THIS WEEK: Southwest Minnesota State University (4-0, 0-0 NSIC South) opens Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division play this Saturday, Oct. 3, at Augustana University (3-1, 0-0 NSIC South) with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. at Kirkeby-Over Stadium in Sioux Falls, S.D.
    SMSU is 4-0 for the first time since 1991, and will be looking for its second straight victory at Augustana, after defeating the Vikings in the 2013 regular season finale to clinch a Mineral Water Bowl appearance. SMSU is one of three NSIC teams and 26 in Division II that begin the week undefeated. A preview of Augustana is located on page 4.

    A VICTORY FOR SMSU ON SATURDAY WOULD...:
    •Give SMSU its first 5-0 start since the 1991 team started 8-0.
    •Be its second straight win at Augustana.
    •Give SMSU a 3-7 record all-time at Augustana.
    •Move head coach Cory Sauter into a tie for second place in career victories at SMSU with 26.
    •Lift SMSU's all-time record to 184-300-5, including 122-206-5 in conference play.

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

    MUSTANG DEFENSE WITH BIG TIME PERFORMANCE: The SMSU defense was outstanding in last week's victory over high-powered MSU Moorhead. The MSUM offense entered the game averaging 494 yards per game, but was held to just 275 yards and 14 first downs. SMSU was dominant in the second half, limiting MSUM to just 50 yards of offense and two first downs.

    LOWEST POINT TOTAL IN SEVEN YEARS: SMSU held MSU Moorhead to just nine points last week and shutout the Dragons in the second half. The nine points allowed by SMSU was its lowest since defeating MSU Moorhead 22-8, on Nov. 8, 2008. It was also the first time since last season's opening game that SMSU allowed fewer than 20 points in a game.  

    BIG PLAYS VERSUS MSU MOORHEAD: The SMSU offense came through with numerous big plays in last week's blowout win over MSU Moorhead. SMSU racked up five plays of 27 yards or more in the game; with four of the plays ranking among the top six longest plays all season. Blake Gimbel's 44-yard touchdown pass to Nate Huot was the longest play of the season, while Davontay Steven's touchdown run of 38 yards was the longest rush of the season.

    GIMBEL NAMED NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sophomore quarterback Blake Gimbel was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday for his efforts versus MSU Moorhead on Saturday night. 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.  

    SMSU HIGH IN THE NSIC THROUGH FOUR WEEKS: Southwest Minnesota State ranks high in several team statistics categories through four weeks. SMSU ranks first in first downs (109), first in third-down conversions (53.9), third in total offense (457.0), third in turnover margin (+3), fourth in rushing offense (218.2), fourth in scoring defense (19.8), fourth in rushing defense (136.5) and fifth in total defense (356.8).

    MUSTANGS AMONG AT THE TOP IN RUSHING: Senior Davontay Stevens leads the NSIC and ranks 18th in Division II in rushing through four weeks with 118 yards per game on a league-high 100 attempts. Junior Ashanti Payne ranks sixth in the conference in rushing with 88 yards per game on 68 carries.

    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.

    SMSU COMPLETES NORTH 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 11-16 all-time in NSIC South Division games.





    POUNDIN' THE ROCK: Southwest Minnesota State has been able to establish its running game through four games this season, averaging 218 yards per game ranking fourth in the NSIC. SMSU has had 45 or more rush attempts in each game this season, including 54, 56 and 51 the past three weeks respectively. SMSU rushed 45 times or more just three times all of 2014. SMSU had 45 or more rush attempts six times 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 four games. Stevens is averaging 4.7 yards per carry on 100 attempts for 472 yards, while Payne is averaging 5.2 yards per carry on 68 attempts for 351 yards. More impressive for both has been their ability to "keep the chains" moving when they carry the ball. Of Stevens' 100 carries this season, 23 have resulted in either a first down or a touchdown leading the team. Eight of his 10 carries on third down have resulted in a first down or touchdown. Payne has rushed for a first down or a touchdown on 21 of his 68 carries and eight of his 10 on third down. A complete list of "money" plays is found on page 16.

