THIS WEEK
Playing at home for just the second time this season, the University of Mary football team faces their toughest task of the season when the Marauders host nationally-ranked Bemidji State University. Kickoff between the Marauders and the 9^th ranked Beavers is set for 2 pm on Saturday, Sept. 23, at the MDU Resources Community Bowl.

THE RECORDS/LAST WEEK
The Marauders (0-3 overall/NSIC) are looking for their first win while the #9 Beavers (3-0 overall/NSIC) are undefeated… Last Saturday UMary dropped a 41-10 decision at Northern State University… Bemidji State downed visiting Winona State 36-10.  
 
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 all 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

 
ON THE RUN / FARSTAD OIL SPONSORING MARAUDERS-BEAVERS FOOTBALL GAME SEPT. 23
On The Run / Farstad Oil Company is the Marauders football game sponsor for the Saturday, September 23, game against Bemidi State University. Marauders fans can pick up complimentary tickets from the On The Run gas station located at 2205 Tyler Pkwy in Bismarck, ND, just across the interstate from the Bowl.   

 
GAME DAY LINEUP | SEPT. 23 V BEMIDJI STATE
10 AM | Tailgating in the Prairie Farms Dairy Marauders Alley officially starts at 10 am in the North Parking Lot of the MDU Resources Community Bowl. Laughing Sun Brewing will have food for purchase in the tailgate area.
 
12 NOON | Marauders football team arrives in the Prairie Farms Dairy Marauders Alley to greet the fans.
 
1 PM | Gates to the MDU Resources Community Bowl open to the public. Purchase tickets online for a reduced rate at www.UMaryTickets.com
 
1 PM | The Laughing Sun Brewing Marauders Bay beer garden inside the MDU Resources Community Bowl. Adults are welcome in the Marauders Bay and can enjoy a Laughing Sun Brewing beverage while watching the Marauders until the end of the third quarter.
 
2 PM | KICKOFF
The Marauders-Beavers football game kicks off at 2 pm.
 

2023 MARAUDERS FOOTBALL TICKETING FAQs

• Tickets purchased online at www.UMaryTickets.com or via the HomeTown Fan app (iOS and Android) receive a $5 discount (minus fees) per ticket 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 games
• 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-BEAVERS SERIES HISTORY

• This is the 17th meeting between UMary and BSU
• The Beavers own a 12-4 series lead
• UMary won the 1st meeting 27-21 in 2006 to ruin BSU's homecoming. Shawn Melland returned a fumble 85 yards in the game.
• The Marauders lone win over an NCAA ranked team was over #20 BSU 49-21 in 2011. Tyler Steffan caught 8 passes for 202 yards and 3 TDs as Craig Bagnell passed for 315 yards and 2 TDs on an 18-for-26 effort.
• BSU has won the last 8 meetings
• After a three-year gap since Bemidji State had travelled to Bismarck, ND, this is the second straight season the Marauders have hosted the Beavers. It's the first time since 2011-12 the programs have played back-to-back games in the Capital City.
• The Marauders are 2-6 at home and 2-6 on the road against the Beavers
• The Marauders last defeated the Beavers 26-17 on Oct. 12, 2013, as Craig Bagnell passed for 311 and both threw and ran for touchdowns to lead visiting UMary. Nick Jolliffe caught seven passes for 137 and a TD while Grant Singer and Troy Guptill combined for 3.0 sacks and 5.0 tackles for loss.  
• In the 2020 season finale, Danny Kittner caught 19 passes for 284 yards and 4 TDs (school records) as Logan Nelson completed 2-of-54 passes for 465 yards and 6 TDs in a 62-40 road loss. Luke Little caught nine passes for 134 yards and 1 TD.

 
QUICK HITTERS

• The Marauders face their first ranked opponent of the year when UMary hosts Bemidji State on Saturday. In each of the past two seasons the Marauders faced three teams each year either in the AFCA rankings or getting votes.
• The Beavers (#9 AFCA/#7 D2Football.com) is the highest ranked team the Marauders have faced since playing #3 Minnesota State Oct. 19, 2019
• This is the second of six home games for the Marauders, the second straight season UMary will play six at home and five on the road
• Five of the Marauders last eight home games will be played on home turf at the MDU Resources Community Bowl
• QB Jesse Forknell and WR Traivon Dyson have combined for three touchdown receptions in the last two games, including a pair at home against Sioux Falls and one on the road at Northern State
• UMary has won the turnover battle in two of three games and is even on the season having forced four turnovers (3 fumbles, 1 interception) while committing four (3 interceptions, 1 fumble)
• One of the least penalized teams in the nation, the Marauders rank 19^th in NCAA Division II in fewest penalties/game (5.00) and 24^th in fewest penalty yards/game (47.3)
• The opposition has committed 8.6 penalties/game for 107 yards/game against the Marauders

