The Mavericks host Northern State at 1 p.m.  Things you need to know:

• GPC Tailgate Takeover in Lot 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Free and open to ALL fans
• Fans can sample refreshing beverages like Celsius, Dr. Pepper, and Bubbl'r and win prizes courtesy of GPC
• One lucky fan will get a chance to win a $50 gift card by kicking a field goal at halftime of the game

SETTING THE SCENE
The No. 4-ranked Minnesota State football team continues at home in a key Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matchup with Northern State as the two teams enter as the last remaining unbeaten teams in the league.  MSU is coming off a 30-13 win over Bemidji State, while Northern State won 38-3 at Southwest Minnesota State last week.
 
CALLING THE GAME / HOW TO WATCH
Aaron Worm and John Harrington will have the call of Maverick Football all season long on the official home of MSU Football The Fan KFSP 1230 AM and 103.1 FM, Mankato's #1 station for sports talk radio and local sports broadcasting.  Fans also can listen online at https://radiomankato.com. The game will be streamed live through Midco Sports Plus, the official streaming home of the NSIC this season and all Maverick football games will be streamed by Midco Sports Plus in 2026.  Play-by-play coverage of the game on the video stream will be provided by Kara Lyons and Daniel Sawicki.  
 
IT'S A WHITE OUT MAVERICK FANS
All Maverick fans are encouraged to wear white for the game on Saturday afternoon for a White Out at Blakeslee.  
 
THE NEW MIDCO SPORTS PLUS NETWORK
This fall a new era begins in streaming in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with Midco Sports Plus.  It will serve as the centralized home for NSIC digital content, delivering exclusive live and on-demand streaming coverage of all 16 member schools. Fans can get annual access starting at less than $7 per month, including full NSIC coverage plus the Summit League season. A monthly subscription is also available for $15.  The upgraded platform includes:
•    Real-time video clipping with the new My Clips feature, allowing fans to clip, save and share their favorite moments on social media
•    Improved navigation and scheduling tools, including sorting and favoriting capabilities
•    Expanded global access, making Midco Sports content available to fans around the world
•    Enhanced account management to create a more personalized experience
Fans can easily subscribe through:
•    MidcoSportsPlus.com
•    Midco Sports Plus mobile and tablet apps (iOS and Android)
•    Connected TV apps (Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku)
 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH NORTHERN STATE
The Mavericks own an 11-2 record all-time against Northern State and won in the last meeting, 24-14, in Aberdeen, S.D, on Nov. 2, 2024.  The Mavericks are 6-0 all-time at home against NSU and last played at Blakeslee on Sept. 2, 2021, in a 40-34 overtime victory.  NSU snapped a ten-game skid in the series with a 23-22 win on Sept. 17, 2022, in Aberdeen, for its second win since Oct. 9, 1971, in the first meeting between the two teams also in Aberdeen. MSU head coach Todd Hoffner is 10-2 against Northern State.  
 
RECAPPING BEMIDJI STATE GAME
In the 2026 home-opener, both the team and Maverick fans didn't disappoint with a 30-13 win over Bemidji State last weekend and an announced crowd of 6,911 fans marking the fifth largest crowd in Blakeslee Stadium history and the highest attended game in a season-opener in program history.  The Mavericks jumped out to a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter, before the Beavers got on the board.  BSU trimmed the deficit to 20-13 with 48 seconds remaining in the half, but MSU wasn't done as it marched down the field and junior Connor Fournier kicked his second field goal of the half for a 23-13 lead as time expired.  It marked the third game in a row where the Mavericks have scored in the final seconds of the half and second time (Colorado Mesa) on the last play of the half.  At University of Mary (9/5), MSU scored with three seconds remaining in the half.  Against BSU, the Mavericks dominated both the time of possession and the yardage as it held the Beavers to just 220 yards of offense and just 61 yards on the ground.  MSU amassed 278 yards on the ground and 157 through the air.  The Mavericks were led by junior quarterback Mitchell Thompson who finished with 13 carries for 84 yards and two rushing scores, while he was 5 of 12 passing for 71 yards and a touchdown. Fournier was named NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week, going 3 of 4 in field goals and 3 of 3 in extra-points.  It also marked the 300th victory in program history (300-172-16).  
 
THOMPSON FOR THREE
MSU quarterback Mitchell Thompson finished the game Saturday with two rushing touchdowns and one passing score.  He had a season-high 84 yards on the ground on 13 carries and two touchdowns, while going 5 of 12 passing for 71 yards and one score.  Thompson sits fourth in the league and 25th nationally in points responsible for with 42, while he is fourth in the league and 43rd nationally in passing touchdowns (4).  Thompson is sixth in the league in rushing touchdowns (3) to lead the team in total touchdowns where he is eighth in the league and 47th nationally.  
 
