THIS WEEK: The Southwest Minnesota State University (6-4 NSIC, 4-2 NSIC South) football team concludes the regular season this Saturday, Nov. 16, facing Augustana College (4-6 NSIC, 2-4 NSIC South) at Kirkeby-Over Stadium in Sioux Falls, S.D., with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. SMSU - which has secured the program's first winning season since 2008 and just the ninth in program history - will also be looking to secure a spot in the 48th Mineral Water Bowl on Dec. 7 in Excelsior Springs, Mo. The highest ranked team in the final NSIC standings, not to qualify for the six-team NCAA Super Region 3 playoffs, will receive a spot in the bowl game and face a team from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). In this week's NCAA Super Region 3 rankings, St. Cloud State is ranked No. 7, meaning SCSU is the highest ranked team from the NSIC outside of the playoffs. SMSU needs to win on Saturday and have Minnesota State, Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State qualify for the NCAA playoffs for a chance at the bowl game. Saturday's game features one of the top offensive and one of top defensive units in the country. SMSU ranks fourth in Division II in total offense, 11th in scoring and 13th in rushing offense, while Augustana ranks 18th in scoring defense, 26th in total defense and 55th in rushing defense.Â
MUSTANG OFFENSE SETS SCHOOL AND NSIC RECORD: The SMSU offense set not only the school record, but also the conference record, for total offense in a single-season in the Mustangs' win over Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 9. SMSU has amassed 5,495 yards on 851 total plays, surpassing the previous school record of 5,303 yards set by the 1987 team. Winona State held the previous NSIC record of 5,182 set last season.
TONDERUM SETS NSIC RECORD AND LEADS ALL NCAA IN RUSHING: Junior
Tyler Tonderum set the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference single-season rushing record during SMSU's 51-44 overtime win over Winona State on Nov. 3. Tonderum broke the mark in the third quarter surpassing the record of 1,586 yards set last year by Winona State's Rayon Simmons on 285 carries. Tonderum has now rushed for 1,864 yards and 18 touchdowns on 284 carries. His rushing total is the highest among all players in any of the four divisions of NCAA football. Domonique Hayden from Division III Thomas More is second in the country with 1,801 yards.
SMSU CLAIMS WINNING SEASON: Saturday's victory over Concordia-St. Paul secured the program's first winning season since 2008 and just the ninth in the 46-year history of the program. If SMSU wins on Saturday, it would tie the 1987 team for the third highest win total in program history. The 1991 team won nine games, while the 1990 squad finished with eight victories.
