For Immediate Release
Thursday, September 4, 2014
NSIC Media Relations
Full PDF Release
NSIC Forecast (Audio)
2014 NSIC Football Weekly Notes
Augustana (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 South)
www.goAugie.com - KIKN 100.5-FM
Jerry Olszewski - UW-Stevens Point ‘93
2nd Season, 4-7; 4-7 NSIC
Last Season 4-7 NSIC, 2-5 South (t-6th)
THIS WEEK - at UMC
The Vikings enter the season under the direction of second-year head coach Jerry Olszewski and are coming off a 4-7 record a season ago.
Augustana returns four All-NSIC performers from last season, all on the defensive side of the ball, including first team selections Jake Lee and Ben Skelly.
Junior linebacker Brandon Mohr (second team) and junior defensive back Justin Brown (honorable mention) also return on the Viking defense which brings back eight starters from last season.
The Vikings are 4-0 all-time against the Golden Eagles and have out-scored them by a score of 203-7 in the four meetings.
Augustana is in search of its third straight season-opening win when it takes the field on Saturday.
Bemidji State (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 North)
www.bsubeavers.com - The River 92.1 FM
Jeff Tesch - MSU Moorhead ‘78
19th Season, 116-79; 92-62 NSIC
Last Season 3-8 NSIC, 1-6 North (t-7th)
THIS WEEK - at WSC
- The Bemidji State football team will open its 89th season of collegiate competition Sept. 6 when it travels to Wayne, Neb. to face NSIC foe Wayne State College.
- BSU is 7-10 versus the Wildcats all time, including a 20-17 loss to WSC in the last meeting between the teams Sept. 15, 2012.
- The Beavers are coming off their first losing season in five seasons, recording a 3-8 record to finish eighth in the NSIC North Division a year ago.
- Bemidji State was picked to finish third in the North Division and eighth overall in the 2014 NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
- BSU’s 2014 captains are: Scott Christensen (Sr., DB, Stockbridge, Ga.), Dylan Valentine (Sr., DB, Temecula, Calif.), Jesse Hein (So., OL, Perham, Minn.) and J.J. Reinke (Sr., DL, New Prague, Minn.).
Concordia-St. Paul (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 South)
www.cugoldenbears.com
Ryan Williams - NDSU ‘01
4th Season, 13-20; 12-20 NSIC
Last Season 5-6 NSIC, 2-5 South (t-6th)
THIS WEEK - AT UMD
Concordia opens the season at #3 Minnesota Duluth
Concordia tabbed 12th in NSIC overall, 8th in NSIC South
UMD picked 1st in overall the north division
Concordia is…
2-1 in season openers under 4th year head coach Ryan Williams
5-6 against the NSIC North Division in Williams’ career
3-7 against UMD all-time, dropping the last four meetings
1-4 against UMD in Duluth
3-1 when scoring 30-plus points on the Bulldogs
0-1 against UMD under Williams
- CU’s last win against UMD was Sept 4, 2004 in St. Paul, 38-6 in non-conference play as UMD was an NCC member
- CU’s only win at UMD was its first trip there on Oct 7, 2000 (37-27)
- In CU’s last trip to UMD in 2009, Bulldogs prevailed 56-0 with its second straight shutout of CU, also blanking the Bears 40-0 in 2008 in St. Paul
- In the last meeting in 2012 in St. Paul, UMD prevailed 70-24. CU held a pair of first quarter leads, 3-0 and 10-7 and only trailed 28-24 late in the first half but UMD scored on its first 10 possessions
- Concordia names team captains: Cordell Smith (WR, Sr., Mequon, Wis.), Tre Spears (RB, Sr., Chicago, Ill.), Abdullah Asad (SS, Sr., Chicago, Ill.) and Jordan Halverson (LB, Jr., Fridley, Minn.)
- Tom Obarski (K/P, Sr., Burnsville, Minn.) has been nominated to the National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Award
- Concordia features three USA College Football Preseason All-Americans: 1st Team: Jermaine Clemon (TE, Sr., Racine, Wis.), Tom Obarski (K/P, Sr., Burnsville, Minn.); 2nd Team: Nick Jauch (LB, Sr., Middleton, Wis.)
