Football | 9/6/2017 2:34:00 PM

Game Notes (pdf)
Live Video/Audio
Live Stats
The Minnesota State University Moorhead football team makes its 2017 home debut on Thursday night when it hosts Southwest Minnesota State. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Scheels Field in Moorhead, Minn.

The End Zone Extravaganza with three food trucks and a beer garden begins serving at 5 p.m.

MSUM is 1-0 while SMSU is 0-1.

The game will be televised live on Midco Sports Net, which is Channel 622 in HD. Check local listings for coverage in your area.  The contest would be broadcast online with Dragon broadcasters Steve d'Eustachio and Larry Scott on the call. Live video, stats and audio can be heard at msumdragons.com.  

An MSUM win over SMSU would…
—end a six-game losing streak to the Mustangs
—give MSUM six straight wins, dating back to the conclusion of 2016, tying the longest streak in the Steve Laqua era
—improve MSUM to 9-3 at home since the start of the 2015 season
—give MSUM its third straight win in its home opener

Series
MSUM and SMSU will meet for a 46th time with the Dragons leading the series 27-18. SMSU has won six meetings in a row, dating back to the 2008 season. MSUM's last win came in 2007 when the Dragons prevailed, 41-27 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.
 
Previous five meetings:
2009: SMSU 52, MSUM 10
2010: SMSU 49, MSUM 14
2011: SMSU 45, MSUM 13
2013: SMSU 27, MSUM 20
2015: SMSU 48, MSUM 9

The Head Coaches
Steve Laqua is in his seventh season as MSUM's head coach with a record of 25-42 at the school. Cory Sauter is in his eighth year as SMSU's head coach with a record of 34-45.

About MSUM
The Dragons opened the 2017 season with a 38-7 win over Augustana on Sept. 2 in Sioux Falls, S.D. It was MSUM's third straight season-opening win and just the second-ever win for the Dragons over Augustana in football.

Senior quarterback Demetrius Carr threw for 239 yards and two scores to guide the offense.

Senior receiver Damon Gibson had 12 catches for 91 yards and two scores. Senior receiver Hunter Braaten had nine catches for 70 yards. Senior running back Austin Stone and sophomore running back Denver Colgrove rushed for touchdowns while sophomore Jonathan Kabambi had 87 yards.

MSUM recorded 465 yards of total offense and ran 94 plays while holding Augustana to 127 total yards on 49 plays.

The defense dominance was a team effort with the leading tacklers being junior safety Aaron Doan and redshirt freshman defensive tackle Darin Gipson Jr. with six apiece. Sophomore defensive lineman Miles Baggett, senior linebacker Abe Roehrich and sophomore defensive lineman Matthew Domek each recorded a sack. Baggett forced a fumble while Roehrich ran a fumble back for a touchdown. Junior defensive back Michael Strand had five tackles.

About SMSU
The Mustangs opened the regular season with a 41-26 home loss to St. Cloud State on Sept. 1. SMSU led 26-17 at halftime but St. Cloud State outscored the Mustangs 24-0 in the second half to secure the road win.

Senior quarterback Blake Gimbel was 25-of-39 for 285 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for SMSU. Max Simmons rushed for 37 yards and a touchdown, while also catching seven passes for 71 yards. Nate Huot had six catches for 111 yards.

MSUM recorded 319 yards of total offense in the game.

The Mustang defense surrendered 421 yards to St. Cloud State. Linebacker Alex Ney had an outstanding game for SMSU with 20 tacles, including 11 solo stops.  Cornerback Hunter Cushman returned an interception for a touchdown.

More MSUM notes
Dragons Getting Votes
MSUM has never been ranked in the top 25 since moving to the NCAA Division II level. In the latest AFCA poll, however, MSUM received 11 points in the latest poll, the first time MSUM has received votes in the Steve Laqua coaching era.

Carr Closes In
Senior quarterback Demetrius Carr is closing in on two school records. Carr is second all-time in passing yards at MSUM at 6,068 yards, trailing only Jake Hodge in that category. Carr is also second all-time in total offense at 7,157 yards, trailing Hodge's 8,608. Carr threw for 2,710 yards last season, second-highest single season total in school history.

Defense Dominates
MSUM's defense played a strong all-around game in the win at Augustana. MSUM surrendered 127 yards of offense — fewest by any NSIC team in Week 1 — while allowing only seven points, second-lowest total in the Steve Laqua coaching era.  MSUM ranks first in the NSIC in total defense, tied for second in scoring defense and is second in sacks with five.  Five different Dragons had sacks in the win at Augie.

Gibson Starts Strong
After a record-setting 2016 campaign, senior receiver Damon Gibson started off the 2017 campaign strong. He caught 12 passes for 91 yards and two scores in the Dragons' 38-7 win at Augustana. Gibson was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week as a result. Gibson's 12 receptions lead the NSIC, and he has moved into fourth place on the all-time reception list at MSUM with 149.  He was named to the D2Football.com Preseason All-America First Team and was named to the College Football America 2017 Yearbook Division II Starting Lineup.

Kicking Things Off
Senior kicker Ruan Albuquerque got off to a strong start in his Dragon debut against Augustana. A transfer from Southern University, Albuquerque was a perfect 5-of-5 on extra points and connected with a 32-yard field goal in the game.

Roehrich's Return
Senior linebacker Abe Roehrich returned a fumble caused by teammate Miles Baggett 48 yards for a touchdown in the Dragons' win at Augustana. It was MSUM's first fumble return for a touchdown since 2007 when Jon Swart did so against SMSU.

Week 2 Under Laqua
MSUM is 1-5 in Week 2 games under Laqua.  In 2011, MSUM lost to Winona State, 48-10 and lost to Sioux Falls, 45-10 in 2012. In 2013, at Nemzek Stadium, in a game-long downpour, the Dragons lost to Southwest Minnesota State, 27-20. In 2014 MSUM lost to No. 4-ranked Minnesota State, 69-13 at home. MSUM got its first Week 2 win under Laqua with a thrilling 30-28 last-second win over Concordia-St. Paul in 2015. In 2016 MSUM lost at nationally-ranked Sioux Falls, 42-21.

Keeping it Local
MSUM has placed an emphasis on recruiting players from the Minnesota and North Dakota areas during Laqua's time as head coach, and this year's roster reflects that. Two-thirds of the 100-man roster is from Minnesota (42) an North Dakota (25). South Dakota is next with 10 players.