SATURDAY
Taking their last road trip of the season, the University of Mary football team crosses their southern border to visit Northern State University. The Marauders-Wolves game i set for 1 pm on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Swisher Field in Aberdeen, SD. 

THE RECORDS/LAST WEEK
The Marauders (1-7 overall/NSIC | 0-4 NSIC North) dropped a narrow 26-23 loss to visiting Wayne State College... Northern State University (4-4 overall / NSC | 2-2 NSIC North) fell 35-13 to visiting Sioux Falls. 

NORTHERN EXPOSURE
After playing teams from the Northern Sun South division the past four weeks, the Marauders return to playing teams from the NSIC North the final three weeks of the season. 

YEAR IN YEAR OUT
This is the 14th straight season the Marauders have played the Wolves. NSU is one of five teams Mary has faced every season since beginning NCAA play in 2006. Bemidji State, Minnesota Crookston, MSU Moorhead and St. Cloud State are the other four teams. 

CROSSING PATHS
University of Mary athletic director Dale Lennon and Northern State head coach Tom Dosch have a long history. Dosch and Lennon were assistants together at the University of North Dakota in the mid 1990s. After leaving to coach the Marauders in 1997-98, Lennon returned as head coach at UND in 1999. With Dosch as an assistant, Lennon's teams won a NCAA Division II national title in 2001 and returned to the championship game in 2003. Dosch later joined Lennon's staff at NCAA FCS Southern Illinois before becoming the Wolves coach in 2010. 

ALL AROUND AWESOME
Danny Kittner has provided big plays all season for the Marauders in all facets of the game, perhaps none bigger than a 71 yard punt return for a touchdown in the homecoming win over Upper Iowa. Here are a few highlights and rankings for the sophomore wide receiver/kick returner:
1st in NSIC and 16th in NCAA Division II in All Purpose yards (152.2/game)
1st NSIC/8th nationally in combined punt/kick return yardage (635)
3rd in NSIC in kick return average (23.6)
1st NSIC/13th nationally in punt returns (13.9 yards/return)
6th in NSIC/73rd nationally in receiving yards (549)
6th NSIC/80th nationally in receiving yards/game (68.6)
10th NSIC/103rd nationally in receptions/game (4.3)
1st UMary player to post 100 yards receiving and 100 on returns in two consecutive NCAA games (5 catches for 136 yards and 1 TD receiving, two runs for 16 yards and five kick returns for 107 yards for 254 all purpose yards on 12 touches against Minot State; seven catches for 121 yards and a score, returned three punts for 35 yards and had two kick returns for 86 yards for 242 yards at MSU Moorhead)
1st UMary player with consecutive 200+ all purpose yards since All-NSIC WR Elby Pope in final four games of 2014
3 straight 100 yard receiving games (5-136-1 v Minot State, 7-121-1 at MSUM, 3-101-0 at USF), longest streak since Elby Pope in final four games of 2014
Kittner is also among the league leaders in explosive plays. He has six receptions of at least 34 yards. Kittner has three of the 18 longest kick returns in the NSIC this season plus two of the nine longest punt returns. 
Effort of 259 all-purpose yards against Minot State is the top mark in the NSIC this season. The 242 yards at MSU Moorhead ranks third. 

LOGAN'S RUN
Since UMary began playing NCAA competition in 2006, the Marauders have had eight runs of at least 60 yards and Logan Nelson owns two of them. The junior QB had a 72 yard run against UIU and 62 yards against Minot State. If you include his runs of 55 and 49 yards, Nelson has four of the top 15 runs- and he's only played in six games!

LOGAN'S RUN II
Marauders quarterbacks have run for over 100 yards four times in an NCAA game and Logan Nelson has two of them. He ran for 149 yards against Minot State and 129 against Upper Iowa. The other two: Colton Farmer ran for 175 at Minnesota Crookston in 2018 and Blair Sandy posted 111 against UMC in 2006.

LOGAN'S RUN THE TRILOGY
Becoming proficient at running and passing, Logan Nelson became the first UMary player to crack 100 yards rushing and 200 yards passing against Upper Iowa when he carried the ball for 129 yards and a score and passed for 205 and two touchdowns. Earlier this year he ran for 149 and three scored and passed for 179 and a score. 
BIG HITTER
Logan Nelson is 10th in the nation and 1st in the NSIC in yards gained per completion (15.6) and 27th and 2nd in yards per attempt (8.34)... the junior signal caller is 49th/2nd in points responsible for per game (13.0), 51st/2nd in passing efficiency (136.5), 65th/5th in total offense/game (208.5) and 73rd/5th in rushing TDs (6).

IMPORTED FROM ITALY
A native of Bergamo, Italy, Leonardo Vecchi joined the Marauders from Butte Community College and caught his second touchdown of the season for the Marauders against Upper Iowa. He also caught a scoring pass against Bemidji State. For the year he has 16 catches for 238 yards and two scores. 

