Taking on two-a-days

Fort Lewis College senior quarterback Jordan Doyle has bounced back from a broken leg suffered halfway through last season to take a grip of the starting quarterback position once more. With several returning starters on the offensive line, including senior Tyler Jones (68), the Skyhawks will look to give Doyle more protection this season.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald photos

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Fort Lewis College senior quarterback Jordan Doyle has bounced back from a broken leg suffered halfway through last season to take a grip of the starting quarterback position once more. With several returning starters on the offensive line, including senior Tyler Jones (68), the Skyhawks will look to give Doyle more protection this season.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald photos

Senior defensive lineman Dalten Lane, left, will be a force up front this season for the Skyhawks. The 6-foot-2, 265-pounder from Gilbert, Arizona will be a stalwart of the defense, head coach John L. Smith said at the RMAC Kickoff media day.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

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Senior defensive lineman Dalten Lane, left, will be a force up front this season for the Skyhawks. The 6-foot-2, 265-pounder from Gilbert, Arizona will be a stalwart of the defense, head coach John L. Smith said at the RMAC Kickoff media day.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Nothing says football season at Fort Lewis College than a fired up head coach John L. Smith. He has instilled a focus in this year’s team, as the Skyhawks will look for their first winning season since 2006.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

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Nothing says football season at Fort Lewis College than a fired up head coach John L. Smith. He has instilled a focus in this year’s team, as the Skyhawks will look for their first winning season since 2006.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

With a loaded roster of 119 players, the Fort Lewis College football team opened full practices with enthusiasm.

Third-year head coach John L. Smith is turning the Skyhawks into a competitive NCAA Division II team by recruiting talented high school and junior college transfer players to Durango.

The player participation is up from 93 players in 2014, and there are 51 freshmen or redshirt freshmen on the team.

FLC went 3-8 overall and 2-7 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference a season ago, with a banner win against eventual national champion CSU-Pueblo.

Smith is 7-15 at FLC in two seasons after previous stops at Division I powers Arkansas, Louisville and Michigan State.

In the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Skyhawks were selected to finish eighth in the 10-team conference. But the Skyhawks are confident in the nine starters returning on both sides of the ball.

FLC is alternating between single practice days and two-a-days until classes begin Aug. 31.

The Skyhawks will open the season with a Thursday night game at Division I Football Championship Subdivision Montana State at 7:05 p.m. Sept. 3. The game will air locally on the Altitude Sports Network.

heraldsports@durangoherald.com