THIS WEEK
After playing their home opener last weekend, the University of Mary football team heads south to take on Northern State University in week three of the 2023 season. Playing under the lights in the latest start of the year for UMary, kickoff is set for 6 pm between the Marauders and the Wolves at Dakotah Bank Stadium in Aberdeen, SD.  
 
THE RECORDS/LAST WEEK
The Marauders (0-2 overall/NSIC) and the Wolves (0-2 overall/NSIC) are both searching for their first win of the season after each team has opened the season with a pair of losses… Last Saturday UMary dropped a 36-17 decision to visiting Sioux Falls… Northern State suffered a 41-21 loss to #RV Minnesota Duluth in the Wolves home opener.
 
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 at 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-WOLVES SERIES HISTORY

• This is the 17th meeting between the Marauders and the Wolves
• The series is tied 8-8
• UMary has won the last two games. Both games came down to the wire; 49-42 at NSU in 2021 and 27-26 last season at UMary in overtime.
• UMary won the first 5 games in the series, including the first two contests that were played in the HHH Metrodome
• The Marauders broke the Wolves 6-game win streak in October 2021 in Aberdeen with a 49-42 UMary win. Logan Nelson threw for 456 yards and a school record-tying 6 TDs. And for what is believed the first time in school history the Marauders had three players with 100+ yards receiving - Danny Kittner, Luke Little and Jaden Andresen.
• In 2022, UMary came back from a 14-0 deficit as Jesse Forkell threw for 264 yards and three TDs in his first collegiate start. Two of the touchdowns were caught by Collin Gapen. Gapen's 1^st TD tied the game in the 4^th quarter. In OT, trailing 26-20 and facing a 2^nd and 6 from the NSU 21, Forknell split out wide left. All-American WR Danny Kittner carried on an end around before flipping the ball to Forknell. The sophomore QB lofted a perfect pass in the back right corner of the end zone to pull even. With a win in sight, a perfect snap by Josh Zakavec to the holder Kittner was followed by a flawless kick through the uprights by Kevin Powell, setting off a wild celebration for the Marauders.
• Both Nelson and Forknell were named NSIC Offensive Players of the Week for their exploits in the win
• Memorable Marauders performances against the Wolves: Blair Sandy (2007) passed for 418 yards and 4 TDs in a 37-13 win… Jamal Lomax (2008) had a walk off 13 yard TD run in 34-31 overtime win… Jamal Lomax (2009) ran for 248 yards rushing in 20-16 win… Tyler Steffen (2010) caught  10 passes for 222 and 1 TD and Jamax Lomax ran for 3 TD in 48-3 win… Luke Little (2018) had 8 catches for 162 yards and 2 TDs in a 28-23 loss.
• UMary is 3-4 at home, 3-4 at Aberdeen and 2-0 in neutral site games vs. NSU

 
QUICK HITTERS

• Both the Marauders and the Wolves are looking for their first wins of the 2023 season
• The Marauders have won the last two meetings with the Wolves (49-42 in 2021, 27-26 in 2022)
• The Marauders won the turnover battle in each of the first two games and are +1.0 per game (36^th in NCAA DII, 2nd in the NSIC)
• UMary is completing 71.7% of their passes to rank 9^th nationally and 1^st in the NSIC
• UMary ranks 19^th nationally in fewest penalties / game (4.50) and 28^th in fewest penalty yards / game (4.50)
• The Marauders will have six home games for a second straight year
• Five of the Marauders last eight games will be played on home turf at the MDU Resources Community Bowl
• UMary 1^st year head coach Shann Schillinger made his home coaching debut last weekend against Sioux Falls

