For Immediate Release
Monday, November 3, 2014
NSIC Media Relations
Full PDF Release
NSIC Co-Offensive Player of the Week
#2 Tre Spears (RB, 5-11, 225, Chicago, Ill. / Morgan Park HS)
Concordia University, St. Paul
Spears rushed for a 2014 NSIC single-game high and career high 247 yards and two touchdowns in the Golden Bears 38-20 win over SMSU. Spears’ total was just 11 yards shy of the CU single-game rushing record as he moved to third in the NSIC in rushing with 917 yards (101.9/game). He also moved into fifth on Concordia’s all-time rushing list with 2,836 yards, just 164 shy of 3,000 and 83 shy of his first 1,000-yard rushing season.
NSIC Co-Offensive Player of the Week
#6 Jared Jacobson (QB, Sr., Rapid City, S.D. / St. Thomas More HS)
Northern State University
Jacobson racked-up a career-high 502 yards of total offense in Northern State’s 42-33 victory over U-Mary Saturday. The 502 yards is just nine yards shy of the program record of 511 set by Kip Kieso back in 1992 against UM-Morris. Jacobson also accounted for five total touchdowns (3 pass, 2 rush) in the win. Jacobson passed for 418 yards, which is the second-highest mark of his career and also led the Wolves with 84 yards rushing in the contest. This marks the second time this season Jacobson has been named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week (10/6/14).
NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#95 Joshua Gordon (DE, 6-2, 250, Jr., Milwaukee, Wis. / Wisconsin Lutheran HS)
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Gordon recorded four sacks and tied for the team lead in tackles with ten in the Mavericks 27-14 win over No. 10 Sioux Falls. With his four sacks, Gordon set a new MSU single-season record with 16.5 sacks, passing Steve Connelly’s mark of 13.5 sacks set during the 1992 season. Gordon also forced a fumble and deflected a pass in the win. His four sacks accounted for 28 yards lost. This marks the second time this season Gordon has been named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week (10/13/14).
NSIC Special teams Player of the Week
#80 Michael Schwichtenberg (P/K, 6-0, 215, So., West Bend, Wis. / West Bend West HS)
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Schwichtenberg went a perfect 7-of-7 on extra points in windy conditions in the Dragons’ 52-7 win over Minot State. He also added a 29-yard field goal to finish day with 10 points. He also had one punt for 52 yards in the win.
2014 NSIC Football Weekly Notes
Augustana (5-4 NSIC, 2-3 South)
www.goAugie.com - KIKN 100.5-FM
Jerry Olszewski - UW-Stevens Point ‘93 - 2nd Season
Last Season 4-7 NSIC, 2-5 South (t-6th)
Last Week - vs WSU - W 33-8
#20 Dajon Newell (RB, 5-10, 186, Sr., Lakeville, Minn./North HS)
- Rushed 27 times matching his season-high with 119 yards and two touchdowns
- Finished the game with three scores picking up a 12-yard receiving touchdown
- Caught a team-high seven passes for 37 yards
- Registered his 14th career 100-yard rushing game, his third this season
- Went over 3,000 career rushing yards and now sits at 3,095 which puts him seventh all-time in the NSIC
#47 Brandon Mohr (LB, 6-0, 240, Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington HS)
- Led the team with 10 tackles as Augustana helped hold Winona State to just 220 yards of offense
- Registered four solo tackles, including a tackle for loss
- Helped an Augustana defense that forced four turnovers
#1 Lucas Wainman (K/P, 6-0, 216, So., Oviedo, Fla./Paul J. Hagerty HS)
- Finished 2 for 3 in field goal attempts, hitting from 19 and 28 yards
- Was 3 for 4 on point-after-attempts
- Punted twice for 65 yards (32.5 yards per punt), including a 47-yard boot
- Recorded five touchbacks in seven kickoffs
- Totaled 424 kickoff yards, averaging 60.6 yards per kickoff
THIS WEEK - at CU
Augie leads the all-time series 7-3 versus CU
Augie has won the last six meetings after CU opened the series 3-1 between 2004 and 2007
Bemidji State (3-6 NSIC, 3-2 North)
www.bsubeavers.com - The River 92.1 FM
Jeff Tesch - MSU Moorhead ‘78 - 19th Season
Last Season 3-8 NSIC, 1-6 North (t-7th)
Last Week - at SCSU - L 30-27
#7 Jordan Hein (QB, 6-1, 210, Fr., Perham, Minn. (Northern Iowa))
-Compiled 230 yards of passing going 17-for-37 and three touchdowns
-His passing yardage of 230 yards goes down as his career best
-Against SCSU, was the first time Hein threw for three touchdowns
- longest pass in the game was a 46-yarder, which is also the longest of his career.