University of Mary (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 North)
www.goumary.com - KFYR 550 AM
Josh Kotelnicki - North Dakota ‘02
1st Season, 0-0; 0-0 NSIC
Last Season 6-5 NSIC, 4-3 North (t-3rd)
THIS WEEK - vs SMSU
- The Marauders open the 2014 season by hosting Southwest Minnesota State University on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 2:30 p.m.
- The game will be televised throughout central and western North Dakota on the NBC North Dakota Sports Network.
- This is the first time the Marauders have played in the MDU Resources Community Bowl since the $8 million renovation was completed last winter.
- Josh Kotelnicki is making his Marauders head coaching debut against the Mustangs.
- Previous head coach Myron Schulz, who led the Marauders to 103 victories in 15 seasons at the helm, also made his Marauders head coaching debut against the Mustangs, a 28-7 road win at SMSU in the 1999 season opener.
- The Marauders named four captains for the 2014 season, seniors Troy Guptill, Nick Jolliffe, Elby Pope and Grant Singer. Additionally fellow senior Vince Ferrante will be a game captain for opening day.
- The Marauders are 3-2 all-time against the Mustangs, including a 43-24 road win in 2012, the last meeting between the two schools.
Minnesota Crookston (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 North)
www.goldeneaglesports.com - KROX 1260 AM
Mike Fritze - Winona State
2nd Season, 2-9; 2-9 NSIC
Last Season 2-9 NSIC, 2-5 North (6th)
THIS WEEK - vs AUGIE
-The UMC football team will open up play for the 2014 season Sept. 6 at home at 1 p.m. against Augustana College (S.D.).
-UMC will be led by a new quarterback in 2014 as Ben Bucholz, who played basketball at St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth prior to transferring, takes over the reins as a redshirt junior. Bucholz was an All-State quarterback at Perham.
-The Golden Eagles will be anchored by three seniors on the offensive line led by center Sam Smith, who has started all 33 games in his career. Joining him are tackle Matt Borowicz and sixth year player Jeff Pryor.
-On defense, UMC will look to an experienced defensive line led by returning starters Drew Selvestra and A.J. Wallace.
-Look for running back Talo Pascal to have an improved season. The junior, who shared the duties with Keith McBride last year, rushed for over 400 yards as a sophomore.
-Golden Eagles are coming off a 2-9 year last year giving them four conference wins in the last two years, showing growth after not winning a single conference game for four-straight seasons.
-Coach Mike Fritze is heading into his second year as head coach. Fritze is the first person since Shannon Stassen in 2009 and 2010 to coach the team in consecutive seasons.
Minnesota Duluth (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 North)
www.umdbulldogs.com - KQDS-AM 1490
Curt Wiese - Minnesota State ‘00
2nd Season, 11-2; 10-1 NSIC
Last Season 11-2, 10-1 NSIC, 7-0 North (1st)
THIS WEEK - VS CU
43 – Lettermen the Bulldogs retain from last year’s club, which went 11-2 overall and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the sixth time in as many years (they bowed out in the second round to eventual national champion Northwest Missouri State). Thirteen of those holdovers were starters from a year ago, including seven on offense and five on offense as well as junior placekicker/punter Andrew Brees, a 2012 All-NSIC first team pick.
14 – Straight season-opening victories UMD has racked up coming into this fall. The last time UMD started a year 0-1 was in 1999 in then-coach Bob Nielson’s Bulldog debut (a 35-17 setback to visiting MSU).
4 – Preseason All-Americans the 2014 Bulldog roster sports: senior offensive guard Andrew Muer (USA College Football and Beyond Sports College Network), senior wide receiver/return specialist Aaron Roth (USA College Football and College Football Development League), senior running back Austin Sikorski (USA College Football) and junior placekicker/punterAndrew Brees (USA College Football). Sikorski, the 2013 NSIC North Division Preseason Offensive Player of the Year who ran for a career-high 1,290 yards as a junior (the fifth largest single-season harvest in team history), currently ranks seventh for career rushing yards among Bulldogs (2,736).
4 – Interceptions the Bulldogs brought back for touchdowns last fall. That equaled a school record set in both 1986 and 2010. One of those four thefts was hauled in by current junior linebacker Nathan Zibolski.
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3 – 2014 Preseason polls in which the Bulldogs cracked the Top 4 -- No. 2 (BennettRank), No. 3 (American Football Coaches Association) and No. 4 (D2Football.com). UMD was also chosen as the team to beat in the NSIC Preseason Football Coaches Poll.
