Football | 9/11/2019 1:52:00 PM

Game Notes
Live Stats
Live Audio/Video
The Minnesota State University Moorhead makes its 2019 home debut on Saturday when the Dragons host No. 13 Minnesota Duluth. Game time is 6 p.m. at Scheels Field at Nemzek Stadium.

Both teams are 1-0 on the season.

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 Minnesota Duluth would...
—give the Dragons their first 2-0 start since 2015
—give the Dragons their first win over UMD since 1999
—give the Dragons their first win over a ranked opponent in the Steve Laqua era.

Series History
MSUM and UMD will meet for a 61st time with the Bulldogs leading the series 36-20-4. The Bulldogs have won 17 straight meetings dating back to 2000.

Previous five meetings:
2018: UMD 60, MSUM 7 (in Duluth)
2017: UMD 23, MSUM 14 (in Moorhead)
2016: UMD 42, MSUM 34 (in Duluth)
2015: UMD 47, MSUM 14 (in Moorhead)
2014: UMD 63, MSUM 28 (in Duluth)
MSUM's last win was in 1999 when the Dragons prevailed 20-14.

The Head Coaches
Steve Laqua is in his ninth season as MSUM's head coach with a record of 38-52 at the school. Curt Wiese is in his seventh season as UMD's head coach with a record of 64-12.

About MSUM
MSUM opened with a 44-20 win over Minnesota Crookston on Sept. 5. It was the fifth straight year MSUM has won its season opener.

The Dragons led 21-6 at halftime and outscored the Golden Eagles 23-14 in the second half. MSUM outgained the Golden Eagles 352-271. The difference was MSUM forced three turnovers which led to 21 points.

Junior quarterback Jakup Sinani threw for 255 yards and two scores while rushing for a touchdown. Junior running back Denver Colgrove rushed for 56 yards and a score. Junior running back Ty Jochim rushed of a touchdown while senior Herman Gray and sophomore Trent Marquart each caught touchdowns.

MSUM finished 8-4 last season and qualified for the Mineral Water Bowl for the first time in school history. The Dragons finished 8-3 in NSIC play and in a tie for third. The eight wins were the most for the program since 1991.

On defense senior linebacker Carson Zarak, junior safety Shad Vedaa and junior defensive lineman Hunter Sall each had six tackles. Zarak returned a fumble for a touchdown. Junior defensive lineman Darius Woods-Steichen had two sacks while junior linebacker Matt Schoh had a fumble recovery. Sophomore Deontre Wade had an interception while senior cornerback Deiondre Taylor had two pass breakups.

About Minnesota Duluth
The Bulldogs opened the season with a dominant performance in a 52-7 win over Minot State on Sept. 5.  UMD outgained the Beavers 552-161, including 304-43 through the air.

Junior quarterback John Larson threw for 279 yards and three scores in the win. Quincy Woods had five catches for 123 yards and two scores while Wade Sullivan rushed for 85 yards and two scores.

Brad Dati led the defense with eight tackles while Nate Pearson had six. Austin Kurylo and Eric Schmitz had interceptions. The Bulldogs did not allow a defensive touchdown in the opener as Minot's only points came via a kick return.

More about the Dragons
Defense Scores
Senior linebacker Carson Zarak returned a fumble 42 yards for a touchdown early in the win over UMC. It was his first collegiate touchdown, and it was the first Dragon defensive touchdown since Abe Roehrich returned a fumble for a score against Augustana in Week 1 of 2017.

Well Received
Junior receiver Grady Bresnahan leads the NSIC with 10 receptions after the opening win at UMC. Bresnahan had 80 receptions a year ago to lead the Dragons.

Home Grown
A total of 78 players on MSUM's roster are from Minnesota and North Dakota as the Dragon coaching staff continues to emphasize recruiting locally, with 39 players from each state.

Week 2 Under Laqua
MSUM is 1-7 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. In 2017 it was a 51-35 home loss to SMSU and last year it was a 60-7 road loss at UMD.

Ochsendorf Shines
Sophomore punter Blake Ochsendorf had a big day in MSUM's opening win.  He averaged 47.0 yards per punt on five punts with two being placed inside the 20-yard line. Ochsendorf's 47.0 average leads the NSIC.

All-NSIC North Returners
MSUM juniors Jake Richter (wide receiver) and Darius Woods-Steichen (defensive line) were named All-NSIC North Division First Team selections in 2018.Richter had a big season for the Dragons, catching 64 passes for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns.  Woods-Steichen also picked up his first All-NSIC honor after recording a team-best 8.5 sacks this season.

Senior offensive lineman Nathan Belisle and junior receiver Grady Bresnahan were named to the All-NSIC North Division Second Team selections. Senior defensive lineman Matthew Domek (40 tackles, 3.5 sacks) and senior  cornerback Deiondre Taylor (three interceptions, 62 tackles) were honorable mention selections.

MSUM head coach Steve Laqua was named the NSIC Coach of the Year.

All 3 Traveling Trophies at MSUM
For the fourth time in six years, the MSUM football team has the Axe trophy in its possession after the Dragons beat Bemidji State, 31-26 on Nov. 3. MSUM now has all three traveling trophies in its possession — the Axe, the Paddle (with UMary) and the State Farm Traveling Trophy (with Minnesota Crookston) — for the second time, the first coming in 2016. MSUM kept the State Farm trophy with the opening win over UMC.