For Immediate Release
Monday, October 18, 2021
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#7 JD Ekowa (QB, 6-1, 210, Sr., Plainfield, Ill. / Plainfield North HS) - Minnesota State
- Recorded a career-high 286 passing yards and a career-high four touchdown passes in a 58-0 win at UIU
- Recorded 19 rushing yards, including an 11-yard touchdown run
- Finished with 305 yards of total offense, with a hand in five touchdowns
- Completed 16-of-20 passes with a 266.12 passing efficiency 

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#43 T.J. Liggett (LB, 6-1, 225, Sr., Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount HS) - Augustana
- Totaled 12 tackles including two for a loss in a 32-24 win at No. 23 Wayne State
- Ten of his tackles were solo
- Was credited with a pass breakup as he helped Augustana pick up its first win over a ranked opponent since 2015

NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week
#81 Curt Cox (PK, 5-11, 183, R-So., Dodgeville, Wis. / Mineral Point HS) - Minnesota Duluth 
- Connected on four field goals during UMD’s 33-13 win over CSP
- Hit from 51, 33, 31, and 28 on the day
- Added three extra points for 15 points scored in the game
- Scored the first 12 points of the game for UMD, including a 51 yarder headed into halftime to open the scoring
- Name NSIC Specials Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season (9/20/21)

Other Top Performances
Offense
#11 Kyle Saddler (AUGIE) threw four touchdown passes against zero interceptions as the Vikings took down No. 23 Wayne State on the road. He totaled 332 yards of passing including a long of 40 yards that went for a touchdown. He completed 20 passes for the 332 yards and rushed for a season-best 12 yards.
#6 Malik Williams (BSU) recorded third straight multi-touchdown game in a 22-19 comeback win. He caught the final two touchdowns (30, 7), including game-winning score. He totaled seven catches for 99 yards. He moved into 7th all-time at BSU in rec. TDs (18).
#88 Luke Little (UMary) caught 12 passes for 152 yards and two scores.  He cracked 100 yards receiving for 5th time this season and has caught multiple TDs in a game four times in 2021.  He is second in the NSIC with career-highs in catches (59), yards (814) and TDs (11).
#8 Armani Carmickle (UMD) during UMD’s 33-13 victory over CSP, posted 149 total receiving yards on just seven catches. That’s an average of 21.28 yards per catch. For Carmickle, it’s the fourth game this season that he’s posted over 100 receiving yards.
#21 Ali Mohamed (MINOT) rushed for a career-high 212 yards, set a new NCAA D-II school record with 35 rushing attempts in a game, and tied a school record with 4 rushing touchdowns in a game.
#25 Brett Brenton (NSU) led Northern State with 87 yards rushing and two touchdowns in their win over Minot State - Averaged 4.8 yards per carry with a 17-yard long - Recorded his second straight game with over 80 yards rushing - Moved up two places in the NSIC rankings, averaging 43.7 yards per game.
#34 Thuro Reisdorfer (USF) had 19 carries for 145 yards with two TDs in a 34-14 win over U-Mary.  He was part of 517 yards in total offense, including 311 rushing yards. Reisdorfer now has nine career 100-yard rushing games and four this year. The nine career 100-yard rushing games ranks 10th in school history. The Sioux Falls junior also moved up to 15th on USF’s career rushing chart with 1,924 yards on 284 carries (6.77 avg.) and now has 26 career TDs including 21 by rush. He now has 672 yards on 93 carries with seven TDs as he averages 7.2 yards per carry and 112.00 yards per game this season. 
#18 Owen Burke (WSU) earned the BIG/Adidas MVP trophy in the Battle of Sledge, leading Winona State to a 26-14 over Southwest Minnesota State. He threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns. He was 17-of-31 across seven different receivers as he moved into third all-time for passing yards in a career, with 6,517.