0– Number of NCAA II schools in the country with a better winning percentage than UMD’s since the start of the 2008 season (.890 off a 73-9 overall record). No team has also won more national championships (two) or posted more 15-0 seasons (two) during that stretch than the Bulldogs.
Minnesota State (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 South)
www.msumavericks.com - 1230-AM KYSM
Todd Hoffner - Valley City State ‘89
5th Season, 34-13; 31-9 NSIC
Last Season 11-1, 11-0 NSIC, 7-0 South (1st)
THIS WEEK - vs SCSU
Grabbing the Reigns: The 2014 season marks the return of head coach Todd Hoffner to the sidelines. During his four previous seasons at Minnesota State, Hoffner compiled a 34-13 record, including a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and 2009.
Mutual History: Saturday’s meeting between the Mavericks and the Huskies marks the 79th meeting between them, with SCSU leading the all-time series with a 42-32-4 record. In their last meeting, the Huskies defeated the Mavericks 54-48 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Blakeslee Stadium. The 102 combined points scored tied for the most combined points scored in a single Maverick game, matching the previous mark of 102 points scored between MSU and South Dakota State back in the 1993 season.
Concerning the Mavericks: The Minnesota State Mavericks finished their 2013 regular season with an 11-1 record. MSU fell to St. Cloud State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season by the score of 54-48.
Last season, the Mavericks boasted the highest scoring average in the NSIC last season as they averaged 43.8 points per game. MSU was also the highest rushing team in the NSIC, with an average of 294.7 rushing yards per game.
MSU Moorhead (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 North)
www.msumdragons.com - 106.1-FM KQLX
Steve Laqua - NDSU ‘03
4th Season, 7-26; 6-26 NSIC
Last Season 4-7 NSIC, 4-3 North (t-3rd)
THIS WEEK - at UIU
-Year 4 of the Steve Laqua era officially begins on Saturday for the MSU Moorhead football team when the Dragons play at Upper Iowa.
-The Dragons and Peacocks will meet for a sixth time with Upper Iowa holding a slim 3-2 series lead. Upper Iowa won the last meeting, 51-33 on Sept, 15, 2012 in Moorhead. The Dragons’ last win, by a 28-24 score, came in 2010.
-The Dragons are coming off of a season where they went 4-7 overall, including 4-3 in the NSIC North Division. MSUM finished third in the division race and went 4-2 in its last six games.
-Jake Hodge (QB, Jr.,) returns after throwing for 2,518 yards and 24 TDs. Hodge was second-team All-NSIC North Division last season.
MSUM averaged 31.8 points per game a year ago and rushed for 174.2 yards per game. The Dragons threw for 285.5 yards per game and averaged 459.7 total yards of offense per contest.
-The Dragon defense is led by a pair of all-conference honorable mention performers from last season in junior linebacker Chris Lee and sophomore defensive lineman Ryan Dahleen.
-The Dragons allowed 41.5 points per game a year ago. Teams rushed for 255.7 yards per game against MSUM and threw for 241.4. Teams compiled 497.1 yards per game a year ago against MSUM.
-MSUM is 1-2 in season openers under Head Coach Steve Laqua. In 2011, the Dragons beat Robert Morris, 28-17. They have lost their past two openers, falling to Wayne State, 49-6 in 2012 and Augustana, 41-28 in 2013.
Minot State (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 North)
www.msubeavers.com - KCJB AM 910
Tyler Hughes - Utah State ‘05
1st Season, 0-0; 0-0 NSIC
Last Season 2-9, 1-6 NSIC (t-7th)
THIS WEEK - at USF
- Minot State is 1-4 all-time against Sioux Falls, falling four straight times. The series dates back to 1994 when MSU defeated USF 20-13 in the first round of the NAIA National Playoffs.
- The Beavers are 0-1 against USF since the duo became members of the Northern Sun, falling 42-20 at Minot State in 2012.
- MSU has dropped 11 straight season-opening games, dating back to a 35-28 win over Bemidji State in the season opener in 2002.
- Minot State returns 11 starters and 23 letterwinners off a 2-9 2013 team.
- The Beavers will be under first-year head coach Tyler Hughes, who was hired in April as the 20th head coach in school history.