    TY RANKS HIGH: Junior wide receiver Ty Steffensen leads the team with 26 receptions for 258 yards and two touchdowns. He has led the team in receptions in all four games this season. He set a career-high with 85 yards receiving last week in the win over MSU Moorhead. His 6.5 receptions per game currently rank fourth in the NSIC and 33rd in Division II.

    THE HEAD COACH: Southwest Minnesota State head coach Cory Sauter is in his sixth season in 2015 and has an overall record of 25-35, including 24-33 in conference games. The 25 victories ranks third among 10 head coaches in program history. He needs one more win to tie Eric Eidsness (2004-09) for second on the list with 26 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.

    SMSU & GAME STORYLINES:
    •SMSU ranks seventh in Division II in third-down conversions at 54 percent (41 of 76).
    •SMSU begins the week ranked 36th in rushing offense, while Augustana is ranked 16th in rushing defense, including second in the NSIC.
    •SMSU has outgained its opponents rushing in all four games this season.
    •Junior wide receiver Vernel Wingate caught the first two passes of his short career at SMSU last week and both went for touchdowns. He caught a 23-yard pass in the third quarter and a 25-yard pass in the fourth.
    •SMSU is a "plus-3" in turnover margin this season and has been even or plus in each game. 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 22 of its last 39 games dating back to the final game of the 2011 season.
    •SMSU is 1-4 all-time when playing on Oct. 3. SMSU lost in 1970 and 1981 before winning in 1987. SMSU also lost on this date in both 1992 and 2009.

    LAST WEEK RECAP VS. MSU MOORHEAD: Southwest Minnesota State amassed a season-high 553 yards and limited MSU Moorhead to just 275 yards, including just 50 in the second half, in earning a 48-9 victory on Saturday night at the Schwan Regional Event Center. The game was played in front of a Schwan Regional Event Center record crowd of more than 4,700 fans.
    The SMSU defense was outstanding all night long, limiting MSUM to just two first downs and 11 passing yards in the second half.
    SMSU used a balanced attack in the contest with 254 yards rushing and 299 yards passing, while finishing with 26 first downs. MSUM finished with 275 yards of offense, including 154 on the ground. The MSU Moorhead offense came into the game averaging 494 yards per game.
    SMSU quarterback Blake Gimbel had a huge game completing 18 of 28 passes for a career-high 299 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.Davontay Stevens rushed for 130 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries to pace a trio of Mustang running backs to have strong games. Divonte Beale amassed 77 yards on 13 attempts, while Ashanti Payne added 57 yards on 12 attempts. Ty Steffensen caught a game-high seven passes for 85 yards and one touchdown to lead the Mustang receiving corps. Nate Huot had four receptions for a career-high 115 yards and one score, while Vernel Wingate caught his first two passes in a Mustang uniform for two touchdowns and 48 yards.
    AJ Page and Tyler Flud each recorded a game-high nine tackles for the Mustangs, with Page finishing with three tackles for loss and one sack.

    A BLOCK PARTY THE LAST TWO WEEKS: SMSU has recorded three blocked kicks in the last two weeks. SMSU has blocked a punt in each of the last two game and also blocked a PAT last week versus MSU Moorhead.

    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.

    STEVENS IN THE STARTING ROLL: Senior running back Davontay Stevens made his second career start at tailback in the opener at Minot State. Stevens had a big game, rushing for a career-high 164 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries. This season, Stevens leads the NSIC in rushing with 472 yards on 100 carries. He replaces two-year starter Tyler Tonderum, who led the team in rushing in both 2013 and 2014. In 2014, Stevens rushed for 483 yards on just 76 carries, for an average of 6.4 per rush. He had one 100-yard rushing game and two other games where he rushed for more than 90 yards.  





    WELCOME BACK TO THE GAME: Junior safety Caleb Leichtnam has played a big role in his first four games for the Mustangs this season. After not playing football in 2014 and redshirting at Iowa State University in 2013, Leichtnam recorded a team-high 12 tackles and ended Minot State's final drive with a fourth quarter interception to key the SMSU victory in the opener. He has led the team in tackles in three of four games this season, is the team leader with 32 tackles and leads the team with two interceptions.