-Led the BSU run game with 17 carries for 38 yards.
#9 Colton Blascyk (LB, 6-0, 222, Jr., Kensington, Minn. (West Central Area HS))
-Charted 10 tackles, including 5 solo tackles
- tallied three tackles for a loss of -9 yards which is a career game high
- Blascyk recorded his first fumble recovery (1) and pass breakup (1) of the season
- Tied for 9th in the league for tackles (78) to average 8.7 per game
- Tied for 4th in tackles for a loss (13.0) in the NSIC
#23 Chais Wakefield (K/P, 5-10, 175, Sr., Butternut, Wis. (Park Falls HS))
- Led the Beavers special teams efforts punting seven times against St. Cloud State for a total of 282 yards to average 43.3 yards a punt.
- It marks his third straight game recording seven punts and his second longest punt of the season with a 57-yard punt at SCSU.
- Wakefield charted three punts inside the 20 yard line and one touchback.
THIS WEEK - vs MSUM
In the all-time series, MSU Moorhead leads with a 33-44-3 record.
Bemidji State is 4-1 in the last five meetings against the Dragons
Last season when the teams met, the Beavers lost on the road 35-17 Nov. 9, 2013
In the comforts of Chet Anderson Stadium, BSU is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
Since 1948 Bemidji State and MSU Moorhead have been playing for more than just a W. Sixty-six times the two teams have met on the gridiron to stake claim of a traveling trophy called The Battle Axe – an ancient weapon from New Guinea.
Currently the second longest traveling trophy in Division II history, the Beavers and Dragons have played every season for the coveted bragging right with BSU trailing in the all-time Axe series 28-35-3, but have won 12 of the last 14 games.
Concordia-St. Paul (3-6 NSIC, 2-3 South)
www.cugoldenbears.com
Ryan Williams - NDSU ‘01 - 4th Season
Last Season 5-6 NSIC, 2-5 South (t-6th)
Last Week - at SMSU - W 38-20
#2 Tre Spears (RB, 5-11, 225, Chicago, Ill. / Morgan Park HS)
- Rushed for an NSIC single-game high and career high 247 yards and two TDs
- Rushing total was 2nd most in a single game in team history, 11 shy of the record
- Moved up to third in the NSIC in rushing with 917 yards (101.9/game)
- Primary weapon in an offense that had 42:35 to 17:25 time of possession edge
- Moved into fifth on Concordia’s all-time rushing list with 2,836 yards, just 164 shy of 3,000 and 83 shy of his first 1,000-yard rushing season
#6 Jordan Halverson (LB, 6-1, 230, Jr., Fridley, Minn. / HS)
- Led defense with 8 tackles, adding a 28-yard interception return for touchdown to extend Concordia’s lead to 38-20 late in the third quarter
- Also had a sack and a tackle for loss
- Ranks fourth in the league with 93 tackles (10.3/game)
- Moved into sixth on CU’s career tackles list with 283 and 11th in tackles for loss with 26.5
#24 Tom Obarski (K/P, 5-11, 185, Sr., Burnsville, Minn. / Apple Valley HS)
- Delivered touchbacks on six of his seven kickoffs in a 38-20 win at SMSU
- Placed three of seven punts inside the 20 with a long of 53 and a 30.7 average
- Scored eight points, converting a 41-yard field goal at the end of the first half for a 24-7 lead, also connecting on all five PAT’s
- Remains perfect on PAT’s in 2014 (21-21) and has made 16-of-18 field goals including all eight from 40-plus yards
- Has 20 touchbacks on 43 kickoff attempts with an average starting field position at the 25 on kickoffs
- Leads the NSIC in field goal percentage (88.9) and PAT percentage (100.0)
THIS WEEK - vs AUGIE
- Senior Day for the Golden Bears
- CU and Augustana in a three-team tie with Upper Iowa for fourth in the NSIC
- CU has won two straight games, averaging 37.5 points in wins over UIU and SMSU
- CU is 3-7 all-time against Augustana and 1-4 at home and 0-2 at Sea Foam Stadium
- Augie has won the last six meetings after CU opened the series 3-1 between 2004 and 2007
- Concordia’s last win over Augie was Sept. 1, 2007 (20-19) in Sioux Falls
- Concordia’s last home win over Augie was Aug. 27, 2005 (33-30) at Griffin Stadium
- Augie is 6-0 against Concordia since joining the NSIC in 2008
- Last year, Augie defeated Concordia 24-7 in Sioux Falls; and defeated Concordia 35-27 in 2012 in its last trip to Sea Foam Stadium when Tom Obarski delivered an NSIC record and Division II season long 59-yard field goal
