Football | 9/15/2021 4:09:00 PM
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The Minnesota State University Moorhead football team looks to bounce back from its first loss of 2021 when it plays at Augustana this Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m. at Kirkeby-Over Stadium in Sioux Falls.
MSUM is 1-1 on the season while Augustana, which is receiving votes in the latest NFCA D2 poll, is 2-0.
Live stats and video are available at msumdragons.com
An MSUM win over Augustana would...
—give the Dragons their third win in seven tries against the Vikings
--their fifth straight win on the road, dating back to 2019
--give the Dragons their third straight 2-1 start.
Series History
Augustana and MSUM will meet for a seventh time with the Vikings leading the all-time series 4-2. Augustana won the last meeting, 48-3 in 2019 in Moorhead.Â
Previous meetings:
2019: Augustana 48, MSU Moorhead 3 in Moorhead
2017: MSUM 38, Augustana 7 (in Sioux Falls)
2015: MSUM 35, Augustana 34 (in Moorhead)Â
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 44-58 at the school. Jerry Olszewski is 49-34 in his eighth full season as Augustana's head coach.
About MSUM
MSUM fell to 1-1 on the year with a 27-13 home loss to Winona State on Saturday at Scheels Field at Nemzek Stadium. Freshman quarterback Tommy Falk completed 37-of-59 passes for 393 yards and two scores; he set a single game record with 59 pass attempts. Grady Bresnahan and Ryan Bieberdorf each surpassed 100 receiving yards in the game.
Falk has completed 56-of-80 passes for 678 yards and five touchdowns on the season. Freshman running back Luke Imdieke has 80 rushing yards to lead the ground game.Â
Bresnahan has 20 catches for 247 yards and three scores while Ryan Bieberdorf has 17 catches for 259 yards and a score. The Dragons are averaging 23 points per game and 406.5 yards per game of total offense.Â
On defense, sophomore safety Jared Kallenbach has 18 tackles and an interception while senior Shad Vedaa has 17 tackles. Denver Sheets and Derek Porozinski have sacks.
The Dragons allow 24 points per game and 320.5 yards per game of total offense.
About Augustana
The Vikings are off to a 2-0 start with dominant wins over Minot State (49-0) and UMary (43-20). In the win over UMary, Jarod Epperson ran for 127 yards and two scores, while Kyle Saddler had 188 passing yards and a score.
Augustana averages 46 points per game along with 488 yards per game of total offense. Epperson has rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns.
Saddler has completed 33-of-59 for 489 yards and four scores. Sean Engel has eight catches for 164 yards and a score.Â
The Vikings allow 10 points per game and allow 265 yards per game of total offense. Peyton Buckley has 12 tackles to lead the team while TJ Liggett has 11.Â
More about the Dragons
Well Received
The MSUM receiving tandem of Grady Bresnahan and Ryan Bieberdorf is off to a great start in 2021. The two have combined for 37 catches for 506 yards and four touchdowns through two games. Bieberdorf is fifth in the nation with 259 receiing yards and ninth at 8.5 receptions per game. Bresnahan is fifth in receptions per game nationally (10.0) and eighth in receiving yards (247). Bresnahan is now third all-time in receptions at MSUM with 193 and trails all-time leader Jabari Taylor by 21 heading into this week's game.Â
Take Your Pick
MSUM has intercepted four passes through two games which is sixth-best in all of Division II.Â
Sophomore Jared Kallenbach, sophomore Jake Bettcher and senior Darius Woods-Steichen each recorded interceptions in the win over SMSU in Week 1, and freshman Cody Sorenson had an interception against Winona State.
Tommy's On Target
Freshman quarterback Tommy Falk has only made two collegiate starts but looks like a seasoned veteran. He is fourth in the nation in completions per game (28), seventh in completion percentage (70.0), six in passing yards (678), eighth in passing yards per game (339.0) and 19th in total offense (317.0).
Week 3 Under Laqua
MSUM is 5-4 in the Laqua era during Week 3 games including a 24-17 win over Northern State in 2019. The Dragons saw a Week 3 three-game winning streak end at Winona State in 2017, 42-14. The previous streak included a 23-21 win over Upper Iowa in 2016; a 35-34 win over Augustana in 2015. In 2014, the Dragons held off 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.