TRIPLE THREAT
As a multi-purpose player who played a considerable amount at quarterback the previous couple seasons, Garrett Weissinger has ran for six touchdowns in his career and passed for seven. Against Upper Iowa the senior wide receiver caught his first touchdown pass, a 14 yard reception in the end zone from Logan Nelson. For the year the team captain has 18 catches for 213 yards and one TD.

LITTLE PLAYING BIG
Marauders All-NSIC wide receiver Luke Little is rounding into form as his health improves. The junior caught four passes for a season-high 84 yards and a 43 yard TD at #3 Minnesota State. He caught a touchdown for a second straight game against Wayne State and has a season line of 16-224-2 on the season. 

MR. FIXIT
A transfer from Northern Michigan University, junior Scott Tripp was used at linebacker, defensive back and on special teams before finding his way to running back. Tripp, whose dad played football for the Marauders in the 1990s, posted a season-best 91 yards against Wayne State. He ran for 58 yards and caught two passes at Sioux Falls before recording 86 yards and catching two passes for 29 yards in the homecoming win over Upper Iowa. For the year he has run for 264 yards and averages a team-best 5.5 yards/carry. 

YOUNGSTERS
Injuries to the offensive line have provided true freshmen Drake Lalim and Conner Paul the opportunity to play vital roles for the Marauders this season. Lalim has made seven starts at left tackle while Paul has started five times at right guard. Other true freshmen who have played this season include LB/DB Darrin Cotton Jr. and DB Damon Williamson. 

EXPLOSION
It's not a matter of if but when the Marauders will strike for a big play as UMary has generated several big plays on offense this season. QB Logan Nelson has been involved in 23 plays of 20+ yards, including four runs of 49+ yards and 18 pass completions...  Danny Kittner has nine catches of at least 20 yards... Breakdown by game: SCSU (2), BSU (3), Minot State (5), MSUM (5), USF (3), UIU (8), MSU (5), and WSC (6)... Here is a list of all 37 UMary plays over 20 yards:
72 yards - Logan Nelson run vs. UIU
62 yards - Logan Nelson run vs. Minot State (TD)
56 yards - Kade Lynch catch from Logan Nelson vs. SCSU (TD)
55 yards - Logan Nelson run vs. Minot State (TD)
49 yards - Logan Nelson run vs. UIU (TD) 
49 yards - Scott Tripp run at Sioux Falls
48 yards - Danny Kittner catch from Logan Nelson vs. Minot State
47 yards - Danny Kittner catch from Avery Gould at Sioux Falls
46 yards - Danny Kittner catch from Logan Nelson vs. Minot St. (TD)
44 yards - Danny Kittner catch from Avery Gould at Sioux Falls
43 yards - Luke Little catch from Avery Gould at MSU (TD)
43 yards - Leonardo Vecchi catch from Logan Nelson vs. WSC 
42 yards - Danny Kittner catch from Jordan Velarde at MSUM
40 yards - Leonardo Vecchi catch from Logan Nelson at BSU (TD)
39 yards - Leonardo Vecchi catch from Logan Nelson vs. SCSU
34 yards - Danny Kittner catch from Jordan Velarde at MSUM
32 yards - Bryan Lumsden run vs. Minot State
32 yards - Kade Lynch catch from Logan Nelson at Bemidji State
30 yards - Garrett Weissinger catch from Logan Nelson vs. UIU
30 yards - Garrett Weissinger catch from Logan Nelson at MSU 
29 yards - Scott Tripp catch from Logan Nelson vs. UIU
28 yards - Brandon McFarlane catch from Logan Nelson vs. WSC
27 yards - Danny Kittner catch from Logan Nelson vs. WSC 
27 yards - Logan Nelson run vs. WSC (TD) 
27 yards - Luke Little catch from Logan Nelson vs. UIU
25 yards - Scott Tripp run vs. UIU 
25 yards - Luke Little catch from Logan Nelson vs. UIU
25 yards - Avery Gould run at MSU
24 yards - Luke Little catch from Avery Gould at MSU
21 yards - Scott Tripp run vs. WSC
21 yards - Garrett Weissinger catch from Jordan Velarde at MSUM
21 yards - Kade Lynch catch from Jordan Velarde at MSU Moorhead 
20 yards - Jaden Andresen catch from Logan Nelson at Bemidji State
20 yards - Garrett Weissinger catch from Jordan Velarde at MSUM
20 yards - Leonardo Vecchi catch from Logan Nelson vs. UIU
20 yards - Danny Kittner catch from Logan Nelson at MSU
20 yards - Danny Kittner catch from Logan Nelson vs. WSC

BIG RETURNS
Marquell Evans and Danny Kittner have formed an impressive kick return duo for the Marauders this season. UMary is 4th in the NSIC and 46th nationally, averaging 22.3 yards/return. Evans averages 24.8 yards a return. Kittner averages 23.6 yards/return to rank 3rd in the NSIC. 