LAST WEEK: Concordia 38, Southwest Minnesota State 20
- Golden Bears break a 5-team tie with SMSU for fourth place
- Concordia improves to 10-8 all-time against SMSU and 10-6 since 1999 when Concordia joined the NSIC
- Concordia is now 5-4 in Marshall, Minn. at SMSU
- Golden Bears rushed for 345 yards and had 488 total offense while holding SMSU’s strong pass game to 117 yards and 340 yards of total offense
- Concordia compiled 42:35 of time of possession to SMSU’s 17:25
- Golden Bears forced three second half turnovers including an interception return for touchdown (Jordan Halverson, 28 yards) and a fumble at the Concordia 1 yard line
- Redshirt freshman quarterback Ben Schramski is now 2-1 in three career starts as the Golden Bears’ third starting QB of the 2014 season
University of Mary (5-4 NSIC, 3-2 North)
www.goumary.com - KFYR 550 AM
Josh Kotelnicki - North Dakota ‘02 - 1st Season
Last Season 6-5 NSIC, 4-3 North (t-3rd)
Last Week vs NSU - L 42-33
Jake East (WR, 6-2, 205, Sr., Clovis, Calif. / Buchanon / Fresno City College)
- Set career-highs with nine catches for 174 yards
- Caught a 23-yard touchdown pass and also had a 44-yard gain
- Most yards gained by a Marauders receiver since Mike Williams posted 190 yards receiving against Winona State in 2007
- Previous individual high for catches and yards came a week ago against MSUM when East had sevem catches for 93 yards and two TDs
Zach Roberson (QB, 6-3, 240, Jr., Sonora, Calif. / Summerville Union)
- Passed for over 400 yards for the second straight week
- The second U-Mary quarterback to throw for over 400 yards twice during the school’s NCAA era (2006 and on) and the first to do so in consecutive games
- 29-of-46 passes for 409 yards and two TDs without an INT; 1 rush TD
- Has not thrown an INT this season in 148 attempts and has 10 TD passes
Elby Pope (WR/KR, 6-0, 190, Sr., Grand Forks, N.D. / Red River)
- Returned two kickoffs for 61 yards, including a long of 37 yards
- Returned two punts for 19 yards, including a long of 17
- Tied his career-high with 11 catches for 129 yards with a long of 36 yards
- Also ran once for 1 yard and attempted a pass
- Posted 210 yards of all-purpose yardage
- After catching 22 passes in the past two weeks, Pope is 6th in the NSIC in catches per game (5.89) and 8th in receiving yards/game (74.0).
- Is second in the NSIC in all-purpose yardage (146.7/game), second in punt return average (16.4 yards/attempt) and 10th in kick return average (21.9).
Preston Tescher (S, 6-0, 195, Jr., Bismarck, N.D. / St. Mary’s)
- Set a career-high with 14 tackles, including 10 solo stops
- Had one interception and also broke up two passes
- One pass breakup was in the end zone on the final play of the first half
- Back-to-back games with 10 solo tackles, has 70 tackles this season, 18th in the NSIC
THIS WEEK at UMD
- The Marauders are 0-7 all-time against the Bulldogs
- Minnesota Duluth defeated U-Mary 32-14 last season in Bismarck, N.D.
Minnesota Crookston (0-9 NSIC, 0-5 North)
www.goldeneaglesports.com - KROX 1260 AM
Mike Fritze - Winona State - 2nd Season
Last Season 2-9 NSIC, 2-5 North (6th)
Last Week - vs UMD - L 77-3
Greg Lofquist (Sr., LB, South St. Paul, Minn.)
-Tallied a career-high 20 tackles against No. 2 Minnesota Duluth. Also added 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Lofquist’s 20 tackles ranks third all-time for total tackles in a game. In addition, Lofquist surpassed Neil Austin for most total tackles in a season. Austin’s mark has been the standard since the 2001 season. Lofquist continues to lead the NSIC and is among the national leaders for total tackles. The senior has 127 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
THIS WEEK - at NSU
The UMC football team will continue to seek their first win of the season as they take on Northern State Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. The Golden Eagles are 0-9 on the season. Minnesota Crookston is coming off a 77-3 loss to No. 2 University of Minnesota Duluth Saturday as they wrapped up their home schedule.
