THIS WEEK
The University of Mary football team opens the 2022 season at home when the Marauders host Wayne State College on Saturday, September 3. Kickoff in the Northern Sun contest between the Marauders and the visiting Wildcats is slated for 5:30 pm at the MDU Resources Community Bowl.

THE RECORDS/LAST WEEK
The Marauders finished the 2021 season 4-7 overall and in the NSIC (12th place) and 3-3 in the NSIC North Division (3rd)... Wayne State College finished 7-4 overall/NSIC (5th) and 3-3 in the NSIC South (3rd).  

FOLLOW LIVE 
Voice of the Marauders Jesse Rostvedt and former UMary athletic director and Hall of Fame football coach Roger Thomas team up to broadcast Marauders games on KFYR 550 AM. The game is also streamed online at www.kfyr.com.
Free video streaming of Marauders home and Northern Sun games is available  https://nsicnetwork.com/goumary and at www.GoUMary.com/coverage  
Live stats for Saturday's games are available online at www.GoUMary.com/coverage 

MARAUDERS-BEAVERS SERIES HISTORY
This is the 11th meeting between the Marauders and the Wildcats
WSC leads the series 9-1
UMary is 0-4 at home and 1-5 at WSC
This is the 2nd straight season the Marauders and Wildcats play each other in the season opener
Wayne State has won four straight games
The Wildcats jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the 2021 season opener before the Marauders scored 27 of the next 34 points in a 34-27 WSC win
Danny Kittner caught 17 passes for 202 yards and 2 TDs in the 2021 game, setting a program record for catches he later broke in the season finale

GAME DAY TIME LINE
1:30 pm |     Tailgating commences in the MDU Resources Community Bowl north                                 parking lot
3:10 pm |     The Marauders enter the stadium through the Prairie Farms Dairy 
                    Marauders Alley tailgate area
4:30 pm |     Ticket gamets open, Marauders Bay beer garden hosted by Laughing     
                    Sun Brewing Co. opens inside stadium
5:23 pm |     Marauders take the field
5:30 pm |     Kickoff!

TICKETING FAQs
Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online at www.umarytickets.com or via the HomeTown Fan App for iOS and Android mobile devices
Save money by purchasing tickets online
$5 discount (minus fees) on tickets purchased online vs. purchases at the gate
Tickets purchased at the gate are CASH ONLY transactions | ATMs are located near the main ticketing gates for Marauders home game
Debit and credit card purchases are online only at www.umarytickets.com or via the HomeTown Fan App
UMary students and faculty and staff with their MCard are admitted FREE
Youth 12 and younger with an adult are admitted FREE
Any youth 12 and under unaccompanied by an adult are charged a $5 admission fee at the gate (cash only)
All ticket sales are FINAL at time of purchase, whether online or at the gate
 
MARAUDERS FOOTBALL HOME GAME TICKET PRICES
Adults | $15 + fees online and $20 (CASH ONLY) at the gate
Seniors (65+) and youth 13-18 | $7.50 + fees online and $10 (CASH ONLY) at the gate
Children 12 and under accompanied by an adult | Free
Children 12 and under with no adult present| $5

QUICK HITTER STORY LINES
UMary returns nine starters on offense from a team that led NCAA DIvision II in passing in 2021 at 358.5 yards/game
Unanimous All-American WR Danny Kittner and fellow All-American QB Logan Nelson set numerous team and conference records last season
All-NSIC RB Dave Small Jr. is also back, along with four starting offensive linemen
Defensively seven starters return, led by 1st team All-NSIC North CB Ty'Rese Gibson
Overall UMary returns 67 players from last fall and 70 from spring ball
Nearly 50 returning Marauders have seen game action for UMary
The Marauders four wins last season doubled their win total from 2019
The four wins is the most for UMary since posting five in 2014
UMary scored 40+ points five times, just missing the program record of six in both 1995 and 2000
UMary narrowly missed picking up a couple more wins. Three of the Marauders 2021 losses were by 7 or fewer points and the Marauders held three 4th quarter leads in losses. 
Wayne State College is led by 1st year head coach Logan Masters

KITTNER EARNS PRESEASON HONORS
Senior WR Danny Kittner has earned several preseason accolades after earning unanimous All-American honors in 2021:
Lindy's College Football Preview 1st team preseason All-American
D2Football.com Elite 100 1st team
East West Shrine Bowl 1000
NSIC 2022 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

NELSON NAMED TO PRESEASON ELITE 100
All-American senior QB Logan Neson was named to the 2022 D2Football.com Elite 100 team. The Billings, MT, native threw for 3,732 yards and 41 touchdowns while tossing just six interceptions and completing 65% of his passes. The NSIC North 1st team quarterback set single season UMary and NSIC records for passing yards while the scoring passes are a Marauders record... Twice he threw six touchdowns in a single game to tie the school record... He earned Don Hansen All-American honorable mention honors and D2Football.com Elite 100 team in 2021. 

