For Immediate Release
Monday, October 3, 2022
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#4 Jesse Forknell (QB, 6-3, 205, So., Fargo, N.D. / Fargo Davies HS) - University of Mary
- In his first collegiate start, rallied the Marauders to 27-26 overtime win over NSU
- Completed 18-of-30 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions
- Connected on touchdown passes from 12, 19 and 21 yards out, all in the second half
- Threw 21 yards to Collin Gapen for the overtime equalizer

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#90 Zach Durfee (DL, 6-5, 250, R-Fr., Dawson, Minn. / Dawson-Boyd HS) - Sioux Falls
- Produced three sacks for a loss of six yards in a 31-24 win over No. 11 Augustana
- Tallied five tackles with three tackles for loss
- First sack came on a third and seven ending Augustana’s second drive of the game
- Third sack came with 1:27 left setting up a second and 21
- Added a quarterback hurry 
- Leads the NSIC in sacks with nine on the season

NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week
#95 Ian Kopf (DL, 6-4, 240, R-Fr., Walla Walla, Wash. / Walla Walla HS) - University of Mary
- Blocked two extra point attempts in the Marauders 27-26 overtime wins over NSU
- The first block came at the end of the first half as Northern State took a 20-7 lead
- His second block came in overtime after the Wolves scored on their first possession
- UMary then won the game on a Jesse Forknell to Collin Gapen TD pass and a successful Kevin Powell extra point kick

Other Top Performances
OFFENSE
#14 Dhel Duncan-Busby (BSU) led Bemidji State receivers with 136 receiving yards on five catches and caught two touchdowns in the Beavers’ 59-14 win at Minot State. He had a long reception for 62-yards that also went for a touchdown.
#33 Zach Ojile (UMD) totaled three touchdowns, including two on the ground. Had 46 yards through the air on five catches as he broke season highs for rushing touchdowns (2), reception yards (46), longest reception (26), and receiving touchdown (1). 
#12 Camden Dean (MSU) threw for 100 yards and two touchdowns in a 25-15 win at CSP. He also rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. He was involved in all three of MSU’s touchdowns.
#6 Gage Florence (MSUM) tied a single-game school record for receptions in a game with 16 in a 36-28 loss at Minnesota Duluth. One of those catches was a 61 yard touchdown as he totaled 173 yards on the day.
#18 Peyton Lamoureux (MINOT) led the offense with a team-high 70 yards receiving, including a 58-yard touchdown catch, the longest TD play of the season for the Beavers in a 59-14 loss to BSU. 
#8 Ethan Wittenburg (USF) had seven receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown in USFs 31-24 Key To The City win over Augustana.  He sits fifth in the NSIC with 23 receptions for 409 yards and two touchdowns on the season. 
#4 Ty Gavin (WSU) eclipsed 130 yards rushing in a game for the third time this season, running for 139 yards and a score in a 28-14 win over Wayne State. He ran for 139 yards on 19 carries with a long of 38. He now has three, 130+ yard games in five weeks of the season and ranks third in the league in total rushing yards and is first in in yards per carry. 

DEFENSE
#50 Ryan Schnobrich (BSU) recorded five tackles, four solo and one assisted, to help the Beavers earn a 59-14 win at Minot State. He recorded four tackles for loss and also had one sack in the game.
#49 Dakota Smith (MSU) led the team in tackles with seven and recovered a fumble. His fumble recovery set up the Mavericks on the CSP 45. MSU would get a field goal to go up 18-7.
#2 Marcus Gulley (MSUM) charted eight tackles against Minnesota Duluth on Saturday including three for a loss with a sack.
#50 Lane Schall (MINOT) had five tackles for the Beaver defense and an early interception for Minot State to help give the Beavers momentum early in the contest against Bemidji State.
#0 Onte Burns (SMSU) had two interceptions, including returning one 30 yards for a touchdown, to help SMSU earn its fourth straight victory on Saturday night. Burns also finished with seven tackles (three solo) as SMSU limited Upper Iowa to just 201 yards of offense. SMSU held a 21-0 lead in the second quarter before Burns earned his third career interception and returned it for a touchdown. It was his second career interception return for a touchdown (both versus UIU).
#39 Clay Schueffner (WSU) led his team in tackles and had a key interception in a Winona State 38-14 win over Wayne State. He had an interception with a 26-yard return. He led WSU with eight tackles in the game and was a key part of a defense that held WSC to 14 points. He is second in the NSIC in tackles at 51.

SPECIAL TEAMS
#2 Jake Hill (BSU) returned four punts for a total 94 yards to help BSU to a 59-14 win at Minot State. He had a long return of 71 yards in the game. He totaled 168 all-purpose yards in the game with 74 receiving yards.
#2 Trey Vaval (MSU) blocked two CSP field goal attempts in the second quarter (29 and 25 yard attempts). He also returned one punt for 12 yards and one kickoff for 26 yards.
#4 Justin Cash (MINOT) had a career-best 67-yard punt in the Beavers game against Bemidji State, and 45.1 yards per punt, helping the Beavers win the field-position battle Saturday.
#98 Seamus Hall (USF) had seven punts for 323 yards with a season long of 53 yards. He produced three 50+ yard punts and 1 touchback. He put 2 punts inside the 20 with one giving the ball back to USF on the Augie 15.
#1 Darryl Williams (WSU) broke a punt return for a 79-yard touchdown in the Winona State 38-14 win over Wayne State, a key play and a turning point in the game. He had 101 punt return yards in the game and had two kickoff returns for a total of 42 yards, including a 40-yard effort.  He also had two catches as a receiver. The 79-yard punt return was the 2nd longest in the NSIC so far this year. 
NSIC Football Players of the Week
9/6/22
O:  #10 Jalen Sample - Minnesota State
D: #7 Alijah McGhee - Minnesota State
SP: #26 Payton Eue - Northern State
9/12/22
O: #24 Jesse Sherwood - SMSU
D: #5 Alex Kowalczyk - Wayne State
SP: #2 Trey Vaval - Minnesota State
9/19/22
O: #24 Jesse Sherwood - SMSU (2) 
D: #94 Grayson Diepenbrock - Augustana
SP: #26 Payton Eue - Northern State(2)
9/26/22
O: #34 Thuro Reisdorfer - USF
D: #0 Onte Burns - SMSU
SP: #27 Jacob Scott - WSU
10/3/22
O: #4 Jesse Forknell - UMary
D: #90 Zach Durfee - USF
SP: #95 Ian Kopf - UMary

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 25 team national championships and crowned 96 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.