MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Minnesota State Moorhead football will look to get back on the right side of the win column this week in the annual Homecoming game. The Dragons play host to Minot State on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for noon.
Live stats and video will be available msumdragons.com. Fans can also listen to the game live on AM 1100/FM 92.3 with 'Big Game' James McCarty and Jace Denman on the call.
Matchup History...The Dragons will put an 11-game win streak against the Beavers on the line for Homecoming Saturday. Minot State came close to snapping the skid last season in Minot before the Dragons mounted a furious second-half comeback. MSUM would trail by 10 points midway through the final frame before
Jack Strand scampered for a 13-yard rushing score. Strand would link up with
Brady Perryman with just under three minutes to go to give the Dragons a 42-38 advantage. Moorhead's defense would seal the victory as
Jack Johnson would break up a Beaver pass to turn the ball over on downs with 35 seconds remaining. Minot State last defeated the Dragons on October 27, 2012.
Homecoming History...In
Steve Laqua's tenure as head coach, the Dragons hold a 4-9 overall record in Homecoming games. Laqua earned a victory in his first-ever Homecoming game in Moorhead, besting Minnesota Crookston 29-22 on September 24, 2011. MSUM enters Saturday's game having won two of their last three Homecoming dates, which includes victories over Minot State (10/8/22) and Sioux Falls (10/14/23).
More Records Set...Senior
Jack Strand continues to move up the NSIC's all-time list in a variety of categories. Strand moved his league total to 10,246 passing yards, which is now fifth all-time in NSIC history. The Bloomer, Wis., native is third all-time in league history in touchdowns passes after throwing his 90th NSIC touchdown last weekend. Strand reset the Northern Sun record for pass completions last Saturday against Minnesota Duluth, moving his career total to 982 in league games.
The 300 Club: Party of One...Against Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, senior wide receiver
Gage Florence tallied 11 more receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown. The performance moves Florence to 307 receptions in NSIC games, making him the first player in league history to rack up over 300 or more catches. Florence's overall career total sits at 345, which is 41 receptions shy of tying the NCAA Division II all-time record.
Getting Home...The Dragon defense was particularly pesky last Saturday against the 16th-ranked Bulldogs.
Denver Piechowski,
Ashton Sayre and
Devin Beach all registered sacks, totaling 11 lost yards for UMD. In total, Moorhead had eight tackles for loss in the game, equaling 19 lost yards. Seven different Dragons logged tackles for loss in the contest.
Consider Yourself Pinned...True freshman punter
Tristan Ulmer has flown under the radar all season for MSUM, but continues to be one of the NSIC's most effective in the discipline. Ulmer pinned Minnesota Duluth inside their own 20-yard line twice last Saturday and has eight punts inside the 20 so far this season (out of 16 total punts). The mark is tied for the second-most in the Northern Sun.
How 'Bout That Dragon D...Through five games this season, MSUM has allowed the third-fewest yards per game to opponents (321.2) in the Northern Sun. The Dragon defense has allowed just 4.6 yards per play to opposing offenses, which is the second-lowest mark in the conference.
Steve Laqua is in his 15th season as MSUM's head football coach.
Scouting The Opposition
Minot State
2025 Record: 1-4 (1-3 NSIC)
2024 Record: 5-6 (4-6 NSIC)
Head Coach: Ian Shields (3rd Season)
Top Beavers
Offense: Evan Lovett, B-Back (86 carries, 370 rush yards, five touchdowns)
Defense: Brayan Augustin, CB (28 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery)
Special Teams: Logan Matthews, P (14 punts, 44.1 YPP, five inside 20, 71-yard long)