ON THE SPOT
Sr. LB Paul Guptill is the 6th leading tackler in the Northern Sun. The former Marauders fullback is averages 7.9 tackles per game. For the season he has 63 tackles (25 solo) and 7.5 tackles for loss while forcing two fumbles... Several Marauders are among the NSIC leaders in tackles per game. After nine tackles - including a sack - and an interception against Wayne State DB Richard Bendish ranks 10th (7.3), Jr. LB Dylan Anthony is 19th (6.4) and Sr. DL Cyrano Rayfield is 17th (6.6)... Taylor Morrison is 25th in the NSIC in sacks with 2.0.  

BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Paul Guptill and Isaiah Hubbard are tied for 17th in the NSIC in tackles for loss with 7.5 each. 

RANGING NEAR AND FAR 
Jr. DB Richard Bendish posted both an interception and a sack against Wayne State College. He also had nine tackles in the game. The sack was his career first and the interception was his second. 

FOURTH DOWN AND 2 NUMBERS TO KNOW
152 Danny Kittner ranks 16th in NCAA Division II and first in the NSIC in all purpose yardage (rushing, receiving and return) at 152 yards/game 

32 This is the 32nd  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. 

37 UMary owns 31 plays of 20 or more yards on offense this season

14 This is the Marauders 14th season competing in the NSIC and NCAA Division II

15 The Marauders offense owns 15 plays of 39 or more yards

5.5 After spending time at linebacker and defensive back this year, Scott Tripp started at running back last week and averages a team-best 5.5 yards/carry

HEAD COACHES
In his second season as UMary head coach Craig Bagnell was the youngest head coach in the NCAA in 2018 at age 28. The 2013 University of Mary graduate started his coaching career at Bemidji State in 2014 as a graduate assistant working with receivers. The next season he moved to offensive coordinator where he led a potent Beavers attack the last three years that featured creativity, balance and big plays. A four-year starter at quarterback for the Marauders, Bagnell was a two-time all-conference selection and UMary's all-time career leader in touchdown passes (75) and passing yardage (9,170). He was named head coach at his alma mater in Dec. 2017... Tom Dosch is in his ninth season as head coach of Northern State University and is the school's 26th head football coach. He has a 45-51 record with the Wolves. Dosch was the 2014 NSIC Coach of the Year and has led Northern State to consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 2004-05. A 1992 Dickinson State University graduate, he began his coaching career at DSU and is a member of the Blue Hawks Hall of Fame. He coached ten seasons at the University of North Dakota before becoming a head coach at Jamestown College and posting a record of 25-17 with two NAIA playoff appearances. After two seasons as an assistant at Southern Illinois for Dosch was named the NSU head coach prior to the 2010 season. 

THE MARAUDERS-WOLVES SERIES HISTORY: Despite the fact NSU was virtually Mary's closest rival prior to Minot State University joining the Northern Sun, the first two meetings took place at the Metrodome... 2006 Mary captured the first contest between the two schools 20-7 as Justin Fleck scored two touchdowns while the Wolves were limited to 27 yards rushing... 2007 The Marauders cruised past the Wolves 37-13 behind two Mike Williams scores and 418 yards passing by Blair Sandy... 2008 Played at NSU, a Jesse Kozak to Allen Merrill TD in the closing seconds of regulation set up a walk-off overtime TD by Jamal Lomax in a 34-31 Marauders win. Erik Kruse caught a school-record 13 passes for 110 yards, Lomax ran for 114 yards and Kozak passed for 298 yards... 2009 In the first game played in Bismarck, ND, Lomax ran for a school record 248 yards - including 146 in the 4th quarter - and scored the winning TD with 11 minutes to play in a 20-16 UMary win... 2010 Lomax ran for 105 yards and 3 TDs and Tyler Steffan caught 10 passes for 222 yards and one TD to earn NSIC Offensive Player of the Week honors in a 48-3 Marauders win. Craig Bagnell passed for 281 yards and 3 TDs. UMary intercepted four passes...  2011 Josh Murray ran for 163 yards and scored 3 TDs and Craig Bagnell threw for 232 yards and 1 TD but NSU scored the final 10 points in  39-36 Wolves win. Felipe Alfaia converted a game-winning 35-yard field goal as time expired. Wolves... 2012 UMary led 14-3 before NSU scored 55 straight points in a 65-17 Wolves win. Elby Pope had 7 catches for 109 yards and 1 TD, Bagnell passed for 201 yards and 2 TDs and Mikey Ingemansen had two sacks. Jared Jacobson threw for 422 yards and three TDs for NSU... 2013 Vince Ferrante ran for 124 yards and two TDs, Bagnell was 25-of-36 for 282 yards with 2 TDs and Elby Pope and Nick Jolliffe caught TD passes in a 28-14 UMary win... 2014 Three times UMary pulled within a point three times in a 42-33 home loss. Jake East had 9 catches for 174 yards and 1 TD, Elby Pope caught 11 for 129 yards and Zach Roberson was 29-of-46 passes for 409 yards and 2 TDs with another one rushing. Jacobson earned NSIC Offensive Player of the Week honors after running for 84 yards and 2 TDs and passed for 418 yards and 3 TDs... 2015 UMary committed five turnovers in a 37-0 loss. Caleb Buck was 30-of-50 passing for 203 yards with Zack Graves catching 11 passes for 89 yards for UMary. Kayle Lavand passed for 233 yards and 1 TD for NSU... 2016  Nick McCann came off the bench to pass for 147 yards and hit Harvey Mollman for a 56 yard TD in a 52-7 road loss to the Wolves. Cristian McAlvain ran for two scores and passed for two more to lead the Wolves. 2017 Garrett Weissinger ran for 56 yards and 2 TDs and passed for 132 yards and a TD in the Marauders 66-21 loss to NSU. Nicholas Truen ran for 204 yards and three scores for the Wolves... 2018 Luke Little caught two TD passes from Jason Hoekstra - including a 75 yarder on the first play of the game - and Colton Farmer had a 39 yard TD catch from Hoekstra before visiting Northern State scored 12 points in the 4th quarter to rally for a 28-23 win over the Marauders. Hoekstra threw for 281 yards and 3 TDs. Little had 8 catches for 162 yards and 2 TDs. Hunter Trautman passed for 333 yards and 3 TDs for NSU. 