TY'RESE GIBSON NAMED NSIC PLAYER TO WATCH
1st team All-NSIC North Division CB Ty'Rese Gibson was named the Marauders Defensive Player to Watch in 2022 in the conference preseason coaches' poll. A junior from Los Angeles, CA, Gibson picked off a team-leading two passes for 51 return yards. Both his interceptions led to points for UMary. He also broke up five passes and made 29 tackles (22 solo). Gibson also earned NSIC All-Academic Team honors.

KITTNER BY THE NUMBERS
Danny Kittner posted one of the all-time great seasons by a wide receiver in 2021. Here's a look at some of the numbers:
128 receptions for 1,723 yards (UMary and NSIC records)
Led all NCAA divisions in catches and yards
Scored 18 TDs (3rd most in NCAA D2)
Caught 19 passes for 284 yards and 4 TDs in season finale at Bemidji State (UMary and NSIC record for catches | UMary record for yards | tied UMary record for TD catches in single game | 12th best NCAA total for catches in single game) 
All purpose yards single game team record v. Winona State (284)
NCAA All-time single season rankings - 3rd most catches, 5th in receiving yards, 5th in catches/game (11.6), 6th in receiving yards/game (156.6)
Eclipsed 100 yards receiving in 9 of 11 games
Eclipsed 200 yards receiving 3 times
Caught a touchdown in nine games
Scored multiple TDs in five games
Led NCAA D2 in all purpose yards (204.6 yards/game)

RANDOM KITTNER TIDBITS | 2021 VERSION
Holds for extra points and field goals
Scored a 2-point conversion in 2021
Recovered an onside kick
Completed 2-of-4 passes for 73 yard

KITTNER HONORS | 2021
NDAPSSA College Male Athlete of the Year
Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America 1st team
D2Football.com Elite 100 1st team
The College Football Network 2021 TCFBN All-American D-2 1st Team
Associate Press All-America 1st team
AFCA All-American 1st team
D2CCA All-American 1st team
D2CCA Super Region 4 Offensive Player of the Year
D2CCA Super Region 4 1st team
Northern Sun Offensive Player of the Year
All-Northern Sun North Division 1st team

LOGAN NELSON 2021 POST SEASON HONORS
Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America honorable mention team
D2Football.com Elite 100 squad
D2CCA All-Region 4 1st team
All-Northern Sun North Division 1st team

UMARY 2021 NCAA TOP 30 RANKINGS | TEAM
#1 Passing yards/game | 356.6
#5 Red Zone Offfense | 0.925
#6 Fumbles lost | 3
#7 Turnovers lost | 7
#10 Team Passing Efficiency | 162.66
#12 completion percentage | 0.646
#15 Total Offense | 454.5 YPG
#22 Time of possession | 32:15
#28 scoring offense | 34.7 ppg

UMARY 2021 NCAA TOP 30 RANKINGS | INDIVIDUAL
#1 Receptions/game | Danny Kittner 11.6
#1 All- Purpose Yards | Danny Kittner 204.64
#1 Receiving Yards | Danny Kittner 1,723
#1 Receiving yards/game | Danny Kittner 156.6
#2 Receiving TDs | Danny Kitttner 18
#9 scoring/game | Danny Kittner 10.0
#10 total TDs | Danny Kitttner 18
#1 Passing Yards per game | Logan Nelson 337.5 (team record)
#3 passing touchdowns | Logan Nelson 41 (team record)
#3 Passing Yards | Logan Nelson 3,712 (team record)
#3 Total Offense | Logan Nelson | 338.8
#5 Points responsible for | Logan Nelson 264
#6 Completions per game | Logan Nelson 25.82
#10 Passing Efficiency | Logan Nelson 163.7
#12 completion Percantage | Logan Nelson .648
#1 Receiving TDs | Luke Little 20 (team record)
#5 Receiving Yards/game | Luke Little 114.7
#6 Receiving Yards | Luke Little 1,262
#7 Receptions/game | Luke Little 7.5
#7 Total TDs | Luke Little | 20
#8 Scoring/game | Luke Little 10.9

