THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University football team (0-3, 0-0 NSIC South) is back on the road this Saturday, Sept. 25, with a 12 p.m. kickoff versus Concordia University-St. Paul (1-2, 0-0 NSIC North) at Sea Foam Stadium in St. Paul, Minn.
•SMSU, which lost 45-23 at home to UMary last Saturday night, will look to snap a two-game losing streak in the series to CSP.
•Saturday's game is the first of two straight on the road for SMSU. The Mustangs return home on Oct. 9 for homecoming versus the University of Sioux Falls.  
•Saturday's game will not be an NSIC South Division game between the two teams. CSP was moved to the NSIC North Division this season following St. Cloud State and Minnesota Crookston dropping football after the 2019 season.
•CSP, 1-2 on the season, opened the season with a loss at Winona State, before defeating Upper Iowa on Sept. 11 at home. The Golden Bears lost last Saturday afternoon (50-14) at the University of Sioux Falls.   

BROADCAST INFO
•Saturday's game will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with ninth-year SMSU play-by-play voice Ryan Rohlik.
•Live stats, radio broadcast and video can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

SMSU vs. CSP Series Notes
Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul meet for the 24th time on Saturday with CSP leading 13-10 in a series that started on Sept. 15, 1979 ... the series is tied 4-4 in games played in St. Paul ... CSP leads 2-1 in games played at Sea Foam Stadium, including earning a 24-14 victory in the last games played in 2019 ... the series is tied 4-4 since 2012, but CSP has won the last three games ... SMSU won the first three meetings in the series before CSP won six straight from 2000-05 ... the teams have split the last 14 games since the 2006 season.

SMSU vs. CSP Series Information
Overall:    CSP leads 13-10
In Marshall:    CSP leads 6-5
In St. Paul:    tied 4-4
Neutral:    CSP leads 3-1
Last SMSU win:    Oct. 29, 2016 (28-14)
Last CSP win:    Nov. 9, 2019 (24-14)
Largest win for SMSU:    44 (44-0, 1999)
Largest win for CSP:    42 (63-21, 2004)
Longest win streak for SMSU:    3 (1979-1999 & 2006-08)
Longest win streak for CSP:    6 (2000-05)
Current win streak:    CSP, 3
Sauter vs. CSP:    4-6
Currier vs. SMSU:    7-1

SMSU HEAD COACH CORY SAUTER
•Cory Sauter is in his 12th season as head coach with an overall record of 43-71, including 42-69 in NSIC games.
•Sauter's 43 victories rank second among 10 head coaches in program history.
•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 Sauter can be found on page 22.

MUSTANG OPENING DRIVE TIDBITS
•Junior linebacker Onte Burns continues to be one of the most dominate linebackers in the NSIC and nationally as he leads the NSIC and ranks third in Division II with 38 tackles including 26 solo stops.  
•SMSU has rushed for more than 135 yards in each of the three games this season. In 2019, SMSU reached 100 yards rushing in just three games, while in 2018, SMSU reached the 100 yard rushing mark just four times.  
•SMSU is a perfect 7 for 7 in the 'red zone' this season with six touchdowns and one field goal.
•Senior quarterback Andrew Haidet has completed 28 of 65 passes for 33 yards with one touchdown and five interceptions this season. He also leads the team in rushing with 206 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries.
•Haidet rushed for 147 yards on 10 carries, including a 58-yard run for a touchdown, in last week's loss to UMary. Haidet is the first SMSU quarterback to rush for more than 100 yards in a single-game since Kyle Johnston in 1986.
•Junior running back Jesse Sherwood ranks second on team with 165 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 34 carries.
•Sophomore running back Duce Reynolds has amassed 91 yards and one score on 26 carries.
•Junior wide receiver Albert Lemon is tied for the team lead six receptions for 105 yards. Reynolds also has six receptions for 32 yards.  
•Freshman kicker Carter Dicker booted his first career field goal (26 yards) in last week's loss.

DAMLO AND PHILLIPS RECORD FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWNS
•Junior tight end Carter Damlo and redshirt freshman BJ Phillips both recorded their first career touchdowns last Saturday night. Damlo, who has three receptions on the season, caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Haidet in the fourth quarter. Phillips caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Steven Nava in the fourth quarter.

UMARY USES BIG THIRD QUARTER TO DOWN SMSU IN AG BOWL
•The University of Mary scored 17 unanswered points from the final play of the second quarter and in the opening two-plus minutes of the third quarter to build a 28-point lead and eventually earn a 45-23 victory over SMSU last Saturday.
•SMSU finished the game with 406 yards offensively and recorded 20 first downs.
•Andrew Haidet rushed for 147 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries and became the first SMSU quarterback to rush for more than 100 yards since Kyle Johnston in 1986. Haidet, who split time at quarterback with Steven Nava during the game, completed 4 of 12 passes for 80 yards and one touchdown. Nava finished the evening completing 9 of 20 passes for one touchdown and 124 yards but was intercepted twice.
•Albert Lemon and Duce Reynolds each caught four passes for the Mustangs.
•Onte Burns led the SMSU defense with a team-high 14 tackles, including 11 solo stops.

