THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University football team (1-7, 1-6 NSIC) will look for its first-ever victory over Minnesota State University (7-1, 6-1 NSIC) when the Mustangs travel to Mankato on Saturday to take on the No. 13 ranked Mavericks. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at MSU's Blakeslee Stadium. SMSU is 0-20 all-time versus MSU.
•SMSU, which is playing its third Top 25 opponent this season, is looking to snap a seven-game losing skid since winning the season opener at Minot State.
•MSU enters the game with the 10th ranked rushing offense and 15th ranked offense in Division II. Maverick running back Shen Butler-Lawson has rushed for 1,065 yards ranking third in the country. MSU also ranks first in the country with seven blocked kicks.   
•MSU opened the season with seven straight victories before suffering its first loss of the season last Saturday at Augustana (28-10). MSU is one of 10 teams ranked in the first NCAA Super Region Four rankings released on Monday.
•A preview of MSU is located on page 4.

BROADCAST INFO
•Saturday's game will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with 11th-year SMSU play-by-play voice Ryan Rohlik.
•Live stats, radio broadcast and video can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

SMSU VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
•SMSU is 1-29 all-time versus Division II Top 25 teams, including 0-2 this season following a week four home loss to No. 23 Minnesota Duluth.
•SMSU's lone victory versus a ranked team came in the 2016 season opener versus No. 19 Minnesota Duluth (42-38) in Marshall.

SMSU vs. MSU Series Notes
Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota State meet for the 21st time on Saturday with MSU leading 20-0 in a series that began on Sept. 4, 1971 ... MSU has been ranked in the Top 10 in seven of the last 10 meetings ... MSU is 11-0 all-time in games played in Mankato, including earning a 45-24 win last season ... Saturday's game will be the 18th time the two schools have met as members of the same conference ... SMSU has been held to 17 or less points in 12 of the 20 games ... MSU has scored 34 or more points in the last 15 meetings.
 
The Last Time - SMSU vs. MSU
Minnesota State scored 31 straight points to erase a three-point deficit in the second quarter to earn a 45-24 victory over Southwest Minnesota State on Nov. 5, 2022. SMSU quarterback Marcus Martin made his third career start and closed the game completing 26 of 39 passes for 371 yards with three touchdowns. Peter Osman caught a career-high eight passes for 134 yards for the Mustangs, while teammate Eric Lira recorded eight catches for 87 yards. Jesse Sherwood led the SMSU rushing game with 77 yards on 17 carries. SMSU finished the game with 426 yards of offense (third highest of the season) with 57 yards rushing and 20 first downs. A highlight for the Mustangs came in the second half as senior linebacker Onte Burns became SMSU's and the NSIC's all-time leader in solo tackles. Joining Burns atop the defensive effort was Thomas Mergen, who closed with eight tackles, while Josiah Hedensten finished with seven tackles. MSU closed with 416 total yards with 145 on the ground and 271 through the air. Hayden Ekern completed 12 of 20 for 262 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. Nyles Williams caught four passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns.

SMSU vs. MSU Series Information
Overall:    MSU leads 20-0
In Marshall:    MSU leads 9-0
In Mankato:    MSU leads 11-0
Last SMSU win:    -
Last MSU win:    Nov. 5, 2022 (45-24)
Largest win for SMSU:    -
Largest win for MSU:    52 (52-0, 2021)
Longest win streak for SMSU:    -
Longest win streak for MSU:     20 (1971-present)
Current win streak:     MSU, 20
Underwood vs. Minnesota State:    4-6
Hoffner vs. SMSU:    12-0

OPENING DRIVE TIDBITS
•After not recording a sack in the first three games, SMSU has rebounded to record 15 sacks in the last five games.
•Sophomore defensive end Avery Johnson registered three sacks and had four tackles for loss in last week's loss to MSU Moorhead. He is the first SMSU player to record three sacks in a game since Jason Jacobs during the 1998 season. Johnson leads the team with nine tackles for loss and is also the team leader with five sacks.
•Junior running back Donald Austin, who ranks 51st in Division II and fifth in the NSIC (overall games) with 75 rushing yards per game, reached the career 1,000-yard rushing mark earlier this season. He has amassed 1,248 yards, ranking 17th in team history, on 263 carries. Austin recorded his fourth career 100-yard rushing game with 115 yards on 24 carries at Wayne State in week three.
•For the season, Austin has rushed for a team-high 598 yards and four touchdowns on 147 carries. He also has 2 receptions for 118 yards and one touchdown.
•Sophomore quarterback Marcus Martin has completed 124 of 221 pass attempts for 1,518 yards with eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
•Senior wide receiver Peter Osman has caught a team-high 33 passes for 395 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Eric Lira has 24 receptions for 275 yards and one touchdown, while junior wide out Rashaan Palmer has 11 receptions for 238 yards and two touchdowns.
•Sophomore linebacker Josiah Hedensten leads the club with 60 tackles along with three sacks and six tackles for loss. He ranks fifth in the NSIC (overall games) in tackles per game and 66th in Division II with 7.6  tackles per game.
•Sophomore linebacker Gideon Ervasti has recorded 46 tackles, including six for loss. Sophomore Jalani Jefferson has 43 tackles with two interceptions, while junior linebacker Thomas Mergen has 47 tackles with four for loss

