GAME NOTES   LIVE STATS   LIVE AUDIO   LIVE STATS

SATURDAY
It's the "Battle of the Big Lake" when the University of Mary hosts in-state rival Minot State University for Homecoming 2013, the first time MSU has played in Bismarck since 2004. The first Northern Sun North Division contest for either team this season is set for 2:30 PM at the MDU Resources Bowl in Bismarck, ND, on Saturday, October 5.

THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 2-2 overall and 2-2 in the Northern Sun... The Beavers are 1-3 overall and 1-3 in the Northern Sun. This is the first divisional game for both teams.

LAST TIME OUT
Playing in the wind and rain at Fayette, IA, U-Mary suffered a 36-7 loss to Upper Iowa University. It is the first time the Marauders have lost to the Peacocks...   Minot State lost 49-14 at home to Winona State University.

LAST YEAR
U-Mary finished 4-7 overall in the NSIC and 1-6 in the NSIC North… Minot State finished 3-8 overall, 3-8 in the NSIC (12th overall) and 3-4 in the NSIC North Division (5th).

HEAD COACHES
U-Mary's all-time winningest head coach, Myron Schulz owns a record of 99-57 in his 15th season at the helm of the Marauders. Synonymous with Marauders football, Schulz has been a member of U-Mary's coaching staff in 23 of the program's 26 seasons. He has directed the squad to six national tournament appearances and four conference titles. His teams owned a streak of nine straight winning seasons and the Marauders are 74-39 in conference games. Since starting the transition to the NCAA in 2005, U-Mary is 44-46. The Marauders are 30-35 in Northern Sun contests...  Minot State's head coach Paul Rudolph is in his seventh season at the helm of the Beaver football program. He sports a 32-34 record at MSU and a career record of 75-81. Rudolph was the head coach at Upper Iowa from 1991-99 before serving as the offensive coordinator at St. Cloud State (2000-06).

FINAL SEASON FOR SCHULZ
Marauders Head Coach Myron Schulz, the man most associated with University of Mary football and the longest-tenured coach in school history, is resigning his head coaching position effective at the end of the 2013 season. Entering his 15th season at the helm of the Marauders football team, Schulz will become a faculty member in U-Mary's Gary Tharaldson School of Business. As U-Mary prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary of Marauders football, Schulz starts his 23rd season as a member of the squad's coaching staff. His 98 wins are more than any other U-Mary head football coach. Schulz directed his teams to four conference crowns and six playoff appearances while posting nine straight winning seasons at the start of his tenure. Schulz will start his teaching duties at the completion of the football season. A search for a replacement will begin later in the fall with hopes to have a new coach in place shortly after the end of the 2013 schedule.

THE MARAUDERS-BEAVERS SERIES/LAST MEETING: An annual foe for the first 18 years of Marauders football, Minot State leads the series 11-10...The Beavers have an 11-8 edge during the regular season but the Marauders have won the two playoff meetings (1993 and 2002)... Myron Schulz is 6-3 all-time vs. the Beavers... Minot State won the first four match-ups with U-Mary but the Marauders captured seven of the last ten... 2004: The Marauders last hosted the Beavers on Oct. 2, 2004. Minot State scored first when Gabe Ellis returned the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown but the Marauders dominated the remainder of the game in a 13-7 win. Tom Kirchoffner scored on a one yard run to even the score late in the first quarter and Justin Lang kicked two field goals for the Marauders. U-Mary would generate just 277 yards of offense but Minot State struggled more, compiling just 205 yards of offense. Kirchoffner completed 16-of-27 passes for 187 yards. Jake Pfau caught seven passes for 96 yards. Bobby Usher led the Marauders with eight tackles... 2012: Elby Pope exploded for 154 receiving yards and a touchdown and Zach Roberson threw for 328 yards in his first collegiate start, but the University of Mary was stunned in the fourth quarter of a 32-21 loss at Minot State University. The Beavers scored three touchdowns in the final stanza to pull out a victory.

