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SMSU FOOTBALL: SMSU seeks first victory hosting UMary for Ag Bowl showdown

Independent file photo SMSU’s Albert Lemon makes a catch during their game against MSU Moorhead on Sept. 2. SMSU will face the University of Mary on Saturday.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State University football team (0-2, 0-0 NSIC South) returns home seeking its first victory of the 2021 season taking on the University of Mary (0-2, 0-0 NSIC North) for the annual Ag Bowl with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. at Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center.

•SMSU, which is coming off a 30-13 road loss to Northern State last Saturday night, is searching for its first victory since earning a 42-38 win at St. Cloud State on Oct. 19, 2019. SMSU’s last home victory came on Oct. 2, 2018.

•UMary is 0-2 on the season with a road loss to Wayne State in the season opener and a home loss to Augustana last Saturday.

Annual Ag Bowl –

presented by Ralco

•Saturday’s 15th annual Ag Bowl, presented by Ralco, concludes a day of celebration of agriculture in Minnesota and features numerous events for both kids and adults prior to the game.

•Proceeds generated by the Ag Bowl will fund scholarships and programming for worthy SMSU student-athletes and young people who will dedicate their careers to business success in agriculture, environmental science and the food industries.

•SMSU is 5-8 all-time in Ag Bowl games and will be playing UMary for the third time.

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. UMary

series notes

Southwest Minnesota State and UMary meet for the 10th time on Saturday night with UMary holding a 5-4 advantage in a series that started on Sept. 4, 1999 … UMary leads the series 3-2 in games played in Marshall … SMSU won the last game played in Marshall, 47-23, on Sept. 17, 2016 … SMSU has won the last two in the series overall, including, 54-24, in Bismarck, on Sept. 29, 2018 … UMary won the first three games in the series in 1999, 2006 and 2007 … SMSU’s win in 2010 was the first road victory for SMSU head coach Cory Sauter.

Mustang opening

drive tidbits

•Southwest Minnesota State had nine players on offense, seven on defense and its kicker/punter make their first career starts in the season-opening loss to MSU Moorhead on Sept. 2.

•Junior linebacker Onte Burns leads the NSIC and ranks 12th in Division II through two games with 24 tackles including 15 solo stops.

•Junior running back Jesse Sherwood leads the team with 155 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 30 carries.

•Sophomore running back Duce Reynolds has amassed 75 yards and one score on 17 carries.

•Senior quarterback Andrew Haidet has completed 24 of 53 passes for 253 yards with five interceptions. He has completed passes to 11 different receivers in two games.

•Junior wide receiver Zeke Robinson has a team-high five receptions for 48 yards.

•SMSU was called for just two penalties for a total of six yards in last week’s loss at Northern State.

Turnovers doom SMSU

•Southwest Minnesota State has committed seven turnovers in the first two weeks and is minus-five in turnover margin. SMSU has thrown five interceptions and lost two fumbles on the season.

•SMSU forced a pair of turnovers in the season-opening loss to MSU Moorhead. Junior Alan Giron recorded one fumble, while senior Adihia Bell scooped up another fumble and returned it 26 yards down to the MSUM six-yard line.

Signal callers in 2021

•The SMSU offense features one quarterback with returning experience in a Mustang uniform in senior Steven Nava while senior transfer Andrew Haidet joined the team last spring and started the first two games.

•Haidet spent the 2020 season at Northern Illinois University and appeared in four games completing 3 of 6 passes for 44 yards and one touchdown.

•Haidet spent four seasons (2016-19) at Houston Baptist University where he played in 11 career games completing 23 of 57 pass attempts for 348 yards with three touchdowns.

•In 2019, Nava was pressed into duty in the second half of the season-opening loss to Minnesota State replacing injured starter Boyer Bouman. Nava completed 15 of 21 pass attempts for 184 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. He started at Wayne State in week two, but was injured late in the third quarter and missed the remainder of the season.

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 vs. the NSIC North

•Since 2012, when the NSIC schedule had each team playing four inter-divisional games, SMSU has a record of 18-16 versus NSIC North Division teams, including 0-2 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 28-40 all-time at the stadium, including an 0-1 record in 2021.

•SMSU has lost eight 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.

Scouting UMary

•Craig Bagnell is in his fourth season as head coach at UMary with a record of 3-21. His third season was canceled due to COVID-19. Bagnell was a four-year standout quarterback for the Marauders from 2010-13.

•UMary, which finished 2-9 in 2019, is 0-2 on the season with losses at Wayne State in week one and a 43-20 home defeat to Augustana last Saturday.

•The Marauders fell behind 30-7 at halftime to Augustana on Saturday and were held to 42 yards rushing on 26 attempts, including four sacks.

•UMary enters this week’s game with the sixth ranked passing offense in Division II.

•Senior quarterback Logan Nelson has completed 51 of 94 passes for 604 yards and five touchdowns.

•Junior wide receiver Danny Kittner has caught a team-leading 27 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns.

•Senior wide receiver Luke Little has recorded 16 receptions for 231 yards and three touchdowns.

•Redshirt freshman running back Dorian McAllister is the team’s top rusher with 33 yards on six carries.

•The UMary defense has been led by sophomore defensive back, Tylen Small, who has a team-leading 21 tackles.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications

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