THIS WEEK: Southwest Minnesota State University (5-1, 1-1 NSIC South) returns home after two straight road games to face No. 5 and undefeated University of Sioux Falls (6-0, 2-0 NSIC South) in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division game this Saturday, Oct. 17.  Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. at Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
    The game features two of the top offensive units in the NSIC with USF ranking first in scoring offense and first in total offense. USF ranks sixth in Division II in scoring and eighth in total offense. SMSU enters the game second in the NSIC in total offense and fourth in scoring.
    SMSU, which received two votes in this week's AFCA Top 25 poll, suffered its first loss of the season two weeks ago, but rebounded in a big way this past Saturday with a 61-3 drubbing of Wayne State College. Sioux Falls remained undefeated with a 51-30 home victory over Winona State. A preview of Sioux Falls is located on page 4.

    LAST TIME VERSUS USF IN MARSHALL: The last time SMSU and USF met in Marshall on Oct. 5, 2013, was one of the most memorable offensive games in Division II history. USF won the game 55-48, as Luke Papilion scored the game-winning touchdown on a 17-yard run with 44 seconds left in the game. The teams combined for 67 first downs and 1,446 yards of offense. SMSU finished with a school record 828 yards of offense and set an NCAA Division II record--which still stands today--for total offensive yards by a losing team. SMSU's Anthony Dean caught 11 passes for 308 yards and four touchdowns, while Papilion rushed for 194 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 168 yards and two scores.

    A VICTORY FOR SMSU ON SATURDAY WOULD...:
    •Give SMSU its best start after seven games since the 1991 team started 7-0.
    •Be its first-ever over a nationally ranked Division II team.
    •Be its first win over Sioux Falls since 1979 and first at the Division II level.
    •Move head coach Cory Sauter into sole possession of second place in career victories at SMSU with 27.
    •Lift SMSU's all-time record to 185-301-5, including 123-207-5 in conference play.

    MUSTANGS RECEIVE VOTES IN AFCA TOP 25: Southwest Minnesota State received two votes in this week's American Football Coaches Association Top 25 poll on Monday. SMSU is one of 17 teams outside the Top 25 to earn votes. The only other time SMSU has received votes in the AFCA Top 25 poll came in the first regular season poll in 2008.

    MOST POINTS SCORED IN A HALF: In Saturday's 61-3 road victory versus Wayne State, SMSU scored 47 points in the opening half, setting a school record for points in a half. The new mark surpassed the previous record of 46 set on Oct. 19, 1991, in the second half versus Bemidji State. Prior to Saturday, the last time SMSU scored 40 or more points in half was on Aug. 30, 2008, when the Mustangs scored 44 in the first half versus Minnesota Crookston.

    LIMITING TO SINGLE DIGITS: Southwest Minnesota State has held two opponents this season to less than 10 points in a game. The Mustangs limited MSU Moorhead to nine points in week four and Wayne State to just three points in week six. The three points allowed versus Wayne State was the fewest since shutting out Waldorf College on Sept. 4, 2004. This year marks the first time since 2006 that SMSU has held an opponent to single digits twice in one season. In 2004, SMSU had three games limiting where opponents scored seven or less points.

    THE HEAD COACH: Southwest Minnesota State head coach Cory Sauter is in his sixth season and has an overall record of 26-36, including 25-34 in conference games. The 26 victories ranks tied for second with Eric Eidsness (2004-09) among 10 head coaches in program history. Gary Buer (1979-92) is the program leader with 70 victories. Sauter was named head coach on March 29, 2010, after serving two seasons as an assistant coach at SMSU. In 2009, Sauter served as the team's offensive coordinator, while in 2008 he served as quarterbacks coach. A complete bio on coach Sauter can be found on page 24.

    MUSTANG BACKS AMONG AT THE TOP IN RUSHING: Senior Davontay Stevens ranks first in the NSIC and 29th in Division II in rushing with 110 yards per game on a league-high 137 attempts. Stevens also ranks fifth in the league in all purpose yards (127.7). Junior Ashanti Payne ranks eighth in the conference in rushing with 75.7 yards per game.

    TWO REACH 100-YARDS IN ONE GAME: Senior Davontay Stevens (131) and junior Divonte Beale (127) both reached 100 yards rushing in the win at Wayne State on Oct. 10. It's the first time two SMSU players have reached the century mark in a game since Gannon Moore and Warren Matthews versus Wayne State on Oct. 6, 2012.