Northern State (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 North)
northernstatewolves.com - KGIM 1420 -AM & 107.1 FM
Tom Dosch - Dickinson State ‘92
5th Season, 17-27; 16-26 NSIC
Last Season 4-7 NSIC, 3-4 North (5th)
THIS WEEK - vs WSU
- The Northern State football team kicks off the 2014 season Thursday as Winona State comes to Swisher Field for a 6 p.m. contest.
- Tom Dosch enters his fifth season as the head man for the Wolves. NSU is coming off a 4-7 record in 2013 while Winona went 6-5. Northern was picked to finish 10th in the league in the NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll while the Warriors were picked to finish third overall and received one first-place vote.
- Northern returns All-NSIC First Team tight end Conner Doherty who was the only freshman selected first team all-league in 2013. Doherty was second amongst NSIC tight ends with 559 yards receiving last season. Doherty led the Wolves with 42 catches and six touchdowns and also caught at least one pass in all 11 games in 2013.
- Linebacker Ryan Weybrecht was a Second Team All-NSIC selection in 2013. Weybrecht was fifth on the team with 47 tackles last season and was tied for second on the team with two sacks. He was the only player for NSU to record a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, an interception and a blocked kick last season for the Wolves.
- Quarterback Jared Jacobson begins his senior campaign sixth on the all-time NSIC total yardage list with 6,642 yards. This statistic is based on NSIC games played only.
Sioux Falls (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 South)
www.usfcougars.com - KWSN 1230 AM
Jed Stugart - Azusa Pacific ‘94
5th Season, 34-12; 15-7 NSIC
Last Season 6-5 NSIC, 4-3 South
THIS WEEK - vs MSUM
- The Cougars were picked fifth in the NSIC preseason coaches’ poll
- The Cougars were picked to finish third in the NSIC South Division behind Minnesota State and Winona State.
- USF returns 18 of 25 starters from a year ago (7/4 O, 10/1 D, 1/2 ST).
- #3 Nephi Garcia (RB/5-7/185/Sr., Palm Desert, Calif.) logged the fifth-most single-season rushing yards in the past 10 years.
- Garcia ranks in the top-20 in school history with 1,068 rushing yards and has seven 100-yard rushing games and 11 career touchdowns.
- #26 John Tidwell (CB/6-0/191/Jr.Aurora, Colo. / Rangeview HS) was a First team All-NSIC performer last year as well as a Don Hansen Football Committee All-Super Region 3 Team third team.
- Tidwell collected 56 tackles, including 3.5 for losses and had 12 passes defended (two interceptions, ten pass break-ups), which ranked him sixth in the NSIC.
- Tidwell enters his junior campaign with 118 career tackles (89 solo), 7.5 TFL and 28 passes defended (5 interceptions, 23 pass breakups).
Southwest Minnesota State (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 South)
www.smsumustangs.com - KARL 105.1 FM
Cory Sauter - Minnesota ‘97
5th Season, 18-28; 17-26 NSIC
Last Season 7-5, 7-4 NSIC, 5-2 South (2nd)
THIS WEEK - at U-Mary
- SMSU opens its 47th season at the University of Mary.
- Southwest Minnesota State is 20-26 all-time in season openers, including losing its last three season lid-lifters.
- SMSU is one of just two teams in NCAA DII to return a 3,000-yard passer and a 1,000-yard rusher from the 2013 season. Charlie Kern passed for 3,156 yards, while Tyler Tonderum rushed for 2,145.
- SMSU has scored 30 or more points in 16 of its last 24 games dating
back to the final game of the 2011 season.
- SMSU scored 50 or more points in four games last season setting a new program record. SMSU scored 40 or more points in six games in 2013, ranking second behind the 1991 team which holds the record with eight 40-point games.
- SMSU finished second in the NSIC in red-zone offense (86.8) and finished 26th in Division II (86.0).
- Tyler Tonderum rushed for more than 100 yards in five straight games twice last season becoming just the second SMSU player in team history (Shad Peckenpaugh,1985) to do so.
- Tonderum has school record four 200-yard rushing games in his career.
- Tonderum set the SMSU single-season record for rushing touchdowns with 19 in 2013.
- Tonderum finished the 2013 season ranked 14th in Division II in scoring with 19 rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. He scored at least two touchdowns in seven games.