UMARY RECORDS
Here are team records broken in 2021:
Game
Receptions - 19 Danny Kittner at Bemidji State 11/13/21
Receiving Yards - 284 Danny Kittner at Bemidji State 11/13/21
All Purpose yardage - 378 Danny Kittner v Winona State 9/25/21
Touchdown passes in a game – 6 by Logan Nelson at Northern State 10/2/21 and at Bemidji State 11/13/21 (tied record by Paul Cronin (1994) and Zach Roberson (2x in 2014)

Season
Receptions - 128 by Danny Kittner (80 Seth Meier 1999)
Receiving Yards - 1,723 by Danny Kittner (1,208 Neil MacDannald 1996)
Yards passing in a season – 3,732 by Logan Nelson (2,935 by Paul Cronin in 1994)
Yards passing in a season by team - 3,9433 (3,164 in 2014
Touchdown passes in a season - 41 by Logan Nelson (32 by Paul Cronin 1995)
Touchdown passes in a season by team 43 (32 in 1995)
Touchdown receptions – 20 by Luke Little (17 by Tyler Steffan in 2011)
Pass completions 283 Logan Nelson (254 Craig Bagnell 2013)
Pass completions - Team 297 (277 in 2013)
Pass Attempts - Logan Nelson 436 (428 by Craig Bagnell 2013)
Pass Attempts - team 405 (465 in 2013)
Passing yards per game - team 356.6 (287.7 yards/game 2014)

NSIC RECORDS BROKEN
Single season receptions - 128 by Danny Kittner
Single season receiving yards - 1,723 by Danny Kittner 
SIngle season passing yards - 3,732 Logan Nelson

2022 NSIC MARAUDERS PREVIEW
University of Mary wide receiver Danny Kittner, a unanimous All-American after a record-shattering performance last fall, is the 2022 Northern Sun North Division Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
 
A senior from Gilbert, AZ, Kittner is the NSIC's reigning Offensive Player of the Year after catching 128 passes for 1,723 yards and 18 touchdowns. He led all four levels of NCAA football in catches and receiving yards and was third in touchdowns. Kittner became the first UMary player to earn league offensive player of the year honors and is now the Marauders first NSIC preseason offensive player of the year.
 
After doubling the program's win total last season behind the top passing attack in NCAA Division II, the Marauders are picked to finish fourth in the Northern Sun North Division and 10th overall in the 14-team league in the 2022 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
The Marauders finished last season tied for 3rd in the NSIC North with a record of 3-3. Overall UMary placed 10th with a mark of 4-7. The Marauders also held 4th quarter leads in three of their losses.
 
With nine starters back on offense and seven on defense, the Marauders are poised for further improvement under Bagnell's direction.
 
"We have more experience returning on both sides of the ball than we ever have," said Bagnell." "Offensively we will have nine returning starters and defensively we will have seven returners. We have had a very large group training together over the summer and made some big strides as a program over the spring. Our guys are hungry to keep getting better and to keep moving our program forward."           
 
All-American quarterback Logan Nelson is back to direct the Marauders potent attack. UMary led the nation in passing with 356.6 yards/game as the senior threw for 3,732 yards and 41 touchdowns while tossing just six interceptions and completing 65% of his passe. The NSIC North 1st team quarterback set single season UMary and NSIC records for passing yards while the scoring passes are a Marauders record. Entering their 3rd year as starters, juniors Drake Lalim and Conner Paul lead a veteran offensive line. All-NSIC 2nd team RB Dave Small Jr. ran for 95 yards or more in a game six times and keys the ground attack. He finished with 795 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
 
Ty'Rese Gibson is the Marauders 2022 NSIC Defensive Player to Watch after earning All-NSIC North 1st Team honors in his first season at UMary. A junior from Los Angeles, CA, Gibson picked off a team-leading two passes for 51 return yards. Both his interceptions led to points for UMary. He also broke up five passes and made 29 tackles (22 solo). Gibson also earned NSIC All-Academic Team honors.
 
Joining Ty'Rese Gibson in a talented backfield for the Marauders defense is twin brother Ty'Rhae Gibson. Starting at the corner spot opposite Ty'Rese, Ty'Rhae Gibson broke up a team-best eight passes and made 22 tackles. He returned his lone interception for a touchdown. At safety, Tylen Small also made an immediate impact in his first season on the field with the Marauders. Small led UMary with 72 tackles (53 solo) and added two stops behind the line.
 
Senior linebackers Nate Eschleman (47 tackles), Devyn Charles (40 tackles) and Devin Beck (31 tackles) provide big play capability in the middle of the field for the Marauders. Sophomore Tanner Vaughan looks to grow into a force on the defensive line after demonstrating the ability to rush the passer (2.5 sacks) and stop the run. 


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