCollum led the ground game with 48 yards on 15 caries and added six receptions for 101 yards. HCAC second leading rusher Marcus Spann missed the game due to violating team rules.

Bluffton finished with a 314-291 advantage in total yards, including 257-50 on the ground. The Beavers rushed the ball 60 times in their 74 plays.

AU’s first touchdown came on an 89-yard kickoff return by J.T. Bouwman late in the first half. The return was the fourth longest in school history. Hyman Smith holds the record with a 96-yard return.

Tyler Ganus led the defense with 12 tackles and Moser added 11 tackles. Kaleb Donahue added nine tackles and Akeem Hill chipped in with eight stops. Jason Samuels (pictured above) and Zack Farley both had two sacks.

AU (1-5, 1-3 HCAC) hosts Defiance on Saturday for Homecoming. Kickoff is set for Macholtz Stadium at 1:30 p.m.

Marcus Spann led the Ravens with 108 rushing yards on 22 carries, including a 31-yard TD run. It was the eighth career 100-yard rushing game for the sophomore.

Nick Sharp finished the game 24-of-40 passing for 208 yards and a touchdown. Joe Davidson was the top receiver with seven catches for 100 yards, including a 9-yard score.

D.J. Johnson had four catches for 29 yards and Spann added three receptions for 16 yards.

Hanover finished with a 610-321 advantage in total yards, including 293-113 on the ground.

Kaleb Donahue and Tyler Ganus led the defense with 14 tackles each. Todd Taylor added 11 tackles and Zack Farley chipped in with eight stops.

AU (1-4, 1-2 HCAC) has a bye week before traveling to HCAC foe Bluffton University on Oct. 15 at 1:30 p.m.

Spann led the Ravens offense in a 48-14 win over Earlham Saturday, rushing for a career-high 173 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Spann scored on a pair of one-yard touchdown runs in the first quarter and has a HCAC-best four touchdowns and 422 yards rushing this season.

Wells had six tackles with three tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.  The senior also picked up a Quaker fumble and returned it 45-yards for an Anderson touchdown early in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring for AU.  The Ravens defense forced a school-record nine turnovers in the victory over Earlham.

Anderson (1-3, 1-1 HCAC) will travel south to Hanover Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.

Marcus Spann led the Ravens with a career-high 173 yards on 27 carries, including a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs in the first quarter. Torrance McCollum added 29 yards on the ground as the Ravens outgained the Quakers 202-46 on the ground.

“Marcus had another fine rushing game and we really controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” said AU coach Jeff Judge. “In his first 10 career games, Marcus has seven 100-yard rushing games.”

Nick Sharp completed 21-of-28 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns. Joe Davidson was his top target, catching seven passes for 53 yards, including an 11-yard TD reception. Walter Wheeler had five catches for 53 yards and a touchdown and Shane Peacock added four receptions for 38 yards and a score.

AU finished with 395 total yards compared to just 166 for Earlham. AU also forced a school record nine turnovers, including five interceptions. Tyler Ganus returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown and Leonard Wells added a 45-yard fumble recovery for another score (Pictured).

“Our defense was outstanding all night,” said Judge. “To get two defensive scores tells you how well we played on that side of the ball. And anytime you can get a school record on the defensive side of the ball that’s impressive.”

The defense also racked up six sacks on the night, including two by Wells, who also had, three tackles-for-loss and a forced fumble on the first drive of the game. Abe Ridlen led the defense with seven tackles and Zack Farley added six stops.

Ganus, Herman Pollard, Mike Burel, Kaleb Donahue and Jared Millikan all had interceptions and Pollard, Burel and Westley Smith had fumble recoveries.

AU (1-3, 1-1 HCAC) travels to Hanover next Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

The senior had 18 tackles, two sacks and a tackle-for-loss, including seven solo stops, in the Ravens 35-12 loss to Mt. St. Joseph on Saturday night. Taylor ranks third in the conference in total tackles this season.

AU (0-3, 0-1 HCAC) hosts Earlham on Saturday at Macholtz Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Nick Sharp led the offense with 285 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns, completing 34-of-58 passes. Sharp also led the ground game with 21 yards on six carries. Matt Cook was the top receiver with a career-high nine catches for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Shane Peacock had seven receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown and Joe Davidson added five catches for 68 yards. Walter Wheeler chipped in with five catches for 47 yards.

