For Immediate Release
Monday, October 21, 2024
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet
NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#15 Jack Strand (QB, 6-5, 220, Jr., Bloomer, Wis. / Bloomer HS) - MSU Moorhead
- Passed for an NSIC-best 357 yards on 35 completions in MSUM’s 34-31 win over CSP
- Threw five touchdowns in the win, his fourth career game of five or more passing scores
- Tossed the game-winning touchdown to Brady Perryman with 19 seconds remaining in the contest
- Named NSIC Player of the Week for the second time this season (9/30/24)
NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#55 Gabe Gutierrez (LB, 6-2, 225, So., Sioux Falls, S.D. / Lincoln HS) - Northern State
- Led the Wolves defense and the NSIC last week with 3.0 sacks
- His 3.0 sacks for a loss of 16 yards were a single game career high for the sophomore
- The 3.0 sacks are an NSIC single game high this season
- Gutierrez is now tied for the league lead with 5.0 sacks on the season
NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week
#36 Jeremy Caruso (K, 5-11, 180, So., Wesley Chapel, Fla. / Wiregrass Ranch HS) - Northern State
- Scored 11 points for the Wolves in their win over Southwest Minnesota State
- Tallied bookend field goals in the win
- Opened the game with a 34-yarder and closed out the scoring with a 40-yarder
- Went 5-for-5 in PATs
- Added 457 kickoff yards, averaging 57.1 yards per kick with three touchbacks
- Now tied for the league lead with six made field goals this season
- Named NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second week in a row
Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Jarod Epperson (AUGIE)
- Ran for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 15 carries in a 31-0 win over Winona State
- Became the program's all-time career rushing yards leader
- Ran for 100-plus yards for the 17th time in his career
- Had his sixth game with multiple rushing touchdowns
- Ran for 7.87 yards per carry and had a long run of 35 yards
Sam McGath (BSU)
- Had 18 rushing attempts for 80 net rushing yards and two scores
- Was 12-of-17 through the air for 66 yards and 70.6% completion percentage
- Grabbed two of BSU's three touchdowns in a 21-9 win against Minot State
- Set the season's individual single-game high for BSU with 2 rushing TDs
Jaylin Richardson (CSP)
- Rushed for career-high 198 yards on 36 attempts, the second-most carries in DII on the year
- Pair of first-half rushing TDs gave CSP a 14-0 lead in 2nd quarter
- Had 30-yard reception in 4th quarter for a career-high 228 all-purpose yards
- Fourth 100-yard rushing performance of 2024 and third-straight 2-TD game
- Nation's seventh-leading rusher with NSIC-high 823 yards
- Leads the NSIC and 17th in the country with nine total TDs
- Leads the NSIC and 22nd in the nation with 132.4 all-purpose yards per game
- Richardson's 198 rushing yards is an NSIC single-game high, owning the top-two NSIC single-game rush-ing performances in 2024
Daniel Britt (NSU)
- Led Northern State with 197 yards of total offense against Southwest Minnesota State
- Threw for 126 yards and one touchdown
- Completed 11-of-18 attempts with a 28-yard long
- Added 71 yards rushing with a 68-yard touchdown
- Averaged 14.2 yards per carry and 11.5 per completion
Camden Dean (USF)
- Led USF in passing, rushing and scoring for a 24-21 win over Duluth
- Completed 24 passes for 239-yards and a score to Carter Slykhuis
- Rushed for 103-yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns
Brennan Hayes (WSC)
- Ran for 137 yards on just nine carries and one TD in 30-0 win at UMary
- Had runs of 53 and 49 yards in fourth quarter setting up two TD scoring drives
- Scored on two-yard run in fourth quarter
DEFENSE
Peyton Buckley (AUGIE)
- Helped Augustana to its first shutout of the season in a 31-0 victory over WSU
- Recorded five tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss
- Also had a sack and a pass breakup
Cade Barrett (BSU)
- Marked 5 total tackles, four solo and one assisted, three tackles for a loss of 11 yards
- Added a sack for six yards and two quarterback hurries
- Set his season high in total tackles during 21-9 win over Minot State
- Also marked his career high with 3 TFLs
- Is now tied for first on the team with 6.5 tackles for a loss (3.5 sacks, second on the team)
Josiah Behm (MSUM)
- Made an NSIC-best 13 total tackles in MSUM's 34-31 win over Concordia, St. Paul on Saturday
- Had three solo stops to go along with 10 assisted tackles as well as a tackle for loss, totaling two yards
- Eclipsed his 300th total tackle in NSIC competition in the victory
- Became just the 12th student-athlete to do so in league history
Carter Sitzman (WSC)
- Had six tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 30-0 shutout win at UMary
- Credited with four solo tackles and had 3.5 tackles for loss for 14 yards
- Added 1.5 sacks for 11 yards
- Helped WSC defense record first shutout since week 3 of 2021 season
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jake Pecina (AUGIE)
- Tied a program record with a 54-yard field goal in a 31-0 win over Winona State
- Finished with seven points
- Went 4-for-4 on extra points
- His 54-yarder was also an NSIC-long for the week
Last Week's Results
Football Pages
NSIC Football Players of the Week
9/3/24
O: #15 Hayden Ekern - MSU
D: #24 Justus Breston - UMary
SP: #41 Joey Prondzinski - BSU
9/9/24
O: #6 TreShawn Watson – Minnesota State
D: #31 Nalu Cordeiro- Minot State
SP: #19 Boston Hensley - Wayne State
9/16/24
O: #3 Brady Perryman - MSU Moorhead
D: #47 Josiah Behm - MSU Moorhead
SP: #39 Diego Nunez-Smith - Minot State
9/23/24
O: #11 Gunnar Hensley - Augustana
D: #26 Richard Wauer - Concordia-St. Paul
SP: #17 Trevor Marshall - Wayne State
9/30/24
O: #15 Jack Strand - MSU Moorhead
D: #5 Cody Sorenson - MSU Moorhead
SP: #46 Max Watson - MSU Moorhead
10/7/24
O: #12 Camden Dean - Sioux Falls
D: #54 Jake Adams - Northern State
SP: #30 Jeff Isotalo-McGuire - Concordia-St. Paul
10/14/24
O: #4 Nick Bohn - Wayne State
D: #8 Peyton Buckley - Augustana
SP: #36 Jeremy Caruso - Northern State
10/21/24
O: #15 Jack Strand - MSU Moorhead (2)
D: #55 Gabe Gutierrez - Northern State
SP: #36 Jeremy Caruso - Northern State(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 27 team national championships and crowned 116 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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