MANKATO, Minn. --- No. 21 Minnesota State continues the NSIC north division portion of its schedule on Saturday as it hits the road to take on longtime rival St. Cloud State. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

Our History: The 2016 season marks the school's 90th season playing football. The Mavericks are 431-381-28 (.529) in 840 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 73-11 (.869) 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 Reigns: 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 59-17 (.776) record, including four trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2009,  2014 and 2015.

Against the Huskies: Saturday's meeting between the Mavericks and the Huskies marks the 80th meeting all-time between them. SCSU holds the series edge with a 42-33-4 record, with both teams exchanging wins during the last four meetings.

During their last encounter in 2014, the Mavericks shutout the Huskies 31-0 at Blakelee Stadium. In that game, senior Ricky Lloyd threw a pair of touchdown passes, while junior Corey Brent recorded five tackles and one interception.

The "Traveling Training Kit" will also be up for grabs during Saturday's game. The Mavericks defeated the Huskies 25-21 the last time they played at St. Cloud back in 2012, but they have not won consecutive meetings against SCSU since the 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons.

Last Week for the Mavericks: Last weekend the Mavericks suffered a 45-17 loss to the Bemidji State Beavers at Blakeslee Stadium. The loss to BSU ended a 10-game winning streak in home openers for the Mavericks dating back to the 2006 season.

In total, the Mavericks put up 352 yards of total offense against the Beavers, that featured 179 yards on the ground and 173 yards through the air.

Freshman quarterback Ryan Schlichte completed 11 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded 51 rushing yards and a touchdown carry. Freshman Shane Zylstra caught his first career touchdown pass, while Anders Gelecinskyj connected on a 31-yard field goal.

Against the Beavers, the Maverick defense was led by senior linebackers Marcus Gooden and Ruben Ibarra. Ibarra tallied a game-high 13 tackles, with Gooden following close behind with 11. Senior defensive back Mat Andriano tallied eight tackles and a fumble recovery as well.

Concerning the Mavericks: Through two games this season the Mavericks have tallied 855 yards of total offense and are averaging 26 points per game.

MSU has tallied 470 yards on the ground this season, with seniors Nick Pieruccini and Virgil Hammond leading the way with 139 yards and 127 yards, respectively. Pieruccini has two rushing touchdowns as well.

Through the air, Minnesota State has tallied 385 passing yards and two touchdown passes. Senior Ricky Lloyd has thrown for 223 yards, while freshman Ryan Schlichte has tallied 162 yards and two touchdown passes. Their favorite target this season has been junior Ty Dennis who has caught seven passes for 112 yards.

The Maverick defense has allowed 815 yards of total offense this season ,along with 26 points per game. 

Senior Marcus Gooden is leading the Maverick defense with 22 tackles, with senior Ruben Ibarra following right behind with 21 tackles. 

Sophomore Michael Palme has tallied a team-leading 2.5 tackles for a loss, to go along with 12 tackles as well.

Last Week for the Huskies: Last weekend, St. Cloud State improved to 1-1 on the season as it defeated Upper Iowa 27-20 on the road. 

As a team, the Huskies notched 337 yards of total offense, compared to Upper Iowa's 384 yards. SCSU tallied just 34 rushing yards, but was able to notch 303 passing yards.

Quarterback Nate Meyer threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns, compared to one interception last weekend.

Meyers favorite targets against UIU were John Pass and Jameson Parson. Pass caught nine passes for 138 yards and a touchdown, while Parsons snagged 10 passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns. 

On defense, the Huskies recorded five takeaways, including three interceptions. Carvel Graham notched two interceptions, while Stuart Hamman tallied one interception and a team-leading nine tackles.

Concerning the Huskies: On the season, St. Cloud State has tallied 732 yards of total offense, compared to its opponents 969 yards. SCSU has tallied 587 passing yards this season.

On the season, Nate Meyer has posted 557 passing yards and four touchdown passes, to go along with three interceptions. Jaden Huff leads the SCSU rushing attack with 87 rushing yards and a touchdown as well.

Jameson Parsons leads the SCSU receiving corps with 278 receiving yards and two touchdown catches, with John Pass following with 185 receiving yards and two touchdown catches.

On defense, Jamari Manuel leads the Huskies with 13 tackles. Brady Westart has tallied nine tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, and 1.5 sacks.