    SPECIAL TEAMS LEADERS: Junior Esten Weber, sophomore Jordan Clark and junior Dallin Finley all lead the team with four special teams tackles (all on kickoffs) through four weeks. Junior Casey Hertz led SMSU with 14 special teams tackles last season with 11 coming on kickoff returns and two on punt return.

    THREE TRUE FRESHMAN PLAY: Southwest Minnesota State has played five true freshman 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 seventh with 35 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 10 in a pair of defensive categories. He ranks third all-time in tackles for loss with 42.5 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
    42.5    AJ Page    2012-15

    GET IN THE "ZONE": Southwest Minnesota State has scored on 13 of its 16 (81.2) possessions inside the "red zone" in 2015 with 12 touchdowns and one field goal. SMSU opponents are nine of 14 (64.3) inside "red zone" with eight touchdowns. 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    13 of 16 (81.2)    12    1

    BIG PLAY MUSTANGS: SMSU has recorded 27 offensive/defensive plays or kick/punt returns of 20 or more yards in 2015, including 18 by the Mustang offense (3 run, 15 pass). In 2013, SMSU racked up 125 "long plays" which ranked as the most for an SMSU team since the statistic started being kept in 2001. 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    27    7    3    15    6    2    1    0    

    THE 2015 ROSTER: The 2014 SMSU roster features 111 players (as of Sept. 28) 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 returns six players that made five or more starts on the offensive line in 2014. Last season, SMSU had five new starters on the offensive line 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-3 in turnover margin this season after four weeks. In 2014, SMSU finished minus-13 in turnover margin.
    Since the start of the 2004 season (126 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 103 conference games, which spans from late in the 2004 season through 2015, SMSU is minus-45 in turnover margin. The Mustangs have been "even" or "minus" in turnover margin in 71 of their last 103 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 2-0 this season in road games after finishing 1-4 in road games in 2014. SMSU finished with a 4-1 record in road games in 2013. SMSU is a combined 26-49 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 183-300-5, including 121-206-5 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.

    THE 2014 SEASON: The Southwest Minnesota State University football team finished the 2014 season with a record of 3-8 overall and 2-5 in the NSIC South Division. SMSU finished tied for 13th overall and tied for sixth in the South Division.

    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.

    PUNT RETURN RECORD SET: Senior punt returner Andrew McReynolds set an SMSU record last season with an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown in week four versus Northern State. The return broke the previous record of 80 yards set by Blake Wilson in 2009. The 89-yard play is the longest by an SMSU player this season.    

    DEFENSE SCORING TOUCHDOWNS: The SMSU defense scored a pair of touchdowns last season with Casey Hertz recording a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown versus Minnesota Crookston and Daryl Thomas with a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown at Minnesota State.

    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.

    ABOUT AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY: Jerry Olszewski is in his third season as head coach at Augustana with a record of 14-13. The Vikings finished 4-7 in 2013 and 6-5 in 2014. Prior to Augustana, Olszewski was head coach at St. Olaf for five season compiling a record of 32-18. He has been an assistant coach at UW-Stevens Point and Minnesota State. The Augustana offense is led by junior Trey Heid, who ha completed 72 of 116 pass attempts for 1,075 yards and eight touchdowns with five interceptions. Heid has also rushed for 134 yards. The Viking rushing game is paced by senior CJ Ham who amassed 369 yards and six touchdowns on 81 attempts, while also catching 14 passes for 137 yards and one touchdown. Junior wide out Charlie Hayes has caught a team-high 23 passes for 431 yards and five touchdowns. Senior Jason Greenway ranks second in Division II with a 39 yard kickoff return average, which includes a 100-yard touchdown return at Bemidji State in week one. Senior linebacker Steven Miller paces the Augustana defense with a team-high 43 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss, while senior linebacker Brandon Mohr has 41 tackles and a team-best five tackles for loss.
 
    UP NEXT: Southwest Minnesota State will play on the road for the second straight week taking on Wayne State on Oct. 10 with kickoff slated for 1 p.m.