Aug. 23—MAYVILLE — Mayville State reached its highest win total since 2016 last year, but head coach Rocky Larson had a sour taste in his mouth when the season ended.
The Comets went 5-6 overall and 3-5 in league play. A 34-32 win over No. 14 Dickinson State was the highlight of Mayville State’s first season in the Frontier Conference.
Advertisement
Still, Larson couldn’t help but think about the missed opportunities — the one-point loss to Arizona Christian, or the two-point loss to Rocky Mountain College to close the season.
“The Frontier Conference was what we expected,” Larson said. “It’s really good football every single Saturday. To finish 5-6, that’s the best record we’ve had since I took over in 2020, but at the same time, we left a few out there. … It leaves a sour taste in your mouth. We’ve just got to get back to work.”
Nearly every contributor on the 2025 team will have a shot to erase that taste this year. The Comets return 18 starters, 10 on offense and eight on defense.
That’s not surprising, considering Mayville State started 13 sophomores and three true freshmen.
Advertisement
“In today’s day and age of the transfer portal and NIL, we’re still able to retain kids and keep kids here,” Larson said. “We’re giving them a good experience, and giving them a reason to come back. … Those kids have all grown up one more year now. They’ve all been to a college weight room. They’ve all been in the system on offense and defense. It’s really exciting to be able to get that group back.”
The Comets’ run-focused offense averaged 237.45 rushing yards per game in 2025.
Mayville State returns more than 90% of its net rushing yardage. Hillsboro-Central Valley graduate Landon Olson is back after leading the team in net rushing yards (505).
The Comets, however, spread the wealth on the ground. Five players finished with more than 200 rushing yards, and they’re all returning this year.
Advertisement
Eleven players finished with at least one rushing touchdown. Junior Moses Nuahpa led the way with four.
“We have nine guys who we can get the ball to at any time and feel comfortable,” Larson said. “We feel really confident about the kids that we can get the ball to in space.”
At quarterback, Mayville State will look to redshirt junior Matt Donovan.
Donovan transferred from Minot State to Mayville State last season and earned the starting job before a broken wrist cut his season short in the sixth game.
Donovan completed 3 of 22 passes for 77 passing yards and a passing touchdown with no interceptions. Donovan was also pivotal on the ground, rushing for 173 net yards and two touchdowns.
Advertisement
“He’s someone that our whole offense believes in,” Larson said. “I give our kids a lot of credit last year. When your leader and starting quarterback goes down early in the year — for them to bounce back and have the year they did was really impressive.
“But overall, we’re really pleased with Matt. He’s done a great job commanding the offense, and he’s throwing the football better than he did last year. We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do under center for us this year.”
Linebackers Devon Woods and Anthony Johnson were the biggest offseason departures on defense, accounting for a combined 121 tackles in 2025.
Even with those departures, the Comets’ eight returning starters and experienced underclassmen give Larson confidence in the unit.
Advertisement
“As they continue to get older, the biggest positive of that group is they communicate really well,” Larson said. “They tackle well and they play incredibly hard.”
Mayville State will open the season with a road game against Briar Cliff in Sioux City, Iowa, on Aug. 29.
There are two opponents currently ranked on the Comets’ 11-game schedule: No. 5 Montana Tech and No. 25 Dakota State.
“Outside expectations, we have to temper that and understand it’s what’s between the walls that matters,” Larson said. “Everything we do, week to week, it’s process-based. How can we attack each day? How can we get a first down? How can we get stops? We don’t get caught up in the 11-game season.”
