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The Southwest Minnesota State University football team (4-1, 1-0 NSIC South), off to its best start since 2016, goes on the road to take on the lone undefeated team in the NSIC, No. 17 University of Sioux Falls on Saturday at 1 p.m.
SMSU has won four straight games for the first time since starting the 2015 season 4-0.
The game features two of top rushing offenses in Division II. SMSU enters the game 10th with 250 yards per game while USF is 15th with 227.
USF has won all nine meetings between the two teams since joining the NSIC in 2012.
Sioux Falls, which moved into the AFCA Top 25 on Monday, is coming off a 31-24 road win over Augustana last Saturday. The Cougars are one of 16 remaining undefeated teams in the country.
Opening drive
SMSU's 47 points in last week's victory was its highest total in over two years.
Senior running back Jesse Sherwood, who leads the NSIC in rushing at 176 yards per game and second in Division II in yards per game, missed last week's win over Upper Iowa with an injury. He is also fourth nationally in all-purpose yards and his six rushing touchdowns is good for top-20 in the nation
Sherwood has rushed for more than 140 yards in the last five games he has played in dating back to last season. He is the first SMSU player to reach 100-yards rushing or more in five straight games since Tyler Tonderum in 2016.
Senior linebacker Onte Burns, a two-time All-NSIC South honoree, has led the NSIC in tackles the past two seasons. Burns, who has started all 38 games of his career, has amassed 183 career solo tackles ranking second in team history behind Nate Rudolph's 199.
Burns also ranks tied for fourth in team history in total tackles with 315. The school record is held by Paul Litwicki with 485. Burns has notched double-digit tackles in four games this season, ranking first in the NSIC and 10th in Division II with 53 tackles.
Burns recorded his second career interception return for a touchdown last Saturday and also registered his first career two interception game.
Sophomore running back Donald Austin recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game last week with 124 yards on 18 carries.
SMSU ranks 22nd in Division II in third-down conversion pct. (47.5) and 24th in third-down conversion pct. defense (29.2).
The SMSU defense has forced 10 turnovers during its four-game winning streak.
Junior wide receiver Peter Osman scored three touchdowns (two rush, one receiving) in last week's victory.
Redshirt freshman Justus McComb tossed a career-high two touchdowns and also ran for a score in last week's win over Upper Iowa.
SMSU has held two opponents (Concordia-St. Paul and Upper Iowa) to less than seven points. The last time SMSU limited two opponents to single-digit points in a single-season came in 2018. The last time SMSU held three opponents to less than 10 points in a season occurred in 2004.
SMSU vs. ranked teams
SMSU is 1-25 versus Division II Top 25 teams since the 2008 season. Their lone victory came in 2016 against No. 19 Minnesota Duluth.
SMSU vs. USF notes
SMSU and USF meet for the 14th time on Saturday with USF leading 10-3 The two teams first met in 1968. The first game between the two schools was also the first-ever game in SMSU history with USF earning a 13-6 victory at Legion Field in Marshall
SMSU defeated USF 36-12 in 1969 in Sioux Falls and then won in both 1978 and 1979.
USF has won all nine games since joining the NSIC in 2012, including 35-7 last season in Marshall.
SMSU's last win in the series was on Oct. 20, 1979, in Sioux Falls.