- NSU is 13-1 all-time against Minnesota Crookston
- The Golden Eagles’ last victory in the series came in 2000
Minnesota Duluth (9-0 NSIC, 5-0 North)
www.umdbulldogs.com - KQDS-AM 1490
Curt Wiese - Minnesota State ‘00 - 2nd Season
Last Season 11-2, 10-1 NSIC, 7-0 North (1st)
Last Week - at UMC - W 77-3
Aaron Roth (WR, 5-11, 185, Sr., Plymouth, Minn.)
- Made the most of his four pass catches in Saturday’s 77-3 road win over Minnesota Crookson, parlaying each into a touchdown and all during the second quarter.
- UMD held a somewhat 21-3 lead when he caught four consecutive touchdown strikes of 7, 38, 20 and 12 yards to put the game away.
- The four touchdown receptions were just one shy of both the UMD and NSIC single-game records
Andrew Brees (PK/P, 6-3, 195, Jr., West Allis, Wis.)
- Set a Bulldog single-game record by nailing 11 extra points (in 11 attempts) Saturday afternoon at Minnesota Crookston
- Also averaged 52.9 yards on his 10 kickoffs and 36.0 on his two punts
- Last Saturday, UMD set a school record for points in its 77-3 thrashing of Minnesota Crookston. The Bulldogs got into the end zone in all seven of their first-half possession and were up 49-3 at intermission.
THIS WEEK - vs U-Mary
- The unbeaten Bulldogs (9-0) will return to James S. Malosky this Saturday to host the University of Mary in their 2014 regular season home finale.
- UMD is 7-0 lifetime against Mary in a rivalry that began in 2006
- The Bulldogs, who checked in at No. 1 in the first NCAA II Super Region Three Rankings released last week, have never lost a NSIC North Division game at home, going 23-0 since the league adopted a divisional format in 2008.
- Freshman running back Nate Beaulieu, who joined the Bulldog program last spring, came off the bench at Minnesota Crookston to rush for a career-best (and game-high) 101 yards and a pair of touchdown on just 13 carries. Beaulieu, a 2012 graduate of Duluth Denfeld High School, is the great grandson of former long-time UMD football coach Lloyd Peterson.
•UMD is two wins away of registering the fifth unbeaten, untied regular season record in the program’s 82-year history. The 1980 (10-0), 2002 (11-0), 2008 (11-0) and 2010 (11-0) all accomplished that feat that the latter two clubs went on to capture the NCAA II national title.
•The Bulldogs have allowed just two, third-quarter touchdown the entire season while outscoring the competition 78-17 during that 15-minute period.
•Junior running back Logan Lauters went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time as a Bulldog last Saturday. He currently ranks second in the NSIC in ground yardage with 1,004 on 125 carries -- a staggering 8.0 per touch average.
•UMD has turned the ball over only seven times this fall -- the lowest figure among all NCAA II schools.
Minnesota State (9-0 NSIC, 5-0 South)
www.msumavericks.com - 1230-AM KYSM
Todd Hoffner - Valley City State ‘89 - 5th Season
Last Season 11-1, 11-0 NSIC, 7-0 South (1st)
Last Week - vs USF - W 27-14
#5 Connor Thomas, RB, 5-11, 205, Jr., Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame
- Led the Mavericks with 140 rushing yards and a touchdown
- Averaged 8.8 yards per carry.
- Posted a 70-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to put MSU up 24-14.
- tallied at least 100 rushing yards in five of MSU’s last six games.
#95 Joshua Gordon, DE, 6-2, 250, Jr., Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran
- Tied for the team lead in tackles against Sioux Falls with 10.
- Recorded four sacks against USF for a combined loss of 28 yards.
- Forced a fumble and deflected a pass.
- With his four sacks, Gordon set a new MSU single-season record with 16.5 sacks, passing Steve Connelly’s mark of 13.5 sacks set during the 1992 season.
#18 Alden Haffar, K, 5-10, 205, Jr., West Des Moines, Iowa/West
- Haffar made two field goals from 31 and 27 yards against USF
- Tallied a total of nine points against Sioux Falls.
- Averaged 61 yards per kickoff, including four touchbacks.
- MSU has now won 31 straight NSIC games
- Dorian Buford has 12 touchdown catches this season and sits just two behind Josh Nelsen’s single-season record of 14 touchdown catches.
