THURSDAY SEASON OPENER
Too excited to wait for a Saturday, the 2017 University of Mary football season opens on a Thursday night for the first time since 2011 when the Marauders host #20 Minnesota State University, the preseason favorite to win the Northern Sun, on August 31. Kickoff between the Marauders and the Mavericks is set for 6 PM at the MDU Resources Community Bowl.

TAILGATE TIME
Tailgating in Marauders Alley starts at 3 pm on Thursday with game sponsor Dakota Community Bank & Trust grilling up complimentary food until supplies are exhausted. TruMoo is also providing free chocolate milk in the official TruMoo Tailgate area. The Marauders football team will enter the stadium through Marauders Alley and the TruMoo Tailgate area at approximately 3:40 pm.

YOUTH FOOTBALL NIGHT
The Marauders Thursday night home opener is Youth Football Night. Local youth football players and their teams will be recognized at intermission.

KIDS ARE FREE (PARENTS EXTRA)
To make Marauders athletics more accessible to children in the community, starting this year children 18 and younger will be admitted to all Marauders home games in any sport for free!  High school-aged students will be asked to show their high school ID for free admittance. Game tickets are available at the gate for all sports. Adult tickets are $10 while seniors (ages 55+) and college students with ID are $5. UMary students and faculty/staff are admitted free with their M-Card.

BEK TV TO TELEVISE THURSDAY SEASON OPENER STATEWIDE
The University of Mary season opener against Minnesota State University will be broadcast statewide throughout North Dakota by the BEK Broadcasting Network. Game time between the Marauders and the Mavericks is set for 6 pm on Thursday, Aug. 31, from the MDU Resources Community Bowl in Bismarck, ND. View the Northern Sun tilt on the BEK Broadcasting Network via local cable providers on BEK PRIME and on KNDB/KNDM in Western North Dakota and KRDK in Eastern North Dakota. Visit www.bektel.com/bbn for local channel assignments and current broadcast schedule. The BEK Broadcasting Network is also available nationally on BEK Now via your ROKU streaming device. Visit www.beknow.tv for more information.

RADIO CHANGE FOR OPENER
The Marauders football 2017 season opener will be broadcast on Fox Sports 710. The remainder of the season's games will be aired on KFYR 550, the home of Marauders football.

FIVE NUMBERS TO KNOW
30 - This is the 30th season of Marauders football. After playing a junior varsity schedule in 1987, head coach Jim Driscoll led the 1988 squad to a 27-18 home win in the program's first varsity game. UMary will honor the members of the 1988 team - known as The Originals - the weekend of Sept. 30 when Minot State visits.

6 - Six Marauders will make both their collegiate football and starting debuts when the Marauders face the Mavericks: Redshirt freshmen Logan Nelson (QB), Tyson Carney (WR), Casey Uhler (LB) and Jarad Zittleman (DB), freshman DeShawn Gay (SB) and senior Aaron Brennan (PK).

5 - The number of seniors on the 2017 squad. Brennan Doan, Jacob Parker, Brock Pittsley and Brady Zittleman have played their entire collegiate career at UMary. The fifth senior, Aaron Brennan, also played his entire collegiate career for the Marauders. However those first four seasons were spent with the men's soccer program.

4 - The Marauders return four starting offensive linemen, and none are seniors. Nick Benshetler - who has started as a true freshman - and Jared Taylor are juniors and man the tackles. Sophomore Hunter Hanson is back at left guard. Tyson Lytle, who started at guard last season as a true freshman, shifts to center this season. The fifth lineman is sophomore Rory Olson.

3- Three Marauders are veterans of the United States Navy and served together on the USS Anchorage, one of the country's newest vessels. Jordan Beaty and Daquavian Ross are redshirt freshmen this season after joining the Marauders last season. Chris Davis joined the Marauders this season. Additionally, a fourth shipmate -  Devon Grant - will join the UMary men's basketball team.

THE RECORDS
This is the 2017 season debut for both teams.

