What Happened & What's Ahead: The sixth-ranked Minnesota State football team (10-0, 10-0 NSIC), concludes the regular season portion of its schedule Saturday afternoon as it entertains Upper Iowa at 1 p.m. Last weekend, Minnesota State earned a 27-13 victory over then #17-ranked Sioux Falls in Mankato, Minn.
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 fourth 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: A win would give MSU its first-ever NSIC regular season title...A win would clinch the 2012 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference overall and NSIC South Division titles for MSU...It would also mark the 393rd win in program history and the 43rd win for the Mavericks since becoming members of the NSIC in 2008...A win would be MSU's seventh all-time against Upper Iowa and its fourth in the city of Mankato...A win would make MSU the first team to run the NSIC circuit undefeated since Minnesota Duluth went 10-0 in 2010...A win would push the Maverick home winning streak and its overall winning streak to 12 games.
Regionally Speaking: The Minnesota State football team is ranked first in the third NCAA Division II Super Region Three poll which was released Monday afternoon.
The Mavericks are one of four teams from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference ranked in the top ten in the region. The top six teams from each of the four “Super Regions” following the final week of the regular season advance to the NCAA Division II football tournament.
W2W4: Minnesota State junior quarterback #
Jon Wolf# is inching closer to the career 1,000-yard barrier. Wolf, who enters Saturday's game with 977 career rushing yards would reach the milestone if he ran for his average of 49.4 yards per game. Should he reach the 1,000-yard mark he will join sophomore running back
Andy Pfeiffer as the only active Mavericks with over 1,000 yards rushing. Pfeiffer enters the week with 1,760 yards.
Perfect Ten: Minnesota State enters the weekend one of six NCAA schools (FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III) to have a 10-0 record on the season. Ohio State is 10-0 in FBS play and in Division II, the Mavericks join Winston-Salem, Ashland, Colorado St. Pueblo and Shippensburg as the only 10-0 schools in the nation.
A Little Bit About Our Opponent: Upper Iowa enters the weekend owners of a 2-8 record and losers of their last eight games. Last weekend, the Peacocks suffered a 17-14 to Wayne State and over its last three games UIU has suffered losses by one, 13 and three points.
The Peacocks are averaging 28 points per game while allowing 37.8. Offensively, UIU is rushing for 144.7 yards a contest and its opponents are gaining 191.3 while UIU is throwing for 299.4 and its opponents for 252.8. In terms of total offense, the Peacocks are averaging exactly what they are allowing, 444.1 yards per game.
Junior running back Raymond Bradley leads the team in rushing with 111 carries for 543 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 60.3 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry. Sophomore quarterback Cole Jaeschke has completed 222-of-395 passes for 2,882 yards and 26 touchdowns averaging 22.8 yards per game in the air and throwing 13 interceptions. Jaeschke's favorite target this season has been sophomore Keaton Hosch who has 58 catches for 1,044 yards and ten touchdowns, averaging 104.4 yards per game and 18 yards per catch.
Defensively, junior linebacker Ethan Douglas has 107 tackles while senior linebacker Tony Leggett has 91 stops. Junior defensive back Jordan Andera has 88 tackles and two interceptions.
Upper Iowa is coached by Tom Shea who is sixth season with the program and 19th overall. During the course of his career, Shea has a 108-84-3 record and coached Peru State to an NAIA Division II National Championship in 1990.
Series Notes: Saturday's game marks the seventh meeting between the two schools as MSU leads the all-time series, 6-0...The Mavericks are averaging 40.3 points per game in Blakeslee Stadium against Upper Iowa, while giving up 9.3...Over the course of the series, MSU is averaging 39.8 points per game and giving up 9.8...The Mavericks are 3-0 all-time in Blakeslee Stadium against UIU and 1-0 in the month of November...MSU has pitched two during the series, both coming via 38-0 wins...MSU has also scored 48 points twice in the series...Junior kicker #
Sam Brockshus# is averaging 8.0 points per game in two career games against UIU and has booted all three of his field goal attempts with a long of 30...Sophomore running back
Andy Pfeiffer has rushed 18 times for 78 yards in his one game against UIU, averaging 4.3 yards per carry...Senior wideout
Adam Thielen has 11 catches for 120 yards in three career games against the Peacocks, averaging 10.9 yards per catch and 40 yards per game...Junior quarterback #
Jon Wolf# has rushed nine times for 43 yards and is 0-of-2 in passing attempts against the UIU...He has also caught five passes for 93 yards...Defensively, senior linebacker
Marcus Hall-Oliver had eight tackles a year ago.
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 (.593) in Blakeslee Stadium.
Polling: Mi
nnesota State enters the week ranked #6 in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, found
HERE. MSU was also ranked #2 in the d2football.com poll, found
HERE and was #1 in the NCAA SuperRegion 3 poll, found
HERE.
To view the complete version of the release, click
HERE
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Team Comparison
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MSU
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Category
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UIU
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230.3 (2nd)
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Rushing Offense
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144.7 (11th)
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178.2 (14th)
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Passing Offense
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299.4 (1st)
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381.5 (5th)
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Total Offense
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444.1 (3rd)
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34.6 (5th)
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Scoring Offense
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28.0 (9th)
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73.6 (1st)
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Rushing Defense
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191.3 (14th)
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193.6 (2nd)
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Passing Defense
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252.8 (15th)
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267.2 (1st)
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Total Defense
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444.1 (15th)
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16.4 (1st)
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Scoring Defense
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37.8 (15th)
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38.1 (10th)
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3rd Down Conversion %
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42.6 (5th)
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32:39 (1st)
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Time of Possession
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26:02 (16th)
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