SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE FOOTBALL - WEEK FIVE
TODAY
- The Southwest Minnesota State University football team (0-4, 0-4 NSIC) steps out of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play today facing the University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers (2-2, 1-2 MIAA).
- Today’s game will be the first non-conference home game for the Mustangs since opening the 2010 season versus Northern State. The last time SMSU hosted a team not from the NSIC, came in 2009 versus Black Hills State (S.D.).
- SMSU, still in search of its first victory of the season, is coming off a shutout road setback last Saturday to Minnesota Duluth. UNK, which opened the season with wins over Chadron State (Neb.) and Northwest Missouri State, have dropped its last two games to Central Oklahoma and Central Missouri.
- UNK is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). The Lopers are coming off a 3-8 season in 2023. In 2002, UNK finished 8-3, while in 2021 the Lopers were 10-3 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs.
SMSU VS. UNK SERIES HISTORY
- SMSU and UNK meet for the first time ever today ... SMSU is 0-3 all-time versus current MIAA members .. SMSU is 0-2 all-time versus Missouri Western State and 0-1 versus Pittsburg State.
SMSU Head coach scott underwood
- Scott Underwood is in his third season as SMSU head coach with a record of 6-20. He was named the program’s 11th head coach on Jan. 7, 2022.
- Underwood was the first SMSU head coach in team history (11 head coaches) to begin his SMSU coaching career with a 4-1 record. SMSU’s four victories in 2022 was its highest victory total since 2018.
- Underwood compiled a record of 86-51 in 12 seasons as head coach at St. Cloud State (2008-19) and is now 92-71 overall in 15 seasons as a head coach.
- SCSU recorded 10 winning seasons with three NCAA playoff appearances during his tenure. SCSU won seven or more games seven times, including a school record 12 victories in 2013.
- SCSU made NCAA playoff appearances in 2010, 2011 and 2013 and won a share of both the NSIC North Division and NSIC overall championship in 2011.
- He was also an assistant coach at SCSU (2001-07), North Dakota (1997-2000), Sioux Falls (1993-96) and Augustana (1988-92).
OPENING DRIVE TIDBITS
- Junior running back Jacob Honstetter has rushed for a team-high 210 yards on 57 carries on the season.
- Junior wide receiver Colin Maher, who missed last week’s game with an injury, has six receptions for 122 yards and one touchdown.
- Junior wide receiver Jake Anderson has caught seven passes for 43 yards, while Tryg Auten has a team-high nine receptions for 102 yards and one touchdown.
- Junior linebacker Josiah Hedensten has a team-high 31 tackles with one sack, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Junior linebacker Gideon Ervasti has 25 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss.
- Senior linebacker Thomas Mergen has registered 22 tackles, including three tackles for loss.
- Junior defensive end Avery Johnson leads the club with 2.5 sacks.
- Redshirt freshman safety Parker Knutson has two interceptions on the season.
- Redshirt freshman Connor Shelton booted his first career field goal, a 33-yarder, two weeks ago versus Concordia-St. Paul.
SCOUTING Nebraska-kearney
- Ryan Held is in his second season as head coach with a record of 4-11. He previously had been a head coach at junior colleges, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Highland (Kan.) Community College, Division II Southwestern Oklahoma State and Oklahoma Panhandle State, and NAIA Peru State College.
- Held spent 2022 as interim head coach and offensive coordinator at FCS-member North Alabama. Prior to that, he was an assistant/running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Nebraska (2018-21) and assistant/running backs coach at the University of Central Florida (2016-17).
- UNK is coming off a 36-35 road loss to No. 12 Central Missouri last Saturday afternoon. The Mules scored the game-winning touchdown with just under six minutes remaining in the game. UNK trailed 27-7 at halftime before storming back and taking a 35-30 advantage early in the fourth quarter following an 88-yard interception return for a touchdown.
- Lopers quarterback, Regan Jones, completed 14 of 23 passes in the game for three touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for a game-high 74 yards on eight carries, including a 44-yard run.
- For the season, Jones, a senior transfer from Missouri Western State has rushed for a team-leading 216 yards on 39 carries and has completed 54 of 99 pass attempts for 703 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception.
- Senior wide receiver Reggie Anderson has caught a team-high eight passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
- Junior running back Isaiah Harris has rushed for 198 yards and one score on a team-high 57 carries.
- Senior cornerback Kendall Brewer has a team-leading three interceptions, including an 88-yard return for a touchdown in last week’s game.
- Senior safety Jamere Jones has racked up 32 tackles with two interceptions to lead the Loper defense.
- Senior defensive lineman Quillan Felton leads the team with nine tackles for loss with four sacks.
SMSU/UNK IN THE NCAA RANKINGS