LAST YEAR
The Marauders finished the 2016 season 1-10 overall and in the Northern Sun and 1-6 in the NSIC North division, placing 15th overall in the conference and sixth in the North division... The Mavericks went 8-3 overall and in the Northern Sun and 5-2 in the NSIC, tying for third overall in the division and second in the NSIC South.  

LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders finished 2016 with a narrow 21-20 loss at Minot State in the season finale... The Mavericks closed out 2016 with a 33-23 home win over Upper Iowa.

HEAD COACHES
Josh Kotelnicki is in his fourth season as the head coach of the University of Mary. He is just the fifth varsity head coach in school history as the team begins its 30th season. Kotelnicki directed the Marauders to a 5-6 record in his first season in 2014 and is 7-26 lifetime (three years). Kotelnicki joined 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... The 2017 season marks the eighth season with head coach Todd Hoffner on the Minnesota State sidelines. During his eight seasons at Minnesota State, Hoffner has com-piled a 66-19 (.776) record, including four trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2009,  2014 and 2015.

THE MARAUDERS-MAVERICKS SERIES HISTORY
2008: UMary and Minnesota State first squared off in 2008, the first year that MSU was a member of the Northern Sun, with the Mavericks earning a 40-0 win at home... 2009: MSU claimed a 35-14 win over UMary in the Mavericks first visit to Bismarck. The Marauders opened the scoring when Tyler Steffan caught a 12 yard touchdown pass from Henry Lau in the first quarter. The Mavericks then rolled off 28 straight points before the Marauders got back on the board when Terry Newsome caught another Lau scoring strike... 2013: The Marauders home and season opener against the #2 Mavericks was delayed 90 minutes before the start by lightning and again during the game. A wide open first quarter, Nick Jolliffe caught two touchdown passes from Craig Bagnell and the game was tied 14-14. MSU created a gap with ten points in the second quarter and a 72 yard interception return for a score in the third. Elby Pope returned a punt 34 yards to set up his 3-yard scoring strike from Bagnell. MSU tacked on a field goal to make the final 34-21. Bagnell threw for 243 yards and three TDs with one interception. Jolliffe caught eight passes for 87 yards and two TDs. John Oyloe had 3.0 tackles for loss and two sacks. Jon Wolf passed for 249 yards and ran for 47... 2015: UMary won the turnover battle but #1 Minnesota State University captured the scoreboard 48-0. The Marauders forced four turnovers but the Mavericks scored ten points in each of the first two quarters and 21 in the third stanza. Danielle Whitaker, Preston Tescher and Daniel Hunter all intercepted passes and Jacob Parker recovered a fumble and knocked down three passes for UM. Adam Woroniecki ran for a career-high 71 yards. Ty Dennis caught four passes for 109 yards and a TD for MSU. This was the first time the Marauders had faced the nation's #1 ranked team since moving to NCAA Division II in 2006.
      
PAST MARAUDERS-MAVERICKS MEETINGS
(Mavericks lead series 4-0)
2008        Minnesota State 40                UMary   0    Mankato, MN
2009        Minnesota State 35                 UMary 14    Bismarck, ND
2013    #2 Minnesota State 34    UMary 21    Bismarck, ND
2015     #1 Minnesota State 48    UMary 0        Mankato, MN

QUICK LOOK AT THE MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MAVERICKS
Entering their 91st football season, the Mavericks finished 2016 with a record of 8-3, their eighth straight winning campaign. WR Ty Dennis, who posted 630 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, leads a veteran receiving corps. Shane Zylstra registered 499 receiving yards and seven scores and Erik Fuller caught 33 passes for 319 yards and ten touchdowns. Starting QB Ryan Schlichte passed for 293 yards and four touchdowns in limited action last year as a freshman. Evan Perrizo and Zach Dodge tied for the team lead in sacks with 8.5. Perrizo added 13.5 tackles for loss and Dodge had 12.5. Senior Corey Brent is MSU's leading returning tackler with 54 stops.

THURSDAY OPENER
The Marauders are opening the season on a Thursday night for the first time since 2011. UMary defeated visiting Chadron State 31-24. Craig Bagnell ran for one score and hit Tyler Steffan for two touchdown passes. Josh Murray scored the winning touchdown with 2:46 left in the game.

