MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State football team will wrap up its road schedule Saturday as it takes on the Wayne State Wildcats. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Our History: The 2016 season marks the school's 90th season playing football. The Mavericks are 436-383-28 (.531) in 847 games since their inception as a varsity sport in 1922.  Minnesota State is in its ninth season in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and owns a 78-13 (.857) record in league action. Over the course of its history, MSU has claimed 21 conference championships, including 16 NIC titles. The Mavericks have also made nine appearances in the NCAA Tournament. MSU owns a 7-9 overall record in NCAA postseason play. 

Grabbing the Reins: The 2016 season marks the seventh season with Head Coach Todd Hoffner on the sidelines. During his seven seasons at Minnesota State, Hoffner has compiled a 64-19 (.771) record, including four trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2009,  2014 and 2015.

Against the Wildcats: Saturday's game between the Mavericks and the Wildcats marks their ninth all-time meeting. MSU has won all eight of their previous encounters, including a 42-14. The Mavericks are 4-0 in games played at Wayne State.

During their 2015 meeting, senior Ricky Lloyd threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns against the Wildcats last season. Senior Brent Esser caught five passes for 76 yards and two touchdowns, while senior Taylor Johnson caught two passes, including a touchdown. Senior Virgil Hammond notched 86 rushing yards and two touchdowns as well.

On defense, junior Brendan Chrystal led the Mavericks with seven tackles, while junior Corey Brent tallied six tackles and an interception.

For WSC, Alex Kline tallied 43 rushing yards for the Wildcats, while Marcel Dunson posted 44 receiving yards and a touchdown. Christian Campos tallied 10 tackles for the Wildcats, while Jamaal Conway-Smith recorded an interception.

Last Week for the Mavericks: Minnesota State fell to #4 Sioux Falls 24-14 last weekend at Blakeslee Stadium to fall to 6-3 on the season. USF's win over MSU is its first win against the Mavericks since joining the NSIC back in 2012.

Senior Nick Pieruccini threw for 151 yards and a touchdown against the Cougars, while senior Ricky Lloyd posted one touchdown pass and 48 rushing yards. Freshman Shane Zylstra led MSU receivers with 77 receiving yards and a touchdown. Senior Taylor Johnson caught a touchdown pass as well.

On defense, junior Brendan Chrystal led the Mavericks with 13 tackles, with senior Mat Andriano following right behind with 10. Junior Evan Perrizo notched eight tackles, including 1.5 sacks, while junior Larry Moore recorded an interception.

Concerning the Mavericks: Through nine games this season the Mavericks have tallied 3,652 yards of total offense and are averaging 32.4 points per game.

MSU has tallied 1,537 yards on the ground this season, with seniors Virgil Hammond and Nick Pieruccini leading the way with 521 yards and 483 yards, respectively. Pieruccini also has four touchdown carries.

Through the air, Minnesota State has tallied 2,115 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes. Pieruccini has thrown for 1,222 yards and 16 touchdowns.

The Maverick defense has allowed 3,566 yards of total offense this season, along with 22.3 points per game. 

Senior Ruben Ibarra has posted 80 tackles this season, with senior Marcus Gooden following right behind with 72. Junior Evan Perrizo has tallied a team-leading 12 tackles for a loss as well.

Last Week for the Wildcats: Last weekend, Wayne State fell to Upper Iowa 35-30 in Fayette. WSC has lost its last two games, and three of its last four.

The Wildcats tallied 477 yards of total offense against the Peacocks, including 314 passing yards. 

Quarterback Zach Osborn threw for 314 yards and a touchdown against UIU. Nate Rogers led the Wildcats with 114 receiving yards and a touchdown. Osborn also rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown, with Alex Kline following right behind with 66 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

On defense, Jamaal Conway-Smith led the Wildcats with nine tackles against Wayne State. Cody Elscheid notched six tackles, including on tackle for a loss.

Concerning the Wildcats: On the season, Wayne State has tallied 3,456 yards of offense, including 2,232 passing yards. WSC is averaging 27.2 points a game, and is giving up an average of 33 points a game.

Quarterback Zach Osborn has thrown for 2,158 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. He has also rushed for 371 yards and four touchdowns as well.

Nate Rogers leads the Wayne State receiving corps with 675 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Shymere Williams has posted 519 receiving yards and four touchdown as well.

Cam Montgomery leads the Wildcat defense with 60 tackles and six interceptions. Jonathon Bland has recorded a team-leading 5.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks.