SATURDAY
The University of Mary heads to the Red River Valley for a meeting with the University of Minnesota Crookston for the Golden Eagles homecoming game. The start to the second half of the season, the Marauders and Golden Eagles kick off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Ed Widseth Field in Crookston, Minn.

THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 3-3 overall and in the Northern Sun and 1-1 in NSIC North Division  games. The Golden Eagles are 0-5 overall and in the Northern Sun and 0-2 in the NSIC North.

LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders held on for an exciting 31-29 road win over Minot State University to maintain the Big Lake Trophy... The Golden Eagles lost 38-3 at Bemidji State in the Hub Cap Game.

LAST YEAR
U-Mary finished 6-5 overall in the NSIC (5th place) and 4-3 (3rd) in the NSIC North. It was the first winning season for the Marauders since 2007 and the 17th in 26 seasons of U-Mary football… Minnesota Crookston finished 2-9 overall/NSIC to place 14th in the NSIC. UMC was 2-5 in NSIC North play to finish 6th.

HEAD COACHES
Josh Kotelnicki is just the fifth varsity head coach at the University of Mary as the Marauders begin their 27th season. Kotelnicki comes to U-Mary after serving as the associate head coach at NCAA FCS University of North Dakota for two seasons (2012-13) and as UND's defensive coordinator in 2013. A native of Litchfield, Minn., Kotelnicki won an NCAA Division II title as a player at North Dakota and has been on winning teams as a coach at the NCAA FBS, FCS, and Division II levels. After starting his coaching career at UND, he has also worked at Murray State, Truman State, and NCAA FBS Kansas State before returning to UND... Originally hired as the University of Minnesota Crookston defensive coordinator, Mike Fritze was named interim head coach in the summer of 2013 before ever coaching a game for the Golden Eagles. After leading UMC to a 2-9 record and wins over Bemidji State and MSU Moorhead in trophy games, Fritze was elevated to head coach at the conclusion of the 2013 season. A long-time Minnesota high school head coach, joined the UMC staff to coach under long-time friend Paul Miller after retiring from teaching and high school coaching after the conclusion of the 2012 season. Fritze had coached for a combined 103 consecutive seasons in three sports (football, boys basketball and track and field) prior to his arrival at UMC, including the last 18 years at Apple Valley.

WEEK SIX REWIND: Marauders 31 Beavers 29
Facing what seemed to be near certain defeat, Seth Walton and Grant Singer combined to seize a University of Mary 31-29 victory at Minot State University and maintain control of the Big Lake Trophy. With Minot State at the U-Mary 5 yard line in the closing moments of the game, Walton blind-sided Beavers quarterback Zac Cuhna, forcing a fumble recovered by Singer at the U-Mary 18 with 14 seconds left in the game. U-Mary led 14-0 at the half on two scoring runs by Ben Jolliffe. Minot State ran off 22 straight points to start the second half before a Dariouse Gravely 3 yard TD run put the Marauders back on the board. A 16-yard Ben Jolliffe to Nick Jolliffe TD pass early in the fourth quarter pushed U-Mary back in front. A 26-yard Brody Riggs field goal extended the U-Mary lead. With the game far from over, the Beavers closed the deficit to two points in a 3-yard Glyn Borel run with 4:01 remaining in the contest. The Marauders lead remained in doubt until the Walton hit. Singer finished the game with 13 tackles - 11 solo - and 2.5 tackles for loss. Troy Guptill posted 2.5 tackles for loss. Both Guptill and Allen Vaiao had 1.5 sacks. Ben Jolliffe ran for 75 yards and two TDs and passed for 171 and a score. Nick Jolliffe caught six passes for 105 yards and a score. Elby Pope completed a pass for 51 yards, caught five balls for 65 yards and returned two punts for 30 yards. Cuhna led the Minot State offense, completing 30-of-44 passes for 370 yards and two TDs. Leon La Deaux caught six passes for 124 yards and two scores. Bryce Broome intercepted two passes, returning one for a score.

PAST MARAUDERS-GOLDEN EAGLES MEETINGS (UM leads 10-2)
1995        U-Mary 49         UMC 23                        Crookston, MN
1996        U-Mary 20         UMC 13                        Bismarck, ND
1997        UMC 24             U-Mary 14                    Crookston, MN
1998        U-Mary 26         UMC 20                        Bismarck, ND
2006        U-Mary 24         UMC 0                        Crookston, MN
2007        U-Mary 38         UMC 0                        Bismarck, ND
2008        U-Mary 52         UMC 9                        Bismarck, ND
2009        U-Mary 37         UMC 14                        Crookston, MN
2010        U-Mary 48         UMC 0                        Bismarck, ND
2011        U-Mary 31      UMC 0                        Crookston, MN
2012         UMC 37            U-Mary 36                    Grand Forks, ND
2013        U-Mary 31        UMC 15                        Bismarck, ND