TURNOVERS COSTING SMSU
•Southwest Minnesota State has committed nine turnovers in the first three weeks and is minus-seven in turnover margin. SMSU has thrown seven interceptions and lost two fumbles on the season.
•SMSU has not forced a turnover in its last two games and is still searching for its first interception of the season.  

BURNS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
•SMSU junior linebacker Onte Burns was named preseason second team All-American by D2football.com on Aug. 31. Burns, a two-time team captain, was named first team All-NSIC South and Don Hansen Football Committee All-American third team following the 2019 season.
•Burns finished the 2019 season ranked 24th nationally with 9.8 tackles per game and 47th in solo tackles per game at 4.9.

THE 2021 SMSU ROSTER
•The 2021 SMSU roster (as of Sept. 20) features 11 seniors, 19 juniors, 13 sophomores, 25 redshirt freshmen and 55 freshmen.

2021 NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish 11th overall and sixth in the South Division in the annual 14-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•Senior quarterback Andrew Haidet and junior Onte Burns were named 'Players to Watch' in the NSIC this season.

TEAM CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2021
•Three players will serve as permanent team captains for the 2021 season as selected by the Mustang players.
•Senior Andrew Haidet and senior Adihia Bell along with junior Onte Burns were selected as permanent captains. It's the second straight season Burns has been named a captain.
•New this season, the SMSU coaching staff will select a game captain each week to serve as a fourth captain for the game.
•Khalif Spry was named captain for week one, Thomas Mergen in week two and Jesse Sherwood in week three.

SMSU / CSP IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
•The following is where SMSU and CSP rank in the this week's NCAA statistics.
•A full listing of SMSU in the 2021 NCAA statistics can be found on pages 20-21.
         (162 teams ranked)     SMSU     CSP
             Scoring Offense    112th     130th
             Rushing Offense    64th      154th
             Passing Offense    127th     101st
             Total Offense    107th     148th
             Scoring Defense    139th     131st
             Rushing Defense    84th     156th
             Pass Defense    138th     57th
             Pass Efficiency Defense    161st     67th
             Total Defense    123rd     133rd
             Net Punting     112th     45th
             Punt Returns     131st     139th
             Kickoff Returns     62nd     76th
             Turnover Margin     159th     15th
             Fewest Penalty Yards/Gm.     52nd     68th   
             Time of Possession     102nd     145th
             3rd Down Conversions     33rd     142nd
             3rd Down Conv. Defense    48th     111th

GET IN THE 'ZONE'
•SMSU is 7 for 7 in the 'red zone' with six touchdowns and one field goal following three weeks of play.
•SMSU opponents are 12 of 15 in the 'red zone' with nine touchdowns.
•SMSU finished the 2019 season 22 for 29 (75.9) inside the 'red zone' with 19 touchdowns and three field goals.
•SMSU opponents closed the 2019 season 34 of 42 (81.0) inside "red zone" with 28 touchdowns and six field goals.
•The following is SMSU in the 'red zone' since head coach Cory Sauter took over in 2010.
    Year    Red-Zone    TD    FG
    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    39 of 50 (78.0)    36    3
    2016    38 of 45 (84.4)    37    1
    2017    24 of 37 (64.9)    18    6
    2018    28 of 37 (75.7)    23    5
    2019     22 of 29 (75.9)    19    3
    2021    7 of 7 (100.0)    7    0

BIG PLAY MUSTANGS
•SMSU has recorded 13 offensive/defensive plays or kick/punt returns of 20 or more yards in 2021 with 10 coming from the offense (2 run, 6 pass).
•For a complete look at the 'long' plays go to page 18.
•The following are SMSU's 'long plays' since 2010.
'Long' plays (20 yards or more) since 2010
    Year    No.    TD    Run    Pass    KR    PR    IR    FR
    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    78    18    13    39    18    5    3    0
    2016    93    21    15    40    33    1    3    1
    2017    68    10    12    28    25    1    1    1
    2018    70    15    8    51    7    2    2    0
    2019    56    12    4    37    12    1    2    0
    2021    13    2    2    6    6    0    0    1

SMSU VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
•SMSU is 1-24 versus Division II Top 25 teams since the 2008 season including 0-1 in 2019.
•SMSU's lone victory versus a Division II Top 25 team came in the 2016 season opener versus No. 19 Minnesota Duluth (42-38) in Marshall.