    SMSU & GAME STORYLINES:
    •SMSU head coach Cory Sauter moved into a tie for second in career victories at SMSU with 26.
    •SMSU ranks first in Division II in first downs with 172.  
    •SMSU ranks seventh in Division II in third-down conversions at 55 percent (59 of 108).
    •SMSU has outgained its opponents rushing in five of six games this season.
    •SMSU's three points allowed last week versus Wayne State was the fewest since shutting out Waldorf College on Sept. 4, 2004.
    •Junior running back Divonte Beale rushed for a career-high 127 yards on 14 carries last week at Wayne State. He is the third different SMSU running back to rush for more than 100 yards in a game this season.
    •Redshirt freshman Connor Wilkie tossed his first career touchdown pass to sophomore Michael Rivera in the win at Wayne State. It was also the first career touchdown reception for Rivera.
    •Freshman linebacker Alex Ney made his first career start last week at Wayne State.
    •Senior AJ Page ranks second in the NSIC and 19th in Division II in tackles for loss per game (1.8) and is fourth in the NSIC and 28th in the country in sacks (0.8).
    •Sophomore Blake Gimbel ranks sixth in the NSIC in passing yards (255.7) and eighth in total offense (251.8).
    •Junior Ty Steffensen ranks seventh in the NSIC in receptions per game (5.8).
    •Senior running back Davontay Stevens tossed his first career touchdown pass two weeks ago at Augustana.             •SMSU is a "plus-2" in turnover margin this season and has been even or plus in five of six games. A season ago SMSU was a "plus" in turnover margin just twice and was "even" in two other games. SMSU finished 3-1 in the four games.
    •SMSU has scored 30 or more points in 23 of its last 41 games dating back to the final game of the 2011 season.
    •SMSU is 1-4-1 all-time when playing on Oct. 17, winning in 1970, losing in 1981, 1987, 1998 and 2009 and earning a tie in 1992.

    BEST START SINCE 1991: This season's 4-0 start was just the second in team history and the program's best since the 1991 team won its first eight games in route to a 9-1 season. It was also just the third time in program history (1990 & 1991) that an SMSU team had started conference play with a 4-0 record.

    RECORD AFTER SIX WEEKS: SMSU's 5-1 start is the program's best after six weeks since the 1991 team started 6-0. It's the third time in history the team has started 5-1, matching the 1987 and 1990 squads.

    SMSU HIGH IN THE NSIC STATISTICS: Southwest Minnesota State ranks high in several team NSIC statistical categories through six weeks. SMSU ranks first in first downs (172), second in total offense (495.3), second in time of possession (30:53), second in third-down conversions (54.6), fourth in rushing offense (220.0), fifth in passing offense (275.3) and fifth in turnover margin (+2).

    NSIC AND NCAA STATISTICS: A complete listing of where SMSU ranks in this week's NCAA and NSIC statistics are located on pages 20-23.

    POUNDIN' THE ROCK: Southwest Minnesota State has been able to establish its running game through six games averaging 220 yards per game ranking fourth in the NSIC. SMSU has had 45 or more rush attempts in each game this season, including 50 or more rush attempts in four games. SMSU rushed 45 times or more in a game just three times all of 2014. SMSU had 45 or more rush attempts six times in 12 games during the 2013 season in which the team played in the Mineral Water Bowl.

    MONEY RUSHERS: Senior Davontay Stevens and junior Ashanti Payne have both put up solid numbers rushing the ball through six games. Stevens is averaging 4.8 yards per carry on 137 attempts for 660 yards, while Payne is averaging 4.9 yards per carry on 93 attempts for 454 yards. More impressive for both has been their ability to "keep the chains" moving when they carrying the ball. Of Stevens' 137 carries this season, 38 have resulted in either a first down or a touchdown, which leads the team. Payne has rushed for a first down or a touchdown on 27 of his carries and 10 of his 13 carries on third down. A complete list of "money" plays is found on page 16.