THIS WEEK - at WSC
- Minnesota State will face Wayne State next weekend, marking the seventh meeting between them. MSU has won all six of the previous encounters, including a 45-3 win in Mankato last season.
MSU Moorhead (2-7 NSIC, 1-4 North)
www.msumdragons.com - 106.1-FM KQLX
Steve Laqua - NDSU ‘03 - 4th Season
Last Season 4-7 NSIC, 4-3 North (t-3rd)
Last Week - vs MISU - W 52-7
Jake Hodge (QB, 6-0, 195, Jr., Kasson, Minn./Kasson-Mantorville HS)
--Threw for 253 yards and three TDs in Dragons’ 52-7 win
--Threw TD to three different receivers
--also rushed for a game-high 101 yards and a TD on 16 carries.
--averaged 6.3 yards per carry
--became MSUM’s career leader for passing yards during win, now has 5,843 for career.
Jesse Beilke (DB, 5-11, 180, So., Buffalo, N.D./Maple Valley HS)
--had a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup in MSUM’s 52-7 win over Minot
--fumble recovery in first quarter stopped Minot State drive inside Dragon 5-yard line
--forced fumble set up Dragon field goal in third quarter.
Michael Schwichtenberg (P/K, 6-0, 215, So., West Bend, Wis./West Bend West HS)
--Went a perfect 7-of-7 on extra points in windy conditions in Dragons’ 52-7 win over Minot State
--also added a 29-yard field goal to finish day with 10 points
--punted once on the day and hit a 52-yarder
THIS WEEK - at BSU
In the all-time series, MSU Moorhead leads with a 33-44-3 record.
Bemidji State is 4-1 in the last five meetings against the Dragons
Last season when the teams met, the Beavers lost on the road 35-17 Nov. 9, 2013
Minot State (1-8 NSIC, 1-4 North)
www.msubeavers.com - KCJB AM 910
Tyler Hughes - Utah State ‘05 - 1st Season
Last Season 2-9, 1-6 NSIC (t-7th)
Last Week - at MSUM - L 52-7
- Minot State gave up 21 second-quarter points and couldn’t recover as Minnesota State University-Moorhead ran away from MSU 52-7 in Moorhead Saturday.
- The Beavers only score came on a fourth-quarter run by #24 Jarvis Mustipher (RB, 5-7, 212, So., Melbourne, Fla. / Melbourne), who scored for the third time in the past two games. Mustipher led the Beavers with 94 yards rushing and one touchdown.
- MSU gave up a season-high 613 total yards in the game.
- #56 Aaron James (LB, 6-1, 235, Jr., Oklahoma City, Okla. / Douglass) reached double figures in tackles for the second time this season, making 11 tackles including one for a loss.
- #27 Thomas Bryson (DL, 6-5, 228, Jr., Layton, Utah / Layton) also finished with 10-plus tackles, finishing with 10 – including four solo stops for the Beavers. He has 50 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks for MSU.
- #82 Porter Sturm (WR, 6-2, 185, JR., Roy, Mont. / Roy) tied a season high with six catches for the Beavers, but only finished with 32 yards receiving as his long was eight yards.
THIS WEEK - vs SCSU
- Minot State plays the first of two straight at Herb Parker Stadium, taking on St. Cloud State Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
- The Beavers have never beaten SCSU, going 0-7-1, including a 38-14 loss at the No. 17 ranked Huskies last season.
- MSU has been much better at home than on the road this season. The Beavers were outscored 224-52 in five road games but are a respectable minus-21 in four home games (120-99). Over its last four home games, the Beavers have outscored the opposition 96-71.
Northern State (6-3 NSIC, 4-1 North)
northernstatewolves.com - KGIM 1420 -AM & 107.1 FM
Tom Dosch - Dickinson State ‘92 - 5th Season
Last Season 4-7 NSIC, 3-4 North (5th)
Last Week- at U-Mary - W 42-33
Jared Jacobson, QB, Sr., Rapid City, S.D., St. Thomas More HS
Jacobson racked-up a career-high 502 yards of total offense in Northern’s 42-33 victory over U-Mary Saturday. The 502 yards is just nine yards shy of the program record of 511 set by Kip Kieso back in 1992 against UM-Morris. Jacobson also accounted for five total touchdowns (3 pass, 2 rush) in the win. Jacobson passed for 418 yards, which is the second-highest mark of his career and also led the Wolves with 84 yards rushing in the contest.