PAST MARAUDERS-BEAVERS MEETINGS (Minot State leads series 11-10)
1988    Minot State 42        U-Mary 22                    Bismarck, ND
1989    Minot State 28        U-Mary 24                    Minot, ND
1990    Minot State 26        U-Mary 7                    Bismarck, ND
1991    Minot State 21        U-Mary 7                    Minot, ND
1992    U-Mary 26                Minot State 23             Bismarck, ND
1993    Minot State 27        U-Mary 24                    Minot, ND
1993    U-Mary 31                Minot State 20            Minot, ND (NAIA Playoff game)
1994     Minot State 31        U-Mary 24                    Bismarck, ND
1995    U-Mary 14                Minot State 7                Minot, ND
1996    Minot State 23        U-Mary 7                    Bismarck, ND
1997    Minot State 21        U-Mary 7                    Minot, ND
1998    U-Mary 36                Minot State 12            Bismarck, ND
1999    U-Mary 41                Minot State 10            Minot, ND
2000    U-Mary 45                Minot State 6                Bismarck, ND
2001    U-Mary 43                Minot State 38            Minot, ND
2002    Minot State 35        U-Mary 21                    Bismarck, ND
2002     U-Mary 21                Minot State 18            Bismarck, ND (NAIA Playoff game)
2003    U-Mary 27                Minot State 6                Minot, ND
2004    U-Mary 13                Minot State 7                Bismarck ND
2005    Minot State 14        U-Mary 10                    Minot, ND
2012    Minot State 32        U-Mary 21                    Minot, ND
QUICK LOOK AT MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY
In its second season as a member of Northern Sun, Minot State has struggled early in the season. In its three losses the Beavers were outscored by 80 points. The lone win was a dramatic 23-17 triple overtime home win over Augustana in week two. In a 49-14 loss last week to Winona State the Beavers committed five turnovers, including three in the red zone. MSU has committed 14 turnovers, the most in the league, and are a -8 in turnover margin. The Beavers are also at the bottom in sacks allowed with 23. U-Mary, this weekend's opponent, lead the NSIC in takeaways and are fourth in sacks. SO QB Zac Cunha leads the Beavers offense, completing 83-of-150 passes for seven touchdowns, five interceptions and 928 yards (232 yards/game). SR WR Wayne Peters leads the NSIC in receptions, posting totals of 32 catches for 302 yards and three scores. The Beavers have a veteran defensive unit featuring nine upperclassmen in the starting lineup. SO DB Cooper Helm had two picks against Winona State and had three this season, second in the NSIC and eighth in the NCAA. NG Logan Jones leads MSU in tackles for loss with 5.0. SR LB Chad Marshall is the team's leader in tackles with 34. SR LB Jeff Buchert also has been active with 28 stops, including 4.5 for loss.  

LAST WEEK: Despite creating five turnovers on a wet and windy day, the University of Mary failed to convert its opportunities in a 36-7 loss at Upper Iowa University. The Marauders scored first but the Peacocks rattled off the next 36 points in U-Mary's first loss to UIU in five outings. The Marauders opened the scoring with an exhilarating 69 yard scoring strike from Craig Bagnell to Jeremy Mayfield. The touchdown pass concluded a 99-yard touchdown drive on the Marauders second possession of the game with 2:07 left in the first quarter. One of three Troy Guptill first half sacks of Upper Iowa quarterback Cole Jaeschke halted the next Peacocks possession. Following a punt, the Marauders took over at the UIU 35 yard line. Facing second and goal at the Peacocks five yard line, Bagnell was picked off in the end zone by Chayz Holt to thwart the Marauders attempt to double their lead. The Peacocks then scored twice in the second quarter and entered halftime leading 14-7. Forced to move into high winds and driving rain in the third quarter, the Marauders were unable to generate any offense. The Peacocks took advantage, scoring 22 points to defeat the Marauders for the first time in five meetings between the two schools. Bagnell completed 21-of-43 passes for 233 yards with one TD and two INT. DJ Young caught four passes for 65 yards. Mayfield had three catches for 77 yards. He also had three kick returns for 118 yards, including a 90 yard return. In addition to three sacks, Guptill totaled 12 tackles, including nine solo stops, and also forced a fumble. Grant Singer registered 15 tackles - nine solo – recovered a fumble and made an interception. Upper Iowa dominated the stat page. The Peacocks had advantages in first downs (31 to 15), yards rushing (256 to 67), yards passing (317 to 242) and total offense (573 to 309).

99
Marauders head coach Myron Schulz captured his 99th win as U-Mary's head coach in the 17-10 win over Sioux Falls. The win was his first over USF. Schulz's first win was a 28-7 win at Southwest Minnesota State in the opening game of the 1999 season. The 25th win was a 28-27 home win over Jamestown College in 2001. His 50th win was a 32-8 home win over South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 2004. The 75th win was a 37-13 win over Northern State at the Metrodome in the final game of the 2007 season.  

