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The Minnesota State University Moorhead football team is aiming for its first 3-0 start since 1987 when it hosts Augustana in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contest Saturday at Scheels Field at Nemzek Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

The game will be televised live on WDAY'Z Extra, with Dragon broadcasters Steve d'Eustachio and Larry Scott on the call, can be heard at msumdragons.com.  Live online audio, video and live stats can be accessed there as well.  

Both teams enter the game at 2-0.

A win on Saturday would…
—be MSUM's first 3-0 start since 1987
—first-ever Dragon win over Augustana in football
—the Dragons' sixth consecutive win, dating back to last season.
—be MSUM's first 3-0 NSIC start since 1995 — which is the last time the Dragons won a conference title.

Series History
This week's game will mark the fourth meeting between Augustana and MSUM in football with the Vikings leading the series 3-0. The first meeting was in 2010 when the Vikings prevailed, 47-17 in Moorhead, Minn. Augustana has won the past two meetings played in Sioux Falls, S.D., including a 41-28 win in 2013.

Previous three meetings:
2013: Augustana 41, MSUM 28 (in Sioux Falls)
2011: Augustana 35, MSUM 3 (in Sioux Falls)
2010: Augustana 47, MSUM 17 (in Moorhead, Minn.)

The Head Coaches
Steve Laqua is in his fifth season as MSUM's head coach with a record of 13-33, while Jerry Olszewski is in his third season as Augustana's head coach with a record of 12-12 at the school.

About MSUM
MSUM improved to 2-0 with a thrilling 30-28 road win over Concordia-St. Paul on Sept. 12. Junior receiver Cory Ambrose hauled in a 15-yard pass from senior quarterback Jake Hodge with no time left to give the Dragons the win. Hodge was 22-of-39 passing for 330 yards and two scores, while junior running back Zayne Medhaug rushed for 100 yards and two scores. Senior receiver Adam Jiskra had seven catches for 75 yards and a score. Junior cornerback Sheldon Jones led the defense with eight tackles.

Hodge has thrown for 547 yards and seven touchdowns in two games while rushing for 124 yards. Medhaug has rushed for 169 yards and three scores. Jiskra leads the receiving corps with 11 catches for 148 yards and two scores, while sophomore Damon Gibson has six catches for 200 yards and two scores.  MSUM averages 36.0 points per game on offense and posts 480.5 yards per game in total offense. The Dragons rush for 207 yards per game and throw for 273.5 yards per game.

On defense, redshirt freshman Michael Strand has 16 tackles while Jones and junior linebacker Aaron Bohl have 15 tackles each. MSUM allows 22.5 points per game and allows 128.5 yards per game on the ground. Teams are throwing for 306.5 yards per game against the Dragons this season.

About Augustana
Augustana is 2-0 on the season after beating St. Cloud State, 41-27 on Sept. 12 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The game was tied at 27-27 early in the fourth quarter before the Vikings pulled away with two touchdowns.  Receiver Charlie Hayes had 11 catches for 266 yards and four touchdowns for Augie and was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week.

The Vikings average 38.0 points per game on offense — second-best in the NSIC — and average 438.5 yards per game in total offense. They rush for 125.5 yards per game and pass for 313.0 yards per game.  CJ Ham leads the ground game with 150 yards, while quarterback Trey Heid has thrown for 621 yards and five touchdowns in two games. Hayes leads the receiving corps with 14 catches for 340 yards and five touchdowns.

Augustana allows 20.5 points per game on defense and allows 366.0 yards per game in total offense. Steven Miller leads the defense with 28 tackles while Brandon Mohr has 23. Justin Brown has two interceptions.

The Vikings were picked to finish fourth in the NSIC preseason coaches poll.

More about the Dragons
That's a Top 10 play…
The dramatic finish of the Dragons' 30-28 win over Concordia-St. Paul brought national attention for the MSUM program.  Junior Cory Ambrose hauled in a tipped pass in the end zone to give the Dragons a dramatic 30-28 win. The play made ESPN's Sportscenter Top 10 plays for Saturday, coming in at No. 2 on the rankings.

Medhaug Climbing the Scoring Ladder
Senior running back Zayne Medhaug has been very familiar with the end zone during the past two seasons. He scored two touchdowns in the 30-28 win over Concordia-St. Paul on Sept. 12. Medhaug now has 216 career points and is just two points away from fifth in all-time scoring at MSUM. Hodge is ranked 16th in NSIC history with 216 points.

Starting on the Right Foot
The Dragons' 2-0 start is significant for two reasons. It is the first time since 2006 that they have started a season at 2-0, and it is the first time since 1996 MSUM has started 2-0 in the NSIC. MSUM is seeking its first 3-0 start since 1987.

Gibson's Grabs
Sophomore wide receiver Damon Gibson has six receptions this season — two have gone for touchdowns, and two were instrumental in helping the Dragons rally at Concordia. He hauled in passes from quarterback Jake Hodge of 39 and 40 yards on MSUM's final drive to bring the Dragons into Golden Bear territory. His 40-yard juggling reception brought MSUM to the Concordia 15-yard line, setting up the game-winning touchdown pass from Hodge to junior Cory Ambrose. Gibson ranks fifth in the NSIC at 100.0 receiving yards per game.

Week 3 Under Laqua
MSUM is 1-3 in the Steve Laqua era during Week 3 games. The Dragons won in Week 3 a year ago, beating Wayne State, 40-36.  Previously, MSUM lost to Winona State, 65-21 in 2013, to Upper Iowa, 51-33 in 2012 and fell to Upper Iowa, 45-31, in 2011 which was Laqua's first season.

NSIC Rankings
The Dragons rank in the top five individually and team-wise in the NSIC statistics:
Team
—Scoring offense (36.0, 3rd)
—Pass offense (273.5, 5th)
—Turnover Margin (+1, 4th)
—Pass efficiency (165.2, 2nd)
—First Downs (51, 3rd)
Individual
—Total Offense - Jake Hodge (332.5, 3rd)
—All Purpose - Zayne Medhaug (164.5, 3rd)
—Passing Offense - Jake Hodge (273.5, 4th)
—Pass efficiency - Jake Hodge (170.6, 3rd)
—Rushing Offense - Zayne Medhaug (84.5, 8th)
—Receiving Yards/Game - Damon Gibson (100.0, 5th)
—Scoring - Zayne Medhaug (24, 2nd)
—Interceptions - Chris Binford (1, tied for 4th)
—Tackles for loss - Jake Busse (3.5, tied for 4th)
—Kicker scoring - Joe Tjosvold (12 points, 6th)
—Forced Fumbles - Drew Lingle (1, tied for 4th)

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 (2,882) and receiving touchdowns (29). Now, the Grafton, N.D., native is chasing another school record — total receptions. Jabari Taylor currently leads with 214, with Jiskra second at 193.  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 193, trailing the all-time record of Brian Jark of Northern State (210).

Stalwarts Up Front
Seniors Bennen Bierman (left tackle) and Troy Peterson (right tackle) have each started all 35 games over the past three seasons on the offensive line -- combining for 70 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 40 athletes on the team. The next state in line is North Dakota with 18, followed by Illinois with 11.