THIS WEEK - vs UMC
- Saturday will be Senior Day at Swisher Field for the Wolves
- In all, 15 seniors will be playing their final game at home for Northern
- NSU is 13-1 all-time against Minnesota Crookston
- The Golden Eagles’ last victory in the series came in 2000
- The Wolves recorded on of their two shutouts last season against UMC in a 28-0 win in Crookston, Minn.
Sioux Falls (8-1 NSIC, 4-1 South)
www.usfcougars.com - KWSN 1230 AM
Jed Stugart - Azusa Pacific ‘94 - 5th Season
Last Season 6-5 NSIC, 4-3 South
Last Week - at MSU - L 27-14
#8 Josh Angulo, WR, 6-0, 200, So., Sioux Falls, S.D. (SF Roosevelt)
- Accumulated seven catches for 97 yards and a TD, his seventh this season.
- Has a team/career-highs with 48 catches for 627 yards seven TDs (tied for 2nd in the NSIC).
- Ranks eighth in the league with 5.33 catches per game
- Has 74 receptions for 932 yards and eight TDs in his career
#48 Carter Ahlers, LB, 6-0, 209, Jr., Flandreau, S.D. (Flandreau HS)
- Recorded a season high 12 tackles, including a forced fumble, 2 TFL, and an interception in #10 USF’s 27-14 setback to #1 Minnesota State-Mankato on the road.
- Has a team-high 62 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, a sack, forced fumble, two interceptions and three passes defended this season
- Leader on a defense that forced #1 MSU into three turnovers, including two by him. He had a forced fumble and a third quarter interception
THIS WEEK - vs UIU
- #10 University of Sioux Falls (8-1, 4-1 NSIC South, 2nd) will return home to host Upper Iowa (6-2, 3-2 NSIC) on Saturday at Bob Young Field at noon.
- USF owns a 1-1 record all-time vs. Upper Iowa
- USF is 8-1 for the second time in three years under head coach Jed Stugart.
- For the fourth time this season, USF, which ranks second nationally in turnover margin, recorded at least three takeaways, including an interceptions and two fumble recovery. The Cougars lead the NSIC with a 1.67 turnover margin (31-to-16). In total USF has six defensive TDs this season. The Cougars have a league/nation best 20 interceptions.
- For the first time this season, USF failed to post 400 yards in total offense. Against #MSU, USF put together 327 yards and now has 400 yards in total offense in eight of nine games.
- With the loss to MSU, USF is one game over .500 all-time in 96 years, sitting 403-402-20.
- The Cougars’ defense has allowed just five TDs in the first and fourth quarter combined. In fact, USF has a 201-to-47 margin in the 1st and fourth quarters combined. In just the fourth quarter, USF has a 107-to-28 margin in the fourth quarter and have a 94-to-16 ppg edge in the 1st quarter.
- USF ranks sixth in total offense (461.2 yards per game) and third in scoring offense (40.2 ppg) in the NSIC. In addition, the Cougars, which forced three turnovers, rank first in the NISC in turnover margin (31-to-16) at 1.67 per game. In addition, the USF defense is second in scoring defense (16.7 ppg) and third in total defense (329.3 yards per game) in the league. Led by junior cornerback Solomon St. Pierre’s league-best 10 interceptions (tied for 1st in NCAA DII), the Cougars have 20 interceptions as a team, which tops the NSIC by two picks. St. Pierre has tied a school record with his 10 picks and stands one away from tying the league mark.
Southwest Minnesota State (2-7 NSIC, 1-4 South)
www.smsumustangs.com - KARL 105.1 FM
Cory Sauter - Minnesota ‘97 - 5th Season
Last Season 7-5, 7-4 NSIC, 5-2 South (2nd)
Last Week - vs CU - L 38-20
Senior running back Tyler Tonderum, 5-10, 190, Armstrong, Iowa / Armstrong-Ringsted HS
-Rushed for a season-high 151 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries.
-Had a 66-yard touchdown run, the longest rush for SMSU this season.
-Recorded his 12th career 100-yard rushing game, a new SMSU record
-Ranks second in team history with 2,818 rushing yards.
Senior punter Mike Wenk, 6-0, 205, Hartford, S.D. / West Central HS
-Had five punts for an average of 47.6 yards.
-Booted a career long 79-yard punt in the fourth quarter.
-Leads the NSIC and ranks second in Division II with a punt average at 45.5 yards.
