THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University football program (0-0, 0-0 NSIC) opens its 58th season on Thursday night hosting Valley City State University (0-0, 0-0 Frontier Conference) with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. at Mattke Field at The Schwan Regional Event Center.
•Thursday's opener marks the fifth season for SMSU head coach Scott Underwood. Underwood, the 11th head coach in program history, was named to the position on Jan. 7, 2022. 
•Thursday's game will tie (2005) for the earliest start to a football season in team history. It's the first time since 2023 the team has opened in the month of August and the 12th August game in program history. 
•The Mustangs return five starters on offense and three starters on defense from the 2025 team that finished 1-10 overall, 1-9 NSIC. This season's team features 113 players with eight seniors, 20 juniors, 19 sophomores, 30 redshirt freshmen and 36 freshmen. 
•SMSU is seeking to snap an 11-game home losing streak dating back to the final game of the 2023 season when the Mustangs defeated Sioux Falls (28-10) on Nov. 11, 2023. 
•Thursday's game is SMSU's lone non-conference game of the season and just the fourth non-NSIC games since the 2014 season. SMSU has played a non-conference games in each of the past three seasons, losing all three games. SMSU has dropped its last five non-conference games since 2011. SMSU's last non-conference victory came in the 2010 season opener versus Northern State. 
•Valley City State University, which is a member of NAIA and competes in the Frontier Conference, finished 6-4 last season and placed fourth in the seven-team Frontier Conference East Division. The six victories was the program's highest total since winning eight in 2021. The VCSU defense recorded three shutouts a season ago. The Vikings were selected to place fifth in the East Division in the 2026 conference coaches' poll released on Aug. 18.  
•A preview of VCSU is located on page 4. 

BROADCAST INFO
•Thursday's game will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with 14th-year SMSU play-by-play voice Ryan Rohlik. 
•Live stats, radio broadcast (free) and video ($) can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

SEASON & HOME OPENER INFORMATION
•SMSU is 22-35 all-time in season openers after losing at home to MSU Moorhead in 2025. 
•SMSU is 1-7 in its last eight home openers with the lone victory coming over Concordia-St. Paul in 2022. 

SMSU HEAD COACH SCOTT UNDERWOOD
•Scott Underwood is in his fifth season as head coach with a record of 7-37. 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. SMSU's four victories in 2022 was its highest victory total since 2018. 
•Underwood compiled a record of 86-52 in 12 seasons as head coach at St. Cloud State (2008-19) and is now 93-89 overall in his 17th season as a head coach. 
•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 19. 

THE 2026 SMSU ROSTER
•The SMSU roster (as of Aug. 24) features 113 players with eight seniors, 20 juniors, 19 sophomores, 30 redshirt freshmen and 36 freshmen. 

2026 NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish 14th overall and seventh in the NSIC South Division in the annual 14-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. 
•Mustang senior quarterback Macloud Crowton and senior  defensive lineman Avery Johnson were tabbed a 'Player to Watch' in the NSIC.

SMSU OPENING DRIVE TIDBITS
•SMSU is expected to start senior Macloud Crowton at quarterback on Thursday night. If Crowton starts, it will be the first time since 2018 that SMSU will have the same quarterback start the season opener in back-to-back seasons. Blake Gimbel was the last Mustang to start back-to-back season openers in 2017 and 2018. 
•Crowton started the first 10 games in 2025 before suffering an injury in week 10 and was replaced by Drew Kluender.
•Crowton finished the 2025 season completing 171 of 324 pass attempts for 2,167 yards with 10 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He passed for a career-high 453 yards with three touchdowns in a loss to Augustana in week eight.      
•Tryg Auten returns at wide receiver after finishing second on the squad a season ago with 38 receptions for 576 yards and tying for the team-high with four touchdown receptions.
•David Ola-Kazeem was third on the squad a season ago with 18 receptions for 227 yards. 
•The SMSU defense must replace its top seven tacklers from a season ago. Linebacker Aiden Planer is the team's top returning tackler with 31 stops with 6.5 for loss last season.
•Defensive end Avery Johnson returns in 2025 after leading the team in sacks in 2024 with 5.5. He missed nearly the entire 2025 season after suffering a season-ending injury in week one. 
•SMSU will have a new kicker and punter this season after the graduation of Mason Carver. Landon Hubbard will handle the placekicking duties after finishing 1 for 1 on field goal attempts last season. Transfer Kaleb Kirgan is expected to handle the punting duties this season. 

SMSU IN THE FINAL 2025 NCAA RANKINGS
•The following is where SMSU ranked in the final 2025 NCAA statistics.
•A full listing of SMSU in the NCAA statistics can be found on pages 16-17. 
             (157 teams ranked)     SMSU     
             Scoring Offense    150th
             Rushing Offense    157th
             Passing Offense    50th
             Total Offense    142nd     
             Scoring Defense    151st
             Rushing Defense    135th 
             Pass Defense    145th 
             Pass Efficiency Defense    152nd 
             Total Defense    147th     
             Net Punting     58th 
             Punt Returns     148th 
             Kickoff Returns     139th    
             Turnover Margin     133rd 
             Fewest Penalty Yards/Gm.     5th   
             Time of Possession     139th 
             3rd Down Conversions     155th
             3rd Down Conv. Defense    148th

TEAM CAPTAINS FOR 2026
•The SMSU football leadership council and team will select four game captains each week for the 2026 season.

