Live Stats
Live Video
Game notes (pdf)
The Minnesota State University Moorhead football team makes its debut on the new Scheels Field on Thursday night when it opens the 2015 season against Winona State. Kickoff is 6 p.m. in Moorhead, Minn. The game is the first home game under the lights since 1986, and the first on the new turf installed at the field.

The game will be televised live on WDAY'Z XTRA, which is channel 6.3 over the air, 596 for Midcontinent Communications customers, and on WDAY.com. Live audio, with Dragon broadcasters Steve d'Eustachio and Larry Scott on the call, can be heard at msumdragons.com.  Live video and live stats can be accessed there as well.  

Fans can also watch the Dragons Live pregame show beginning at 3 p.m. on WDAY'Z XTRA.

Thursday's contest is the 2015 season opener for both teams.

Series History
This week's game will mark the 72nd meeting between MSUM and Winona State in football. The Dragons hold a 37-33-1 series lead but have not won a meeting in the series since 1996.  Winona State won the last meeting on Sept. 21, 2013 by a 65-21 margin. Winona has won 14 meetings in a row with the last Dragon win coming on Nov. 2, 1996 in which MSUM prevailed 33-28.

Previous five meetings:
Sept. 21, 2013 (in Winona, Minn.): Winona State 65, MSUM 21
Sept. 10, 2011 (in Moorhead, Minn.): Winona State 48, MSUM 10
Sept. 11, 2010 (in Winona, Minn.): Winona State 58, MSUM 3
Oct. 6, 2007 (in Moorhead): Winona State 42, MSUM 41
Oct. 7, 2006 (in Winona): Winona State 32, MSUM 19

The Head Coaches
Steve Laqua is in his fifth season as MSUM's head coach with a record of 11-33, while Tom Sawyer is in his 20th season as Winona State's head coach with a record of 151-67 at the school.

About MSUM
MSUM finished 4-7 in 2014 but ended the year on a three-game winning streak. The Dragons return 21 starters from that team and have 19 seniors, the most in the Steve Laqua era.

Senior quarterback Jake Hodge is entering his fourth season as a starter; he is the school's all-time leader in passing yards. Hodge threw for 1,981 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2014 and is the school's all-time leader in passing yards and total offense.

Senior running back Zayne Medhaug, an NSIC North Division First-Team selection last year,  also returns after rushing for 1,127 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.  He was tied for first in the conference in points scored this season.

Senior wide receiver Adam Jiskra, who caught 74 passes for 1,039 yards and eight scores, is back after earning NSIC North Division First-Team honors for the second straight year.

On defense, the Dragons return 11 starters, led by sophomore defensive back Abe Roehrich (91 tackles, three interceptions last season), junior linebacker Aaron Bohl (77 tackles last season) and sophomore defensive lineman Jake Busse (32 tackles, 5.5 sacks last season).

About Winona State
Winona State finished 4-7 in 2014. The Warriors were picked to finish sixth in the NSIC according to a preseason poll of the league's coaches.

Junior running back Paul Preston led the Warriors with 715 rushing yards a year ago, while junior quarterback  Jack Nelson threw for 2,843 yards and 27 touchdowns. Josh Mikes returns at receiver after catching 59 passes for 1,025 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Winona State scored 28.18 points per game a year ago. The Warriors averaged 388.2 yards per game in total offense.

On defense, Jarrett Wood  returns after recording 58 tackles last season, while Collin Corcoran is also back after recording 54 tackles and 4.5 sacks.  The Warriors allowed 28.7 points per game and allowed 373.3 yards per game of total offense last year.

More about the Dragons
On the Offensive
The MSUM offense piled up the statistics in 2014, setting 15 records (six single-game, six single-season and three career records).  Single-season records that fell included total plays (957), total yardage (5,694), total offense per game (517.6), total points (393), points per game (35.3) and first downs (292). Ten of the 11 starters return on offense for the Dragons, including four starters on the offensive line.

2014 Final NSIC Rankings
MSUM ranked first in the NSIC in total offense (517.6) in 2014. The Dragons were also tied for third in first downs (292) and second in rushing offense (260.7). Receiver Adam Jiskra ranked second in receiving yards per game (94.5) and tied for second in receptions per game (6.73).  Running back Zayne Medhaug finished second in all-purpose yards per game (157.8), tied for first in total points scored (126) and fourth in rushing yards (102.5 per game) while Hodge is ranked fourth in total offense (301.0 yards) and seventh in passing average (220.1).

The 300 Club
MSUM has rushed for more than 300 yards in four straight games, the first time that has happened in the Steve Laqua era.  The 475 yards against Minnesota Crookston on Nov. 15 were the most MSUM has rushed for in a game in the Laqua era.

Hodge Sets the Standard
Senior quarterback Jake Hodge  enters the 2015 season as the Dragons' all-time leader in passing yardage with 5,922 yards. He is also the school's all-time leader in total offense at 7,421.

Jiskra Sets Record, Chases Another
Senior Adam Jiskra already has his name in the record books at MSUM. He is the all-time leader in receiving yards (2,670) and receiving touchdowns (26). Now, the Grafton, N.D., native is chasing another school record, total receptions. Jabari Taylor currently leads with 214, with Jiskra second at 182.  A two-time All-NSIC North Division First Team selection, Jiskra also is climbing the conference charts; he currently ranks fifth in all-time receptions at 182, trailing the all-time record of Brian Jark of Northern State (210).

Dragons Surpass 50
MSUM surpassed the 50-point total twice in 2014. The Dragons did so for the first time in 15 years in the 52-7 win over Minot State on Nov. 1. They concluded the year with a convincing 66-36 win over Minnesota Crookston, which marked the first time since 1994 that the Dragons have surpassed the 60-point plateau.

Opening Act
The Dragons are 1-3 in season openers under Head Coach Steve Laqua. In 2011, the Dragons beat Robert Morris, 28-17. They have lost their past three openers, falling to Wayne State, 49-6 in 2012, Augustana, 41-28 in 2013 and Upper Iowa, 44-36 in 2014.

Stalwarts Up Front
Seniors Bennen Bierman (left tackle) and Troy Peterson (right tackle) have each started all 33 games over the past three seasons on the offensive line -- combining for 66 starts in their careers.. The offensive line play is among the keys to the Dragon offense's growth over the past two seasons.

2015 Captains
The 2015 Dragon captains are senior running back Zayne Medhaug and junior linebacker Aaron Bohl. It is the third straight year Bohl has been elected team captain.

Home Grown
While nine different states are represented on the 2015 MSUM football team, the most represented state is Minnesota, with 41 athletes on the team. The next state in line is North Dakota with 18, followed by Illinois with 11.