SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE FOOTBALL - WEEK THREE
TODAY
- The Southwest Minnesota State University football team (1-1, 1-1 NSIC, 0-0 NSIC South) continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play this Saturday, Sept. 20, hosting the University of Mary (1-2, 1-1 NSIC, 0-0 NSIC North) with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. at Mattke Field at The Schwan Regional Event Center.
- SMSU snapped a 12-game losing streak last Saturday earning a 12-7 road victory over the University of Jamestown. It was SMSU's first win since defeating the University of Sioux Falls on Nov. 11, 2023.
- UMary, which opened the season with a non-conference home victory over Midland (Neb.), has lost two straight games, including a last-minute home loss to Augustana last Saturday afternoon.
SMSU VS. UMARY HISTORY
- Southwest Minnesota State and UMary meet for the 14th time on Saturday with UMary holding an 8-5 advantage in a series that started on Sept. 4, 1999
- UMary has won the last two meetings, including 15-6 last season in Marshall
- UMary leads 5-2 all-time in games played in Marshall, including holding a 3-2 record at The Schwan Regional Event Center ... the teams have split the previous six games
- UMary won the first three games in the series in 1999, 2006 and 2007.
OPENING DRIVE TIDBITS
- SMSU held Jamestown scoreless in the first half on Saturday afternoon. It’s the first time SMSU has held an opponent scoreless in a half since Oct. 1, 2022, versus Upper Iowa.
- Parker Knutson has four interceptions this season ranking first in Division II. He has nine career interceptions ranking 10th in team history.
- Josiah Hedensten ranks 11th in team history with 151 solo tackles and is 16th all-time with 263 total tackles.
- Tariq Parker rushed for a team-high 85 yards on 23 carries in the win over Jamestown.
- Jerid Fearing recorded his first career touchdown in last week’s victory, catching a 22-yard pass from Macloud Crowton.
- Cam Enright recorded a career-high five tackles last Saturday.
- Mason Carver finished with a 44.2-yard punt average, including one 67-yard punt on Saturday. He finished with three punts inside the UJ’s 10-yard line, booted a 25-yard field goal and made a PAT.
- SMSU started a new quarterback in week one for the seventh straight season. Blake Gimbel was the last Mustang to start back-to-back season openers in 2017 and 2018. Steven Nava started week one in 2019, with Andrew Haidet in 2021, followed by Justus McComb in 2022, Marcus Martin in 2023 and Wyatt Oak in 2024.
MUSTANG HISTORY
- The 2025 season is the 58th year of college football at SMSU and 57th season of competition (2020 was canceled) dating to 1968.
- SMSU owns an all-time record of 210-370-5, including 148-271-5 in conference play.
- SMSU has recorded 10 winning seasons with two NAIA playoff appearances (1987 and 1991) and one Mineral Water Bowl appearance (2013).
- The program earned its lone conference championship in 1990.
RECAPPING JAMESTOWN
- SMSU snapped a 12-game losing streak with a hard-fought 12-7 victory over the University of Jamestown last Saturday in Jamestown, N.D.
- Parker Knutson led the Mustangs with a pair of interceptions, while punter/kicker Mason Carver had a fabulous game with a field goal, point after attempt and several punts that pinned the Jimmies deep in their own end.
- SMSU forced four turnovers in the game with Knutson’s two interceptions, while Gideon Ervasti and Tyler Nebelung each recovered a fumble.
- Macloud Crowton closed the game completing 10 of 17 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown. He completed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jerid Fearing to give SMSU a 12-0 advantage late in the third quarter.
- The SMSU rushing attack was led by Tariq Parker, who amassed a game-high 85 yards on 23 carries, while Zander Wolf added 15 yards on 10 carries.
- Colin Maher caught a team-high three passes for 50 yards.
- Carver finished the game with a 44.2-yard punt average, including booting a 67-yard kick and finished with three inside the UJ’s 10-yard line.
- Ervasti racked up a six tackles with Cam Enright and Knutson each adding five tackles.
- SMSU recorded 11 first downs and finished with 232 yards on offense with 79 on the ground. UJ ended the game with 358 yards of offense with 281 through the air and finished with 18 first downs.
SCOUTING UMARY
- Shann Schillinger is in his third season as head coach atUMary with a record of 5-20 . 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, 1-2 overall, is coming off a 21-20 home loss to Augustana last Saturday with the Vikings scoring the game-winning touchdown with 17 second remaining. Augustana scored two touchdowns in the final 4:32 of the game to rally for the victory.
- Behind running back redshirt freshman Xavier Brackenridge and freshman quarterback Hudsen Sheldon, along with the passing of Sheldon and Quin Hafner, the Marauders created 408 yards of offense and 22 first downs against a Vikings defense that was holding teams to under 300 yards per game.
- Brackenridge closed with 133 yards rushing. Sheldon ran for 108 yards and a touchdown and also completed 7-of-11 passes for 100 yards. Hafner completed 5-of-8 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown.
- The Marauders defense held Augustana to 23 yards on the ground and to 274 yards total, while recording five sacks.
- Jack Henninger booted a pair of field goals in the win.
- Luke Bodine has caught a team-high 18 passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Marauders in three games.
- Christopher Federico has amassed a team-high 21 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss to pace the UMary
- defense.
- The Marauders have played four different quarterbacks in three games.