MANKATO, Minn. --- No. 19 Minnesota State begins NSIC South Division competition this Saturday as it travels to Winona State. 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 433-381-28 (.530) in 842 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 75-11 (.872) 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 61-17 (.782) record, including four trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015.
Against the Warriors: Saturday's game between the Mavericks and the Warriors marks the 55th all-time meeting between them, with MSU owning a 33-17-4 record, including an 18-9-2 record in Winona. Last season, Winona State defeated Minnesota State 31-27 at Blakeslee Stadium. WSU's win ended the Mavericks' four-game winning streak against it, and their 40-game NSIC winning streak.
Last season against the Warriors, senior
Nick Pieruccini led the Mavericks with 161 passing yards and 106 rushing yards. Junior
Ty Dennis also caught five passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball, both senior
Marcus Gooden and junior
Corey Brent posted an interception, while senior
Mat Andriano tallied six tackles.
WSU's Jack Nelson completed 23-of-38 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns against MSU last season. Paul Preston led the WSU rushing attack with 80 yards, while Cameron Johnson caught four passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Andrew Spencer tallied 15 tackles as well.
Last Week for the Mavericks: Last weekend, the Mavericks won a hard fought battle against MSU Moorhead at Blakeslee Stadium as they defeated the Dragons 28-14.
In total, Minnesota State put up 356 yards of total offense, including 176 yards on the ground and 180 yards through the air. In comparison, the Dragons put up 329 yards of total offense.
The Maverick defense came away with three interceptions for the second straight week as seniors
Mat Andriano and
Marcus Gooden, along with junior
Corey Brent, each picked off an MSUM pass. Senior
Ruben Ibarra led the Maverick defense with 11 tackles as well.
On offense, Minnesota State was led by senior
Nick Pieruccini who threw for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Pieruccini also rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown, marking the fourth time in his career that he has rushed for more than 100 yards in a game.
Seven Mavericks caught a pass in their win over the Dragons, including freshman
Shane Zylstra, who tallied three catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. Junior
Ty Dennis caught two passes for 43 yards and a touchdown as well.
Concerning the Mavericks: Through four games this season the Mavericks have tallied 1,714 yards of total offense and are averaging 31.2 points per game.
MSU has tallied 849 yards on the ground this season, with seniors
Nick Pieruccini and
Virgil Hammond leading the way with 366 yards and 191 yards, respectively. Pieruccini also has four touchdown carries.
Through the air, Minnesota State has tallied 865 passing yards and eight touchdown passes. Pieruccini has thrown for 462 yards and six touchdowns, while senior
Ricky Lloyd has posted 223 passing yards.
The Maverick defense has allowed 1,527 yards of total offense this season, along with 19.5 points per game.
Senior
Ruben Ibarra is leading the Maverick defense with 39 tackles, with senior
Marcus Gooden following right behind with 34. Sophomore
Michael Palme has tallied a team-leading 2.5 tackles for a loss.
Last Week for the Warriors: Last weekend, Winona State improved to 3-1 on the season as it defeated the University of Mary 51-0 on the road. WSU has now tallied two shutouts this season.
As a team, the Warriors posted 652 yards of offense against U-Mary, including 321 rushing yards and 331 passing yards. Quarterback Jack Nelson completed 16 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
Wide receiver Cameron Johnson led the WSU receiving corps with 169 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Paul Preston led the rushing attack with 146 yards and three touchdown carries.
On defense, the Warriors were led by Clint Warminski who tallied eight tackles. Michael Ferrante posted six tackles, including three for a loss as well.
Concerning the Warriors: On the season, Winona State has tallied 2,020 yards of total offense, with 1,176 yards coming through the air. WSU is also averaging 44 points a game, while giving up just 10.2 points a game this season.
Jack Nelson has thrown for 1,124 yards and 10 touchdowns this season compared to two interceptions. Cameron Johnson leads the WSU receiving corps with 528 receiving yards and six touchdown catches. Will Claussen has caught 14 passes for 262 yards and a touchdown as well.
Paul Preston lead the Winona State rushing attack with 504 rushing yards and seven touchdown carries. He is followed by Eric Birth who has tallied 193 rushing yards and four touchdown carries.
Andrew Spencer leads the Winona State defense with 31 tackles. Michael Ferrante is leading the Warriors with five tackles for a loss and is tied for the team lead in sacks with two.
