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THIS WEEK: The Southwest Minnesota State University (4-4 NSIC, 2-2 NSIC South) football team closes out the 2013 home season this Saturday, Nov. 2, taking on Winona State University (5-3 NSIC, 3-1 NSIC South) with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. at Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center. SMSU enters the game tied for sixth in the conference standings, while WSU is tied for fourth place. SMSU - which is coming off a dramatic road win over Upper Iowa last Saturday - will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak to WSU and earn just the third victory over WSU since 1993. SMSU will also look to send out its 15 seniors on a winning note as they play their final game at the Schwan Regional Event Center. Saturday's game features two of the top running backs in Division II, with SMSU's
Tyler Tonderum entering the game ranked No. 2 in rushing yards (1,518), while WSU's Chichi Ojika is ranked 32nd (829). The SMSU offense is ranked fifth in Division II in total offense (549.3) and 15th in rushing offense (258.5), while WSU is 103rd in rushing defense (173.9) and 141st in total defense (455.9).
SENIOR DAY FOR 15 MUSTANGS: Saturday will be the final home game for 15 Mustang seniors. The 15 players along with family members will be honored prior to the game. The players include
JJ Bobrowicz,
Tate Bunkers,
Cody Condon,
Anthony Dean,
Kyle Hahn,
Adam Iversen,
Kyle Johnson,
Justin Knakmuhs,
Dashawn Miller,
Brandon Puffer,
Lance Schuveiller,
Alex Sedrel,
Jake Thiel,
Britt Wickett and
Brad Wiest.
CU GAME MOVED TO METRODOME: Concordia-St. Paul announced on Oct. 21 its game versus SMSU on Nov. 9 would be moved from its home stadium in St. Paul, Minn., to the Metrodome in Minneapolis starting at 2 p.m. CU's home field - Sea Foam Stadium - has a dome that its expected to be inflated that week causing the site change. It's the second time in two years CU has moved its game versus SMSU into the Metrodome. In 2011, CU won 60-53 in the season finale for both teams played on Nov. 12.
THIS WEEK'S GAME QUICK FACTS:
•SMSU has rushed for a school record 2,068 yards this season, breaking the previous record of 1,945 held by the 1973 team.
•SMSU leads the NSIC in red-zone offense (86.1) and ranks 27th in Division II.
•SMSU earned its third road win of the season on Oct. 26 versus Upper Iowa, becoming the first team since 2008 to win three road games in a season. The 1991 team is the only squad in program history to win four road games. SMSU has one more "true" road game this season at Augustana on Nov. 16. SMSU will play a neutral site game versus Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 9.
•SMSU's
Tyler Tonderum set a school single-game record with 50 rush attempts in the Mustangs' 52-48 win at Upper Iowa on Oct. 26.
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Tyler Tonderum - who ranks second in Division II in rushing this week - rushed for more than 100 yards in five straight games earlier this season becoming just the second SMSU player in team history (Shad Peckenpaugh,1985) to do so.
•Tonderum has four 200-yard rushing games in his career (all this season) becoming the first player in school history to accomplish the feat.
•Tonderum set the SMSU single-season record for rushing touchdowns in the victory at Upper Iowa. He now has 15 on the season, surpassing
Gannon Moore (2009) and Robert Lipsey (1990) who both had 13.
•Tonderum - who ranks sixth in Division II in scoring - has 15 rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown this season and has scored at least two touchdowns in six of eight games.
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AJ Page - who leads SMSU in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss - ranks second in the NSIC in tackles and is third in both sacks and tackles for loss.
•
Donovan Woods leads SMSU with three interceptions.
•SMSU has scored 30 or more points in 13 of its last 20 games dating back to the final game of the 2011 season.
A VICTORY ON SATURDAY FOR SMSU WOULD...:
•Be its first over WSU since 2008 and just its third since 1993.
•Give SMSU a record of 11-10 all-time versus Winona State in games played in Marshall.
•Give SMSU a 5-4 record - its best record after nine games since the 2004 team was 5-4.
•Give
Cory Sauter a 9-13 record in home games.
•Lift SMSU's all-time record to 174-291-5, including 112-198-5 in conference play.
