THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University football team (1-4, 0-4 NSIC, 0-1 NSIC South) continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference home action this Saturday, Oct. 3, for the annual homecoming game, taking on nationally ranked University of Minnesota Duluth (3-2, 3-1 NSIC, 0-1 NSIC North) at Mattke Field at The Schwan Regional Event Center with kickoff set for 3 p.m.
•SMSU, which opened the season with a home victory versus Valley City State, has dropped its first four games of league play, including three versus NSIC North Division foes. Saturday's game will be SMSU final match-up versus a NSIC North Division opponent. 
•Saturday's game will be the second for SMSU interim head coach, Levi Bullerman, who was named to the position on Sept. 20 following the retirement of head coach, Scott Underwood.   
•UMD, ranked No. 19 in this week's D2Football.com poll, while receiving votes in the AFCA Top 25 poll, is coming off a 23-20 overtime loss at MSU Moorhead last Saturday. The Bulldogs, which opened the season with a two-point loss at Slippery Rock (Pa.), were picked to win the NSIC North Division and were selected second overall in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll.   
•A preview of UMD is located on page 4. 

BROADCAST INFO
•Saturday'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.

SMSU ON HOMECOMING
•SMSU has a record of 25-31 all-time on homecoming and has lost five of the last six.  
•SMSU is 5-6 in homecoming games since 2014, but is 8-17 since 2000.
SMSU homecoming games since 2010
2010    Wayne State  L, 20-38
2011     Augustana  L, 24-37
2012    Wayne State  W, 40-24
2013    Sioux Falls  L, 48-55
2014    Upper Iowa  W, 28-25
2015    MSU Moorhead  W, 48-9
2016    Upper Iowa  W, 59-41
2017    Sioux Falls  L, 10-24
2018    Minnesota Crookston  W,55-6
2019    Bemidji State L, 24-25
2021    Sioux Falls  L, 7-35
2022    Upper Iowa W, 47-7
2023    Northern State L, 17-24
2024    Wayne Sate L, 7-41
2025     Sioux Falls L, 14-35

SMSU vs. UMD Series Notes
(All-time results listed on page 18)
SMSU and UMD meet for the 40th time with UMD leading 31-7-1 in a series that began on Oct. 16, 1976 ... SMSU has won only six games on the field of play as SMSU was awarded a forfeit victory in Duluth during the 1986 season ... UMD leads the series 12-5 in games played in Marshall ... SMSU's last win in the series came in Marshall on Sept. 1, 2016, snapping an eight-game UMD winning streak in the series ... UMD has played in Marshall just twice since 2013 ... UMD has scored 31 or more points in the past 14 games and has shutout SMSU in two of the last three games.   

SMSU vs. UMD Series Information
Overall:    UMD leads 31-7-1*
In Marshall:    UMD leads 12-5
In Duluth:    UMD leads 18-2-1*
Neutral:    UMD leads 1-0
Last SMSU win:     Sept. 1, 2016 (42-38)
Last UMD win:    Oct. 4, 2025 (63-28)
Largest win for SMSU:    36 (43-7, 1987)
Largest win for UMD:    70 (70-0, 1976)
Longest win streak for SMSU:    2 (1986-87)
Longest win streak for UMD:     10 (1976-85)
Current win streak:    UMD, 5
Bullerman vs. UMD:    0-0
Wiese vs. SMSU:    6-1
*SMSU awarded forfeit victory at Duluth in 1986

SMSU INTERIM HEAD COACH LEVI BULLERMAN
•Levi Bullerman was named interim head coach on Sept. 20 and is 0-1 during his tenure. He is in his ninth season on the SMSU coaching staff and fifth as defensive coordinator. He also coaches the team's linebackers.
•He played linebacker at SMSU from 2005-09, where he was a four-year letter winner and three-year starter, playing in 44 games with 154 tackles and three interceptions. He served as team captain in 2009.
•Bullerman took over for Scott Underwood, who retired as head coach on Sept. 20. Underwood was in his fifth season as head coach with a record of 8-40. He was named the program's 11th head coach on Jan. 7, 2022. 