 
WEEK 2 REWIND | UMary 17 Sioux Falls 38

• QB Jesse Forknell and WR Traivon Dyson connected for a pair of 4^th quarter TDs
• Kevin Powell hit a 29 yard field goal and two extra points for the Marauders other points
• UMary recovered two fumbles to win the turnover battle for the second straight game (2-1)
• The Marauders committed just two penalties for 20 yards
• Sofian Massoud (18-of-25 for 161 yards) and Jesse Forknell (8-14-108) combined to complete 26 of 40 passes for 269 yards and two TDs
• Mujeeb Rufai led the Marauders in receiving for a second straight game with 12 catches for 92 yards
• Traivon Dyson had 6 catches for 88 yards and 2 TDs, all career-highs
• Luke Bodine made 5 grabs for 72 yards
• LB Mason Phillips posted 2.0 sacks, forced a fumble and made 7 tackles (4 solo) to earn NDPF Player of the Game honors
• Eli Heinrich and Jason Stoddard were both credited with fumble recoveries
• Shann Schillinger made his home field head coaching debut for the Marauders
• Andrew Trandahl led the Marauders with 28 yards rushing in his first collegiate game
• Mujeeb Rifai led the Marauders with five catches for 52 yards, including a one-handed catch for 18 yards and a touchdown
• Traivon Dyson added five catches for 46 yards with a long of 17 yards
• Reginald Morrow paced UMary with seven tackles (five solo) with .5 for loss
• Jacob Petry and Joe Terry both had tackles for loss

 
COMPLETE!
The Marauders rank 9^th in NCAA Division II in completion percentage at 71.7%. Siofian Massoud ranks 4^th nationally in the individual rankings with a completion rate of 76.3%. He is 29-of-38 for 253 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Jesse Forknell is completing 66.7% of his attempts, going 14-for-21 for 160 yards and 2 TDs.
 
FUMBLE!
The Marauders have recovered three fumbles this season – including two against the Cougars – to rank 10^th in the nation.
 
TURNOVERS
UMary has captured the turnover battle in each of the first two games. The Marauders took the ball away twice in each game while committing just one themselves each time out. At +1.0 turnovers a game, the Marauders rank 36^th in the country and 2^nd in the NSIC.
 
SACKED
With a pair of sacks against Sioux Falls, LB Mason Phillips ranks 3^rd in the NSIC and 23^rd in the nation at 1.0 sacks/game. He leads the Marauders this season in sacks (2.0) and tackles for loss (2.5) and is second in tackles (12). The sophomore also posted a pair of sacks last season and has 4.0 for his career.   
 
CAUGHT
Mujeeb Rufai has made an immediate impact in the Marauders passing game. A transfer from the University of Idaho, the junior from Portland, OR, has 17 catches for 144 yards and a TD. Rufai had 12 catches for 88 yards in his home debut against Sioux Falls.
 
SCORE
Traivon Dyson caught a pair of touchdown passes in the Marauders home opener against the Cougars. The sophomore from Las Vegas, NV, hauled in a career-best six catches for 88 yards. Over the course of two games Dyson owns 11 catches for team-highs 134 yards and two TDs. As a freshman in 2022 he caught three passes for 40 yards and a TD.
 
EXPERIENCE UP FRONT
The Marauders offensive line is the most experienced starting group, featuring five players who have seen an impressive amount of action. Seniors Drake Lalim (LT) and Conner Paul (G) are four-year starters, keying the Marauders line play since their freshmen season in 2019. Melvin Hudson is a three-year starter at right tackle, moving into the lineup as a freshman. Mika Fuamatu, a junior, saw limited action at guard as a freshman before moving into the lineup last year as a sophomore. Bismarck native Carter Smith earned multiple starts at guard last season as a freshman.
 
FAMILY MATTERS
Ryan Woroniecki's older brother Adam also played football for the Marauders… Cameron Brusven and Karsyn Jablonski are 2^nd generation Marauders as both of their father's played at UMary played football for the Marauders.
 
CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN
Seniors Drake Lalim and Ryan Woroniecki are the 2023 team captains. Lalim is entering his 4^th year starting at left tackle for UMary and is a native of Saint Stephen, Minn. A linebacker, Woroniecki hails from Hebron, ND, and competed for Richardton-Taylor HS… The Marauders will also select two scholar-athletes to serve as gameday captains each week.
 
