MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead football will travel to southeast Minnesota this weekend to take on the Warriors of Winona State in tough road test. The clash will kick off at 1 p.m. this weekend from Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium in Winona, Minn.

Live stats and video are available at msumdragons.com. Fans can also listen live on AM 1100/FM 92.3 with Jace Denman and 'Big Game' James McCarty on the call. 
 
Big Game Dragons

The Dragons (2-2, 2-1 NSIC), are coming off an exhilarating victory which saw them upset the 18th-ranked Vikings of Augustana in shootout fashion. Lots of Dragons stepped up to the challenge, but the hero of the day was freshman kicker Max Watson. He drilled a go-ahead field goal with 1:07 left on the clock in the fourth quarter that gave the Dragons the win. The Dragons couldn't be stopped on offense as junior quarterback Jack Strand was finding his receivers in stride on the regular. The Dragon defense also came up big in some huge in moments for the team. The game sealing interception from Cody Sorenson in the waning moments of the game capped the MSUM performance.

Oh How Sweep It Is

The Dragons swept NSIC Player of the Week awards for their heroic efforts in the upset over the Vikings. Max Watson won NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week for his effort in the Dragons victory. He made three field goals, all over 40 yards, including the game winner, and knocked through three extra point attempts as well.

Cody Sorenson had a game of a lifetime for his Dragons. He was flying all over the back end of that defense and snagged two interceptions for MSUM. One of which clinched the game with 15 seconds showing on the clock with the Vikings threatening in field goal range. As if that wasn't good enough, Sorenson also lead the team in tackles, tallying nine takedowns.

Jack Strand, not to be outdone, had another classic game for MSUM. Strand threw for 475 yards against the Vikings defense and completed 47 of 67 passing attempts with five passing touchdowns and one pick. Strand had a plethora of good throws last Saturday, but one of his prettiest throws came when he hit Carson Elbert on a back shoulder pass to the front right pylon that put the Dragons up 24-21 right before halftime. 

Elbert in Ernest

The junior wide receiver had himself a day last week as Elbert made his presence known to the Vikings defense making big catch after big catch. Elbert hauled in nine passes for a team leading 135 yards and a touchdown. He has emerged as yet another dangerous target for Jack Strand and this high-flying Dragon offense. Elbert has 18 catches this season for 240 yards and two touchdowns.

Wide Receivers, Wide Open

This Dragons receiving core had a great game last week by finding holes in the Viking zone defense, or beating their defender in man coverage. Junior wide receiver Brady Perryman dusted his man in the second quarter for a 31-yard touchdown strike. Sophomore standout wide receiver Madden Thorson hauled in two passes in the endzone for scores as well. Carson Elbert did his thing, and even though he didn't find the end zone, the ever-reliable Gage Florence led the team in receptions with 12 for 102 yards. The senior receiver Florence continues to lead the nation in receptions per game at the NCAA Division II level snagging 10.2 receptions each game.

Quick Draw

Just like a wild west duel, junior quarterback Jack Strand was throwing bullets on target all game last week. With the help of last week's performance Jack Strand leads the nation at the NCAA Division II level in completions per game with 36.75 completions per game. Strand is second in the nation in passing yards per game, throwing for an insane average of 374 yards per contest. Jack Strand added his name to the Dragon record books once again last week as he broke the MSUM all-time passing yards record in just his 24^th game for the Dragons.

Turnover Battle

The Dragons won the turnover battle for the first time this year last week. This was one of the biggest factors in why MSUM pulled off the upset. The defense was led by Cody Sorenson's two picks and stepped up when they were called on and got the ball back in Jack Strand's hands. Jack Bungarden also had a huge interception in a critical moment with four minutes left when the Vikings could've run out the clock to win the game. The Dragons will look to make this a trend against the Warriors this Saturday.

Statistical Spotlight

The Dragons have been solid on third down on both sides of the ball to start the season. On offense, MSUM is 26 of 64 for a 40.6 percent third down conversion rate. On the flip side of the ball, the Dragon defense has held opponents to a 35.1 percent third down conversion rate.

Top Dragons

• Jack Strand: 1497 passing yards, 147 completions on 249 attempts, 12 touchdowns
• Gage Florence: 41 receptions, 378 yards, 94.5 yards per game
• Brady Perryman: five touchdowns, 22 receptions, 311 yards, 14.1 yards per catch
• Josiah Behm: 27 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup
• Cody Sorenson: 23 tackles, two interceptions, one tackle for loss
• Justice Noel: two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries

The Dragons are led by 14^th year head coach Steve Laqua.
 
Scouting Winona State

The Warriors (1-3, 1-2 NSIC), dropped last week's game to Northern State, 30-24. They fell behind 17-7 at halftime and couldn't quite find a way to complete the comeback even after drawing within six in the fourth quarter. The Warriors lone conference win came against Concordia,St Paul in a 31-14 victory three weeks ago. 

Winona State has scored on average 22.5 points per game while their defense allows 27.5 points per game to opponents. The Warriors have a decent ground attack that ranks ninth in the conference at 130.5 yards per game. Their passing attack is where they do most of their damage, however. The Warriors are fourth in the NSIC in pass yards per game (242.5). They average 8.6 yards per attempt, while their defense holds opponents to seven yards per attempt through the air.

A player to watch for the Warriors is senior wide receiver Sylvere Campell. He has been quarterback Cole Stenstrom's favorite target so far this season making 19 catches for 378 yards for a very dangerous 19.9 yards per catch. He has also hauled in one touchdown.

The Warriors are guided by third-year head coach Brian Bergstrom. 
 
Last Time Around

In their matchup in the 2023 football season, the Dragons got the better of the Warriors in a close 20-17 defensive battle. The Dragons got out to an early 13-3 lead and never relinquished it, although the Warriors made it close in the second half. No one found the endzone in the fourth quarter as the Dragons defense was stifling and led the team to victory. Heading into this weekend, MSUM has not won in Winona since November 4, 1995. 
 
Series History
2023: 20-17 W (In Moorhead)
2022: 7-40 L (In Winona)
2021: 13-27 L (In Moorhead)
2019: 26-28 L (In Moorhead)
2017: 14-42 L (In Winona)