DEFENSIVE AND SPECIAL TEAM NUGGETS
•Sophomore Jalani Jefferson picked-up a blocked MSU Moorhead PAT last week and raced the other way for a two-point defensive score. It's the program's first two-point defensive score since the 2004 season.
•Jefferson returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown at Valpo. It was SMSU's first pick-six since Hunter Bohannon on Sept. 25, 2021, at Concordia-St. Paul.
•Junior Tate Gaul has blocked two punts this season, including one versus Northern State in week seven. He blocked and recovered a Wayne State punt in week three for a touchdown. It's the program's first blocked punt for a touchdown since 2019 when Chris Bain blocked a punt and Nathan Hill recovered in a loss to Augustana.  
•Junior defensive lineman Mark Person recorded SMSU's first safety since the 2014 season with a quarterback sack at Valpo.

SMSU HEAD COACH SCOTT UNDERWOOD
•Scott Underwood is in his second season as SMSU head coach with a record of 5-14. He was named the program's 11th head coach on Jan. 7, 2022.
•Underwood was the first SMSU head coach in team history (11 head coaches) to begin his SMSU coaching career with a 4-1 record.
•Underwood compiled an overall record of 86-61 in 12 seasons as head coach at St. Cloud State (2008-19).
•SCSU recorded 10 winning seasons with three NCAA playoff appearances during his tenure. SCSU won seven or more games seven times, including a school record 12 victories in 2013.
•SCSU made NCAA playoff appearances in 2010, 2011 and 2013 and won a share of both the NSIC North Division and NSIC overall championship in 2011.
•He was also an assistant coach at SCSU (2001-07), North Dakota (1997-2000), Sioux Falls (1993-96) and Augustana (1988-92).
•A complete bio on Underwood can be found on page 20.

SMSU LAST TIME OUT
•In a game that featured 10 turnovers and seven quarterback sacks it was MSU Moorhead that made enough plays to pull away a 34-17 victory over Southwest Minnesota State last Saturday in Marshall.
•MSUM forced six turnovers, including two on special teams.
•MSUM's Jack Strand, who entered the game leading all of the NCAA in passing yards with 2,663, completed 36 of 51 pass attempts for 349 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times and was sacked a season-high five times.
•SMSU was led by Avery Johnson, who registered six tackles, which included four for loss, three sacks and one forced fumble. Thomas Mergen and Josiah Hedensten each recorded eight tackles with Mergen adding one sack. Hunter Bohannon had an interception for the Mustangs and finished with five tackles.
•MSUM closed the game with 406 yards of offense with 24 first downs, while SMSU ended the game with 294 yards and 18 first downs. It was SMSU's highest first down total since recording 20 in week two versus Bemidji State.
•SMSU's Marcus Martin completed 24 of 39 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions. •Dustin Pampel caught a team-high five receptions for 42 yards and one touchdown.
•Donald Austin led the SMSU rushing attack with a game-high 80 yards and one touchdown on 21 attempts.

BOHANNON EARNS NSIC WEEKLY HONOR
•Junior safety Hunter Bohannon was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 5 following his performance in SMSU's 28-23 season opening victory at Minot State on Aug. 31.
•Bohannon forced two fumbles, recovering one, recorded three solo tackles and one pass break-up.
•It's the second time Bohannon has earned the award in his career. He also earned the award on Sept. 27, 2021.  

THE 2023 SMSU ROSTER
•The SMSU roster (as of Oct. 24) features eight seniors, 19 juniors, 28 sophomores, 11 redshirt freshmen and 41 freshmen.

TEAM CAPTAINS FOR 2023
•Four players serve as team captains for the 2023 season with seniors Cam Irvin and Peter Osman and junior Donald Austin and Thomas Mergen selected by the Mustang players.

SMSU / MSU IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
•The following is where SMSU and MSU rank in the latest NCAA Division II statistics.
•A full listing of SMSU in the NCAA statistics can be found on pages 18-19.
             (161 teams ranked)     SMSU     MSU
             Scoring Offense    152nd     25th
             Rushing Offense    150th      10th
             Passing Offense    90th     67th
             Total Offense    134th     15th
             Scoring Defense    122nd     40th
             Rushing Defense    95th     65th
             Pass Defense    141st     67th
             Pass Efficiency Defense    132nd     32nd
             Total Defense    130th     55th
             Net Punting     108th     138th
             Punt Returns     101st     60th
             Kickoff Returns     136th     152nd
             Turnover Margin     154th     35th
             Fewest Penalty Yards/Gm.     35th     73rd   
             Time of Possession     41st     24th
             3rd Down Conversions     79th    10th
             3rd Down Conv. Defense    90th     39th

TURNOVERS MARGIN BY THE NUMBERS
•SMSU is 'minus-12' in turnover margin this season after finishing the 2022 season 'minus-1' in turnover margin.
•SMSU has forced a turnover in three of eight games this season after forcing at least one turnover in each game and two or more in six games in 2022.