Junior safety Jared Twedt, 6-0, 205, Hudson, S.D. / Canton HS
-Recorded a career-high 17 tackles, with eight solo stops
-Leads SMSU in tackles with 87, including a team-high 50 solo stops.
THIS WEEK - at WSU
Southwest Minnesota State and Winona State meet for the 45th time on Saturday with WSU?leading 26-18 in a series that started on Oct. 10, 1970 ... WSU?leads 16-7 in games played in Winona, including winning the past 11 games played at WSU ... SMSU’s last win at Winona occured on Nov. 7, 1992 ... WSU?has won 17 of the last 20 overall meetings since 1994 ... SMSU won last season 51-44 in overtime ...WSU?has scored 30 or more points in 12 of the last 13 games, including 40 or more points 10 times.
St. Cloud State (4-5 NSIC, 3-2 North)
www.scsuhuskies.com - KNSI 1450-AM
Scott Underwood - Augustana ‘88 - 7th Season
Last Season 12-2, 10-1 NSIC, 6-1 North (2nd)
Last Week - vs BSU - W 30-27
- After jumping out to 23-0 and 30-8 leads, St. Cloud State held off a 21-point second half surge by Bemidji State to gain a 30-27 NSIC North Division win.
- The Huskies are in a three-way tie for third place in the North Division with a 3-2 record.
- Five different players scored for the Huskies in the game.
- Donte Starlin-Merriam (RB, RFY, Sun Praire, Wis.), playing in his fourth game of the season, rushed for a career high 85 yards on 15 carries and scored a touchdown, the first of his collegiate career. He finished the day with 129 yards of total offense.
- Jaden Huff,(RB, RFY, Bolingbrook, Ill.), in his first collegiate start, gained a career high 72 yards on 14 carries and scored his first collegiate touchdown.
- Taylor Berger (WR, Sr., Ramsey, Minn.) went over the 1,000 yard career receiving mark in the game. He had his second 100-yard receiving game of the season and finished the game with five catches for 129 yards and one touchdown. He has 1,037 career receiving yards.
- Brady Westart (LB, RFY, Brimfield, Ill.) had a team high nine tackles to lead the Huskies. He added two quarterback sacks, three tackles for loss and forced a fumble.
THIS WEEK - at MISU
St. Cloud State travels to Minot State on Nov. 8. The Huskies are 6-0-1 all-time against Minot since the 1937 season. Last season SCSU downed the Beavers in St. Cloud, 38-14.
Upper Iowa (6-3 NSIC, 2-3 South)
upperiowaathletics.com
Tom Shea - Dakota State ‘78 - 6th Season
Last Season 6-5 NSIC, 3-4 South (4th)
Last Week - vs WSC - W 58-29
Derek Giesking (WR, 6-0, 202, R-Sr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Washington HS)
- pulled in 15 catches for the second straight week
- scored twice and registered 177 yards in receiving
- Both Giesking and teammate Shay Gutman are closing in on the all-time receptions lead at Upper Iowa; Giesking is in the lead after pulling down 30 catches in the last two weeks. Dwayne Croker (2004-07) caught 194 passes; Giesking sits with 192, while Gutman has 188.
Javon Moore (CB, 6-0, 170, Sr., Newark, N.J., Savannah State Univ., Union HS)
- intercepted two passes and registered 7 tackles while breaking up six passes
- Cole Stephen led the defense with 14 tackles including 3.5 for loss with one tackle for a safety, while Chayz Holt made 9 tackles and added 3 breakups; as a team, UIU broke up 9 passes. Jeff Arends and Tyler Fisher picked off the other two passes, while Garrett Johnston fell on a fumble for the home squad. UIU claimed 3 sacks led by 1.5 for Jevell Rollins and 11 tackles for loss including 2 from Alex Wahl.
- Cole Jaeschke threw for 357 yards and 4 touchdowns on 36 completions on 48 attempts connecting with his receivers at a 75% clip. UIU’s qharterback moved to the top of a second all-time list in Northern Sun Conference history with 376 yards of total offense. Jaeschke now is the NSIC’s career leader in total offense with 11,501 yards and passing with 11,056 yards in 41 NSIC games. Jaeschke passed Phillip Klaphake of St. Cloud State University for the total offense mark on Saturday
- Chris Smith made his return to the lineup in style running for 148 yards and three touchdowns on just 18 carries for an 8.2 yards per carry average. The three scores give the senior rusher 19 touchdowns on the season, one shy of the Upper Iowa single-season record of 20 set by Warren Pierce in 1966. Smith also went over 1,000-yards in a season for the third time in his career.Lucas Hefty had 9 grabs for 113 yards and a score and MacTaggart and Shay Gutman each made 5 catches.
