For Immediate Release
Monday, November 13, 2023
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet
NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#0 Donald Austin (RB, 6-0, 220, Jr., Hartland, Wis. / St. John’s Northwestern HS) - SMSU
- Rushed for a season-high 184 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-10 win over USF
- Had a season-high 31 carries in helping SMSU snap a nine-game losing streak
- It was SMSU’s first win over USF in 11 games since the Cougars joined the NSIC
- Scored on runs of 4, 21 and 2 yards
- Second straight 100-yard rushing game and the fourth this season
- Finished the season leading SMSU with 965 rushing yards
- Ranks as the 10th highest in single-season team history
NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#22 Mac Strand (LB, 6-0, 229, Jr., Appleton, Wis. / Xavier HS) - Minnesota Duluth
- Led the NSIC with 16 tackles against No. 9 Minnesota State Saturday
- Helped a Bulldog defense hold the Mavericks to 21 points, including just seven in the second half
- The 16 tackles in one game was a career-high for Strand
- Posted a season-best 1.5 sacks for four yards lost
NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week
#25 Jake Pecina (K, 5-10, 175, R-Fr., Forney, Texas / Sunnyvale HS) - Augustana
-Was perfect in splitting the uprights with a field goal and 5-of-5 on point after attempts for 8 points
- Connected on a career-best 52-yard field goal in Augustana’s 38-19 win over No. 12 Bemidji State
- Helped Augustana win the conference championship outright for the first time since 1959
- Finished the regular season 90 percent on field goal attempts
- Named NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season (10/16/23)
Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Jarod Epperson (AUGIE)
- Rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown in NSIC clinching win over No. 12 Bemidji State
- Received for 32 yards and a touchdown in Augustana's win over Bemidji State
- Ripped off a 54-yard rush to take a 24-19 lead and push it to 31-19 late in the fourth quarter.
- Averaged 5.3 yards per carry
- Surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in a single season for second time in career
- Led Augustana to its first outright conference championship since 1959
Brandon Alt (BSU)
- Threw for over 300 yards for the fourth game this season at Augustana
- Completed 26-51 for 356 yards and three touchdowns
- Found Dhel Duncan-Busby for a 75-yard touchdown to begin the second half
- Added a pair of touchdown passes to Brice Peters
Traivon Dyson (UMary)
- Caught a career-high 9 passes for 137 yards in the Battle for the Paddle at MSUM
- Longest reception covered 35 yards
- Finished the season with 47 catches for 649 yards and eight TDs
Hayden Ekern (MSU)
- Threw for 232 yards and a touchdown as he completed 21-of-42 passes
- Led the Maverick rushing attack with 61 yards and two touchdown carries
Madden Thorson (MSUM)
- Caught 10 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown in MSUM's 35-7 win over UMary
- Kicked off the scoring for MSUM with a 72-yard touchdown reception
- Averaged 14.6 yard per reception in the victory
Dakota Larson (NSU)
- Tallied a league leading 157 yards receiving in the season finale
- Recorded one touchdown with a 28-yard long
- Averaged 14.3 yards per reception
- Notched his third 100-plus yard game of 2023
- Closed out his time at NSU as the career record holder with 31 receiving touchdowns and 3,654 receiving yards
Nick Bohn (WSC)
- Accounted for 345 yards of total offense and four TD's in a 56-21 win at CSP
- Completed 18 of 21 passes for 319 yards and two TD's
- Added 26 yards rushing on 10 carries and two scores
DEFENSE
JayVian Farr (AUGIE)
- Recorded his best game statistically in his career in a game that counted the most
- Had a pick-six for a 61 yard touchdown that sealed the game in the fourth quarter
- Recovered a fumble in the first half for Augustana that stopped a scoring drive for BSU
- Recorded two pass breakups
- Totaled three tackles
- Helped Augustana to its first outright conference championship since 1959
Stephen Hoffman (BSU)