Defense
#45 Colbey Wadsworth (BSU) blocked one field goal and helped in a second-half shutout of 22-19 win. He recorded six tackles, including 1.0 TFL and 0.5 a sack. He was part of a defensive unit that held MSUM scoreless over final 43:22 of game, He held MSUM to 5-18 on third downs.
#44 Brad Dati (UMD) led UMD in total tackles with eight while also notching 1.5 tackles for loss for a total of -7 yards. He also posted 0.5 sacks for a loss of 4 yards.
#2 Amiri Finner (MSU) led the Mavericks with nine tackles including 2.0 tackles for a loss.
#47 Josiah Behm (MSUM) had a career-high 15 tackles in MSUM’s 22-19 loss at Bemidji State. He had three solo stops and 12 assists. He also added an interception.
#3 Caleb Ness (MINOT) led the defense once again with 7 tackles.
#20 Chance Olson (NSU) recorded two interceptions in the Wolves 36-35 win over Minot State. He returned his first interception 50 yards to set up a field goal to bring the score to 28-23. His second interception came at 13:22 of fourth quarter, with the ensuing drive leading to go-ahead-score. He added four tackles, including three solo stops and leads the NSIC in total interceptions with five.
#22 Carter Lohr (USF) had four solo tackles, a TFL and his third interception of the year to lead USF Football to a 34-14 win over U-Mary. Lohr was part of a defense that held the league’s top passing team to 40 yards under its season average and just 14 points. The Cougars, helped by Lohr, held U-Mary to 59 yards rushing or 2.2 avg. Cougars gave up only a first quarter and fourth quarter TD.
#24 Duxbury Carter (WSU) had two quarterback sacks and racked up five total tackles. Four of his tackles were solo stops as he moved into the Warrior top-15 in both career sacks (12) and the top-15 for sacks for a season at 7.5 so far in 2021. 

Special Teams
#39 Drew Jurgens (AUGIE) averaged 49.5 yards per punt including a long of 50 and the other one sailed 49. One of the punts stranded Wayne State inside the 20 yard line as WSC did not score after either punt.
#4 Ty’Shonan Brooks (MSU) recorded a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown. He now has two punt returns for a touchdown this season. 
#15 Justin Czech (MSUM) averaged 41.3 yards per punt at Bemidji State. He had a long punt of 56 yards and placed one inside the 20. He is averaging 40.7 yards per punt this season. 
#97 Jacob Scott (WSU) scored the first six points of the contest for Winona State in a 26-14 win over Southwest Minnesota State in the BIG Adidas Battle for the Sledge. He connected on two field goals, both 27 yards and was 2-for-3 in PAT attempts.

NSIC Football Players of the Week
9/7/21
O: #9 John Larson - UMD
D: #39 Clay Schueffner - WSU
SP: #26 Payton Eue - NSU
9/13/21
O: #10 Brandon Alt - Bemidji State
D:  #18 Andrew Egnarski - Concordia-St. Paul
SP: #26 Payton Eue - Northern State (2)
9/20/21
O: #34 Thuro Reisdorfer - SIoux Falls
D: #8 Peyton Buckley - Augustana
SP: #81 Curt Cox  - Minnesota Duluth
9/27/21
O: #11 Kyle Saddler - Augustana
D: #27 Hunter Bohannon- SMSU
SP: #41 Alex Powders - Wayne State 
10/4/21
O: #9 Logan Nelson - University of Mary
D: #51 Nate Pearson - Minnesota Duluth
SP: #4 Ty’Shonan Brooks - Minnesota State
10/11/21
O: #4 Hunter Trautman - Northern State 
D: #55 Alex Kowalczyk - Wayne State
SP: #5 Jake Balliu - Winona State
10/18/21
O: #7 JD Ekowa - Minnesota State
D: #43 T.J. Liggett - Augustana
SP: #81 Curt Cox  - Minnesota Duluth (2)

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a 16-team union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 24 team national championships and crowned 81 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.