2023 NUMBERS

• 33 Senior captain and left tackle Drake Lalim has started 33 straight games for the Marauders since moving into the lineup the third game of his freshman season in 2019 and has played 35 straight games
• 30 Senior guard Conner Paul has started 30 games in his Marauders career. His string of 28 straight was interrupted by injury late last season.   
• 24 Junior Melvin Hudson has the 2^nd longest starting streak on the Marauders with 24, starting every game at right tackle since his freshman year in 2021
• 24 WR Collin Gapen and K/P Kevin Powell have also played in 24 straight for the Marauders. Close behind is Luke Bodine (23) and Jakob Petry (22)
• 11 Marauders made their starting debuts for UMary in the opener at Augustana, including seven on defense
• 6 starters made their Marauers debut against Augustana, including a pair of true freshmen – RB Andrew Trandahl and OL/TE Henri Supenski
• 30 Marauders saw their first-ever action at UMary in the opener, including seven true freshmen and 10 redshirt freshmen
• 50 Marauders return 50 from last season
• 16 returners have started one or more games for UMary and 32 have taken to the field for the Marauders
• 9 seniors, 19 juniors, 15 sophomores, 17 redshirt freshmen and 31 true freshmen

 
THEY'RE BACK
Among starters returning on defense are DL Grant Collins, DL Caden Green and LB Mason Phillips. Offensive returning starters include offensive linemen Drake Lalim, Conner Paul, Melvin Hudson, Carter Smith and Mika Fuamata, TE Luke Bodine and WRs Collin Gapen, Traivon Dyson and Jaxon Young… JR QB Jesse Forknell started two games in 2022, both Marauders wins. He earned NSIC Offensive Player of the Week honors for delivering an overtime win over Northern State. 
 
NSIC CHANGES
In 2023, Northern Sun football will consist of 13 teams with each team playing 10 conference games over an 11-week schedule. The NSIC will award an overall champion based on win percentage over the 10 NSIC contests. Ties will not be broken for the overall champions. This is the first time since 2010 NSIC teams will not play 11 conference contests. There are no North or South divisions for the first time since 2007, the first season the Marauders officially competed in the NSIC… The Marauders will take advantage of the open weekend in the conference schedule to host Davenport University in a nonconference contest on October 21, providing the Marauders six home dates with five road games in 2023.
 
LALIM NAMED MARAUDERS NSIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH
A senior from Saint Stephen, MN, Drake Lalim has anchored the Marauders offensive line at left tackle since he was a true freshman. After serving as a reserve his first two collegiate games, he moved into a starting role in his third game and has started 32 straight games for the Marauders. Lalim, a team captain since his sophomore year, earned All-NSIC honorable mention selection as freshman in 2019 and protected the Marauders quarterback's blind side as UMary led the nation in passing in 2021. He is also an NSIC all-academic team member.
 
COLLINS NAMED MARAUDERS NSIC DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH
Grant Collins moved into a starting spot on the defensive line last season as a sophomore after playing a key role on the line as a redshirt freshman in 2021. Now a junior, he native of Peoria, AZ, started all 11 games in 2022 and recorded 24 tackles. He had 2.5 tackles for loss – including a sack – and recovered a fumble. An NSIC All-Academic Team selection last fall, Collins set a career-high for tackles with five in the Marauders home win in overtime against Northern State.
 
MARAUDERS FOOTBALL QUICK FACTS
History | 35th varsity season (JV season 1987, varsity 1988)
Record - overall (through 2022) | 189-172-1
Record - conference | 130-137
Record - postseason | 6-10
Playoff appearances | 9 (1993, '95, '96, '98, '99, '00, 01, '02, '03)
Conference Titles | 7 (1992, '96, '98, '99, '01, '02, '04)
Home Field (capacity) | MDU Resources Community Bowl (7,000)
Surface | FieldTurf
 
FOOTBALL STAFF
Head Coach | Shann Schillinger, 1^st year (Montana)
Offensive Coordinator | David Schramm, 1^st year
Defensive Coordinator | Ben Davis, 9th year (MacMurray, '11)
Offensive Line | Mark Martin, 5th season (St. Cloud St., '01)
Wide Receivers | Jack Neuheisel, 1^st year
Special Teams/Safeties | Van Cooper, 1^st year
Tight Ends | Tom Johnson, 2^nd year (UMary, '17)
Running Backs | Markell Pete, 1^st year
Secondary | Jayden Dawson, 1^st year
 
