For Immediate Release
Monday, September 25, 2023
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#4 Nick Bohn (QB, 6-1, 215, Jr., Bennington, Neb. / Bennington HS) - Wayne State
- Had five touchdowns for second straight game in a 38-35 win at Missouri S&T
- Completed 19-of-25 passes for career-high 378 yards
- The 378 yards and a 269.01 pass efficiency both led the NSIC last week
- Threw all five TD passes in first half
- Named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row  

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#7 Max Buduris (LB, 6-0, 220, Sr., Shorewood, Ill. / Minooka Community HS) - Bemidji State
- Recorded 11 tackles, 10 solo, along with 2.5 tackles for a loss of 13 yards in a 41-10 win at UMary
- Added a sack for a loss of 10 yards
- The sack was one of six on the day for the Beavers
 
NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week
#81 Curtis Cox (PK, 6-1, 185, R-Sr., Dodgeville, Wis. / Mineral Point HS) - Minnesota Duluth
- Led the NSIC in points scored over all positions with 15 
- Went 4-for-4 in field goals and 3-for-3 in point after attempts 
- Connected on field goals from 38, 33, 40 and 21 yards
- Had seven kickoffs for 444 yards and four touchbacks 

Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Jarod Epperson (AUGIE) 
- Rushed 13 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-27 win over MSUM
- Ripped off a 53-yard touchdown on the game's first play of the game
- Also scored from one-yard out
- Averaged 6.5 yards per carry
- Was also AU's top receiver with six receptions for 48 yards
Brandon Alt (BSU) 
- Threw for four touchdowns for the second straight week 
- Completed 14-of-24 passes for 204 yards and had a long completion of 38 yards
- Now has 106 career touchdown passes and has 96 TD passes in the past 30 games
Shen Butler-Lawson (MSU) 
- Rushed for 199 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-10 win over CSP
- The 199 rushing yards are the second-most in a game for his career
- Ran the ball 25 times and averaged 8.0 yards per carry
- His touchdown runs were from three and nine yards out
- Has now rushed for more than 100 yards in three of four games this season
Jack Strand (MSUM) 
- Tied the MSUM and NSIC single-game record for completions with 45 in a 31-27 loss at AUGIE
- Threw for 366 yards and three passing touchdowns while completing 67 percent of his passes
- Rushed for 45 yards and a 10-yard touchdown on the ground

DEFENSE
Peyton Buckley (AUGIE)
- Recorded six tackles, all solo, with two pass breakups and an interception
- The interception came in the fourth quarter to halt a late drive
- Ranks second in the NSIC with his 1.5 passes defended per game
- Ranks fourth in the NSIC with his 4.5 solo tackles per game 
Jacob Daulton (MSU) 
- Led the Mavericks in tackles with seven
- Also notched a team-best 1.5 tackles for a loss
Emmett Espino (MINOT)
- Led the defense with seven tackles, including a team-high 3 for a loss
- Added two sacks in a 7-0 loss at Sioux Falls
Tristan Root (WSU) 
- Led Winona State with seven tackles
- Had a pass breakup 
- Also punted twice for a 43 yard average
- Dropped one kick inside the 20 and had a 50 yard effort

SPECIAL TEAMS
Isaiah Huber (AUGIE)
- Returned a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown
- Was his first special teams touchdown of his career
- Returned four kicks in Augustana's win for 159 yards, an average of 49.75 yards per return
- Had a 45 yard return on the game's opening kickoff 
- Leads the NSIC with 38.6 yards per return. 
Elliott Lowney (BSU) 
- Booted three punts that averaged 50.7 yards
- Had a long of 66 yards and two that landed inside the 20
- Also had three kickoffs for 172 yards, averaging 57.3
Boston Hensley (WSC) 
- Scored eight points in 38-35 win at Missouri S&T
- Converted 36 yard field goal in first quarter
- Was 5-5 on PAT kicks
- Also averaged 63.9 yards on seven kickoffs with two touchbacks
Jacob Scott (WSU) 
- Hit three of four field goals, one short of the school record for makes in a game
- Was a perfect 4-for-4 on PATs
- Had a longest kick of 44 yards
- Hit at least one field goal in every WSU contest this year

Week 4 Results  

* MSU Moorhead 27, Augustana 31

Wayne State College 38, Missouri S&T 35

* Minnesota State 42, Concordia-St. Paul 10

* Sioux Falls 7, Minot State 0

* Northern State 16, Winona State 39

* Bemidji State 41, UMary 10

* Southwest Minnesota State 0, Minnesota Duluth 33

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

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.