TURNOVER MARGIN BY THE NUMBERS
•SMSU is 'minus-7' in turnover margin in 2021 following three weeks.
•SMSU finished 'minus-2' in turnover margin in 2019, 'plus-2' in 2018 and was 'plus-9' in 2017.
•Since the start of the 2004 season (180 games), SMSU has been a 'plus' in turnover margin in just 58 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, five times in 2015, five times in 2016, six times in 2017, twice in 2018, six times in 2019 and zero in 2021).
•The Mustangs have been 'even' or 'minus' in turnover margin in 103 of their last 157 conference games.

SMSU IN NSIC SOUTH DIVISION PLAY
•Since the NSIC adapted divisional play prior to the 2008 season, SMSU is 24-56 all-time in South Division games, while finishing in the top half of the division three times in 12 seasons.
•SMSU had its highest finish of second place in 2013 and has also placed fourth three times, fifth once, sixth five times, seventh once and eighth once.  

SMSU VERSUS THE NSIC NORTH
•Since 2012, when the NSIC schedule had each team playing four inter-divisional games, SMSU has a record of 18-17 versus NSIC North Division teams, including 0-3 in 2021.
•SMSU finished 2-2 versus NSIC North opponents in 2019, 3-1 in 2018, was a perfect 4-0 in 2015, 3-1 in 2016 and 2-2 in 2017.  

MUSTANGS AT HOME
•The 2021 season marks the 13th year that Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center served as the home for SMSU football.
•SMSU is 28-41 all-time at the stadium, including an 0-2 record in 2021.
•SMSU has lost nine straight home games with the last victory coming on Oct. 20, 2018, versus Northern State.  
•SMSU recorded back-to-back home winning seasons in 2015 and 2016 for the first time since having four straight winning seasons from 1989-92.
•The $16 million facility opened in the fall of 2008 with the first college football game played on Aug. 30 versus Minnesota Crookston.  

MUSTANGS ON THE ROAD
•SMSU is 0-1 on the road in 2021 and are 6-17 in road games since the 2016 season.
•SMSU finished 3-3 in road games last season.
•SMSU is 20-34 in road games since head coach Cory Sauter took over in 2010.

WORKING OVERTIME
•SMSU is 4-8 all-time in overtime games, including 0-1 in 2019, since the NCAA added overtime in 1998.
•SMSU is 1-3 in multi-overtime contests.
•SMSU's last overtime game was a loss at Wayne State (19-13) on Sept. 14, 2019.
•SMSU's last overtime win came on Nov. 2, 2013, (51-44) versus Winona State.
•The program's last multi-overtime game was a 34-31 double overtime loss at Minnesota State on Oct. 13, 2012.

FOR OPENERS
•SMSU is 22-30 all-time in season openers after losing to MSU Moorhead this season
•SMSU's last season-opening victory came on Sept. 1, 2016, 42-38, versus No. 19 Minnesota Duluth in Marshall.
•SMSU is 3-8 in season openers under head coach Cory Sauter.
•SMSU has lost its last four home openers with the last victory coming on Sept. 1, 2016, versus Minnesota Duluth.

MUSTANG HISTORY
•The 2021 season is the 53rd year of college football at SMSU dating to 1968.
•SMSU owns an all-time record of 201-336-5, including 139-242-5 in conference play.
•SMSU has recorded 10 winning seasons, two NAIA playoff appearances (1987 and 1991) and one Mineral Water Bowl appearance (2013).
•The program earned its lone conference championship in 1990.

SCOUTING CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL
•Shannon Currier is in his second stint and 10th season overall (ninth season was canceled) as head coach at CSP with a record of 48-43. The program's all-time leader in victories, Currier was head coach at CSP from 2000-03, before returning in 2016. He has a career record of 68-79 in his 15th season as a head coach including five seasons at Truman State (Mo.).
•CSP is coming off a 50-14 loss to Sioux Falls last Saturday. USF jumped out o a 17-0 first quarter lead and led 31-7 at halftime.
•CSP was limited to 182 yards of offense, including minus-6 yards rushing, while USF finished the game with 554, including 393 on the ground.
•Freshman quarterback Connor Cordts completed 9 of 20 passes for 161 yards with one touchdown. For the season, Cordts is 54 of 87 for 540 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions. He ranks second on the team with 52 yards rushing on 29 attempts.
•Freshman running back Jaylin Richardson has a team-high 78 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 26 carries.
•Sophomore wide receiver Nathan Gimza has caught 11 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown.
•Junior wide receiver Isiah Koran led the Golden Bears last Saturday versus USF with six receptions for 63 yards.
•Senior cornerback Preston Piltoff has racked up a team-high 21 tackles with three pass break-ups.
•Sophomore linebacker Andrew Egnarski has recorded 20 tackles with four for loss and 3.5 sacks.