For Immediate Release
Monday, October 12, 2026
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet
NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#17 Drew Huebner (QB, 6-4, 245, So., Morris, Minn. / Morris Area-Chokio-Alberta HS) - MSU Moorhead
- Completed 30-of-45 passes for 332 yards and six touchdowns in a 42-22 win versus UMary
- Accounted for an NSIC high 367 yards of total offense
- Completed passes to seven different receivers
- Became the third player in program history to throw six or more touchdowns in a game
- Named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row
NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#51 Jayce Walrath (LB, 6-2, 235, 5th, Rice, Minn. / Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) - Minnesota Duluth
- Recorded six tackles, including four tackles for loss in a 34-7 win over Northern State
- Registered an NSIC best 3.0 sacks
- Added a pass breakup
- Set Northern State back 25 yards with tackles for loss
- Helped lead a defense that allowed just 7 points
NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week
#7 Brayden Chaney (DB, 6-0, 185, 5th, Omaha, Neb. / Gretna HS) - Wayne State
- Recorded three punt returns for 78 yards in a 45-13 win over Bemidji State
- Returned a punt 70 yards in the second quarter for a touchdown
- Recorded the ninth-longest punt return in program history
Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Gunnar Hensley (Augustana)
- Completed 24-of-30 passes for 329 yards in a 55-0 win over Concordia-St. Paul
- Threw a season-high-tying 5 touchdown passes
- Connected with Cody Oswald on a 70-yard touchdown pass
- Helped Augustana secure its 10th straight win over Concordia-St. Paul
Jacob Eggert (Minnesota Duluth)
- Completed 14-of-19 passes for 201 yards
- Threw 2 touchdown passes in a win over Northern State
Sam Backer (Minnesota State)
- Rushed for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns in a win over Winona State
- Scored on runs of 51 and 44 yards
- Recorded his second consecutive game with 2 rushing touchdowns
- Posted his second 100-yard rushing game of the season
Brandon Hines Jr. (Minot State)
- Set a career high with 198 rushing yards in a win over Jamestown
- Scored 2 rushing touchdowns
- Helped Minot State set a school record with 466 rushing yards
- Completed a 26-yard halfback option pass
Tate Schafer (Sioux Falls)
- Completed 26-of-43 passes for 355 yards and 3 touchdowns in a win over Southwest Minne-sota State
- Led the NSIC in passing yards for the week
- Helped Sioux Falls produce 462 yards of total offense
- Accounted for 3 of the team’s 4 touchdowns
- Connected with Adonis Hutchinson 9 times for 149 receiving yards
Dawson Forgy (Wayne State)
- Recorded 102 all-purpose yards and 2 touchdowns in a win over Bemidji State
- Rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries
- Added a touchdown reception of 18 yards
- Finished with 2 total touchdowns
DEFENSE
Tyler Birn (Augustana)
- Helped lead the Augustana defense in a 55-0 shutout victory over Concordia-St. Paul
- Recorded 4 tackles, including 2 solo and 2 assisted stops
- Added 2 tackles for loss totaling 10 yards
- Registered 1 sack for a loss of 6 yards
Yanis Kasende (Bemidji State)
- Led the Beaver defense for the first time in his career with 8 total tackles
- Recorded 8 solo tackles against Wayne State
- Set career highs in both solo tackles and total tackles
Christopher Federico (UMary)
- Recorded 2.5 tackles for loss in the Battle for the Paddle
- Totaled 7 tackles, including 5 solo stops, against MSU Moorhead
- Has 5.5 tackles for loss over his last two games
- Ranks fifth in the NSIC in tackles for loss and third in total tackles
- Ranks sixth all-time at UMary in career tackles
Reign Battle (MSU Moorhead)
- Led the Dragons with 7 total tackles in a win over UMary
- Made 4 solo tackles
- Picked off a pass for the second straight week
- Recorded a takeaway in his third consecutive game
Sam Bossman (Minnesota State)
- Recorded 4 total tackles, including 2 solo stops, in a win over Winona State
- Added 2 tackles for loss
- Recorded 1 sack
Marcus Council (Minot State)
- Led the Beaver defense with a season-high 8 tackles in a win over Jamestown
- Added a tackle for loss
Andy Henson (Sioux Falls)
- Recorded 4 solo tackles
- Added 2 tackles for loss totaling 24 yards
- Registered a 21-yard sack
- Forced a fumble
- Helped hold Southwest Minnesota State to 47 rushing yards
- Helped limit the Mustangs to 280 total yards and 14 points
Hunter Hanegraaf (Southwest Minnesota State)
- Led SMSU with a game-high 11 tackles against Sioux Falls
- Recorded 4 tackles for loss
- Leads the team with 62 tackles on the season
- Leads the team with 13 tackles for loss
Blake Schraufnagel (Winona State)
- Led the team with 9 solo tackles against Minnesota State
- Recorded 3 tackles for loss totaling 13 yards
- Added 1 sack for a loss of 5 yards
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jake Pecina (Augustana)
- Went 7-for-8 on PAT attempts
- Recorded 6 kickoffs for 361 yards
- Punted twice for 111 total yards
- Averaged 60.2 yards per kickoff and 55.5 yards per punt
- Recorded a 64-yard punt
Max Watson (MSU Moorhead)
- Converted all 6 PAT attempts in a win over UMary
- Recorded 7 kickoffs for 420 yards
- Produced 5 touchbacks
Drew Henson (Minnesota Duluth)
- Went 2-for-2 on field goals, including a 47-yard field goal
- Converted all 4 PAT attempts
- Scored 10 points
- Punted 3 times with a long of 45 yards
Connor Fournier (Minnesota State)
- Went 2-for-2 on field goals and 4-for-4 on PATs in a win over Winona State
- Connected on field goals from 31 and 38 yards
- Made a fourth-quarter field goal to extend Minnesota State’s lead
- Scored 10 points
Mathias Yaggie (Winona State)
- Made all 3 field goal attempts against Minnesota State
- Connected from 28, 31, and 41 yards
- Converted his lone PAT attempt
Last Week's Results
Football Pages
NSIC Football Players of the Week
8/31/26
O: #21 Hank Kraft - Northern State
D: #98 Travis Biery - University of Mary
SP: #6 Neal May - Augustana
9/8/26
O: #21 Hank Kraft - Northern State (2)
D: #54 Jake Adams - Northern State
SP: #25 Jake Pecina - Augustana
9/14/26
O: #12 Gunnar Hensley - Augustana
D: #96 Vegas George - University of Mary
SP: #14 Connor Fournier - Minnesota State
9/21/26
O: #12 Gunnar Hensley - Augustana (2)
D: #30 Jude Onuoha - Concordia-St. Paul
SP: #39 Drew Henson - Minnesota Duluth
9/28/26
O: #2 Connor Carver - Bemidji State
D: #7 Beau Giblin - Sioux Falls
SP: #47 Mathias Yaggie - Winona State
10/5/26
O: #17 Drew Huebner - MSU Moorhead
D: #44 Jack Hawkinson - Minnesota State
SP: #25 Jake Pecina - Augustana (2)
10/12/26
O: #17 Drew Huebner - MSU Moorhead (2)
D: #51 Jayce Walrath - Minnesota Duluth
SP: #7 Brayden Chaney - Wayne State
About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-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 128 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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