THIS WEEK - at USF
- The Peacocks will be on the road for their final two road games of the season. Upper Iowa will travel to the University of Sioux Falls this Saturday, Nov. 8, for a big game against the #10 Cougars
- Upper Iowa exploded for 29 points in the second quarter of their NSIC showdown with Wayne State College on Senior Day in Fayette en route to a 58-29 victory.
- The Peacocks ran for 226 yards in the game after two straight weeks of less than 40 yards on the ground.
- The Peacock defense also stood tall with four interceptions and a fumble recovery as they turned the Wildcats over five times.
- With the win, UIU improved to 6-3 on the season and secured their second straight winning season
- Upper Iowa’s 58 points are the team’s highest point total in a game since a 65-6 win at Lincoln University to open the 2009 season.
Wayne State (5-4 NSIC, 3-2 South)
wscwildcats.com - KCTY 104.9, KTCH 1590
Dan McLaughlin - Bellevue ‘82 - 10th Season
Last Season 2-9 NSIC, 1-6 South (8th)
Last Week - at UIU - L 58-29
Senior wide receiver Cole McDaniel has now caught at least seven passes in eight of nine games this season after hauling in seven catches for 52 yards in Saturday night’s 58-29 loss at Upper Iowa. The 6-4, 210 pounder from Tracy, California now has 67 catches for 899 yards and 7 TD’s on the season.
Sophomore Nick Roth had a stellar game in place of injured senior wide receiver Adam Stark and recorded seven catches for 96 yards and one score against the Peacocks Saturday night,
Senior linebacker Nick Monzu had eight tackles and one interception vs. Upper Iowa Saturday night. The Missouri Valley, Iowa native continues to lead the Wildcats with 76 total tackles and is now tied for the team lead in interceptions with two.
THIS WEEK - vs MSU
Wayne State is 0-6 all-time against Minnesota State, but three of the contests have been decided by seven points or less including a 42-35 win by the Mavericks in Wayne two years ago. Last season in Mankato, Minnesota State dominated the Wildcats 45-3.
Winona State (4-5 NSIC, 1-4 South)
WinonaStateWarriors.com - KQAL 89.5
Tom Sawyer - Winona State ‘83 - 19th Season
Last Season 6-5 NSIC, 4-3 South (3rd)
Last Week - at AUGIE - L 33-8
The Winona State football team fell 33-8 at Augustana Saturday afternoon. Jack Nelson connected with Cameron Johnson and also hooked up for the two point conversion for its lone scores of the game. Ryan Gerts led the defense with eight tackles while Anthony Catanese recorded his third interception of the season.
THIS WEEK - vs SMSU
The Warriors (4-5) will host their final two games of the season, beginning Saturday by welcoming Southwest Minnesota State to Warrior Stadium. WSU and SMSU will meet for the 45th time in series history dating back to 1970, with the Warriors controlling a 26-18 advantage. The Mustangs beat WSU 51-44 in overtime last season, and the Warriors won the last matchup in Winona with a 47-20 win in 2012.
Past NSIC Players of the Week
9/8/14
Off: Josh Mikes, WSU
Def: Alex Wahl, UIU
SpT: Lucas Wainman, Augie
9/15/14
Off: Jack Nelson, WSU
Def: Joe Parsley, NSU
SpT: Mike Wenk, SMSU
9/22/14
Off: Chris Smith, UIU
Def: Ben Skelly, Augie
SpT: Alden Haffar, MSU
9/29/14
Off: Chris Smith, UIU (2)
Def: Solomon St. Pierre, USF
SpT: Tom Obarski, CU
10/6/14
Off: Jared Jacobson, NSU
Def: Javon Moore, UIU
SpT: Austin Rieder, MSU
10/13/14
Off: Drew Bauer, UMD
Def: Josh Gordon, MSU
SpT: Bradley Hatfield, USF
10/20/14
Off: Trey Heid, Augie
Def: Solomon St. Pierre, USF (2)
SpT: Andrew Brees, UMD
10/27/14
Off: Zach Roberson, U-Mary
Def: Paul Woodward, NSU
SpT: Tom Obarski, CU (2)
11/3/14
Off: Tre Spears, CU
Jared Jacobson, NSU
Def: Josh Gordon, MSU (2)
SpT: Michael Schwichtenberg, MSUM
#NSICFB