MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead football will aim to extend their winning streak to a season-best three games this Saturday. The Dragons will take a road trip up to Minot to take on the hard-nosed Beavers of Minot State in a showdown that kicks off on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Live stats and video are available at msumdragons.com. Fans can also listen to the game on AM 1100/FM 92.3 with 'Big Game' James McCarty on the call.
 
The Rundown

The Dragons (4-4, 4-3 NSIC), now have a winning record in conference play and they will look to keep it that way this weekend, as well as extend their winning streak to three games. Last weekend the Dragons took care of business against Southwest Minnesota State at home in a 38-6 contest that the Dragons controlled from the jump. The Dragons currently sit right in the middle of the NSIC conference standings, tied for sixth place out of 13 teams.

The Dragons are led by 14th-year head coach Steve Laqua.

Series History

The Dragons have bested the Beavers 10 times in a row, dating back to 2013 when the Dragons won a 31-30 barnburner in Minot. Last time around the Dragons won in dominating fashion (56-14) in Moorhead led by a 300-yard, five touchdown and no interception effort from Jack Strand. The Dragons also had one of their better games on the ground last year, rushing for a total 101 yards. Brady Perryman had a classic BP game, snagging two touchdown catches to go along with 54 yards on the day. The Dragons got out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter and never took their foot off the gas for the 56-14 victory.

Recent Showdowns

2023: 56-14 W (In Moorhead)
2022: 36-14 W (In Moorhead)
2021: 29-17 W (In Minot)
2019: 49-20 W (In Minot)
2018: 51-26 W (In Moorhead)

Dragon Defensive Denial

MSUM's defensive line was causing havoc all game last weekend. They made it a very long afternoon for the Mustang quarterbacks, taking them down in the backfield a total of nine times. No one player on the Dragons had more than one sack, but 10 Dragons were in on at least half of a sack. Senior defensive end Denver Sheets grabbed one of those sacks, and also had six total takedowns for the Dragons. Junior defensive lineman Andrew Spandiary also got in on the defensive party, tallying a sack of his own as well as four total tackles on the day.

Sorenson Soaring

With time winding down at the end of the first half and the Mustangs driving, Cody Sorenson came flying in and stepped in front of a pass at the eight-yard line, picking it off. He wasn't content with just the interception, however, and he took it up the left sideline cutting it back at the midfield stripe, evading tackle attempts. Sorenson won the footrace to the endzone, scoring a touchdown for the defensive side of the ball. Sorenson also added a blocked punt during the game, making two of the biggest plays of the game in the dominant win.

I'll Have the SPECIAL Please, With a Side of Blocked Kicks

The Dragons had more than one special play last weekend, with special teams having a massive impact on the game. The aforementioned Cody Sorenson blocked punt play flipped the field for the Dragons in the second quarter. Another big impact play was when Mustangs attempted a field goal in the first quarter that would have brought the score to 7-3. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, sophomore defensive lineman Ashton Sayre had other ideas though. He got his hands up and blocked the field goal attempt, keeping the shutout in order for the Dragons.

Scouting Minot State

The Beavers (4-5, 3-5 NSIC), started the season off hot but have since gone on a four-game skid coming into this week's game against the Dragons. Last week they battled against a tough Minnesota Duluth team, but came away on the short end of the stick with a 35-21 defeat. In that game the Beavers only completed four passes, but one of them went for an explosive 77-yard touchdown. They ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns in the game as well.

The Beavers run the triple option on offense, which helps them rank first in the NSIC in rush yards per game, rushing for 217 yards each game on average. Their potent running game also helps the defense, where they rank in the middle of the pack (seventh) in the NSIC in total yardage allowed per game with 339 yards. Yards per play allowed isn't as good, ranking fourth-worst in the NSIC allowing 5.8 yards per play. A player to watch out for on the Beavers is junior quarterback Carson Chrisman. Chrisman is more of a threat in the ground game with his legs than through the air. He has rushed for 438 yards on 108 attempts for an average of 4.1 yards per play. He leads the Beavers in touchdowns scored, totaling nine on the season.

The Beavers are led by second year head coach Ian Shields.