Foreshadowing: After posting a perfect 11-0 regular season record, the Minnesota State football team earned a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament and will now host the St. Cloud State Huskies Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The opening kickoff is set for 12 p.m.

Our History: The 2013 season marks the school's 87th season playing football. The Mavericks are 406-376-28 (.518) in 810 games since their inception as a varsity sport in 1922.  Minnesota State is in its sixth season in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and owns a 53-9 (.854) record in league action. Over the course of its history, MSU has claimed 19 conference championships, including 16 NIC titles. Last season, the Mavericks advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

Back to the Tourney: The Mavericks are making their seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament. MSU is 4-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including a 2-2 record at Blakeslee Stadium. Last season, MSU posted a 2-1 record in the NCAA Tournament as it advanced to the semifinals.

Top of the Heap: MSU won its second straight NSIC regular season championship and fifth NSIC South Division championship after finishing its regular season with an 11-0 record.

Grabbing the Reigns: The 2013 season marks the second season with interim Head Football Coach Aaron Keen patrolling the sidelines for Minnesota State. Last season, Keen guided the Mavericks to a 13-1 record, en route to an appearance in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. Keen currently boasts a head coaching record of 47-28, including an unblemished mark of 22-0 in NSIC play. He owns a 24-1 record at Minnesota State.

Mutual History: Saturday's meeting between the Mavericks and the Huskies marks the 78th meeting between them, with SCSU leading the all-time series with a 41-32-4 record. In their last meeting, the Mavericks defeated the Huskies in St. Cloud 25-21 in week three of the 2012 season to reclaim the Traveling Training Kit.

Concerning the Mavericks: The Minnesota State Mavericks finished their 2013 regular season with an 11-0 record as they defeated Upper Iowa 73-7. MSU's 73 points against the Peacocks are the most points scored in a game in MSU's history. The Mavericks also tallied 526 rushing yards, just 11 yards shy of the school record of 537 yards set against North Dakota in the 1986 season.

The Maverick defense currently ranks second in the nation in rushing defense (63.8 ypg) and third in total defense (268.8) and fifth in scoring defense (14.5)

Sophomore Tyler Henderson lead the Mavericks with 64 tackles, while senior Chris Schaudt  and sophomore Josh Gordon lead the team with 8.5 tackles for loss. Gordon also leads the team with 6.5 sacks. Sophomore Patrick Schmidt and junior Nathan Hancock lead MSU with five interceptions on the season.

The Maverick rushing attack currently ranks ninth in the nation, with an average of 299.1 yards per game. MSU also ranks sixth in the nation in scoring with an average of 43.5 points per game.

Senior Jon Wolf leads the Maverick rushing attack with 1,047 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, while sophomore Connor Thomas ranks second on the team with 895 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.

Wolf has thrown for 1,719 yards and 15 touchdowns through 11 games this season. Senior Dennis Carter leads MSU with 824 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches. Junior Austin Rieder has 399 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the season as well.

Concerning the Huskies: The St. Cloud State Huskies currently own an 11-1 record after posting a 40-35 win last weekend against Henderson State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Michael Walker leads the SCSU offense with 775 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Phillip Klaphake has tallied 525 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns as well.

Klaphake has connected on 213-of-354 passing attempts this season for a total of 3,050 yards and 26 touchdown passes. Damon Treat has posted a team-high 623 receiving yards, while Dan Brown has tallied a team-leading eight touchdown catches.

Eric Poggenburg leads the Huskies with 89 total tackles and has tallied five interceptions. Bo Putrah has posted a team-high seven sacks, while Jack Moro has notched a team-high seven interceptions.

Playoff History: The Mavericks own a 4-6 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament, including a 2-2 mark at Blakeslee Stadium.

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