WINFIELD, Kan. — Entering his 11th season at Southwestern, head coach Brad Griffin knows he has plenty of work to do after guiding the Moundbuilders to one of their strongest campaigns in recent years.

Southwestern finished last season with a top-20 offense and a top-10 defense, but Griffin must replace key offensive playmakers, including quarterback Braden Howell and running backs JB Burnette and Martez Jones II. That trio accounted for nearly 5,000 yards of total offense.

"Braden had such a phenomenal year, and those backs were huge for us," Griffin said. "There are definitely some shoes to fill, but hopefully we've recruited and developed the right players to step up."

The battle under center will feature James Odom, Carson Riney and Eric Erbe, who each had strong springs. Running back Jaydon Sundgren returns to anchor the ground game, while tight end Hunter Reaves and a deep receiving corps should provide stability.

Defensively, Southwestern brings back much of its front seven and key veterans in the secondary. Linebackers and linemen with multiple years of experience are expected to anchor a unit that ranked among the NAIA's best last season. Defensive backs Corey McCoy and Britt Wittschten return as leaders in the backfield, while all of the team's kickers — Preston Fansher, Corbin Grant and Jeremiah Schaefer — are back on special teams.

The schedule opens with Bethel before a Week 3 showdown at home against Evangel, a game likely to test the Builders early. A difficult closing stretch features clashes with Friends, McPherson and perennial contender Kansas Wesleyan, all of which could decide the KCAC race.

Griffin, who has led Southwestern to steady success over the past half-decade, says the focus remains simple.

"It's one game at a time," he said. "We've got to build our team quickly when the kids get back, and hopefully continue the success we've had."