- AJ Page finished the NSIC season third in tackles, third in tackles for loss and seventh in sacks.
- AJ Page (109) and Tate Bunkers (102) each reached 100-plus tackles last season becoming the first SMSU players since Tyler Reed in 2007 to reach 100 tackles in a season.
St. Cloud State (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 North)
www.scsuhuskies.com - KNSI 1450-AM
Scott Underwood - Augustana ‘88
7th Season, 52-20; 48-14 NSIC
Last Season 12-2, 10-1 NSIC, 6-1 North (2nd)
THIS WEEK - at MSU
- #15 AFCA/#12 D2football.com ranked St. Cloud State will open the season on the road at #7/#5 Minnesota State University, Mankato on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m.
- Huskies lead the all-time series 42-32-4 and have won nine of the last 11 games in the series including a 54-48 NCAA playoff win over the Mavericks last season.
- The Huskies and Mavericks will play for the Traveling Training Kit, awarded to the winner of this game. It is currently in the possession of the Huskies.
- SCSU returns six starters on offense and five on defense in 2014.
- Ledell White (Jr., RB, Milwaukee, Wis.) is the top returning rusher for the Huskies and is closing in on the 1,000 yard career rushing mark. White enters the season with 909 career rushing yards. Last season he averaged 34.4 yards a game.
- Head coach Scott Underwood is entering his seventh season at the helm of the Huskies. He has compiled a 52-20 record with the Huskies and is 48-14 in NSIC games.
- Huskies are coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history. In 2013, SCSU played a school record 14 games and won a school record 12 games. The Huskies advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs posting wins on the road at #4 Henderson State and #1 Minnesota State before losing to eventual national champion Northwest Missouri State.
- For the second straight year, the Huskies are picked to finish fourth in the NSIC by the league coaches.
Upper Iowa (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 South)
upperiowaathletics.com
Tom Shea - Dakota State ‘78
6th Season, 10-34, 8-33 NSIC
Last Season 6-5 NSIC, 3-4 South (4th)
THIS WEEK - vs MSUM
- Upper Iowa University was selected to finish eleventh in the overall standings in the 16-member NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
- The Peacocks were picked to finish sixth in the NSIC South Division.
- Two Peacocks were named as players to watch heading into the 2014 campaign. Opponents will have their eyes on a lot of the UIU players during the upcoming season, but Lucas Hefty and Jevell Rollins will receive special attention in team’s game planning against the Peacocks.
- #12 Lucas Hefty (TE, 6-4, 240, Sr., Traer, Iowa / North Tama HS) was named as a preseason All-American by Lindy Sports, Beyond Sports College Network’s (BSN) and USA College Football
- Upper Iowa will host Take a Kid to the Game and Educator Appreciation Day in conjunction with the 2014 season opener.
Wayne State (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 South)
wscwildcats.com - KCTY 104.9, KTCH 1590
Dan McLaughlin - Bellevue ‘82
10th Season, 54-47; 50-36 NSIC
Last Season 2-9 NSIC, 1-6 South (8th)
THIS WEEK - vs BSU
- Wayne State leads all-time series against Bemidji State 10-7
- BSU is making first trip to Wayne since 2008
- WSC has lost eight straight games at home, 0-6 last season
- Game features two of the three longest-tenured coaches in the league - Jeff Tesch (19th year at BSU) and Dan McLaughlin (10th year at WSC)
Winona State (0-0 NSIC, 0-0 South)
WinonaStateWarriors.com - KQAL 89.5
Tom Sawyer - Winona State ‘83
19th Season, 148-60; 121-28 NSIC
Last Season 6-5 NSIC, 4-3 South (3rd)
THIS WEEK - AT NSU
- Winona State at Northern State on Thurs., Sept 4 at 6 p.m.
- WSU received votes in the AFCA Preseason Coaches Poll
- WSU leads series 21-16
- WSU won the last meeting 42-32 in 2012 in Winona, Minn.
- The last win for NSU over WSU was 10/30/99 (37-24)
- The Warriors will suit up seven players who garnered preseason All-American attention in the offseason.
- Eight Warriors will return after earning All-Conference honors last
year
- WSU returns the NSIC Newcomer of the Year in quarterback Jack Nelson.
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