MOORHEAD, Minn. - MSU Moorhead football looks to burst back onto the college football gridiron with a bang this week as they take on a tough Wayne State Wildcats team in the opening week of the 2024 football season. The season kicks off on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. at SCHEELS field at Nemzek Stadium.

Live stats and video are available at msumdragons.com

New Puzzle

A new season for the Dragons brings winds of change for the MSU Moorhead gridiron warriors. However, there are some familiar shining stars from last year's squad that have returned in hopes of leading the Dragons through a tough Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule. New players, as well as returning pieces, is the puzzle that Dragon head coach Steve Laqua will be tasked with fitting together. Laqua begins his 14th season as head coach of MSUM on Thursday. 

Keep Building

Laqua's squad last year had a successful season, where he saw his team improve to a 7-4 record in 2023 from a 4-7 record in 2022. Last year's identity was centered around an explosive passing attack, as well as a very solid defense. 

The Dragon offense was ranked third overall in the Northern Sun in scoring (33.3 PPG), as well as total yardage gained per game (407.3). MSUM was slinging the rock all over the field last year, as they ranked first in the NSIC with 360.5 yards per game through the air. During critical downs they were spectacular, with a 44.1 percent conversion mark on third downs, which once again ranked third in the NSIC.

On the defensive side of the ball, MSUM finished fourth in the conference in points allowed per game with 22.8, a big improvement over the 2022 season when they allowed 28.9 points per game. They were fantastic in yards allowed per play with 4.9, only 0.2 yards behind Bemidji State, who was first in that category. They also forced turnovers on the regular as they finished second in the NSIC in turnovers forced with 25 total, tallying 17 interceptions and eight forced fumbles last season.
This season the Dragons were picked to finish in sixth place in the NSIC preseason poll. 

Bring on the Dragons

The 2024 Dragons are comprised of new and returning players, so let's go by position to meet the projected starters for the Dragons.

Quarterback: Jack Strand, Junior

The junior quarterback is returning this year looking to pick up right where he left off last season. Strand was incredible last year, putting up insane numbers all while leading the Dragons to a winning record. Strand finished the season second in the nation among NCAA Division II quarterbacks in passing yards per game with a mind-boggling 355.8 yards each time he stepped on the field. These achievements helped Strand land on D2Football.com's Elite 100 Watch List honorable mention this season. He was also named the NSIC's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

Running Back: Luke Imdieke, Senior

Luke Imdieke returns for his senior season in the Dragon backfield. He is a versatile weapon out of the backfield running the ball as well as receiving. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry on the ground and over 30 yards receiving per game last season.

Wide Receiver: Gage Florence, Junior, Brady Perryman, Junior, Carter Birrenkott, Junior

The band is back together this season as Jack Strand's top four receivers are back. Gage Florence led the wide receiver corps last season, setting the single-season record for catches with 108. Florence also led the nation at the NCAA Division II level last season with 9.8 receptions per game. These marks were good enough to get him on the D2Football.com's Elite 100 Watch List as well. Brady Perryman is someone to look out for this year as he made 53 catches for 644 yards and eight touchdowns last year. Carter Birrenkott missed some time last year, but he still put up crazy numbers in the yards per catch department with 18.5 yards per catch. Madden Thorson is also a big threat for this offense, he tallied the second most catches among Dragons last year with 58 receptions.

Tight End: JD Czech, Graduate 

Czech spent the last three season at NCAA Division I school Southern Illinois. He tallied action in all three seasons with the Salukis. The Dragons will count on him to help contribute to their high-powered offensive attack.

Offensive Line (left to right): Brady Olson, Sophomore, Brennan Sellheim, Sophomore, Nick Haugrud, Sophomore, Tyler Martin, Senior, Brooks O'Brien, Junior

The Dragons have gotten more experienced along the offensive line this season. They will look to improve this year to give Strand and company more time to dissect the defense downfield. In the redzone, the offensive line really excels as they helped the Dragons to put up the most touchdowns in the NSIC from inside the redzone last season.

Defensive Line: Denver Sheets, Senior, Andrew Spandiary, Junior, Ashton Sayre, Sophomore, Justice Noel, Senior

The defensive line returns a lot of talent this year with Denver Sheets and Justice Noel entering their senior seasons. Sheets tallied 25 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season. Noel made 43 tackles and two sacks last year. Veterans Jacob Brosius and Alec White also return to help bolster an already tough Dragon front. 

Linebacker: Josiah Behm, Senior, Jack Bungarden, Senior, Tate Gustafson, Junior

Linebacker is one of the most experienced positions for the Dragons. They return all three starters from last season, all of whom recorded at least 70 tackles. Behm led the trio with 94 tackles, which also led the NSIC. Behm was also named as one of the Dragons preseason 'players to watch'. Bungarden led the team in tackles for loss, recording 9.5 over all 11 games last season. Gustafson snagged the most interceptions in the linebacker room with two.

Defensive Back: McKale Pierson, Junior, Gavin Jarchow, Sophomore, Cody Sorenson, Senior, Cyrinus George, Junior 

Manning the defensive backfield for the Dragons are some talented players who will be flying around and making plays all season. Pierson tallied 43 tackles, one interception, and eight pass breakups last season. Jarchow played in all 11 games and made eight tackles, primarily on special teams. Sorenson played in four games and made 19 tackles before falling victim to injury. George played in all 11 games and made 10 tackles.

Place Kicker and Punter: Max Watson, Freshman
Long Snapper: Micah Herbel, Junior
 
About the Wildcats

The Wildcats (8-3), had a great season in 2023 finishing fifth in the NSIC. They had a potent offense that ranked fifth in the conference in scoring with 32.3 points per game. Their defense was also fifth in points allowed, only allowing 23 points per game last season. 

An offensive player to watch out for on the Wildcats is returning sophomore running back Latravious Boyd. He led the team in rushing last year, gaining 753 yards on 101 attempts for an average of 7.1 yards per carry. The Dragons will try to limit his impact on the game, and prevent any big chunk plays from the Wildcats offense. In Wayne State's season-opening win over Missouri S&T last Thursday, Boyd'd box score featured a 95-yard touchdown run. In total, the Wildcats rushed for 255 yards on the ground in under 20 minutes of possession time. Wayne State defeated Missouri S&T, 49-17. 

Defensively the Wildcats preseason player to watch is senior linebacker Dexter Larsen. He is the leader in the middle of the Wildcat defense, tallying 91 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss last year. He also has a knack for turning the offense over, forcing two fumbles last season.

The Wildcats are coached by third-year man Logan Masters.
 
Last Time Around…

Last year the Dragons opened up their season with a road trip to Wayne, and the end result was not exactly what the Dragons wanted. The Dragons put on an offensive showcase, with Jack Strand completing 42 passes for 351 yards, 15 of which to Gage Florence for 90 yards and a touchdown. However it wasn't quite enough as the Dragons missed some key opportunities in the game and the Wildcats hung on to win 31-23 over the Dragons. The Dragons will be hoping for some revenge this season, with the Wildcats traveling to Moorhead this time around.

Matchup History

2023 – 23-31 L (In Wayne)
2022 – 7-10 L (In Wayne)
2021 – 21-24 L (In Moorhead)
2018 – 28-22 W (In Wayne)
2016 – 41-24 W (In Moorhead)