SATURDAY
Returning home for their second home game of the season, the University of Mary Marauders once again plays host to a nationally-ranked squad when the #7 University of Sioux Falls Cougars visits the Capital City on Saturday, Sept. 16. Kick off for the Marauders and the Cougars tilt is 1 pm at the MDU Resources Community Bowl.

THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 0-2 overall and in the Northern Sun... The Cougars are 2-0 overall and in the Northern Sun. Neither team has yet played a divisional game.

LAST WEEK
The Marauders dropped their first road game of the season 48-10 at Wayne State College... The Cougars rolled past Northern State 37-7 in the USF home opener.

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 Cougars finished 12-1 overall, winning the Northern Sun with a 11-0 mark and the NSIC South at 7-0. USF opened the NCAA D2 playoffs with a 34-21 win over Azusa Pacific before falling 24-21 to Harding in overtime in the second round.  .  



FIVE NUMBERS TO KNOW
312 The Marauders ran for 312 yards against at Wayne State. It is the third-highest single game mark for UMary since beginning NCAA competition in 2006.

144 DeShawn Gay ran for 144 yards against Wayne State on 11 carries, including a 59 yard touchdown run. This was the first time a Marauders freshman has cracked the 100 yard barrier since Jamal Lomax ran for 107 yards against Augustana in 2007. Lomax is the Marauders all-time career rushing leader.

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.

26 Senior kicker Aaron Brennan made a 26 yard field goal in the second quarter in his first-ever attempt. A former Marauders men's soccer player from Northern Ireland, Brennan played four seasons on the pitch for UMary and is in his first season playing collegiate football.

4 - 0 In each of the Marauders games this season, the UMary defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks twice while Marauders quarterbacks have yet to be sacked.

FIRST RESPONDERS APPRECIATION GAME
The UMary vs. Sioux Falls contest is a First Responders Appreciation game for Marauders Athletics. Played during the week of the 16th anniversary of 9/11 and dedicated to those who help protect the public, the First Responders Appreciation game recognizes their unselfish public service. Complimentary game tickets have been distributed to members of the local law enforcement, fire and ambulance departments.

BLESSING OF THE BIKES
A Blessing of the Bikes will be held Saturday before the Marauders-Cougars game. Free and open to the public, all motorcycle enthusiasts are welcome to gather on the University of Mary campus by the Bell Tower for a Blessing of the Bikes by Father Robert Shea at 10 AM. The first 100 bikes receive a free Angel Bell. At 10:30 AM the motorcycles will escort the Marauders football team busses to the MDU Resources Community Bowl.

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 7-28 lifetime (four 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... Jon Anderson is in his first season as head football coach at the University of Sioux Falls and the 21st head coach in program history. For the past four seasons, Anderson was head coach at West Virginia State where he had a 10-34 record. He is now 12-34 in his coaching career. A coach with USF from 2002-2012, Anderson helped lead the Cougars to a 134-26 record, three NAIA championships (2006, 2008, 2009), as well as the program first, nine- win team at the NCAA DII level.

THE MARAUDERS-COUGARS SERIES HISTORY  
(USF leads the series 7-4)
A series filled with important meetings on a national scale, the University of Sioux Falls has won six of the ten meetings between the two former NAIA powerhouses.
The Marauders and the Cougars first met in 1988, U-Mary's inaugural football season, and USF left Bismarck with a 37-13 win. The Cougars would also win the following year. U-Mary turned the tables in 1990 with a 17-6 win, followed by a 35-21 win in 1991 at Sioux Falls. After a four year break, the two schools found themselves pitted against one another in the second round of the 1995 NAIA playoffs, with U-Mary claiming a 42-17 win. USF captured the next four games, all in the NAIA playoffs. The last three meetings were all close with USF outscoring the Marauders by just 13 total points. The last NAIA meeting between the two teams was in the second round of the 2002 NAIA playoffs. On Nov. 30 in Bismarck, the Cougars nudged the Marauders 13-10. Down 7-0, the Marauders scored the next 10 points on a field goal from Justin Lang and a Jake Pfau touchdown reception of 13 yards from Tim Garcia. TC Fraser would win the game for USF with two third quarter field goals. On a day dominated by defense, the Marauders were held to -6 yards rushing while U-Mary's defense made 21 tackles behind the line. A U-Mary Hall of Famer, Pfau set a school record with 13 catches in the game, covering 167 yards... In the first and only meeting between the two schools as NCAA Division II competitors, the Marauders gained a 17-10 home win in the third game of the 2013 season. The Cougars opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 5-yard scoring run by Luke Pappilion. Immediately the Marauders tied the score when Craig Bagnell found Nick Jolliffe in the end zone from 9 yards out. The two teams exchanged field goals in the third before the Marauders defense gained control. U-Mary allowed USF just three first downs on its last five possessions and the Cougars never advanced beyond the Marauders 45 yard line. The Marauders captured the win on a Vince Ferrante 1 yard run with 4:41 left in the game. Bagnell completed 26-of-49 passes for 323 yards, one TD and one interception. Jolliffe had six catches for 72 yards and a score. Ferrante ran for 57 yards. Grant Singer led the Marauders with nine tackles, including a sack and two tackles for loss, and also forced a fumble. For USF, Papillion completed just 10-of-29 passes for 95 yards and two interceptions. He ran for 83 yards and Nephi Garcia added 111... 2015 10th ranked Sioux Falls scored 21 points in the first quarter and ran past the Marauders 55-7. Adam Woroniecki ran for 53 yards and scored the Marauders lone touchdown. Brennan Doan caught five passes for 60 yards. Seth Walton recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass and led the Marauders defense with 1.5 tackles for loss. Luke Papillion led USF with 266 passing yards and three touchdown passes. He also ran for 65 yards. Justin Folks and Max Mickey both ran for two scores.    
      