FLASHBACK
This is the second straight home game that the Marauders will face a team they first played during U-Mary's inaugural varsity season in 1988. Both Sioux Falls and Minot State hadn't made an appearance in Bismarck for a substantial amount of time. After not playing Sioux Falls since 2002, the Marauders hosted the Cougars in week two, a 17-10 U-Mary win. This week the Marauders host Minot State. The Beavers haven't visited Bismarck since 2004.                                                                                                                                                                                             
HALL OF FAME
Five new members to the Marauders Hall of Fame will be inducted on Friday, Oct. 4, including two with ties to U-Mary football. Women's track & field national champion Shawna (Kern) Kost, men's track field national champion Shane Yates, football pioneer Mike Jaskolski and baseball record holder Ryan Astle will be recognized for their athletic accomplishments and Texas A&M offensive coordinator Clarence McKinney will be honored for outstanding collegiate coaching in football. An original member of the U-Mary varsity football team in 1988, Jaskolski (1988-91) was an imposing physical presence on the defensive line for the Marauders who earned professional football opportunities following his college career. The defensive lineman earned All-NDCAC honors as a junior and senior and was an NAIA honorable mention All-American his final season. A U-Mary football player during the Marauders rise to national prominence, Clarence McKinney (1991-93) has now reached the upper level of collegiate coaching, earning the post of offensive coordinator at Texas A&M and competing in the nation's toughest conference while coaching the current Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel.

STATEWIDE TV
The lone North Dakota football rivalry between NCAA foes decided on the field will be broadcast live across the state as all five stations of the NBC North Dakota Sports Network will air the Marauders homecoming game against Minot State University on Me-TV. The North Dakota NBC Sports Network stations televising the game on Me-TV are KFYR-TV in Bismarck, KMOT-TV in Minot, KVLY-TV in Fargo, KUMV-TV in Williston and KQCD-TV in Dickinson. KFYR-TV sports director Lee Timmerman handles the play by play duties and Mike McMahon, the former Marauders defensive coordinator and the U-Mary Director of Admissions, will handle the color commentary. Working the sidelines is Alec Ausmus, the KFYR-TV weekend anchor and host of "Marauders Weekly," and KMOT-TV sports director Johnny Mangano. Check with your local station or your cable provider for the Me-TV channel information in your area.

REGIONAL TV
Midco SportsNet will broadcast the Marauders-Beavers on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at as the HD College Game of the Week. Midcontinent Communications subscribers in the Bismarck area can watch the game on channels 26, 322 and 622. If you are a Midco subscriber but not sure what channel Midco SportsNet is on your system, go to: http://www.midcosportsnet.com/schedule/

BATTLE FOR THE BIG LAKE TROPHY
The Marauders and Beavers will compete for the "Battle of the Big Lake" travelling trophy for the first time on Saturday. Currently the only annual football game in North Dakota between two NCAA members, U-Mary has played Minot State University 21 times, more than any other school. After a seven-year hiatus, the series was renewed last year in Minot, with the Beavers capturing the win. This is the first time the two schools will play in Bismarck since 2004.

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE
In about ten minutes of game time last Saturday at Upper Iowa, senior wide receiver Jeremy Mayfield posted two of the Marauders ten longest plays of the NCAA era (2006 and on). With 2:07 remaining in the first quarter, Mayfield caught a 69 yard touchdown pass from Craig Bagnell. This is the fifth-longest pass play in the last eight years. At 8:08 of the second quarter, Mayfield returned a kickoff 90 yards, both the second longest return and play of any sort since 2006. Two other Marauders also have two plays among the top ten longest, but never in the same game. WR Mike Williams caught passes of 93 and 85 yards in 2007. Last year WR Elby Pope had catches of 77 and 71 yards.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS - BAGNELL SETS COMPLETION RECORD
Craig Bagnell set the Marauders career completion record with his final connection of the day at Upper Iowa. The Marauders four year starting quarterback passed Marauders Hall of Fame quarterback Chris Schwab (1996-99) by one with his 608th completion. Bagnell is fast approaching two other of Schwab's marks, passing yardage (7,786 to 7,504) and touchdowns (73 to 60).