    LAST WEEK RECAP VS. WAYNE STATE: Southwest Minnesota State bounced back from its first loss of the season with a dominating 61-3 victory at Wayne State. SMSU exploded with its biggest halves in school history—scoring 47 first half points—in building a 47-3 halftime lead, scoring on all six of its possessions. The 58-point victory is the third largest margin in team history and the highest ever versus an NSIC team. SMSU finished the game with 618 yards of offense—it's highest total since 2013—including 322 on the ground. SMSU, which entered the game ranking second in Division II in first downs, racked up 32 first downs and was 11 of 15 on third down conversions. The rushing attack was led by Davontay Stevens with 131 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries, while Divonte Beale added a career-high 127 yards and one touchdown on 14 attempts. Ashanti Payne chipped in with 58 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. It was the first time SMSU had a pair of 100-yard rushers in one game since Gannon Moore and Warren Matthews in 2012. Quarterback Blake Gimbel completed 16 of 26 pass attempts with three touchdown passes. The Mustangs had 10 different players record a pass reception, with Raphael Lawson-Gayle finishing with two receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns. Cameron Parus caught three passes for 58 yards and one touchdown.

    A SEASON BLOCK PARTY: SMSU has recorded four blocked kicks this season. SMSU blocked a punt versus St. Cloud State, MSU Moorhead and Wayne State and also blocked a PAT versus MSU Moorhead. SMSU returned a blocked punt for a touchdown at Wayne State last week, the first blocked kick for a touchdown since 2008.

    MUSTANG DEFENSE WITH BIG TIME PERFORMANCES: The SMSU defense has been strong all season, including a pair of outstanding performances in the last three weeks. SMSU held Wayne State to just three points last week and 309 yards offense, while in the victory over high-powered MSU Moorhead on Sept. 26, the Dragons were held to just 275 yards and 14 first downs. The MSUM offense entered the game averaging 494 yards per game.

    GIMBEL REACHES 300 FOR FIRST TIME: Sophomore quarterback Blake Gimbel recorded his first career 300-yard passing game in week five at Augustana. He completed 24 of 37 passes, which included a 70-yard scoring pass to Nate Huot. He becomes the 17th player in program history to reach the 300-yard mark. A complete list is on page 4.

    TY RANKS HIGH: Junior wide receiver Ty Steffensen leads the team with 33 receptions for 328 yards and two touchdowns. He has led the team in receptions in five of six games this season. He set a career-high with 85 yards receiving in the win over MSU Moorhead on Sept. 26. His 5.5 receptions per game currently ranks seventh in the NSIC and 55th in Division II.



    SMSU IN DIVISION PLAY: Since the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference adopted two divisions in 2011, SMSU has an all-time record of 10-10 versus NSIC North Division teams. For the first time ever, SMSU went a perfect 4-0 versus North Division squads. This season, South Division teams finished with a record of 24-8 versus North Division teams.
    SMSU is a combined 12-17 all-time in NSIC South Division games following last week's win at Wayne State.

    GIMBEL NAMED NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sophomore quarterback Blake Gimbel was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 28 for his efforts versus MSU Moorhead. He accounted for six touchdowns in SMSU's 48-9 victory completing 18 of 28 pass attempts for a career-high 299 yards and a career-high five touchdown passes. He also had a 1-yard touchdown run.  

    PAGE NAMED NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior defensive end AJ Page was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 14 for his efforts versus Bemidji State. He recorded eight tackles, including two sacks, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble in SMSU's 34-30 win over BSU.

    SPECIAL TEAMS LEADERS: Southwest Minnesota State has three players who have recorded a team-high five tackles on special teams--with all five coming on kickoff returns. Sophomore Jordan Clark, junior Casey Hertz and redshirt freshman Elijah McGeehan have recorded five special teams tackles this season. Hertz led SMSU with 14 special teams tackles last season with 11 coming on kickoff returns and two on punt return.

    TRUE FRESHMAN PLAY: Southwest Minnesota State has had five true freshman play this season in various roles. Fullback Dalton Jones, linebacker Aley Ney, defensive lineman Jon Dicke, defensive lineman Webb Bolstad and defensive back Peyton Sanders have all played for the Mustangs in their rookie seasons.

    MCREYNOLDS MOVES INTO TOP 10: Senior cornerback and return man Andrew McReynolds ranks tied for ninth in school history with eight interceptions following his INT in week two versus Bemidji State. He also ranks second in program history with 81 kickoff returns and tied for sixth with 40 punt returns. Warren Matthews (2009-12) holds the school record with 104 kick returns, while Adrian Hebig (1985-88) ranks first with 89 punt returns.

