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MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The 2013 football season kicks off for Minnesota State University Moorhead on Saturday when the Dragons play at Augustana College. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at Kirkeby-Over Stadium in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Head Coaches
Steve Laqua is in his third season as MSUM's head coach with a record of 3-19, while Jerry Olszewski is in his first season as Augustana's head coach after previously coaching at St. Olaf.
Series History
Saturday's game will mark the third meeting between Augustana and MSUM in football. The Vikings lead the all-time series 2-0.
--Previous two meetings:
Augustana 35, MSUM 3 (2011 in Sioux Falls)
Augustana 47, MSUM 17 (2010 in Moorhead)
About MSU Moorhead
The Dragons return 10 starters on offense and six on defense from last year's squad. MSUM returns 32 letterwinners overall.
Sophomore Jake Hodge returns at quarterback after throwing for 1,423 yards and six touchdowns a year ago. Sophomore wide receiver Adam Jiskra returns after catching 41 passes for 617 yards and six touchdowns to lead MSUM in all three categories. At running back, junior Brandon Schell (370 yards, two touchdowns) and sophomore Zayne Medhaug (218 yards, five touchdowns) return.
Sophomore cornerback Chris Binford returns after recording 47 tackles a year ago. Also back is sophomore linebacker Nick Seedorff had 96 tackles and two interceptions a year ago.
The Dragons are aiming to improve their offensive production this season after averaging 16.7 points per game a year ago.
On both sides of the ball, MSUM will look to young players to make a contribution this season as it continues the next step in the building process.
About Augustana
The Vikings, who were picked to finish ninth in the NSIC preseason coaches poll, will be making their debut under Olszewski on Saturday. They return 15 starters (including special teams) from a year ago.
Augustana returns one of the top running backs in the NSIC in junior Dajon Newell, who rushed for 1,090 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry. Also returning is the team's top receiver from 2012, Grant Gebhardt, who caught 56 passes for 795 yards and seven touchdowns.
One position where the Vikings have big shoes to fill is at quarterback, where Eric Hanson, who threw for 2,878 yards and 32 touchdowns a year ago, has graduated. Junior Justin Heinrich and redshirt freshman Trey Heid battled for the job during preseason camp.
On defense, Augustana lost its top tackler from a year ago, but returns senior defensive back Thomas Vanasek (85 tackles) and junior linebacker Nate Kirby (68 tackles), who were second and third on the team in tackles, respectively, a year ago.
The Vikings averaged 36.5 points per game on offense but allowed 32.5 points per game in 2012.
2013 Schedule
MSUM's 2013 campaign features five home games and six on the road. One of MSUM's opponents, Minnesota Duluth, is ranked No. 11 in the AFCA Division II Preseason Poll, while Winona State and St. Cloud State both received votes.
On the Right Track
Seniors Derek Bredy and Laquone Robinson were two of the top track and field athletes for MSUM in recent memory. The two, who combined for 29 NSIC titles and nine All-American honors during their tenure, joined the Dragon football team for the first this fall and will look to be contributors at the wide receiver position.
Youth Movement
While Bredy and Robinson are seniors, both are new to the Dragon roster. MSUM returned just four seniors from last year's team -- linebacker Sam Callahan, kicker Wes Kramer, tight end/long snapper Tyler Barnes and defensive lineman Mike Mann. The team has just 10 juniors, with the roster of the 85-man roster being sophomores, redshirt freshmen and freshmen.
Century Club
Sophomore Zayne Medhaug has the distinction of being the Dragons' last 100-yard rusher. The Wahpeton, N.D. native accomplished the feat during the Dragons' 35-13 rout of Minnesota-Crookston on Oct. 13, 2012, rushing for 124 yards and a touchdown.
2013 Schedule
MSUM's 2013 campaign features five home games and six on the road. One of MSUM's opponents, Minnesota Duluth, is ranked No. 11 in the AFCA Division II Preseason Poll, while Winona State and St. Cloud State both received votes.
Hitting the Switch
Two of the Dragons' offensive starters from 2012 once again find themselves atop the depth chart -- this time, on the other side of the ball. Sophomore Garrett Shelley has moved from starting wide receiver to starting strong safety, while sophomore Jake Antolak, who started at center in 2012, is now the starting nose guard for the Dragon defense.
Opening Act
MSUM is 1-1 in season openers under Head Coach Steve Laqua. Two years ago, the Dragons recorded a 28-17 road win over Robert Morris (Ill.) on Sept. 3, 2011, while on Sept. 1, 2012, MSUM fell at home to Wayne State, 49-6. Saturday's game at Augustana will be the second time during Laqua's tenure that MSUM will have opened the season on the road.
Home Grown
The MSUM football team's roster is represented by seven states, with Minnesota leading the way with 43 athletes, followed by North Dakota with 18.
