For Immediate Release
Monday, October 16, 2023
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet
NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#1 Ryan Bieberdorf (WR, 5-11, 185, Sr., Bemidji, Minn. / Bemidji HS) – MSU Moorhead
- Hauled in six receptions for 137 yards and four touchdowns in MSUM’s 53-40 win over USF
- The mark ties the MSUM single-game record for touchdown catches in a game
- Averaged 22.8 yards per reception in the game with a long of 42 yards
NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#47 Josiah Behm (LB, 6-2, 225, Jr., Appleton, Wis. / Fox Valley Lutheran HS) - MSU Moorhead
- Made eight tackles, including five solo stops in MSUM’s 53-40 win over Sioux Falls
- Returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown to open up the scoring for MSUM
- The return ties an MSUM record for longest interception return in school history
- Named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season (9/18/23)
NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week
#25 Jake Pecina (K, 5-10, 175, R-Fr., Forney, Texas / Sunnyvale HS) - Augustana
- Went 2-for-2 on field goals and 6-for-6 on point-after attempts
- The two field goals were from 38 and 48 yards with the 48-yarder marking a career-best
- Led NSIC kickers in scoring with 12 points
- Also kicked off nine times for 469 yards
Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Jarod Epperson (AUGIE)
- Had his best game of the season with his 11th 100-yard game
- Rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns
- Averaged eight yards per rush on 18 attempts, with a long of 40 yards
- Helped AU to its third-ever 7-0 start
Brandon Alt (BSU)
- Completed 22-of-39 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns
- Surpassed 10,000 career passing yards
- Found eight different receivers
- Pass completions of 50, 49, 35, 27 and 26 yards
Hayden Ekern (MSU)
- Matched his career-high with four touchdown passes vs. Western Oregon
- Threw for 228 yards and rushed for 17 yards
- Completed 17-of-27 passes
Myles West (MINOT)
- Turned in a career-high 125 yard rushing game
- Scored the game-winning touchdown on a 2-yard run season
Dewaylon Ingram (NSU)
- Led NSU with 132 receiving yards, his fourth game in 2023 with 100-plus yards
- Tallied one touchdown and a 63-yard long
- Averaged 26.4 yards per reception
- Moved into fourth all-time in receiving touchdowns (21) and fifth all-time in receiving yards (1,898) in the Northern State record books
- Ranks fifth nationally in total receiving yards and sixth in receiving yards per game
Camden Dean (USF)
- Career high with 463 passing yards and six touchdowns in a loss to MSU Moorhead
- Career high with 120 rushing yards
- Key targets were Carter Slykhuis with a career high 206 receiving yards and Mark Leonard with 130 receiving yards and three touchdowns on nine catches
DEFENSE
Buckley Peyton (AUGIE)
- Recorded an interception, two tackles for loss and six total tackles in the Vikings' win at Winona State
- Corralled an interception and totaled 42 return yards
- His two tackles for loss accounted for nine yards
- AU held WSU to just 75 yards rushing
Spencer Wehr (BSU)
- Posted 10 tackles (two solo), along with 2.5 tackles for a loss of seven yards
- Added two pass breakups
Khai West (MSU)
- Returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown against Western Oregon
- Matched the previous MSU record set by Jordan Malone against Augustana in 2003
- Also recorded one tackle
Carson Cayko (MINOT)
- Had a team high nine tackles and two quarterback sacks in a 17-10 home win
Jake Adams (NSU)
- Led the Northern State defense with eight tackles in their win over SMSU
- Tallied six solo stops
- Added 1.0 tackle for a loss of one yard
Enrique DeLeon (WSU)
- Racked up 2 TFL's on the day
- Had a sack, dropping the Vikings QB 9 yards deep behind the line of scrimmage
- Accumulated five tackles overall with three solo stops
SPECIAL TEAMS
Matthew Jaeger (MSU)
- Connected on a 25-yard field goal on MSU's first drive
- Also went 6-for-6 in extra point attempts for a total of nine points
Justin Cash (MINOT)
- Had the longest punt of his collegiate career, a 75-yard boot that pinned CSP at its own two
- It was one of two punts he landed inside the 20 as he averaged 50.6 yards on 6 punts
Noah Carlson (WSU)
- Retuned an Augustana kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown
- Tallied the first Winona State kick return for a TD this year
- Became just the third NSIC player to return a kickoff for a TD
Week 7 Results
Football Pages
NSIC Football Players of the Week
9/5/23
O: #9
Shen Butler-Lawson – Minnesota State
D: #2
Hunter Bohannon – SMSU
SP: #2
Devon Jones – Augustana
9/11/23
O: #12
Kyle Walljasper - Minnesota Duluth
D: #5
Griffin Wiegel - Winona State
SP: #8
Jacob Scott - Winona State
9/18/23
O: #4
Nick Bohn - Wayne State
D: #47
Josiah Behm - MSU Moorhead
SP: #45
Drew Smook - Northern State
9/25/23
O: #4
Nick Bohn - Wayne State (2)
D: #7
Max Buduris - Bemidji State
SP: #81
Curtis Cox - Minnesota Duluth
10/2/23
O: #9
Casey Bauman - Augustana
D: #41
Jacob Daulton - Minnesota State
SP: #11
DaShaun Ames - Minnesota Duluth
10/9/23
O: #4
Nick Bohn - Wayne State (3)
D: #35
Trey King - Northern State
SP: #40
Matthew Jaeger - Minnesota State
10/16/23
O: #1
Ryan Bieberdorf – MSU Moorhead
D: #47
Josiah Behm - MSU Moorhead (2)
SP: #25
Jake Pecina - Augustana
About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 15-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in 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 union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 25 team national championships and crowned 110 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.
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