GET IN THE 'ZONE'
•SMSU is 7 of 14 inside the 'red zone' this season with six touchdowns and one field goal
•SMSU opponents are 30 of 35 inside the 'red zone' with 20 touchdowns and 10 field goals.
•The following is SMSU in the 'red zone' since the 2010 season.
    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    20 of 29 (69.0)    16    4
    2022    20 of 33 (60.6)    17    3
    2023    7 of 14 (50.0)    6    1

BIG PLAY MUSTANGS
•SMSU has recorded 33 offensive/defensive plays or kick/punt returns of 20 or more yards with 23 coming from the offense (1 run, 22 pass).
•Marcus Martin's 65-yard touchdown pass to Rashaan Palmer at Valparaiso is the longest play from scrimmage this season.
•Donald Austin's 37-yard touchdown run versus Minot State is the longest rush from scrimmage this season.
•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    42    6    8    18    10    1    2    3
    2022    51    14    14    23    13    0    1    0
    2023    33    7    1    22    9    1    0    0

SMSU WITH FIRST NON-LEAGUE GAME SINCE 2013
•With the departure of Upper Iowa University to the Great Lakes Valley Conference, SMSU had its first regular season non-conference game since the 2011 season on Sept. 29 suffering a 16-15 loss at FCS foe Valparaiso.  
•The game was SMSU's first versus an FCS opponent since losing at Northern Iowa in the final game of the 1999 season. SMSU also played at Illinois State in 1992 and twice at Weber State in 1983 and 1989.
•SMSU's last non-conference game prior to Valpo was the 2013 Mineral Water Bowl versus Pittsburg State, while the last regular season non-conference game occurred in the 2011 season opener at Northern State.

2022 RUSHING ONE OF THE BEST IN TEAM HISTORY
•SMSU finished the 2022 season rushing for 1,901 yards ranking fourth in team single-season history.
•SMSU's 172.8 rushing yards per game also ranked fourth in team single-season history.

2023 NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish ninth overall in the annual 13-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•Senior wide receiver Peter Osman and junior linebacker Thomas Mergen were named 'Players to Watch'.

MUSTANGS AT HOME
•The 2023 season marks the 15th year that Mattke Field at The Schwan Regional Event Center has served as the home for SMSU football.
•SMSU is 31-51 all-time at the stadium, including 0-4 this season.
•New turf was installed at the stadium in the summer of 2022.
•SMSU lost 12 straight home games from late in the 2018 season through 2021. SMSU was winless at home in both 2019 and 2021 (2020 season was canceled).  
•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
•After recording its last winning road record in a season in 2015 (5-1), SMSU is 10-27 in road games since the 2016 season, including 1-3 this season.

WORKING OVERTIME
•SMSU is 5-8 all-time in overtime games since the NCAA added overtime in 1998, including 1-0 last season after defeating Minot State, 27-20, on Sept. 24.
•SMSU is 1-3 in multi-overtime contests.
•SMSU's previous overtime home win came on Nov. 2, 2015, versus Winona State.
•The program's last multi-overtime game was a 34-31 double overtime loss at Minnesota State on Oct. 13, 2012.

SEASON OPENERS
•SMSU is 23-31 all-time in season openers after beginning the 2023 season with a victory at Minot State on Aug. 31. The win snapped a five-game losing skid in season opening games.

MUSTANG HISTORY
•The 2023 season is the 55th year of college football at SMSU (including the 2020 season that was canceled) dating to 1968.
•SMSU owns an all-time record of 208-356-5, including 146-258-5 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 MINNESOTA STATE
•Todd Hoffner his 14th season as head coach (2020 canceled) and has led the Mavericks to eight NCAA playoff appearances. He has a career record of 129-31 with seven NSIC championships.
•Junior running back Shen Butler-Lawson leads the Maverick rushing attack with 1,065 yards and 12 touchdowns on 155 attempts. He was limited to 39 yards on 14 carries in the loss to Augustana last Saturday.
•Junior quarterback Hayden Ekern has thrown for 1,626 yards and 15  touchdowns with five interceptions. He completed 10 of 20 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns versus USF.
•Sophomore TreShawn Watson has caught 21 passes for a team-high 355 yards and three touchdowns.
•Senior linebacker Jacob Daulton has amassed a team-leading 36 tackles with three for loss.
•Junior defensive end Maven Kretche has 7.5 tackles for loss with 6.5 sacks.