Head Athletic Trainer | Rhonda Olson
Strength Coach | Michael Silbernagel
Asst. Strength Coach | Danielle Mize
Equipment Manager | Wayne Norman
Chaplain | Father Jarad Wolf
 
SHANN SCHILLINGER – YEAR 1 LEADING THE MARAUDERS
Former NFL player and Baker, MT, native Shann Schillinger leads the Marauders onto the field for the first time in front of the home fans on Saturday when UMary hosts the University of Sioux Falls in week two of the 2023 season. A former star at the University of Montana and the 8^th head coach in UMary program history, Schillinger has coached in both the NCAA Division I Big Ten and Big Sky conferences and is a Montana Football Hall of Fame inductee.
 
Winning is a common theme throughout Schillinger's career. Between high school and college Schillinger's teams posted 100 victories and only seven defeats. A team captain, Schillinger won three state titles during his four years at Baker HS (2001-04) as quarterback and defensive back while coached by his uncle Don Schillinger, one of the winningest prep coaches in Montana history.
 
Dubbed "the fastest man from Baker, MT," his accolades made him a highly recruited college prospect before signing on with the Grizzlies as a safety. Schillinger helped lead the Grizzlies to two Football Championship Series (FCS) title games while also earning All-Big Sky Conference honors. Twice he was honored with the Tony Barbour Award, given annually to the "player who best exemplifies outstanding practice habits and makes an unselfish contribution to the betterment of the Grizzly football team." He ranks among the best in Montana history with 257 career takedowns and 11 career interceptions.
 
After a star-studded career with the University of Montana Grizzlies, NFL fans heard Schillinger's name called on national TV by the Atlanta Falcons in the 6th round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Drafted as the 171st overall pick, Schillinger played four years in the NFL as a safety from 2010 to 2013 with the Falcons and Tennessee Titans.
 
Schillinger's full-time coaching career began after the NFL in 2015 as a special teams and defensive backs assistant for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. He returned to his alma mater in Missoula to coach special teams and safeties from 2016 to 2021 and served as the team's pro scout liaison.
 
2022 REWIND

• All-NSIC performers WR Danny Kittner, Logan Nelson and Dave Small Jr. wrapped up impressive carers with the Marauders at the end of the 2022 season.
• Kittner, Small and Ty'Rhae Gibson earned All-NSIC honors
• All-American WR Danny Kittner shattered NSIC and Marauders career records for receptions (291) and receiving yards (3,651) while catching 29 receiving touchdowns. He is 4th all-time in school history in receiving touchdowns (29) and 3rd in total touchdowns (31)… He had 90 catches for 986 yards and 5 TDs in 2022.
• All-American QB Logan Nelson passed for 6,417 yards and 62 touchdowns in his career at UMary, completing 60.0% of his passes (499-of-825) with just 26 interceptions. He is 3^rd all-time at UMary in passing yards and TD passes. In 2021 he triggered the Marauders passing attack that led the nation in yards passing/game.
• Kittner (Bears) and Nelson (Vikings) both earned NFL Rookie Camp invitations in May 2023
• The Marauders played eight teams with winning records at game time
• Marauders opponents had a winning percentage over .550 for the year
• 7 of 11 Marauders games in 2022 were one possession games, including 6 of 9 losses
• During the 2021-22 seasons UMary played ten contests decided by one possession (8 or fewer points)
• UMary owned second half leads in losses to Wayne State, Winona State, #23 Minnesota State, #14 Sioux Falls and MSU Moorhead. Wayne State scored the winning touchdown with 1:46 left in the game and Minnesota State with 1:57 remaining.

 
 
2023-24 MARAUDERS 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. cash 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 HOME GAME TICKET PRICES | Soccer, basketball, hockey, track & field, volleyball and wrestling tickets

• Adults | $10 + fees online and $15 (CASH ONLY) at the gate
• Seniors (65+) and youth 13-18 | $5 + 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

 
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