PAST MARAUDERS-COUGARS MEETINGS
(USF leads Marauders series 7-4)
1988     USF 37     UMary 13        Bismarck, ND
1989     USF 28     UMary 17        Sioux Falls, SD
1990     UMary 17  USF 6            Bismarck, ND
1991     UMary 35  USF 21        Sioux Falls, SD
1995     UMary 42  USF 17 (NAIA playoffs 2nd rd)    Bismarck, ND
1996     USF 56  UMary 19 (NAIA 1st rd)    Bismarck, ND
1998     USF 29    UMary 25 (NAIA 1st rd)    Sioux Falls, SD
2001    USF 27      UMary 21 (NAIA 1st rd)    Bismarck, ND
2002     USF 13     UMary 10 (NAIA 2nd rd)    Bismarck, ND
2013    UMary 17  USF 10        Bismarck, ND
2015    USF 55    UMary 7            Sioux Falls, SD

QUICK LOOK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS COUGARS
One of the top squads in the nation, Sioux Falls leads NCAA Division II in run defense and sacks on their way to a 2-0 mark and a #7 ranking. The Cougars have out-scored their opponents 63-14. USF held then-10th ranked Minnesota Duluth to -19 yards rushing in the opener and Northern State to 2 net yards. Additionally, the Cougars registered eight sacks against the Bulldogs, including five by Dennis Gardeck. All-American RB Max Mickey leads the offense, running for 331 yards and three scores on 61 carries over two games. He had a career-high 217 yards and two scores against Northern State, including an 87 yard jaunt. It was his 15th career 100-yard game. USF ranks only ahead of UMary in passing yards in the NSIC at 128.5/game.

WEEK 2 REWIND
DeShawn Gay ran for 144 yards and a score but the University of Mary was unable to overcome a fast start by Wayne State College in a 48-10 road loss. The Wildcats returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, posted 21 points in the first quarter and never trailed in the game. Aaron Brennen scored the Marauders first points on a 26 yard field goal late in the second quarter. Gay opened the second half with a 57 yard scoring run to pull UMary within 28-10 but the Marauders couldn't climb any closer. The Marauders ran for 312 yards and totaled 330 yards of total offense. Paul Guptill added a career-high 66 yards rushing for UMary. Chris Kraft had ten tackles and Brady Zittleman and Luther Missoh both had sacks for the Marauders. Wayne State garnered 458 yards of offense, including 295 through the air. Zach Osborne completed 16-of-22 passed for 293 yards and four scores with no interceptions for WSC. Sam Wegner caught three passes for 125 yards and two scores.  
 
STAR LIGHT STAR BRIGHT
Among the Marauders first four games, Saturday's tilt against the Cougars is the only afternoon contest for the Marauders. The other three games, including a Thursday night game at Upper Iowa on Sept. 21, starts at 6 pm or later. Overall UMary plays four night games this year.

SLOBBER KNOCKER
Don't expect many passes in the Marauders-Cougars game. UMary is second in the NSIC in rushing yardage (254/game) and sixth (176.5/game). The two teams are 15th (USF) and 16th (UMary) in passing yardage in the league. The two teams have combined for 71 pass attempts this season. That combined number has been exceeded by eight NSIC teams on their own.

RUSH HOUR
Through two games, the University of Mary has a combined four sacks. The Marauders defense has posted two sacks in each game for a combined total of four. Soph. DL Daniel Hudrlik leads the team in sacks after posting a pair of sacks in the opening game of the season against Minnesota State.

TRAFFIC STOP
While the Marauders defense already has four sacks this season, UMary quarterbacks have not yet been taken down while attempting to throw.

INFRACTION REDUCTION
The Marauders are risk adverse to taking penalties, ranking fifth in the NSIC in fewest penalty yards/game at 45.5. Only two league teams have committed fewer penalties than the ten UMary has been whistled for.

TOP OF THE T.O.P.
UMary leads the NSIC in time of possession at 36:13/game. Minnesota Duluth is second at 35:29.

BIG HITTER
Freshman DeShawn Gay is fifth in the NSIC in rushing yards at 93/game. He is averaging 7.8 yards/carry, lugging the ball 24 times for 186 yards.

EFFICIENCY EXPERT
Colton Farmer is second in the NSIC in passing efficiency with a mark of 160.5. He is 8-of-12 for 134 yards and hasn't thrown an interception.

TOUCH
So. P Bailey Meyer is second in the NSIC in punting with an average of 40.6 yards/attempt. In his ten attempts, Meyer has dropped four balls inside the opponent's 20 yard line. His longest boot of the season went for 66 yards against MSU.

BROTHERS
Senior defensive back Brady Zittleman and his younger brother, redshirt freshman Jarad Zittleman, both started in the defensive backfield against Minnesota State. It was the first time the two Mandan, ND, natives have played together in a varsity contest. Jarad registered six tackles and Brady had five. Both has three solo stops.

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.