AU outgained Mt. St. Joseph 338-334 in the game, including 294-199 through the air. However, the Lions had a 135-44 edge in rushing and Marcus Spann saw his consecutive 100-yard rushing games streak snapped at six. The sophomore had just 12 yards on 11 carries.

After trailing 21-0 at the half, the Ravens outplayed the Lions in the second half finishing with a 213-91 advantage in total offense. Both Mt. St. Joseph touchdowns in the final 30 minutes came on kickoff returns of 91 and 82 yards.

“It’s tough to win when you turn the ball over five times,” said AU coach Jeff Judge. “Give our kids a lot of credit though. We didn’t quit at halftime and came out and played pretty well defensively in the second half.”

Todd Taylor led the defense with a career-high 18 tackles and two sacks. Tyler Ganus had 10 tackles and Akeem Hill added nine stops. Leonard Wells and Zack Farley chipped in with eight tackles apiece.

AU (0-3, 0-1 HCAC) hosts Earlham next Saturday night at Macholtz Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The video and audio stream of the contest can be heard on Stretch Internet.

Marcus Spann led the Ravens with 84 yards rushing on 20 carries, including a 3-yard touchdown run. The sophomore added a team-high three receptions for 51 yards.

Nick Sharp completed 14-of-38 passes for 256 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Shane Peacock caught both touchdown passes from 75 and 78 yards and finished with two catches for 153 yards.

Torrance McCollum had three catches for 26 yards and Dev Thompson added two receptions for 13 yards.

Dubuque finished with a 588-359 advantage in total offense, including 441-259 through the air. AU forced the Spartans into four turnovers in the first half.

Todd Taylor led the defense with 12 tackles and Kaleb Donahue had nine stops. Jared Millikan and Herman Pollard added interceptions for the Ravens.

AU (0-2) hosts Mt. St. Joseph next Saturday at Macholtz Stadium in the home opener. The game will be carried live on Stretch Internet at 7 p.m.

Marcus Spann led the Ravens with with 133 yards rushing on 21 carries, including the lone score of the game for the visitors on a 15-yard run. Spann also added four receptions for 20 yards. It was the fifth time int he last six games that Spann has surpassed the 100-yard mark.

“Marcus had another great game running the ball,” said AU coach Jeff Judge.

Quarterback Nick Sharp finished the game 23-of-49 passing for 158 yards. Dev Thompson led the receiving corps with eight catches for 59 yards. Joe Davidson had five receptions for 48 yards and Shane Peacock added two catches for 16 yards.

Taylor finished with 290 total yards compared to 268 for Anderson, but the Ravens had a 110-56 advantage on the ground. The Ravens also didn’t have a turnover while forcing the Trojans into two miscues.

“Overall our defense played well and kept us in the game,” said Judge. “We only gave up one first down in the third quarter and just over 100 total yards in the second half. They really just had the one big play in the first half.”

That play resulted in the first touchdown of the game as Chris Stutzman took a screen pass, broke three tackles and turned it into a 68-yard touchdown reception to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead. Taylor added another touchdown in the first quarter and led 14-0 at the break.

Spann’s touchdown early in the fourth quarter cut the deficit to 14-6 and capped a 12-play, 68-yard drive that took over four minutes. Taylor responded with its own 12-play, 72-yard drive to push the lead back to two touchdowns.

“We just couldn’t get a stop after we had cut the lead to one score,” said Judge. “It was a hot night to play football and I’m proud of the way our team battled in the first game of the season.”

Freshmen Zack Farley and Akeem Hill led the defense with eight tackles each and Todd Taylor and Herman Pollard added seven stops each. Kaleb Donahue and Jeremy Martin chipped in with five tackles apiece.

AU (0-1) travels to Dubuque, Iowa, next Saturday night at 6 p.m. (CST).

Thursday marks the beginning of the season for the Ravens and the Wagon Wheel game against the Taylor University Trojans kicks it off as they travel north to Upland. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and can be heard on Stretch Internet.