 
WEEK 2 REWIND | UMary 10 Northern State 41

• The Marauders 2-game win streak against the Wolves was snapped
• Traivon Dyson caught a touchdown pass from Jesse Forknell for the second straight game and third time this season
• Jeremiah Moore ran for a career-high 45 yards
• Luke Bodine caught four passes for 48 yards and Traivon Dyson added three for 36 plus a TD
• Reginald Morrow and Seth Jarrett both had six solo and seven total tackles
• Morrow also had one of the Marauders four pass breakups and one of three tackles for loss
• Grant Collins and Caden Green combined for a sack
• Kevin Powell was successful on both his field goal (30 yards) and extra point attempt while averaging 39.2 yards/punt, including a long of 49. He also downed one punt inside the 20.
• The Wolves committed 13 penalties for 174 yards to six and 61 for the Marauders

 
FUMBLE!
The Marauders have recovered three fumbles this season to rank 25^th in the country. Additionally UMary has fumbled away the ball once this season to rank 29^th nationally for fewest lost fumbles.
 
SACKED
LB Mason Phillips ranks 5^th in the NSIC in sacks with 2.0. Both came against Sioux Falls with one resulting in a fumble recovered by UMary. The sophomore also posted a pair of sacks last season and has 4.0 for his career. Phillips also leads the team with 2.5 tackles for loss among his 13 stops (7 solo).   
 
NOSE FOR THE BALL
DB Reginald Morrow is 1^st on the Marauders and 10^th in the NSIC in tackles/game at 6.7. He has 15 solo and 5 assisted tackles, including 1.5 for loss. Morrow also has a pass breakup.  
 
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 19 catches for 159 yards and a TD. Rufai had 12 catches for 88 yards in his home debut against Sioux Falls. His touchdown came on a 1-handed grab in the season opener at Augustana.
 
SCORE
Traivon Dyson is the team leader in touchdowns with three, all on receptions from Jesse Forknell. He caught a pair of touchdown passes in the Marauders home opener against the Cougars when the sophomore from Las Vegas, NV, hauled in a career-best six catches for 88 yards. In three games Dyson has 14 catches for 170 yards and three TDs. As a freshman in 2022 he caught three passes for 40 yards and a TD.
 
11
With 11 catches this year, Luke Bodine gives the Marauders three players with double digit receptions. The junior tight end has 135 yards receiving and averages a team-leading 12.3 yards/catch with a team-long 27 yards.
 
BOOM
Kevin Powell is averaging a career-best 40.2 yards/punt on 15 attempts. The junior's previous top average was 35.3 last season. He has a career-best 57 yarder this year. With two punts over 50 yards this year in just three games he has doubled his career total. Powell also has dropped three inside the 20 yard line… He is 2-for-3 on field goals, closing in on his season-high four in 2022.
 
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 game one as a redshirt 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 2nd 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 4th 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

• 34 Senior captain and left tackle Drake Lalim has started 34 straight games for the Marauders since moving into the lineup the third game of his freshman season in 2019 and has played in 36 straight games
• 31 Senior guard Conner Paul has started 31 games in his Marauders career. His string of 28 straight was interrupted by injury late last season.  
• 25 Junior Melvin Hudson has the 2nd longest starting streak on the Marauders with 25, starting every game at right tackle since his freshman year in 2021
• 25 WR Collin Gapen and K/P Kevin Powell have also played in 25 straight games for the Marauders. Close behind is Luke Bodine (24) and Jakob Petry (23)
• 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 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, 1st year (Montana)
Offensive Coordinator | David Schramm, 1st year
Defensive Coordinator | Ben Davis, 9th year (MacMurray, '11)
Offensive Line | Mark Martin, 5th season (St. Cloud St., '01)
Wide Receivers | Jack Neuheisel, 1st year
Special Teams/Safeties | Van Cooper, 1st year
Tight Ends | Tom Johnson, 2nd year (UMary, '17)
Running Backs | Markell Pete, 1st year
Secondary | Jayden Dawson, 1st 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 8th 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 3rd 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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