For Immediate Release
Monday, November 11, 2024
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet
NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#0 Jarod Epperson (RB, 6-0, 195, Sr., Omaha, Neb. / Skutt Catholic HS) - Augustana
- Ran for a career-best 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 18 carries in a 27-21 win over Sioux Falls
- Added a 75 yard reception for 277 all-purpose yards
- Ran for 100-plus yards for the 19th time in his career
- Scored touchdowns of 62 and 47 yards
- Racked up 109 yards in the fourth quarter alone to put the game on ice
- Had his eighth career game and fourth consecutive game with multiple rushing touchdowns
- Ran for 11.2 yards per carry
- Helped Augustana to at least a share of the NSIC Regular Season Title
NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#32 Kade Lynott (LB, 6-1, 225, Sr., Hawarden, Iowa / West Sioux HS ) - Augustana
- Had a career-high with 11 tackles, nine solo, and a pair of sacks in a 27-21 win over USF
- Forced a fumble while pushing the Cougars back 28 yards in his two sacks
- Added a pass breakup
- Part of a defense that limited the Cougars to 117 yards on the ground
- Named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season (10/28/24)
NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week
#8 Jacob Scott (K/P, 6-1, 185, Sr., Flower Mound, Texas / Marcus HS) - Winona State
- Accounted for 13 points in WSU’s 37-15 win over SMSU
- Went 3-3 on field goals, all coming in the second quarter from distances of 33, 30, and 20 yards
- Was a perfect 4-for-4 on extra points
Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Sam McGath (BSU)
- Was 16-for-31 for 186 yards and two touchdowns
- Added a rushing touchdown
- BSU's leading scorer in 25-14 win over MSUM, 18 points
- Helped BSU to 25 unanswered points in comeback win
Hayden Ekern (MSU)
- Completed 10-of-15 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns
- Rushed for 22 yards and a touchdown
Hank Kraft (NSU)
- Rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Wayne State
- Averaged 6.5 yards per carry with a 51-yard long
- Recorded his second 100-plus yard game of the season
- Tied the game for NSU on his 1-yard run in the second
- Gave the Wolves a 21-4 lead on a 6-yard rush in the third
Cole Stenstrom (WSU)
- Threw for a career-high 344 yards in a 37-15 win over SMSU
- Threw for two touchdowns on 18-28 passing, with 31-yard and 54-yard TD passes
- Led the offensive unit for the Warriors that outgained the Mustangs by nearly 300 yards, 474-183
DEFENSE
Cade Barrett (BSU)
- Had four tackles with two sacks for a loss of 20 yards
- Marked a strip sack for 12 yards
- Scored BSU's first points of the day on a safety, leading to 25 unanswered points
Cody Brown (MSU)
- Led the Maverick defense with eight tackles
- Notched 4.0 tackles for a loss (11 yards)
- Helped limit the UMary rushing attack to 72 yards
Jack Bungarden (MSUM)
- Made a game-high 10 tackles against Bemidji State on Saturday, including seven solo stops
- Intercepted a pass and returned it 63 yards for a Dragon touchdown
- Also added in a pass breakup
Kegan Mountain (NSU)
- Tallied ten tackles and an interception for NSU in their win over Wayne State
- Seven of his tackles were solo stops
- The interception was his fifth of the season, moving him into solo possession of the league lead
- Added five return yards on the interception that stopped the Wildcats first full drive of the fourth quarter
Conner Haggerty (WSU)
- Led WSU with seven tackles and 2.0 sacks in a dominating defensive performance against SMSU
- Allowed just 26 rushing yards and only 183 yards of total offense
- Now totals 4.5 sacks and 7.0 TFL on the season
SPECIAL TEAMS
Connor Mantelli (BSU)
- Hit a career long 38-yard field goal and added two extra points
- Added eight punts for 335 yards
- Had four punts downed inside the 20 and two punts at 50+ yards
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)
10/28/24
O: #11 Gunnar Hensley - Augustana (2)
D: #32 Kade Lynott - Augustana
SP: #80 Ty Johnson - Winona State
11/4/24
O: #12 Kyle Walljasper - Minnesota Duluth
D: #90 Josh Obisui - University of Mary
SP: #39 Connor Mantelli - Bemidji State
11/11/24
O #0 Jarod Epperson - Augustana
D: #32 Kade Lynott - Augustana (2)
SP: #8 Jacob Scott- Winona State
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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