SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE FOOTBALL - WEEK NINE
TODAY
- The Southwest Minnesota State University football team (0-8, 0-7 NSIC), following two straight road games, returns home today for a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference match-up versus the University of Mary (1-7, 0-7 NSIC)
- Today’s game is the first of two straight home games that will kickoff at 11 a.m.
- SMSU suffered a 38-6 road loss to MSU Moorhead last Saturday afternoon, while UMary had a bye last week and previously played on Oct. 19, suffering a 30-0 home loss to Wayne State.
- UMary, which won its season opener on Aug. 29, versus Jamestown, 23-6, has lost seven straight.
- SMSU will have its final home game next Saturday versus Winona State in the ‘Battle for the Sledge’ game. It will also be Senior Day on Nov. 9.
- SMSU has a record of 25-29 all-time on homecoming and has lost three of the last four.
- SMSU is 5-4 in homecoming games since 2014, but is 8-15 on homecoming since 2000.
SMSU vs UMARY Series
- Southwest Minnesota State and UMary meet for the 13th time on Saturday with UMary holding a 7-5 advantage in a series that started on Sept. 4, 1999 ... UMary won last season, 32-28, in Bismarck, N.D. ... UMary leads 4-2 all-time in games played in Marshall, including winning the last game at The Schwan Regional Event Center, 45-23, in 2021 ... SMSU has won three of the last five games since 2016 ... UMary won the first three games in the series in 1999, 2006 and 2007.
SMSU LAST TIME OUT
- MSU Moorhead forced three turnovers and recorded nine sacks in earning a 38-6 victory over SMSU last Saturday in Moorhead, Minn.
- SMSU closed the game with 241 yards of offense and 12 first downs, while MSUM finished the afternoon with 308 yards and 19 first down.
- SMSU starting quarterback Kendon Krogman played in the opening half and finished 4 for 10 passing for 81 yards and one interception. Wyatt Oak entered the game in the third quarter and completed 9 of 15 for 116 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
- Colin Maher led the Mustangs with three receptions for 91 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.
- DeNari Connors rushed for a team-high 20 yards on 12 attempts in his first career start.
- Amarion Meschack racked up a team-high six tackles for the Mustangs with teammates Gideon Ervasti, Josiah Hedensten, Tate Gaul, Parker Knutson and Malachi Kohls each closed with four tackles.
- Kellen Wright and Treverran Mack each had one sack, while Carter Schmitz and Jason Samec combined for one sack.
OPENING DRIVE TIDBITS
- Redshirt freshman safety Parker Knutson ranks first in the country in passes defended with 1.8 per game and leads SMSU with three interceptions.
- SMSU ranks fifth in Division II in fewest penalty yards per game (39.2).
- Sophomore cornerback Amarion Meschack tied a career-high with six tackles in last week’s loss at MSU Moorhead.
- Redshirt freshman running back DaNari Connors made his first career start last week versus MSUM.
- Redshirt freshman wide receiver Stevie McMath had a career-long 38-yard reception last week at MSUM.
- Senior punt returner / cornerback Marquise Ogletree begins the week ranked 37th in Division II in punt return yardage (6.7 per return).
- Sophomore punter Mason Carver booted a career-long 70-yard punt two week’s ago at Northern State. He recorded three punts of 56 or more yards three weeks versus Wayne State with a pair of 56-yard punts downed at the 1-yard line.
- Junior running back Jacob Honstetter has rushed for a team-high 266 yards on 84 carries. He missed last week’s game with an injury.
- Junior wide receiver Colin Maher, who missed the UMD game with an injury, has 14 receptions for 263 yards and three touchdowns.
- Redshirt freshman Tryg Auten, who missed the Northern State game with an injury, has 13 receptions for 139 yards and one touchdown.
- Junior wide receiver Jake Anderson has caught 12 passes for 72 yards
- Junior linebacker Josiah Hedensten has a team-high 61 tackles with two sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. He ranks 70th in Division II in tackles per game (7.6).
- Junior linebacker Gideon Ervasti has 46 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss.
- Senior linebacker Thomas Mergen has registered 39 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss.
- Junior defensive end Avery Johnson leads the club with 4.5 sacks.
SCOUTING UMary
- Shann Schillinger is in his second season as head coach at UMary with a record of 3-16. He played four seasons in the NFL (2010-13) with Atlanta and Tennessee. He was an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska and the University of Montana.
- UMary, which had a bye last week, has lost seven straight games after opening the season with a 23-6 home win over Jamestown on Aug. 29. UMary last played on Oct. 19, suffering a 30-0 home loss to Wayne State.
- Sophomore running back Andrew Trandahl leads the Marauders rushing attack with 131 yards on 46 attempts. He also averages 23.3 yards per kick return, which includes an 89-yard return for a touchdown at Sioux Falls.
- Junior quarterback Sofian Massoud has thrown for 1,041 yards and five touchdowns with seven interceptions, completing 122 of 190 passes.
- Senior quarterback Jordan Polo Solomon has played in four games and has completed 40 of 67 passes for 328 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions. He started versus Wayne State on Oct. 19 and completed 25 of 38 passes for 186 yards and two interceptions.
- Senior wide receiver Mujeeb Rufai has caught a team-leading 39 passes for a team-high 418 yards and two touchdowns.
- Sophomore linebacker Christopher Federico has amassed a team-leading 66 tackles.
- Junior linebacker Mason Phillips has 35 tackles with a team-high seven for loss and a team-high 4.5 sacks.