I'LL TAKE THAT
After taking the ball away five times against Upper Iowa, the Marauders defense has forced an impressive 15 turnovers this season, the second best total in the country. U-Mary has eight interceptions and seven fumble recoveries. The Marauders rank seventh in fumble recoveries and sixth in interceptions.

THE PLUS COLUMN
Through three games the Marauders are +8 in turnovers, fourth in the country. U-Mary has taken the ball away 15 times and turned it over seven times.

TWO
With six touchdown receptions in four games, Nick Jolliffe leads the Northern Sun and is eighth in NCAA Division II.

HITTING THE HIGH NOTES
All-conference linebacker Grant Singer is having another tremendous season. Against Upper Iowa he made a season-high 15 tackles, recovering a fumble and intercepting a pass. It is the second time in four games he reached double digits in tackles. The junior from Turtle Lake, ND, leads the Northern Sun in tackles with 43, is third in fumble recoveries (2) and ninth in tackles for loss with 5.0. Singer had the defensive play of the year in the win over Sioux Falls. With the Cougars at the Marauders seven yard line and threatening to take a lead in the second quarter, a blindside blitz by Singer separated the quarterback from the ball. Defensive lineman Tylar Kist recovered the fumble and U-Mary remained in the lead.

RIGHT PLACE RIGHT TIME
JR DL Tylar Kist leads the NCAA and the NSIC in fumble recoveries with three.

BIG HITTER
JR LB Troy Gutill posted a career-high three sacks at Upper Iowa. He also set a career-best 12 tackles and forced a fumble. A devastating force on defense, Guptill leads the NSIC in forced fumbles (3) and is second in tackles for loss (7.0), third in sacks (4.0) and tenth in tackles (31).

SMART BALL
The Marauders are committing just five penalties and 43 penalty yards a game. Both figures are second best in the NSIC and 13th and 18th in the NCAA, respectively. This is a marked improvement from last year when the Marauders were penalized 61.5 yards per game, one of the worst figures in the league.

IF YOU'RE OPEN IT WILL COME
On the year 13 different players have caught passes from Marauders quarterback Craig Bagnell. Nick Jolliffe leads the receiving corps with 26 receptions for 288 yards and six touchdows. Also in double digits is Elby Pope (16-197-1) and DJ Young (15-159-0). Against Sioux Falls ten different Marauders caught passes.

SECOND HALF SHUTDOWN
In the first three games of the season the Marauders defense was tremendous in the second half. In the opener against #2 Minnesota State, the Marauders limited the Mavericks to three points, four first downs and 77 yards. In a win over Wayne State the U-Mary defense limited the Wildcats to three points, five first downs and 92 yards after intermission. In last week's victory over USF the Cougars were limited to three points, six first downs, 95 yards, a 1-for-7 effort on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth.

FULL COVERAGE
Behind the booming leg of Tyler Ryan, the Marauders have displayed tremendous kick coverage. U-Mary is allowing just 16 yards per kickoff return on six attempts, second in the NSIC. The Marauders are also second in the league in net yards punting at 38.9 yards/punt. Ryan is third in the NSIC in punting at 39.9 yards per attempt. Opposing teams have returned nine punts for just 26 yards, an average of lest than three yards/return. .

BEHIND THE LINE
The Marauders continue to create havoc behind the line of scrimmage, making 31 tackles for loss with 11 quarterback in four games. U-Mary is 36th nationally in tackles for loss and 32nd in sacks. The Marauders were also among the NCAA leaders last season. Fifteen different players have contributed tackles for loss.

CAPTAIN CONNECTION
Offensive team captains Craig Bagnell and Nick Jolliffe have had a tremendous connection through the first three games. The duo has combined for six touchdown passes, 26 completions and 288 yards. The pair had two touchdowns in the opener against Minnesota State, three at Wayne State and one against Sioux Falls.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS II
John Oyloe also has a chance to move into the top career slot in tackles for loss and sacks. With 34 TFL, the senior trails only Brooks Laber (2001-05) with 38.5. Oyloe is fourth in sacks with 21. David St. Clair (1998-99) leads with 30. Oyloe passed three players this season on the sack list, Nikia Parson (20 sacks), Brooks Laber (19.5) and Mike Jaskolski (19).

FATHER TO SON
True freshman Jonah Hoe caught three passes for 31 yards and ran once for one yard. He is the son of U-Mary graduates Keola and Heather Hoe. Keola was a member of the Marauders first team in 1988.


#marauders#