SMSU OPENING DRIVE TIDBITS
•SMSU is coming off 38-24 home loss to Wayne State last Saturday night. SMSU, which led 17-7 in the second quarter and 17-14 at halftime, nearly doubled its season point total in the game. SMSU had scored a combined 13 points in its first four games. SMSU also closed the game with a season-high 359 yards offense. 
•Junior quarterback Drew Kluender, making his third career start last Saturday, completed 26 of 43 passes for a career-high 314 yards and three touchdown passes.
•Freshman wide receiver Cooper Murphy caught a career-high six passes for a career-best 144 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to WSC. Murphy is the first SMSU player to have more than 100 yards receiving in a game since Colin Maher on Oct. 25, 2025.  
•Junior wide receiver Zoan Robinson recorded his first career touchdown last week with a 38-yard reception in the fourth quarter. 
•Sophomore linebacker Hunter Hanegraaf tied a career-high with 13 tackles last week, while sophomore linebacker Jack Meier closed with a career-high eight tackles.
•Junior safety Brent Green finished with a career-high seven tackles and had one pass break-up in the loss to WSC. 
•Sophomore cornerback Jayden Johnson-Forrest had five solo tackles and a career-high six tackles last Saturday.  
•For the season, sophomore running back Josh Lancifort leads SMSU in rushing with 163 yards on 54 carries.
•Senior wide receiver Tryg Auten has caught a team-high 24 passes for 219 yards.
•Junior Kluender has completed 33 of 62 passes for 412 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. 
•Fifth year Macloud Crowton has completed 59 of 133 passes for 526 yards with four interceptions. 
•Junior safety Keegan Patterson leads the team with three interceptions.
•Hanegraaf has racked up a team-high 48 tackles with nine for loss. 
•Senior Aiden Planer ranks second on the squad with 28 tackles, including four for loss. 
•Fifth year defensive end Avery Johnson ranks tied for second on the team with four tackles for loss. 
•SMSU had seven players on defense and three on offense make their first career collegiate starts in the victory over Valley City State on Aug. 27. 
•The SMSU defense, which recorded a pair of interceptions in the win over Valley City State, limited VCSU to 26 yards rushing. It was the first time SMSU held an opponent to less than 50 yards rushing since the final game of the 2009 season. 
•Crowton started at quarterback in the season-opening victory versus VCSU. It was the first time since 2018 that SMSU had the same quarterback start the first game of the season in back-to-back seasons. Blake Gimbel was the last Mustang to start back-to-back season openers in 2017 and 2018. 

SMSU & UMD IN THE 2026 NCAA RANKINGS
•The following is where SMSU and UMD rank in this week's NCAA statistics.
•A full listing of SMSU in the NCAA statistics can be found on pages 16-17. 
             (159 teams ranked)     SMSU    UMD     
             Scoring Offense    158th    96th
             Rushing Offense    158th    29th    
             Passing Offense    96th    116th    
             Total Offense    145th    69th     
             Scoring Defense    131st    52nd
             Rushing Defense    140th    15th 
             Pass Defense    130th    112th 
             Pass Efficiency Defense    117th     100th
             Total Defense    149th    45th     
             Net Punting     58th    69th 
             Punt Returns     55th     67th
             Kickoff Returns     100th    123rd    
             Turnover Margin     154th     132nd
             Fewest Penalty Yards/Gm.     5th      20th     
             Time of Possession     140th    3rd 
             3rd Down Conversions     155th    126th
             3rd Down Conversion Defense    83rd    3rd

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

THE 2026 SMSU ROSTER
•The SMSU roster (as of Sept. 29) features 112 players with nine fifth-year players, 11 seniors, 28 juniors, 30 sophomores and 34 freshmen. 

TURNOVER MARGIN BY THE NUMBERS
•SMSU is 'minus-9' in turnover margin following five weeks.
•SMSU was 'plus-1' in the win over Valley City State, but have been 'minus' in each of the next four games, including 'minus-3' at Bemidji State, 'minus-1' versus Northern State, 'minus-5' at Minot State 'minus-1' versus Wayne State. 
•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.

MUSTANGS IN THE 'ZONE'
•SMSU has scored on 5 of 10 trips (50.0) inside the red zone this season with two touchdowns and three field goals. 
•SMSU has failed to score in five red zone trips with via three missed field goals and two turnover on downs. 
•SMSU opponents are 16 of 18 in the red zone with 12 touchdowns and four 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    17 of 30 (56.6)    14    3
    2024    7 of 14 (50.0)    5    2
    2025    19 of 25 (76.0)    15    4
    2026    5 of 10 (50.0)    2    3

LONG PLAYS FOR THE MUSTANGS
•SMSU has recorded 20 offensive/defensive plays or kick/punt returns of 20 or more yards this season with 11 coming from the offense (1 run, 10 pass).
•Drew Kluender's 53-yard pass to Cooper Murphy versus Wayne State is the play of the season.
•Josh Lancifort has the longest rush from scrimmage, 20 yards, versus Wayne State. 
•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
    2026    20    3    1    10    8    0    1    0

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.

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 33-64 all-time at the stadium, including 1-2 this season. SMSU's season opening win over Valley City State snapped an 11-game home losing streak. 
•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 11-41 in road games, including 0-2 this 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 now 23-35 all-time in season openers after defeating Valley City State to open the 2026 campaign. 
•SMSU is 2-7 in its last nine home openers defeating VCSU this season and 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 211-383-5, including 148-283-5 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 MINNESOTA DULUTH
•Curt Wiese is in his 14th season as head coach (2020 season was canceled) and has a record of 117-31 with six NCAA playoff appearances. He was head coach at Marietta College (Ohio) from 2006-07 prior to becoming an assistant coach at UMD in 2008. He is 126-42 all-time as a head coach. 
•Fifth year running back Derrick Johnson has amassed a team-high 499 yards and four touchdowns on 69 carries.
•Fifth year quarterback Jacob Eggert has completed 77 of 122 passes for 874 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. 
•Junior wide receiver Peyton Menzel has caught 14 passes for 188 yards, while senior wide receiver Joey Flaherty has 14 receptions for 182 yards. 
•Fifth year linebacker Jayce Walrath has racked up a team-high 29 tackles with 2.5 for loss.