Live Stats for MSU Mankato game
Live Video for MSU Mankato game

MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The Minnesota State University Moorhead football team returns to the road for another NSIC contest  Saturday when it plays at No. 22-ranked Minnesota State, Mankato. Game time is 1 p.m. at Blakeslee Field in Mankato, Minn.

Saturday's game will mark the 33rd meeting between the two schools -- the first since 2009 -- with Mankato holding a slight 18-14 edge in the series.  MSU Mankato has won the past two weekends, beating the Dragons, 52-0 in Moorhead in 2008, and 59-14 in Mankato in 2009. Prior to the 2008 meeting, the two programs had not met since 1981, when the Dragons prevailed, 45-0 in Mankato. At one time, from 1978-81, the Dragons won four straight meetings.

Last six meetings:
MSU Mankato 59, MSU Moorhead 14 (2009 in Mankato)
MSU Mankato 52, MSU Moorhead 0 (2008 in Moorhead)
MSU Moorhead 45, MSU Mankato 0 (1981 in Mankato)
MSU Moorhead 22, MSU Mankato 6 (1980 in Moorhead)
MSU Moorhead 10, MSU Mankato 7 (1979 in Mankato)
MSU Moorhead 14, MSU Mankato 13 (1978 in Moorhead)

MSU Mankato (3-0, 3-0 NSIC) is coming off of a 25-21 road win at St. Cloud State, while MSU Moorhead (0-3, 0-3 NSIC) suffered a 51-33 home loss to Upper Iowa last week.

Game notes can be found below, while links to live stats and live video can be found at the links above.

About MSUM
The Dragons suffered a 51-33 home loss to Upper Iowa on Sept. 15. The Dragons outscored the Peacocks, 26-16 in the second half but couldn't overcome a 35-7 halftime deficit. Upper Iowa outgained the Dragons, 588-300, including 248-78 on the ground.

Despite the setback, there were several solid performances for MSUM, including by freshman quarterback Jake Hodge, who was 16-of-24 passing for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman receiver Adam Jiskra hauled in seven catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns, all career-highs.

Freshman safety Shea DeJong had 11 tackles, while senior linebacker Tyler Brody had 10. Freshman cornerback Jaylen Raye had nine tackles and two pass breakups. Freshman linebacker Chris Lee returned an interception for a touchdown, while sophomore Lomumba Ismail blocked a punt, which was returned by senior Barik Williams for a score. Freshman cornerback Sheldon Jones had six tackles, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Sophomore Brandon Schell leads the MSUM ground attack with 114 yards, while Hodge has 346 yards passing and three scores. Jiskra leads the receiving corps with 13 catches for 250 yards.

On defense, DeJong has a team-best 31 tackles, followed by sophomore Nick Seedorff with 24 and Brody with 19. Junior Brad Hauer leads with 1.5 sacks, while Ismail has three tackles for loss.

MSUM is averaging 82.3 yards per game on the ground and 169.3 through the air.

Steve Laqua is in his second season as the MSUM head coach with a record of 2-12 at the school.

About MSU Mankato
MSU Mankato is 3-0 on the year and has climbed into the AFCA Division II Top 25 poll. The Mavericks recorded a key 25-21 road win at St. Cloud State last weekend.  Mankato was down 21-16 at one point but scored nine unanswered points to earn the win. Quarterbacks Jon Wolf and Mitch Brozovich combined for 255 passing yards and two scores in the win, while receiver Adam Thielen had 109 yards receiving on six catches. Chris Schaudt had a big game for the Maverick defense with six tackles, including two sacks, a forced fumble and two pass breakups.

Wolf has thrown for 342 yards and two scores for Mankato, while also leading the team with 208 rushing yards and four scores. Thielen has 13 catches for 225 yards and a score. Marcus Hall-Oliver has 19 tackles to pace the Maverick defense.

Mankato is averaging 35.7 points per game and allowing just 13.7. The Mavericks allow just 41.3 yards per game on the ground while rushing for 201 yards per game themselves. MSU Mankato also outgains its opponents, 367.3-176.0.

Aaron Keen, the MSU Mankato acting head coach, is 3-0 so far at the school.

True freshmen, True Impact
Six true freshmen start for the MSUM offense, including Hodge,  offensive linemen Bennen Bierman, Troy Peterson and Jake Antolak and receivers Tyler Rivard and Jiskra. Bierman and Peterson anchor the left side of the line, while Antolak has assumed the center duties.

Jiskra and Rivard each have 13 and nine catches, respectively, to lead the offense. Hodge has thrown for 346 yards in two games.

On defense, three true freshmen start, including safety Shea DeJong, who leads the team with 31 tackles, and safety Nico Caramella. Jones, also a true freshman, starts at cornerback and is fourth on the team with tackles. He also has moved to the top of the depth chart as a kick returner.

Seedorff Making Presence Felt
Seedorff has been a solid defensive player thus far for the Dragons. He is second on the team with 24 tackles and leads the team with 19 assists.

Happy Returns
The Dragon special teams and defense got into the touchdown act during the Upper Iowa game. Ismail blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown by Barik Williams, while Lee picked off a deflected pass and ran it back 92 yards for a score.

Block Party
Ismail has blocked punts in back-to-back games, including the one that led to the touchdown against Upper Iowa. Ismail also blocked a punt against Sioux Falls in Week 2.