ST. GEORGE — If coaching experience is any indication, the Dixie Rotary Bowl should be one whale of a football game.
Dixie State College, led by coach Greg Croshaw, takes on Rochester Community and Technical College (Minn.), coached by Tom Hosier, today at noon in the 16th incarnation of junior college's richest bowl game at Hansen Stadium.
The two coaches have one losing season in a combined 43 years of head coaching experience.
"Stuff like that doesn't happen by accident," Croshaw said. "Obviously we've both been very fortunate to have a lot of good people surrounding us and a lot of talented players through the years."
Croshaw leads a squad that is 10-1 and ranked No. 3 in the National Junior College Association poll.
Hosier's Yellowjackets, also 10-1, are ranked 11th after having their 22-game winning streak snapped in the last game of the regular season. In the 14-13 loss to Fergus Falls (Minn.), Rochester missed a field goal in the closing seconds. The 'Jackets are 33-2 the past three seasons.
The Rebels lone loss came on a sweltering September evening at Glendale, Ariz., in a game in which Dixie State lost its first- and second-string quarterbacks to concussions.
The first-stringer, Jared Lowe of Logan, was lost for the season, while the second-stringer, Waylon Bond, returned to lead the Rebels to six straight victories.
Bond, however, injured his shoulder in Dixie State's regular-season finale (a 47-7 win over Scottsdale) and is doubtful for today's bowl game.
That means Dixie State will turn to third-stringer Dave Grant, who began the season as a defensive back.
"I'm sure Dave will be ready, just like Waylon was ready before him and Jared before that," Croshaw said. "We'll get our smoke and our mirrors and see what happens."
The Yellowjackets, meanwhile, feature a solid running game led by all-conference running back Rod Malone, a sophomore who rushed for 1,360 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2001.
Rochester quarterback Ryan Hulke, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, has passed for 1,724 yards and 17 touchdowns. His favorite target is Brian Bridges, who caught 53 passes for 844 yards and nine TDs.
The Rebels counter with Joe Lomu (1,006 rushing yards and nine TDs) and Josh Adams (35 catches, 554 yards and nine TDs).
It's just the second time the Rebels have played a school from Minnesota. In the 1988 Rotary Bowl, Dixie beat Inver Hills 56-8.
The Rebels are led defensively by two-time All-America Scott Young, who has recorded 15.5 sacks despite a barrage of double-teams during the regular season.
Dixie State also placed defensive back Chad Barney and linebacker Singa Iloa on the All-America team.