MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead Dragon football will hope to secure their fourth victory of the year on Homecoming in front of their home crowd. The Dragons will take on the Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls in a battle that will kick off Saturday at noon. The game will take place at SCHEELS Field at Nemzek Stadium in Moorhead, Minn.

Live stats and video are available at msumdragons.com
 
About the Dragons

The Dragons (3-3, 2-3 NSIC), came ever so close to pulling off a huge upset against NSIC heavyweight Minnesota State, Mankato. The Dragons came up just short with a last second Maverick field goal giving the Dragons a 24-21 loss. The Dragons offense had an A+ first half, putting up 21 points on the vaunted Mavericks defense. The Mavericks scored a touchdown seconds before halftime, which tied the game at 21-21. This touchdown ended up being key, as it was the last touchdown of the game. The Dragon offense had a tough time moving the ball in the second half as the Maverick defense made good halftime adjustments. The Dragon defense buckled down to give their offense the best chance to win the game, but it wasn't quite enough to pull off the upset.

On the offensive side against the Mavericks great defense, the Dragons leaned entirely on the arm of sophomore quarterback Jack Strand. Even against a top tier defense, Strand still had good performance, especially in the first half. Strand threw for 384 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions on the day. He completed 37-of-66 passing attempts for a completion percentage of 56 percent. All of this up against what was the number one ranked passing defense in the NSIC before last Saturday's matchup. Past the halfway point in the season, Strand's numbers are off the charts. Completing 217-of-326 attempts for 2235 yards, 22 touchdowns, all while protecting the ball and only throwing four interceptions. He leads the conference in most of these categories, as well as his mark of throwing for 372.5 yards per game.

The receiving corps was great against the Mavericks, with redshirt sophomore receiver Gage Florence having a spectacular day. Florence hauled in 14 receptions, good for 152 yards and a touchdown. Florence now leads the team in both number of catches and receiving yards on the season. Redshirt freshman receiver Madden Thorson was featured quite heavily against Minnesota State. Thorson had his best game of the season, making nine grabs for 111 yards, and finding the end zone twice. On the season, a couple of other impact receivers for the Dragons have been redshirt sophomore receiver Carter Birrenkott, and sophomore receiver Brady Perryman. Birrenkott leads the Dragons in yards per catch, averaging 17.7 yards each time he touches the ball. He has totaled 30 catches for 531 yards and six touchdown grabs. Perryman has been a nice option for Strand as well, making 34 catches on the year for just under 400 yards, and five of his catches have gone for touchdowns.

The running backs had a quiet day against the Mavericks, but they have been solid so far on the year. Junior running back Luke Imdieke leads the Dragons in this department, carrying the ball 26 times for 153 yards. He is also a threat out of the backfield, making 42 catches for 242 yards and a touchdown. Senior running back Tyson Powell has been a nice complement to Imdieke, running it 20 times for 115 yards and three scores. The Dragons average 54.2 yards per game on the ground.

The Dragon defense stepped up to the challenge against MSU Mankato. The Mavericks have one of the most potent offenses in the NSIC, boasting the number one rushing attack in the conference that averages 264.3 yards per game on the ground. The Dragons held them to 159 on the day, and held the leading rushing in the NSIC, Shen Butler Lawson Jr., to only 3.1 yards per carry. 

Junior linebacker Josiah Behm had a career day, tallying 14 tackles, three of which being in the backfield for tackles for loss. Behm now leads the Dragons in tackles for the year with 45 total takedowns. Junior linebacker Jack Bungarden had himself a day as well, making eight tackles, making two fumble recoveries and breaking up two passes as well. 

Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Abe Hestdalen made five tackles on the day, and made a big play by forcing a fumble. Junior defensive lineman Denver Sheets also forced a fumble, and had a tackle for loss. Senior defensive back Jared Kallenbach leads the Dragons in pass breakups on the year, knocking down five opponent passes. He also has one interception and has tallied 38 tackles on the season. 

The Dragon defense ranks fourth in the NSIC in yards allowed per game. They hold their opponents to an average of 4.8 yards per play, which ranks second best in the conference.

The Dragons are coached by 13^th year man Steve Laqua.
 