PRIME TIME THURSDAY
In addition to the season opener, the Marauders play two more times on Thursdays as part of a new television agreement with Midco SportsNet. UMary will play at Upper Iowa on Sept. 14 and at Northern State on Nov. 2. Both games will be the featured NSIC weekly spotlight game on Midco SportsNet. The Marauders home game against Minot State on Saturday, Sept. 30, will also air on Midco SportsNet.

BROTHERS
Senior defensive back Brady Zittleman and his younger brother, redshirt freshman Jarad Zittleman, are slated to start in the defensive backfield for UMary. It will be the first time the two brothers from Mandan, ND, have played in a varsity game together. When Brady was a senior at Mandan High School, Jarad was a freshman. Last season Jarad was redshirted in his first season at UM while Brady played in all 11 Marauders games.  

BROTHERS PART TWO
In addition to the Zittleman brothers, the Marauders have three other brother combinations on the team. Sophomore LB Coleton Ford and R-Fr. SB Jaxon Ford are brothers from Bismarck, ND, sophomore LB Grady Blewett and freshman Will Blewett are brothers from Belgrade, MT, and junior PK Cody Goetz and FR WR Cameron Goetz are brothers from Eden Prairie, MN.

FAMILY
Here are a handful of other family ties for the Marauders football team. So. SB Paul Guptil is the younger brother of Marauders All-American Troy Guptill. Also his sister Josie Guptill was an All-American for the Marauders track & Field program... Sophomores Tyson Lytle and Jamison Lytle are cousins... Jamison Lytle's father was an all-conference player for UMary in 1991... R-FR Gage Gellner's father played for UMary... Josh Weiler's dad was a thrower on the Marauders track & field team... So. DE Jaren Olson is the son of Rhonda Olson, the Marauders longtime head athletic trainer.

DEFENSIVE EXPERIENCE
The Marauders have 14 defenders who played last season, earning valuable experience for 2017. Among the key returners are defensive linemen Brock Pittsley, Devon Macias and Brody Peterson, linebacker Chris Kraft and defensive back Jacob Parker, all returning starters. Linemen Daniel Hudrlik, Luther Missoh and Jaren Olson, linebackers Cyrano Rayfield and Grady Blewett, and defensive backs Noah Krebs, Brady Zittleman and Ryan Naki also saw considerable action last season.

NUMBERS
Chris Kraft is the Marauders returning leader in tackles after making 62 stops as a redshirt freshman in 2016... With 4.5 tackles for loss, Cyrano Rayfield led UMary... Brody Peterson paced the Marauders with 3.0 sacks... Jacob Parker broke up a team-high eight passes and tied for the team lead with two interceptions.

DUAL ROLES
Sam Mackedanz is a two-sport athlete for the Marauders. In addition to starting at wide receiver, Mackedanz is also a high jumper for the men's track & field program. He placed fifth last winter in the high jump at the men's NSIC indoor championships.

BLOCK PARTY
The University of Mary finished third last season in NCAA Division II in blocked kicks with eight. Junior defensive tackle Brock Pittsley led the Marauders and the NSIC with two blocks.

DISCIPLINE
Mary finished 4th in NCAA Division II in fewest penalties per game (4.2) and fewest penalty yards per game (34.6). The Marauders also led the NSIC in both categories. Marauders opponents, meanwhile, averaged over 50 yards a game in penalties.

T.O.P.
One reason the Marauders moved to the triple option was to control the clock and it has proved successful. Mary was 23rd nationally and 2nd in the NSIC in time of possession, holding the ball for 32:20 a game compared to its opposition's total of 27:40.

NELSON STEPS UP
Redshirt freshman Logan Nelson is scheduled to start the season at quarterback for the Marauders. The last time the Marauders started a freshman/redshirt freshman behind center in the opening game of the year was Craig Bagnell in 2010. Now the offensive coordinator at Bemidji State University, Bagnell finished his Marauders career as the all-time leader in passing yardage and touchdown passes.