What Lies Ahead:  The 16th-ranked Minnesota State football team continues its two-game roadtrip Saturday as it travels to Crookston, Minn., to play the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

Let's Start Something Together:  Saturday's contest marks the first ever contest between the two programs.

What's in a Win:  A win would give MSU its 370th win in school history...A victory would be the 22nd victory for head coach Todd Hoffner at MSU and the 68th victory of his career...A win would mark the second consecutive road win for Minnesota State...Finally, a win would mark the 20th win for the Mavericks in the NSIC.

A Little History Lesson: The 2010 season marks the school's 84th season playing football.  The Mavericks are 369-367-28 (.501) in 763 games since their inception as a varsity sport in 1922.  Minnesota State is in its third season in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and owns a 19-2 record in league action.  Over the course of its history, MSU has claimed 17 conference championships including 15 NIC titles.

Lifting the Lid:  Following MSU's 7-6 win over Northern Michigan, the Mavericks improved to 37-41-6 in season openers and are 2-1 under head coach Todd Hoffner.

Scouting Minnesota, Crookston:  Minnesota, Crookston enters the weekend the owners of a 1-1 record and are 0-1 in the NSIC.  Last weekend, the Golden Eagles dropped their league opener to Wayne State, 68-6.

The lone Golden Eagle score came at the 13:56 mark of the game when junior fullback Trent Nyhus bulled in for a one-yard touchdown.  UMC finished the game running 52 plays for 140 yards.

For the season, UMC is averaging 111.5 yards per game on the ground and 190.5 through the air.  Sophomore running back Keith McBride leads the way on the ground with 15 carries for 120 yards, averaging 60 yards a game and eight a carry.  He also has a pair of touchdowns.  Senior quarterback Tim Ennis has completed 16-of-25 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns, while junior wideout Jordan Lecher has caught a team-high nine passes for 130 yards (65.0 yards per game) and a score.

Defensively, sophomore defensive back Cecil Brown lead the team with 16 tackles, including an interception and a pair of pass breakups.  The Golden Eagles are coached by Shannon Stassen who is in his eighth year with the program.
    
Weather Report:  According to www.weather.com, Saturday's forecast in Crookston calls for a high of 52 degrees with mostly sunny skies and a 10 percent chance of rain.
 
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