THE MARAUDERS-GOLDEN EAGLES SERIES HISTORY: In a series that started in 1995 when both schools were members of the North Dakota College Athletic Conference, the University of Mary holds a 10-2 advantage over the University of Minnesota Crookston. The Marauders took the first match-up 49-23 and the second 20-13 before the Golden Eagles claimed their first win of the series, 24-14 at home in 1997. UMC snapped U-Mary's seven game series winning streak in 2012... 2006: Blair Sandy threw for two touchdowns and ran for one in a 24-0 Marauders road win. Sandy ran for 111 yards and passed for 128. Defensively  U-Mary gave up just 159 yards and intercepted four passes... 2007: Shawn Melland returned an interception for a touchdown and James Patterson scooped and scored on a UMC fumble in a Marauders 38-0 win at home. UMC gained just 146 yards. Bayland Rippenkroeger ran for 104 yards and Sandy threw for 200 yards and two scores. Jesse Laber had 2.5 sacks... 2008: Jamal Lomax scored twice and ran for 129 yards, Mike Williams caught two of Henry Lau's three touchdown passes and Melland returned a fumble for a score in the Marauders 52-9 home win. UMC managed only 146 yards of offense... 2009: Terry Newsome opened the game with a 98 yard kickoff return for a touchdown and later caught one of Lau's four touchdown passes. Lomax ran for 158 yards and Lau completed 21-of-29 passes for 203 yards. The Marauders limited UMC to 200 yards... 2010: The Marauders returned three interceptions and a blocked punt for touchdowns in a 48-0 homecoming win. Lomax led the UM offense with 48 yards rushing and ran for a score. U-Mary limited UMC to 149 total yards and nine first downs while forcing four turnovers... 2011: On an incredibly windy day, Josh Edwards threw two touchdown passes in his first career start as U-Mary earned a 31-0 road win. Dariouse Gravely ran for 108 yards and Josh Murray added 87 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Richard Haley ran for 179 yards for UMC... 2012: Played in the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, ND, UMC won 37-36 on the final play of the game. After a pass interference penalty on U-Mary on what would have been the final play of the game, Talo Pascal scored on a 1 yard TD on an untimed play to pull UMC within 36-35. Going for two, UMC's pass failed but U-Mary was again called for pass interference. Making use of another second chance, Richard Haley scored the 2-point conversion to give UMC the win. The NSIC Defensive Player of the Week, Grant Singer had 3.0 TFL and 16 tackles. Craig Bagnell was 24-of-38 for 328 yards, five TDs and two interceptions. Elby Pope caught 5-143-1 and Tyler Steffan caught two TDs. Haley ran for 87 yards, AJ Barge was 26-of-36 for 318 and 2 TD, Keith McBride was 9-130-0 and Josh Ross was 9-109-0... 2013: Nick Jolliffe caught three touchdown passes from Craig Bagnell and the Marauders gave Myron Schulz a 31-15 win over the University of Minnesota Crookston in his final game as U-Mary head coach. In 15 years as head coach the Marauders were 103-66 under his direction. Bagnell finished 29-of-43 for 262 yards and three scores to end his career with a school-record 75 TD passes. Jolliffe caught six passes for 57 yards and three scores. The U-Mary defense allowed just 248 yards and 14 first downs. Scott Maldonado intercepted two passes. Nik Polski posted 11 tackles and Grant Singer ten. Troy Guptill has 2.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss.    
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CROOKSTON GOLDEN EAGLES
After taking forward strides a season ago with wins over MSU Moorhead and Bemidji State, the Golden Eagles have been unable to maintain that momentum. UMC is winless through six games this season and the closest contest was a 21 point loss against St. Cloud State (45-24). UMC is 16th out of 16 teams in scoring offense and total offense and 15th in both scoring defense and total defense. The Golden Eagles are led by junior quarterback Ben Bucholz, is completing 53.4 per cent of his pass attempts for 944 passing yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions. His top target this year has been freshman wide receiver Adam Connette, who has 28 receptions for 302 yards with two touchdowns. In addition, senior Marcus Cheatham has 12 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown. Senior co-captain Sam Smith continues to be a steady force on the offensive line as he is slated to make his 40th consecutive start. Defensively, UMC has been led by linebacker Greg Lofquist, who has been all over the field this season. Lofquist has 79 tackles, which is just behind U-Mary All-American linebacker Grant Singer. Sophomore safety Trent Galkoski comes in with 42 tackles while defensive line Drew Selvestra has 43 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

UMC HOMECOMING NOTE
The Golden Eagles are hosting the Marauders for the Minnesota Crookston homecoming game. Among the UMC athletic hall of fame inductees is the 1997 Golden Eagles football team that qualified for the NAIA playoffs that season as a member of the North Dakota College Athletic Conference. The 1997 UMC team is just one of two Golden Eagles teams that have beaten the Marauders.