WITH THE RETURN
Senior Amaun Williams is second in the league and 21st nationally in punt returns at a 12.5 clip per return.  He has four returns for 50 yards this season and a long return of 24 yards.  
 
FOURNIER NAMED NSIC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior kicker Connor Fournier is the Special Teams Player of the Week for the NSIC after going 3 of 4 in field goals and 3 of 3 in extra-points last week in the win over Bemidji State.  Fournier is 22nd nationally and tied for the league-lead in field goals per game at a 1.33 clip.  He is 4 of 6 in field goals this season and a perfect 14 of 14 in extra-points for a team-high 26 points scored.  Fournier is fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.667) for 44th nationally.  For his career, Fournier has 20 made field goals and 78 made PAT's for 138 points putting him tenth all-time in scoring history among kickers at MSU.  
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
The Mavericks lead the nation in punting average at a 46.00 clip, while they are tops in the nation in tackles for loss allowed at just 2.00 per contest.  The Mavericks also are one of 35 teams who have not lost a fumble this season.  MSU has put the ball on the field three times, but has recovered each time.  Northern State also is tops with no fumbles and hasn't had a fumble at all this season, while also not throwing an interception.  The Mavericks are sixth nationally in turnovers gained (7), while they are 11th nationally in turnover margin at 1.67 to lead the league.  Conversely, NSU is one of eight teams to not have a turnover so far, while it has forced three turnovers this season. 
 
ABOUT NORTHERN STATE
The Wolves come in with the nation's second leading rusher in Hank Kraft who has had a monstrous start to the season with 589 yards on the ground for a 196.3 average per game, while registering seven rushing scores and eight total touchdowns.  He is tops in the nation in rush yards per carry (10.33), tops in rushing scores (7), second in rushing yards (589) and second in rushing yards per game (196.3).  Kraft is third nationally in scoring at 16.0 points per game, while he is second nationally in all-purpose yards at 226.33 per game.  Kraft has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the first three games, while he has scored touchdowns in each game on the ground.  Quarterback Ty Englehart has been efficient so far this season as he is 27 of 43 passing for 373 yards and four touchdowns.  Cooper Eisenbeisz has five catches for 183 yards and two scores, while he has six kickoff returns for a 23.17 average per return.  Jessie Campbell and Jacoby Boykins each have two receiving scores this season, while Kraft has one.  Of the 743 yards rushing by the Wolves this season, Kraft has accounted for 589 for 79 percent.  Not only are the Wolves solid on offense, but defense, too, with standout Jake Adams who leads the nation in solo tackles per game at 8.0 and is fifth in total tackles per game at a staggering 13.3 per contest.  Adams already has 40 tackles on the year with 24 solo stops and two tackles for loss.  He has more than doubled the next player in total tackles (18).  Gabe Gutierrez leads the team with four tackles for loss for 24 yards and 2.5 sacks for 20 yards.  
 
TOPS IN THE NSIC
With the last two remaining undefeated teams in the league, the Mavericks are tops in the league in scoring defense at 11.3 points allowed per game (9th nationally), while NSU is second at 12.0 per contest for 12th nationally.  The Mavericks are tops in the NSIC in net punting (46.00), passes intercepted (5), rushing defense (67.3), sacks allowed (0.33), tackles for loss allowed (2.00), total defense (237.3), turnover margin (1.67) and turnovers gained (7).  
 
IN THE ZONE
MSU is fourth nationally in redzone defense at just a 0.33 clip for the season 3 of 9.  Conversely MSU is 8 of 11 in the red zone offensively.  MSU held University of Mary (Sept. 5) to 0 of 4 in the red zone, while Bemidji State was 2 of 3 last week.
 
THE HEAD COACHES
Minnesota State head coach Todd Hoffner is 155-41 in his 17th season at MSU and is 10-2 against Northern State.  NSU head coach Mike Schmidt is in his seventh season and is 34-24 and is 1-2 against MSU.  Hoffner is 197-69 all-time in his 24th year of coaching, while Schmidt is 61-37 in his 11th overall.   Schmidt was a graduate assistant for MSU and coach Hoffner in 2008, coaching the defensive line in Coach Hoffner's first season in Mankato.  Current MSU offensive coordinator Ryan Schlichte was the offensive coordinator at Northern State before coming back to MSU in 2024.
 
THINGS A WIN OVER NORTHERN STATE WOULD DO . . . 

• Give MSU a 4-0 record on the season and the 16th time starting at least 4-0 in program history
• Give MSU a 4-0 start for the 10th time under head coach Todd Hoffner
• Give MSU a 7-0 record all-time at Blakeslee Stadium versus Northern State
• Be the 301st home victory in the history of MSU Football (300-172-16)
• Give head coach Todd Hoffner his 156th victory (155-41) at MSU and his 198th victory overall (197-69) in 25 seasons of coaching
• Be the 531st victory all-time in the history of the program (530-407-27)
• Give MSU a 12-2 record all-time against Northern State