PAST MARAUDERS-WOLVES MEETINGS (NSU leads series 7-6)
2006        Mary 20                 Northern State   6                Metrodome
2007        Mary 37                 Northern State 13                Metrodome
2008        Mary 34                 Northern State 31 OT            Aberdeen, SD
2009        Mary 20                 Northern State 16                Bismarck, ND
2010        Mary 48                 Northern State   3                Bismarck, ND
2011        Northern State 39     Mary 36                                Aberdeen, SD
2012        Northern State 65     Mary 17                                Bismarck, ND  
2013        Mary 28                    Northern State 14                Aberdeen, SD
2014        Northern State 42    Mary 33                                Bismarck, ND
2015        Northern State 37    Mary 0                                Aberdeen, SD
2016         Northern State 52     Mary 7                                Bismarck, ND
2017        Northern State 66    Mary 21                                Aberdeen, SD
2018        Northern State 28    Mary 23                                Bismarck, ND

QUICK LOOK AT THE NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY WOLVES
The Wolves are looking for their home win of the season, winning four times on the road and lossing four at home. Facing a tough home schedule, Northern State has hosted nationally ranked Minnesota State, a Sioux Falls team receiving votes nationally, and Bemidji State and MSU Moorhead. Five Wolves games were decided by a touchdown or less wth NSU winning three times... NSU averages just 16.4 points/game but allows only 25.8 ppg and is #1 in turnovers to rank 6th in the NSIC... Hunter Trautman has passed for 1,573 yards and 7 TDs and has run for 4 TDs... Isaiah Cherrier leads the ground game with 479 yards and 3 TDs... Dakota Larson has 42 catches for 624 yards and 3 TDs... Preston Droessler owns 43 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 pass breakups and 3 forced fumbles... Chase Tieken has 5.5 tackles for loss and 2 fumble recoveries... Landon Hoellein also has 5.5 TFL.

LAST TIME OUT
On a day featuring steady wins of at least 25 MPH, the Marauers suffered a narrow 26-23 loss to visiting Wayne State College that featured six lead changes... UMary held a 10-9 halftime lead on a 27 yard Logan Nelson TD run and a 30 yard Brody Riggs filed goal. A Brandon McFarlane 17 yard touchdown catch from Nelson increased the UMary lead to 16-9. After WSC grabbed a 19-16 lead keyed by a blocked punt and a UMary turnover, the Marauders forged ahead 23-19 on a Luke Little 6 yard TD pass from Nelson in the 4th quarter. The Wildcats scored the winning points on a Devin Merkuris 41 yard TD run with 7:12 left in the game. UMary had a chance to pull even but a turnover at the WSC 30 ended the Marauders hopes... Scott Tripp ran for 91 yards and Bryan Lumsden added 35 as UMary posted 149 of the team's 332 yards of offense on the ground. Nelson threw for 2 TDs and 183 yard and ran for a score. Little had three catches for 24 yards and a score, Vecchi two for 53 yards, Kittner two for 47 yards and McFarlane two for 45 yards and a touchdown. Richard Bendish posted nine tackles and had a sack and an interception.