BIG LAKE TROPHY
The Marauders are now perfect in the two "Battle of the Big Lake" travelling trophy game, defeating Minot State University 45-10 in 2013 and 31-29 this season.  
TWO TRAVELING TROPHIES
The Marauders play two games annually for travelling trophies and the contests have brought out the best in U-Mary. Combined the Marauders are 9-1 in trophy games. The Marauders are 7-1 in the "Battle for the Paddle" with MSU Moorhead and 2-0 in the "Battle for the Lake" against Minot State. U-Mary hosts MSU Moorhead on Oct. 25 and look to regain the Paddle Trophy the Dragons won last season for the first time.

THE WALTON WALLOP
Seth Walton may have made the Marauders defensive play of the year with his sack and forced fumble in the waning moments of the U-Mary 31-29 win at Minot State University. The Beavers drove to the Marauders 5 yard line. On 1st-and-goal, the junior linebacker came off the left edge unabated and sacked MSU quarterback Zac Cuhna, forcing a fumble. Grant Singer recovered the football at the Marauders 18 yards line with 14 seconds remaining in the game to seal the U-Mary win. Walton finished the game with four tackles, one sack and a forced fumble.

MR. HANDYMAN
From catching passes to returning kicks to running the ball to making tackles on special teams, Elby Pope has done a little of everything for the Marauders this season. Against Minot State the senior wide receiver also put himself into the passing column. Pope connected with Nick Jolliffe for a 51-yard pass to highlight a 93-yard U-Mary scoring drive. Pope also set up the final two U-Mary scores of the day, one after returning a punt 31 yards and the second after recovering a fumbled punt by MSU. During the game Pope also caught five passes for 65 yards and a 2-point conversion and returned two punts for 30 yards... A two-time all-NSIC player, Pope is second in the nation in punt returns (22.3 yards/return), 47th in all purpose yards/game (138.3) and 72nd in receiving TDs.    

BROTHER TO BROTHER
SR All-NSIC WR Nick Jolliffe caught his 23rd career TD from his brother Ben, the Marauders redshirt freshman quarterback. Three of Nick's four TD receptions this season have been thrown by his brother Ben. The 16-yard scoring strike at Minot State ties Nick Jolliffe with Seth Maier for 3rd all-time, trailing just Jake Pfau (34) and Tyler Steffan (30). Nick now has 133 career receptions for 1,716 yards. He is fifth all-time in receptions and sixth in yardage.

POPE CROSSES 2,000 YARD BARRIER
SR WR Elby Pope became just the 5th U-Mary player to post 2,000 or more receiving yards in a career. The Grand Forks, N.D., native now has 2,080 receiving yards to trail just Jake Pfau (2,682 career yards), Tyler Steffan (2,494) and Seth Maier (2,421). With 148 catches Pope is 4th all-time, behind Maier (191), Steffan (163) and Pfau (161).

SINGER SURGES PAST 300 TACKLES
All-American linebacker Grant Singer, who joins Toby Schweitzer as the only U-Mary players with over 300 tackles, leads the Northern Sun and is 5th in NCAA D2 with 13.3 tackles per game. With 13 tackles - 11 solo - at Minot State, Singer has posted double figure tackle figures in all six games this season and eight straight dating back to last season. The senior team captain is at 335 career tackles. Schweitzer, who played 1988-91, has 410.

CLEAN LAUNDRY
U-Mary is 1st in the NSIC and 3rd in the NCAA in fewest penalty yards/game (33.2) and 1st in the NSIC and 4th in the NCAA in fewest penalties/game (4.0).  

UP FRONT
Behind the veteran offensive line of seniors Don Pask, Michael Mortenson and Jeremiah Herman and juniors Nolan LaValley and Deon Paulson, the Marauders have captured the time of possession battle and out-rushed the opposition in four of six games. The 154 yards rushing at Minot State is the second best total of the season and the team has cracked the century mark on the ground in five straight contests.  

GUPTILL SETS CAREER TACKLE FOR LOSS RECORD
Since setting the U-Mary career record for tackles for loss with a sack in the third game of the season, SR DE Troy Guptill is maintaining a slight edge over teammate Grant Singer. After posting 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks at Minot State, Guptill has 44.0 career TFL and 23.5 sacks. Singer, who also had 2.5 TFL at MSU, is right behind
with 43.5 tackles for loss. The old record was John Oyloe's 41... Guptill, who has six sacks and 8.0 TFL this season,  earned All-American honorable mention honors his junior season after leading the Northern Sun in sacks and tackles for loss. Guptill was credited with 21.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks in 2013 and just missed the school record of 22 tackles for loss. The devastation he wreaked was noticed as Lindy's placed the Quinn, S.D., native on their 2014 preseason All-American team.

MARAUDERS CAREER TACKLES FOR LOSS
Troy Guptill (2011- )                    44
Grant Singer (2011- )                43.5
John Oyloe    (2010-13)                41

MARAUDERS CAREER SACKS
David St. Clair (1998-99)             30
John Oyloe (2010-13)                     27.5
Jason Aman (1991-95)                26
Jon Ahneman (1992-95)             24
Troy Guptill (2011- )                        23.5