MANKATO, Minn. --- The #1 Minnesota State football team continues its season on Saturday as it hosts St. Cloud State in its annual Homecoming game at Blakeslee Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

Our History: The 2018 season marks the school's 92nd season playing football. The Mavericks are 455-384-28 (.540) in 867 games since their inception as a varsity sport in 1922.  Minnesota State is in its 10th season in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and owns an 93-13 (.877) record in league action. Over the course of its history, MSU has claimed 22 conference championships, including 14 NIC titles and five NSIC championships. The Mavericks also made their 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season. MSU owns a 9-10 overall record in NCAA postseason play. 

Grabbing the Reins: The 2018 season marks the ninth season with Head Coach Todd Hoffner on the sidelines. During his nine seasons at Minnesota State, Hoffner has compiled an 83-20 (.803) record, including four NSIC Championships and five trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2017.

Against the Huskies: Saturday's game between Minnesota State and St. Cloud State will be their 81st meeting, with SCSU leading the all-time series 42-34-4. MSU has won its last two meetings against the Huskies, including a 45-12 in the last meeting in St. Cloud during the 2016 season.

In 2016, Minnesota State tallied 503 yards of total offense against the Huskies, including 300 passing yards. The Maverick defense limited SCSU to 383 yards of offense, including 59 rushing yards. The Maverick defense combined for four sacks and three interceptions as well.

Junior Shane Zylstra caught three passes for 52 yards against the Huskies, while junior Justin Arnold caught two passes for 19 yards as well. On defense, junior Alex Goettl recorded five tackles, while senior Michael Palme tallied three.

John Pass caught three passes for 57 yards for the Huskies, while Anthony Carver caught two passes for 49 yards. Stuart Hamman and Jamari Manuel each record three tackles as well.

Last Week for the Mavericks: Minnesota State improved to 4-0 on the season as it came from behind in the second half to defeat Winona State 31-21 on the road last weekend. The Mavericks have now won their last 17 NSIC contests dating back to week 10 of the 2016 season.

Trailing 21-7 at halftime, Minnesota State began its comeback right away in the second half as it scored 24 unanswered points, which included three touchdown runs from junior Nate Gunn and a 32-yard field goal from senior Casey Bednarski. The Mavericks also wreaked havoc on special teams and defense as sophomore Ty'Shonan Brooks blocked a WSU field goal attempt, while juniors Spencer Hermus and Parrish Marrow each recorded an interception.

Gunn finished his game with 126 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while junior Shane Zylstra caught a touchdown pass for the fourth straight game. Sophomore Parker Gloudemans also caught three passes for 82 yards as well.

The Maverick defense combined for 13 tackles for a loss and five sacks against Winona State. MSU limited the Warriors to just 68 yards of offense in the second half.

Junior Alex Goettl led the Maverick defense with 11 tackles, including three for a loss, and one sack. Sophomore Chance Bowen recorded two sacks in back-to-back plays as well. 

Last Week for the Huskies: St. Cloud State improved to 3-1 last weekend as it defeated Northern State 19-14 on the road. 

As a team, SCSU recorded 311 yards of offense against the Wolves, including 239 rushing yards. NSU was limited to 143 yards of offense, including 141 passing yards.

Justin Czech completed three passes for 41 yards, including a 35 yard touchdown pass to John Pass that put the Huskies up 19-14 with 4:42 to go in the game. Pass finished the game with six catches for 67 yards.

Curtwan Evans led the Huskie rushing attack with 140 yards, while Gregory Lewis notched 77 yards.

Jake Schley led the St. Cloud State defense with eight tackles, including 2.5 for a loss and one sack. Jack Horter notched seven tackles as well.

Concerning the Mavericks: Minnesota State improved to 4-0 last weekend with its 31-21 win over Winona State on the road.

As a unit, Minnesota State is averaging 41 points and 499.2 yards of offense per game this season. MSU's offense has featured a balanced attack as it has averaged 267.2 yards on the ground and 232 yards through the air per game. In comparison, MSU's opponents have averaged 20.8 points and 282.5 yards of offense per game.

Junior Nate Gunn leads the MSU rushing attack with 430 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Sophomore Justin Taormina has notched 193 rushing yards and a touchdown, while sophomore JD Ekowa has added 225 yards and a touchdown as well.

Junior Ryan Schlichte has thrown for 723 yards and four touchdowns this season. He is averaging 180.8 passing yards a game and has completed 59.1% of his passes.

The Maverick receiving corps is led by the duo of juniors Shane Zylstra and Justin Arnold. Zylstra has tallied 306 receiving yards and four touchdown catches, while Arnold has caught 12 passes for 188 yards.

Juniors Alex Goettl and Zach Robertson lead the MSU defense with 23 tackles each. Goettl has also notched 4.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. Sophomore Cade Johnson has tallied 20 tackles as well.

Concerning the Huskies: St. Cloud State owns a 3-1 record this season, including a 19-14 win on the road at Northern State last weekend.

As a team, SCSU is averaging 23.5 points and 342.8 yards of offense per game. The Huskies are averaging 191.2 passing yards and 151.5 rushing yards a game. It opponents have averaged 257 yards of offense a game, including 189.7 passing yards a game.

Curtwan Evans leads the SCSU rushing attack with 271 yards and two touchdowns. Gregory Lewis has posted 238 yards and a touchdown as well.

Quarterback Dwayne Lawhorn has thrown for 719 yards and six touchdowns this season. John Solberg leads the SCSU receiving corps with 304 yards and three touchdowns. John Pass has also caught 22 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns as well.

Jake Schley is leading the Huskie defense with 25 tackles, which include 4.0 for a loss and two sacks. Zach Stecklein has tallied six tackles for a loss and a team-best 3.5 sacks as well.

Football Luncheon: The Minnesota State football luncheons will take place the before each home game at 11:45 a.m., at the Loose Moose. The luncheons will feature a coach's presentation, Q&A with Maverick student-athletes and video. The luncheons are open to the public. 

Homecoming History: MSU's upcoming Homecoming game against St. Cloud State will be its 86th in team history. The Mavericks own a 50-33-2 record during its Homecoming games, including a 4-4-1 record against SCSU. MSU has won its last seven Homecoming games. St. Cloud State was the last team to defeat MSU during its homecoming festivities back in 2010 (31-17).

Traveling Training Kit: Along with Homecoming festivities, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State will also compete for the Traveling Training Kit this Saturday. MSU owns a 34-42-4 record with "The Kit" on the line, including a pair of wins in their last two encounters in 2014 (31-0) and 2016 (45-12).