    PAGE IN THE RECORD BOOK: Southwest Minnesota State senior defensive end AJ Page ranks among the top seven in a pair of defensive categories in the school record book. He ranks third all-time in tackles for loss with 45.5 and seventh in sacks with 18. Page's 17 tackles for loss in 2013, rank fourth on the SMSU single-season list.
    SMSU Career Tackles for Loss
    58.0    Jason Jacobs    1996-99
    54.0    Dan Lee    1978-81
    45.5    AJ Page    2012-15

    GET IN THE "ZONE": Southwest Minnesota State has scored on 21 of its 28 (75.0) possessions inside the "red zone" in 2015 with 19 touchdowns and two field goals. SMSU opponents are 16 of 24 (66.7) inside "red zone" with 12 touchdowns and four field goals. The following is SMSU in the red zone since 2004.
    Year    Red-Zone    TD    FG
    2004    30 of 47 (63.8)    25    5
    2005    21 of 29 (72.4)    14    7
    2006    27 of 38 (71.1)    20    7
    2007    28 of 42 (66.7)    20    8
    2008    38 of 51 (74.5)    33    5
    2009    41 of 45 (91.1)    36    5
    2010    22 of 30 (73.3)    22    0
    2011    35 of 41 (85.4)    29    6
    2012    30 of 37 (81.1)    25    5
    2013    49 of 57 (86.0)    40    9
    2014    35 of 43 (81.4)    26    8
    2015    21 of 28 (75.0)    19    2

    BIG PLAY MUSTANGS: SMSU has recorded 42 offensive/defensive plays or kick/punt returns of 20 or more yards in 2015, including 28 by the Mustang offense (5 run, 23 pass). For a complete look at the "long" plays and SMSU's "money" plays for the 2015 season, go to pages 15-16.
"Long" plays (20 yards or more) since 2001
    Year    No.    TD    Run    Pass    KR    PR    IR    FR
    2001    59    6    6    18    32    1    2    0
    2002    70    16    10    32    22    1    4    1
    2003    65    16    15    24    21    3    1    1            
    2004    67    10    17    27    18    1    4    0
    2005    61    12    10    28    18    2    3    0
    2006    43    4    3    25    11    2    2    0
    2007    69    11    7    32    24    1    4    1
    2008    61    10    6    32    18    2    3    0
    2009    98    22    14    49    30    1    4    0
    2010    61    14    10    32    18    0    0    1
    2011    60    8    13    22    23    1    1    0
    2012    66    20    18    28    19    1    0    0
    2013    125    30    28    51    41    1    2    2
    2014    71    12    15    27    21    3    5    0
    2015    42    12    5    23    8    5    1    0    

    THE 2015 ROSTER: The 2014 SMSU roster features 111 players (as of Oct. 12) with 13 seniors, 24 juniors, 15 sophomores, 13 redshirt freshmen and 46 freshmen. The roster includes players from 18 different states and Canada. Minnesota leads the way with 56 players, followed by Iowa (9), Wisconsin (8), California (6), Illinois (6), South Dakota (6), Florida (4), Michigan (3), Colorado (2), Arizona (2), Nevada (1), Nebraska (1), Kansas (1), Georgia (1), Oklahoma (1), Arkansas (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (1) and Ontario (1).



    RETURNING OFFENSIVE LINE IN 2015: Southwest Minnesota State returned six players that made five or more starts on the offensive line in 2014. SMSU had five new starters on the offensive line in 2014, following the graduation of all five starters from 2013.

    TEAM CAPTAINS: Four players, two on offense and two on defense, have been named team captains for the 2015 season. The team captains were selected by a vote of the Mustang players. The offensive team captains selected were senior running back Davontay Stevens and sophomore quarterback Blake Gimbel. The defensive team captains named were senior defensive end AJ Page and junior linebacker Tyler Flud. It's the second straight season Page has been selected captain.

    TURNOVER MARGIN: Southwest Minnesota State is plus-2 in turnover margin this season after six weeks. In 2014, SMSU finished minus-13 in turnover margin.
    Since the start of the 2004 season (128 games), SMSU has been a "plus" in turnover margin in just 36 games (three in 2004, two in 2005, one in 2006, two in 2007, three in 2008, three in 2009, two in 2010, three in 2011, seven in 2012, six in 2013, twice in 2014 and twice this season). In SMSU's last 105 conference games, which spans from late in the 2004 season through 2015, SMSU is minus-46 in turnover margin. The Mustangs have been "even" or "minus" in turnover margin in 73 of their last 105 conference games.