TURNOVER MARGIN BY THE NUMBERS
•SMSU finished 'minus-9' in turnover margin last season.
•The SMSU defense forced a least one turnover in every game last season and forced two or more in six games.
•SMSU was 'plus-4' in the win at Jamestown last season. It was the first time SMSU was 'plus' in turnover margin since the final game of the 2023 season when the team finished 'plus-4' in a victory over Sioux Falls.
•SMSU was 'minus' in six of its 10 losses last season. 

MUSTANGS IN THE 'ZONE'
•SMSU finished 19 of 25 (76.0) in the red zone last season with 15 touchdowns and four field goals. SMSU has six red zone trips stopped a season ago with two interceptions, two fumbles, one on downs and one end of half. 
•SMSU opponents finished 36 of 42 (85.7) in the red zone last season scoring 32 touchdowns and four field goals. The SMSU defense has stopped six red zone drives with an interception, two fumbles, two missed field goals and downs. 
•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    17 of 30 (56.6)    14    3
    2024    7 of 14 (50.0)    5    2
    2025    19 of 25 (76.0)    15    4

LONG PLAYS FOR THE MUSTANGS
•SMSU recorded 55 offensive/defensive plays or kick/punt returns of 20 or more yards in 2025 with 36 coming from the offense (2 run, 34 pass).
•Macloud Crowton's 65-yard pass to Tryg Auten versus Augustana was the longest pass play of the season.
•Jacob Honstetter's 75-yard touchdown run at Minnesota Duluth was the longest rush from scrimmage. 
•Auten's 37-yard return at Northern State was the team's longest kick return last 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    50    9    8    29    11    1    1    0
    2024    48    6    7    15    18    1    6    1
    2025    55    5    2    34    19    0    0    0

MUSTANGS AT HOME
•The 2026 season is the 18th year that Mattke Field at The Schwan Regional Event Center has served as the home for SMSU football. 
•SMSU is 32-62 all-time at the stadium, including 0-5 in 2025. SMSU has lost its last 11 games the past two seasons. 
•SMSU's last home victory came during the final game of the 2023 season. 
•New turf was installed at the stadium in the summer of 2022. 
•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
•Since the 2016 season, SMSU is 11-39 in road games, including finishing 1-5 last season.
•SMSU's last season with a winning road record occurred in 2015 (5-1). 

SMSU VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
•SMSU is 1-34 all-time versus Division II Top 25 teams, including 0-3 last season after losing at Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 4 at home to Augustana on Oct. 25 and at Minnesota State on Nov. 1. 
•SMSU's lone victory versus a ranked team came in the 2016 season opener versus No. 19 Minnesota Duluth (42-38) in Marshall.

WORKING OVERTIME
•SMSU is 5-8 all-time in overtime games since the NCAA added overtime in 1998.
•SMSU's last overtime game occurred on Sept. 24, 2022, with a 27-20 home victory over Minot State.
•SMSU is 1-3 in multi-overtime contests. 
•The program's last multi-overtime game was a 34-31 double overtime loss at Minnesota State on Oct. 13, 2012.

SEASON & HOME OPENER INFORMATION
•SMSU is 22-35 all-time in season openers after losing at home to MSU Moorhead last season. 
•SMSU is 1-7 in its last eight home openers with the lone victory coming over Concordia-St. Paul in 2022. 

MUSTANG HISTORY
•The 2026 season is the 59th year of college football at SMSU and 58th season of competition (2020 was canceled) dating to 1968.
•SMSU owns an all-time record of 210-379-5, including 148-279-5 in conference play. 
•SMSU has recorded 10 winning seasons with two NAIA playoff appearances (1987 and 1991) and one Mineral Water Bowl appearance (2013). SMSU's last winning season came in 2015. 
•The program earned its lone conference championship in 1990.

SCOUTING VALLEY CITY STATE
•Dennis McCulloch is in his 30th season as head coach of VCSU and his 33rd season on the coaching staff. He has compiled a record of 169-121 with four NAIA playoff appearances and has earned conference Coach of the Year honors six times. He was the program's defensive coordinator for three seasons before taking over as head coach in 1997. 
•Senior quarterback Joey Cave, an honorable mention all-conference honoree in 2025, completed 111 of 184 passes for 1,122 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He led the team with 399 rushing yards and scored four touchdown. 
•Senior wide receiver Jake Deutsch led the team with 38 receptions for 447 yards and five touchdown in earning honorable mention all-conference honors. 
•Senior safety Gavin Gerhardt returns after leading VCSU with 89 tackles in 2025 and was named second team all-conference. 
•Senior linebacker Aiden Russell earned honorable mention all-league honors in 2025 after racking up 60 tackles with three for loss.