It didn't take two years for UNO to get a read on the rest of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

But, even though a third-place finish and trip to the playoffs in 2008 and a second-place tie in 2009 would be a success for many programs, the Mavericks feel like it's taken them two years to get up to speed.

“As we got into the league, as we evaluated it, we just had to do things differently,” UNO coach Pat Behrns said.

Primarily, Behrns said, the Mavs have changed their recruiting emphasis. UNO has been looking to land players who could play right now.

Witness Levi Terrell, who shed his redshirt five games into the 2009 season and rushed for 1,182 yards to earn MIAA freshman of the year honors. Even more freshmen are competing for playing time in 2010.

Projects are out. Prospects are at a premium.

“Honestly, I think maybe we had been recruiting with too much of the redshirting in mind,” Behrns said. “We were thinking too much about a year from now instead of the present.”

Why the sudden push to get young talent on the field?

UNO certainly has a better understanding of the rest of the league, one that includes defending Division II national champion Northwest Missouri State.

“I think we've got a two-year window here to really get good at what we're doing,” Behrns said. “Why wait for four or five years? Let's go now.”

Behrns said that means challenging for an MIAA title. Soon.

The Mavs have been around the MIAA block twice now, stumbling at Truman State in 2008 and Fort Hays State last year. They picked up nice wins at Central Missouri in 2008 and at home against Washburn last year.

It's starting to get more familiar.

“You kind of find out the different personalities that different teams have,” said senior offensive tackle Harrison Lingenfelter, a three-year starter. “When you play a team, you start to understand their style. At first, it was kind of like the first day of school, you show up and don't know what to expect. But now we've been around the block a couple of times and we know what each team is about.”

Obviously there was talent already in the program when the University of Nebraska at Omaha made the transition from the North Central Conference to the MIAA. And some of those old-timers will have a lot to say about what UNO can do this season.

Tight end Mike Higgins, now a senior, has turned into an All-American. Lingenfelter was an All-MIAA player last year.

But the depth of talent is what has Behrns looking through the two-year window.

“The fault probably goes to me because I'm not sure we were ready for the MIAA (two years ago),” Behrns said. “I don't think we had the type of skilled depth that you need to play in the MIAA. But I do think we're closer to that now.”

Higgins, 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds and with 4.7-second speed in the 40-yard dash, caught 50 passes for 848 yards and nine touchdowns last season, and he's got a steady backup behind him in Austin Wells (20 catches, 248 yards).

“I'm not sure where to start and where to finish with Mike,” Behrns said of a player who had drawn interest from the NFL. “Mike is Mike. … every day he's as good as he can be.”

Lingenfelter — 6-3 and 300 — had shoulder surgery that forced him to sit out spring practice and, like Higgins, has attracted some early interest from NFL teams.

“I don't know if he's always been hurt or what, but getting that shoulder fixed seems to have helped him,” Behrns said.

Lingenfelter is just one of seven offensive linemen who have starting experience, not counting Ohio transfer James Davis, who spent a week on the first team as a freshman last year.

Everything is coming in multiples right now.

UNO has to replace Greg Wunderlich at quarterback, but has two players to choose from in John Teigland and Jon Daniels.

Terrell is back, but UNO liked Bryce Hawthorne and Duane Bowen before injuries cleared a path for Terrell last year — and freshman running back James Franklin is probably a higher-profile recruit than Terrell was.

Brian Miller is back at wide receiver after catching 45 passes for 700 yards as a redshirt freshman, but so are the other members of UNO's top six at wide receiver (one of them is now at fullback). Added to that group has been Marques Parker, a former TCU recruit.

As at receiver, the talent on defense leans toward the young — half the 22 players on the two deep are freshmen or sophomores — and Behrns expects a freshman or two to break into the defensive line rotation.

“We're awfully excited,” Behrns said. “Our expectation level is that we've got a chance to win every game. But our excitement level is at a place where I haven't seen it in quite a while.”

Contact the writer: 444-1027, rob.white@owh.com

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