    MUSTANGS AT HOME: The 2015 season marks the eighth year for SMSU football at Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center. SMSU is 19-23 all-time at the stadium, including 2-0 this season. The $16 million facility opened in the fall of 2008 with the first college football game played on Aug. 30, versus Minnesota Crookston. SMSU has never recorded a winning season at the stadium, but has finished .500 three different seasons.

    RECORD ON THE ROAD: Southwest Minnesota State is 3-1 this season in road games after finishing 1-4 in road contests in 2014. SMSU finished with a 4-1 record in road games in 2013. SMSU is a combined 27-50 in road games since 2000.

    WORKING OVERTIME: SMSU has played in 11 overtime games since the NCAA added the extra session in 1998. SMSU is 4-7 all-time, including 0-1 last season. SMSU is 1-3 in multi-overtime games. SMSU's last overtime game was a home loss to Wayne State (48-45) on Oct. 25, 2014. The program's last multi-overtime game was a 34-31 double overtime loss at Minnesota State on Oct. 13, 2012.

    NSIC PRESEASON POLL: SMSU was picked to finish 11th overall and sixth in the South Division in the annual 16-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Sophomore wide receiver Nate Huot and senior cornerback Andrew McReynolds were named "Players to Watch" in the NSIC this season.

    MUSTANG HISTORY: The 2015 campaign marks the 48th season of college football at Southwest Minnesota State dating back to 1968. SMSU owns an all-time record of 184-301-5, including 122-207-5 in conference play. SMSU has recorded nine winning seasons, made two NAIA playoff appearances (1987 and 1991) and one Mineral Water Bowl appearance (2013). The program earned its lone conference championship in 1990.

    FOR OPENERS: Southwest Minnesota State is now 21-27 all-time in season openers following this season's victory at Minot State. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak in season opening games. SMSU is now 2-4 in season openers under head coach Cory Sauter.

    HOME OPENERS ALL-TIME: SMSU is now 27-22 all-time in home openers, including 4-2 during head coach Cory Sauter's tenure on the sideline since 2010. SMSU has won its last two home openers, including this season over Bemidji State.

    ALL-NSIC RETURNERS: SMSU returns two players who earned All-NSIC South Division honors in 2014. Senior cornerback Andrew McReynolds was named second team All-NSIC South, while sophomore wide receiver Nate Huot was named honorable mention All-NSIC South.

    MUSTANGS ON RADIO: All SMSU football games during the 2015 season will be broadcast on Marshall Radio, 105.1 FM KARL. Ryan Rohlik is in his third season as the play-by-play voice of SMSU football, while Anthony Rohlik provides analysis.

    ABOUT SIOUX FALLS: Jed Stugart is in his sixth season as head coach at Sioux Falls with a record of 50-13. He came to USF after spending three seasons (2006-08) as head coach at MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) and compiling a 26-7 record. In his first season at USF in 2010, Stugart led the Cougars to the NAIA national championship game and finishing the season with a 13-1 record. With six victories this year, USF has already recorded its 22nd straight winning season.  
    The Cougars are coming off a 51-30 home win over Winona State last Saturday night. USF trailed 17-3 midway through the first quarter, but scored 28 straight points to build a 31-17 halftime lead. USF finished the game amassing 661 yards of offense. Junior Luke Papilion passed for a career-high 413 yards and five touchdowns, completing 26 of 41 attempts with one interception. He also rushed for 93 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries. His 506 yards of offense set a USF single-game record.  Junior running back Justin Falks rushed for a game-high 119 yards on 31 carries. Junior wide out Josh Angulo caught eight passes for 145 yards and one touchdown. Papilion, the 2014 NSIC South Offensive Player of the Year, has completed 108 of 182 passes for 1,609 yards and 18 touchdowns with three interceptions. He has also rushed for a team-high 441 yards and five scores. Sophomore running back Max Mickey, who didn't play last week, ranks second with 439 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Junior half back Brady Rose has caught a team-leading 29 passes for 450 yards and six touchdowns. Sophomore free safety Josh Butler paces the Sioux Falls defense with a team-high 46 tackles, while senior linebacker Clint Wilson has 45 tackles. Senior All-American cornerback Solomon St. Pierre has racked up a team-high five interceptions.
 
    UP NEXT: Southwest Minnesota State plays at Upper Iowa University on Oct. 24 with kickoff slated for 6 p.m.