- Collected a pair of tackles for loss, a sack and five tackles, three solo at Augustana
- His tackles for loss netted six yards and his sack was a loss of four yards
Major Kelley (UMary)
- Posted 2.0 sacks in final collegiate game in the Battle for the Paddle at MSUM
- Produced losses of 14 yards
- Only had 0.5 career sacks entering the game
Dakota Smith (MSU)
- Recovered two fumbles against Minnesota Duluth and forced a fumble
- Led the Maverick defense with 12 tackles
Jared Kallenbach (MSUM)
- Made a pair of tackles in MSUM's 35-7 win over Mary on Saturday
- Intercepted his third pass of the season, returning it 36 yards for a touchdown
- Also had two pass break-ups in the Dragon victory
Carson Chrisman (MINOT)
- Career-high 8 tackles
- First career fumble recovery
- Second career interception
Jake Adams (NSU)
- Led Northern State with a career high 15 tackles in their win against Northern Michigan
- Recorded 11 solo stops, as well as 0.5 tackle for a loss
- Added one interception, one pass break-up, and one fumble recovery
- Ranks in the top-15 in total tackles this season in the league with just eight games played
Jalani Jefferson (SMSU)
- Had two interceptions and recorded two solo tackles in SMSU's 28-10 victory over Sioux Fall
- Finished the season with a team-high four interceptions and ranked fourth in tackles with 52
- The 10 points scored by USF was its third lowest output of the season
Larsen Dexter (WSC)
- Had team-high eight tackles with 20-yard fumble return for TD in 56-21 win at Concordia-St. Paul
- Credited with five solo tackles, three assisted stops
- Also recovered onside kick on special teams
Clay Schueffner (WSU)
- Had 10 total tackles vs. the Beavers, including 4 solo stops
- Racked up 2.5 tackles for loss, including a sack, good for 10 TFL yards
- Completed his career with 361 total tackles and 208 solo stops
- The 208 solo tackles is second all-time in NSIC history
- At 361 total tackles, Schueffner is tied for 4th all-time
SPECIAL TEAMS
Elliott Lowney (BSU)
- Executed a 26-yard fake punt run to help pick up a fourth-and-20
- Also punted four times for 132 yards, with a long of 41 yards and had a punt downed at the one
Cox Curt (UMD)
- Led the NSIC in points by a kicker with nine of UMD's 33 points in its upset win over No. 9 MSU
- Had two FGs on two attempts, including a season-long 45 yarder to wind down the first half
- Was also perfect on PAT, going 3-of-3 and continued his 10-game make streak on PAT attempts
- Has made 41 consecutive PAT in the past 10 games
Joey Hughes (MSUM)
- Made a pair of tackles in MSUM's 35-7 victory over Mary on Saturday
- Recovered a blocked punt and returned it 11 yards for a Dragon touchdown
Hank Kraft (NSU)
- Recorded an 88-yard kick return for a touchdown in the Wolves victory over Northern Michigan
- The score gave Northern a 37-6 lead
- Added 79 yards rushing, averaging 15.8 yards per carry with a 49-yard long
- Tallied a rushing touchdown as well in the third quarter
Morgan White (WSU)
- As a long snapper, Morgan White anchored the only perfect PAT unit in the NSIC in 2023
- WSU was 34-of-34 on kicked point after touchdown attempts this season, including 1-for-1 vs. MINOT
- The Winona State kicking unit hit two field goals vs. the Beavers, the difference between the two teams in a 13-7 Warrior win
- With White as a long snapper, WSU has been 69-of-70 in PATs over his two seasons with the Warriors
- In 2023, as of week 11, Winona State leads the NSIC in made field goals with 13
Week 11 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
10/23/23
O: #0
Jarod Epperson - Augustana
D: #54
Jake Adams - Northern State
SP: #43
Avery Book - Augustana
10/30/23
O: #15
Jack Strand - MSU Moorhead
D: #8
Tanner Cooper - Wayne State
SP: #19
Payton Eue - Concordia-St. Paul
11/6/23
O: #15
Hayden Ekern - Minnesota State
D: #9
Spencer Wehr - Bemidji State
SP: #81
Curt Cox - Minnesota Duluth (2)
11/13/23
O: #0
Donald Austin - SMSU
D: #22
Mac Strand - Minnesota Duluth
SP: #25
Jake Pecina - Augustana (2)
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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