What Happened & What's Ahead:  The fifth-ranked Minnesota State football team (11-0, 11-0 NSIC) returns to action this weekend as it entertains 13th-ranked Northwest Missouri State in the second round of the NCAA Division II Football Championships.  Last week, NWMSU, the fourth-seed in the NCAA SuperRegion #3 defeated Harding, the fifth-seed, 35-0 in Maryville, Mo.

A Little History Lesson: The 2012 season marked the school's 86th season playing football.  The Mavericks are 392-375-28 (.511) in 795 games since their inception as a varsity sport in 1922.  Minnesota State is in its fifth season in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and owns a 42-9 (.823) record in league action.  Over the course of its history, MSU has claimed 18 conference championships, including 16 NIC titles.

What's in a Win: It would also mark the 34th win in program history...A win would be MSU's third all-time in the NCAA playoffs and its ninth all-time against Northwest Missouri State...A win would push the Maverick home winning streak and its overall winning streak to 12 games...A win would be MSU's third ever in the NCAA playoffs and its first in Blakeslee Stadium.

11-0: Minnesota State enters the weekend one of 11 NCAA schools (FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III) to have an 11-0 record on the season.  Ohio State and Notre Dame are both 11-0 in the FBS, while Minnesota State joins Winston-Salem, Ashland, and Colorado State Pueblo in Division II as teams with an 11-0 record. In NCAA Division III, Wisconsin-Oshkosh, St. Thomas, Hobart, Mary Hardin-Baylor and Mount Union are all 11-0.

The Last Time:  The last time Minnesota State lost on its home field was Oct. 9, 2010, when it suffered a 31-17 loss to St. Cloud State.  Minnesota State  has won its last 12 home and is  147-100-5 (.594) in Blakeslee Stadium.

A Little Bit About Our Opponent:  Northwest Missouri State enters the weekend owners of a 10-2 record, including an 8-2 mark in the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association.  
    
Last weekend, the Bearcats opened the 2012 NCAA Division II Playoffs with a 35-0 win over Harding.  Against the Reddies, NWMSU accumulated 391 yards of total offense and limited HU to 300, including -4 passing.  Offensively,  junior running back Billy Creason rushed 18 times for 113 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per game while junior quarterback Trevor Adams completed 17-of-25 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns.  Senior wideout Tyler Shaw grabbed five passes for 119 yards and a score in the win.  Defensively, junior defensive end Zach Williams and sophomore linebacker DJ Gnander each had 11 tackles.

For the season, NWMSU is averaging and MIAA-high 43.2 points per game while allowing an MIAA-low 12.9.  The Bearcats are averaging 195.7 yards per game on the ground and 247.3 in the air for a total of 443. 3 per game while allowing 117 per game on the ground, 186.4 in passing for a total of 303.4.  Junior running back James Franklin leads the team in rushing with 146 carries for 723 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 65.7 yards per game and 5.0 yards per carry.  Adams has completed 162-of-257 passes for 2,134 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging 194 yards per game against nine interceptions.  Senior running back Jordan Simmons leads the team in catches with 50 for 474 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 43.1 yards per game and 9.5 yards per catch while Shaw  has caught 47 passes for a team-high 812 yards and ten touchdowns, averaging 73.8 yards per game and 17.3 yards per catch.  

Defensively, Gnander leads the team in tackles with 81 while senior linebacker Collin DeBuysere has 69 tackles, eight of which are for a loss and four interceptions, six pass break-ups and one fumble recovery and forced fumble.  

Series Notes:  The series is tied 8-8 with NWMSU winning the last seven games in the series...Minnesota State is 4-3 against the Bearcats in Blakeslee Stadium...MSU is averaging 31.3 points per game in the series while NWMSU is averaging 24.9..MSU has scored 59 points in a 59-34 win over NWMSU on Sept. 9, 1995 in Mankato, while NWMSU scored a series high 42 points in a 42-31 win over the Mavericks on Sept. 14, 2002 in Mankato...There has been one overtime game in the series, a 24-21 Bearcat victory in Mankato on August 25, 2005...The lone shutout has been in the series lidlifter, a 38-0 Maverick win on Sept. 30, 1972...NWMSU assistant coach Ken Gordon was a defensive coordinator for Minnesota State from 2005-06.

Playoff Notes:  Northwest Missouri State is making its 16th NCAA Division II Playoff appearance and its eighth consecutive...The Bearcats have advanced to the playoffs in 1984, 1989, 1997, 1998, 1999, 200, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011...NWMSU has won three national championships (1998, 1999, 2009)...All-time NWMSU is 35-12 in the NCAA playoffs and 8-0 in the second round of the playoffs.

To view the complete version of the postseason media guide, including stats, player notes, an updated record book and much, much more, click HERE

To view Northwest Missouri State's game notes, click HERE

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