Football | 10/16/2019 1:17:00 PM

Live Video/Audio
Live Stats
Game notes (pdf)
The Minnesota State University Moorhead football team is back at Scheels Field this week when it hosts Augustana for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.

MSUM is 3-3 on the season while Augustana is 4-2.

You can find live stats, audio (with Dragon broadcasters Steve d'Eustachio and Donn Groth) and video on msumdragons.com. The game will also be televised live on WDAY'Z Xtra.

An MSUM win over Augustana would...
—give the Dragons their third straight win over the Vikings
--give MSUM a 2-2 mark at home
--give MSUM its first win over an NSIC South foe this season

Series History
MSUM and Augustana will meet for a sixth time with the Vikings holding a slim 3-2 lead in the series. The Dragons have won the last two games in the series, including a 38-7 win over the Vikings to open the 2017 season.

Previous five meetings:
2017: MSUM 38, Augustana 7 (in Sioux Falls)
2015: MSUM 35, Augustana 34 (in Moorhead)
2013: Augustana 41, MSUM 28 (in Sioux Falls)
2011: Augustana 35, MSUM 3 (in Sioux Falls)
2010: Augustana 47, MSUM 17 (in Moorhead)

The Head Coaches
Steve Laqua is in his ninth season as MSUM's head coach with a record of 40-55 at the school. Jerry Olsewski is in his seventh year as the Augustana head coach with a record of 42-33 at the school

About MSUM
MSUM fell to 3-3 with a 24-17 loss at Concordia-St. Paul on Oct. 12. The Dragons rallied with two fourth-quarter touchdowns but was unable to complete the comeback. Junior linebacker Matt Schoh had 10 tackles, an interception and forced fumble for MSUM while Ryan Harvey-Turner hauled in a touchdown reception.

Colgrove has rushed for 189 yards and six scores to lead the ground game. Plasterer has completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,067 yards, six scores and four interceptions.

Junior receiver Grady Bresnahan has caught 43 passes for 572 yards and four scores. Sophomore Trent Marquart has 23 catches for 217 yards and two scores.
As team, MSUM scores 29.7 points per game and records 313.5 yards per game of total offense.

On defense junior safety Shad Vedaa has 42 tackles and two forced fumbles.  Schoh has 36 tackles with an interception and a fumble. Junior defensive lineman Darius Woods-Steichen leads with 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
MSUM allows 28.2 points per game and 351.0 yards of total offense.

About Augustana
The Vikings are 4-2 overall after beating St. Cloud State, 16-13 in overtime last week. Luis Guarita kicked three field goals, including the 35-yard game winner, to give the Vikings the win.

Kyle Saddler has thrown for 1,186 yards and six scores and has been intercepted seven times. Rudolh Sinflorant has 286 rushing yards while Jarod Epperson has 258 and two scores.

Sean Engel has 22 catches for 252 yards for Augustana while Brett Shepley has three touchdowns to lead the receiving corps.

TJ Liggett has 49 tackles to lead the defense while Michael Kolza has 36. Eli Weber has three interceptions while Logan Swanson leads with 5.5 sacks.

More about the Dragons
Interceptions Up
Through six games, MSUM's defense has recorded seven interceptions. That number shows an improvement from 2018 when the team recorded six in 12 games. Freshman Parker Syverson and sophomore Deontre Wade lead the way for MSUM with two picks apiece. Syverson returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown in the first half of MSUM's 47-32 win over UMary on Sept. 28. That is the first time MSUM has returned an interception for a score since Sheldon Jones did so vs. Minnesota Crookston in 2012. Syverson finished with two interceptions in the game, becoming the first Dragon to have two in one game since Michael Strand did so against Augustana in 2015.

Grady's Grabs
Junior receiver Grady Bresnahan leads the NSIC at 7.2 receptions per game which is 10th-best in the nation. Bresnahan leads the Dragons with 43 catches for 572 yards and four scores.  Bresnahan also is 15th in the nation in receiving yards per game (95.3), which is second-best in the NSIC.

Week 7 Under Laqua
The Dragons are 2-6 in Week 7 games under Laqua. They lost to Bemidji State, 35-10 in 2011, beat Minnesota Crookston, 35-13 in 2012 and lost to Minnesota Crookston on the road, 20-14. In 2014, the Dragons fell to St. Cloud State, 55-27 and in 2015, lost to Bemidji State 42-28. MSUM's comeback was spoiled in a 41-38 loss to St. Cloud State in Moorhead in 2016, and in 2017, the Dragons were belted 31-7 by SCSU. The Dragons beat Wayne State 28-22 in overtime last season.

National Rankings
In addition to Bresnahan's receiving numbers, two Dragons are ranked in the top 30 nationally in the following categories:
--Carter Blackwell is ranked third in the national with two blocked punts
--Shad Vedaa is ranked tied for 21st with 0.33 fumbles per game
Team-wise, MSUM is ranked
--ninth nationally with four blocked kicks
--10th in fewest penalty yards per game (40.6)
---13th in the nation with fewest lost fumbles (two)
--24th in turnover margin (0.83)
--26th in passing offense (268.7) and completion percentage (60.9) and fewest turnovers lost (seven)

Home Grown
MSUM has placed an emphasis on recruiting local talent, and this year's roster has 39 players from Minnesota and 38 from North Dakota.