Scouting the University of Sioux Falls

The Cougars (3-3, 3-3 NSIC), have had a solid first six weeks of the year. A strong fourth quarter in their last game gave them a 35-28 road victory against Concordia, St Paul. Sophomore quarterback Camden Dean had a decent outing, completing 16-of-26 passes for 230 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Dean is also a threat to use his legs on any play, as he showcased last week rushing for 73 yards on 10 attempts. On the year, Dean is 90-of-127 through the air for 998 yards and six touchdowns. He ranks number one in the NSIC in completion percentage, completing 70.9 percent of his passes. On the ground in 56 attempts, he has rushed for 395 yards and five touchdowns.

Dean's favorite targets through the air this season have been redshirt junior receiver Carter Slykhuis, and junior tight end Mark Leonard. On the season, Slykhuis has reeled in 42 passes for 465 yards and three touchdowns. He had one touchdown grab last week against Concordia, St Paul to go along with his 11 catches and 134 yards. Leonard has been a favorite for Dean from his tight end spot. Catching 20 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown through the six games this season. His first touchdown catch of the year came last week against Concordia, St Paul. The Cougar passing offense ranks eighth in the NSIC in yards per game, throwing for an average of 212 yards per game.

The rushing game is the Cougars' strength on offense. They rank fifth in the conference in rush yards per game, going for 176 yards per game on the ground. Their leading rusher is redshirt junior Dylan Rudningen. He as gotten the ball on the ground 81 times this season, rushing for 501 yards and six touchdowns. On average, Rudningen goes for six yards each time he touches the ball. Last week against the Golden Bears, he carried the ball 17 times for 89 yards. Redshirt sophomore Matt Grzybowski is a nice change of pace, going for 218 yards and three touchdowns on 51 attempts this season.

The Cougars have a defense that ranks 12^th in the NSIC in yards allowed per game, giving up 420 yards per game, and an average of seven yards per play. They are better against the pass than against the run, ranking 12^th against the run versus eighth against the pass. Their leading tackler this year is redshirt sophomore defensive back Eli Schlangen who has tallied 36 tackles on the season. Redshirt freshman defensive back Garret Hoffman has a team-best two pass breakups to go along with 20 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Redshirt junior defensive back Conor Aldrich has snagged two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and 15 total tackles. On the defensive line, grad student Amaurii Grosskopf is someone to watch out for. He's got five takedowns in the backfield, 18 tackles, and one sack. Redshirt freshman linebacker Matt Goehring leads that level of the defense with 31 tackles, two of which being for loss. He is also a good pass defender as he adds an interception and a pass breakup to the mix. Sioux Falls ranks last in the NSIC with two sacks on the year coming into this week.

The Cougars are coached by first-year man Jim Glogowski.
 
More About the Dragons

Pass the Pigskin or Run the Rock?

The Dragons continue to be the best passing offense in the NSIC, passing for 381 yards per game. Will the Dragons continue to lean on Jack Strand and their dominant passing game? Or will they lean more into the run this week, as they go up against Sioux Falls who has the 12^th ranked rush defense in the NSIC. The Dragons haven't opted to rush the ball often this season, but when they have it's been quite efficient. Luke Imdieke averages 5.7 yards per rush and Tyson Powell averages 5.8 yards per rush. Only time will tell what will happen on the offensive side of the ball for the Dragons this week.

Key to Victory

The Dragons did their best to contain the conference's best rushing attack last week, and they did a very admirable job. This week they face another challenging rushing attack from the Cougars as they run the quarterback almost as much as their running backs. If the Dragons want to have a very good chance at winning this matchup, being able to make the Cougars one dimensional will be key. Bottling up the running game from Rudningen and Dean will be one of the key battles to watch in this one. Josiah Behm and Jack Bungarden will surely be hoping to live in the Cougar backfield on Saturday.

Series History

In the season opener last season, the Cougars took the game in a close battle that got away from the Dragons late in the game, and Sioux Falls took a 27-14 victory. The Dragons will be hoping to get some revenge this time around. The Dragons will be trying to break a five-game losing streak they have to the Cougars when Saturday rolls around.

Last five matchups:
2022 – 27-14 L (In Moorhead)
2018 – 55-21 L (In Moorhead)
2016 – 42-21 L (In Sioux Falls)
2014 – 73-21 L (In Moorhead)
2012 – 45-10 L (In Sioux Falls)