Anderson University is coming off a 3-7 season, but optimism abounds as the team heads into the season opener.

“I think that the way that we played in the last game of the year against Manchester gave our kids a lot of understanding that they could do some things that probably most people thought they couldn’t do,” said Ravens head coach Jeff Judge. “I think that helped them with their confidence in the off season, and then the off season kind of built into this season.  That win was a big win for our football program.”

In the season finale last year, the two teams were playing for the Bronze Ball and the outcome was nothing short of miraculous.

Manchester held a 28-3 advantage at the half and was cruising to victory before a second-half stunner saw the Ravens outscore their arch rival 34-6 and walk away with the Bronze Ball trophy and thrilling 37-34 victory.

“Pretty optimistic,” said Judge of the 2011 season.  “Pretty optimistic group of kids, and I think they understand if they do things right they can be a very good football team and we can compete. I believe that and I believe we can compete and I believe we can compete for a conference title, but we have to go out there on Thursday night and then the rest of them on Saturdays and figure that out.”

Judge is going to rely on his seniors to help carry his team through the season.  Offensively he points out that receivers Joe Davidson and Shane Peacock along with quarterback Nick Sharp and lineman Adam Rue have asserted themselves and their leadership throughout the summer camp.

From a defensive standpoint, they are being led by Little All-American and All-Conference standout Jared Millikan, who led the nation in interceptions with 11 and interception returns for touchdowns with three.

He also had 10 pass breakups and 34 tackles at his cornerback position.

Judge also credits the defensive play of Kaleb Donahue at safety and fellow senior Todd Taylor at the linebacker position for guiding his defense.  He named junior Jeremy Martin as the other leader from his defensive end position.

Running back Marcus Spann led the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference by more than 300-yards, before going down with an injury in the sixth game of the season. Torrance McCollum stepped in and did an admirable job by going for 159-yards on 20 carries in the Bronze Ball game.

McCollum said that he and Spann have been labeled Thunder (McCollum) and Lightning (Spann), and they proved that as they combined to rush for 887 yards and six touchdowns on the season.

McCollum said that he is “shooting for the stars” in regards to his individual goals. He said he would like to win the rushing title and break a couple school records, but more than anything he is optimistic that his team will be much improved.

“I’m very optimistic about it this year,” said McCollum.  “I really believe that we’re going to do a lot better than last year just based off of a lot more togetherness than last year.  There’s a lot more people who actually stayed and didn’t transfer to another school.

“As far as being able to communicate on the field and be connecting with all cylinders, I think we’ll do all  right,” he said.

Story by The Herald Bulletin

Defending champion Franklin was picked to finish first with 78 points, followed by Defiance (63), Hanover (61), Mt. St. Joseph (59), Rose-Hulman (38), Anderson (34), Bluffton (34), Manchester (28) and Earlham (10).

The Ravens finished 3-7 overall last year, including 3-5 in the HCAC.

AU will open the season at arch-rival Taylor University on Sept. 1 at Upland, Ind. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The Little All-American Teams are made up of student-athletes from NCAA Div. II, III and NAIA schools.

“That’s a great honor and a tougher squad to make than the Division III All-American teams,” said AU football coach Jeff Judge. “Jared had a great year and deserves to be on these teams. To lead the nation in interceptions for all divisions was a great honor.”

Millikan had already been named to the d3football.com All-North Region 1st Team on Dec. 9. The d3football and American Football Coaches Association All-American teams have not yet been released.

The junior defensive back earned a spot on the All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football first-team, finishing the season with 34 tackles, 11 interceptions, and 10 pass breakups, including three touchdowns on returns. He led the nation in interceptions and interception returns for touchdowns and was one short of Larry Barkes’ 40-year-old record for interceptions in a season.

Millikan also tied a school record with four interceptions against Mt. St. Joseph on Sept. 18, returning two of those picks for touchdowns. He also had an interception return for a score against Bluffton and had at least one pick in eight of 10 games this season.

AU finished the season 3-7 overall and 3-5 in the HCAC.

Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,700 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson continues to be recognized as a top Christian college: in 2010, U.S. News and World Report ranked Anderson University among the best colleges and universities in the Midwest for the seventh consecutive year. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing, and theology.