THIS WEEK
After opening 2024 with a victory in Week 0, the University of Mary opens Northern Sun play at home against the #14 Vikings of Augustana University. A second straight home game for the Marauders kicks off at 6 pm Thursday, September 5, at the MDU Resources Community Bowl.
 
MEET THE MARAUDERS SET FOR THURSDAY
The public is invited to our free Meet the Marauders event prior to the UMary-Augie football game on Thursday. Meet the Marauders provides an opportunity for children of all ages and ability levels to participate in sport-specific activities alongside current UMary athletes and learn more about inclusive sport opportunities within the region. The event runs from 4-5:45 pm on Thursday, September 5, at the MDU Resorces Community Bowl. Hosted by Marauders Athletics, Special Olympics North Dakota and Sanford Sports Performance, visit www.umary.edu/MAevents for more information.
 
Participants receive free tickets to the Marauders vs. Augustana football game at 6 pm that night, along with complimentary swag! Food trucks will be on site. Adult game tickets are available at the gate.
 
LAST WEEK
The University of Mary earned a Week 0 non-conference win over the visiting Jimmies of the University of Jamestown 23-6... Augustana did not play.
 
THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 1-0 overall entering their Northern Sun opener against the Vikings. UMary finished the 2023 season with a record of 2-9 overall and 2-8 in the Northern Sun after winning its final two home games (27-23 over Minot State University in the Battle for the Paddle and 32-28 over Southwest Minnesota State University in the final home game of the year)… Ranked 14^th in the nation, Augie finished the 2023 season 11-2 overall and won the NSIC championship with  record of 9-1.

FOLLOW LIVE

• All Marauders home games and home and away Northern Sun games are streamed live online at www.nsicnetwork.com/goumary and at www.GoUMary.com/coverage 
• Live stats for Marauders football are available online at www.GoUMary.com/coverage

 
MARAUDERS ATHLETICS MOVES ALL LIVE ATHLETICS BROADCASTS ONLINE
Beginning with the 2024-25 athletic season, the University of Mary is moving all athletics broadcasts to online streaming only. All Marauders home games and home and away Northern Sun games will stream live and free of charge at www.nsicnetwork.com/goumary and at www.GoUMary.com/coverage. Join Dan Doherty, the Voice of the Marauders, and Hall of Fame football coach and former UMary athletic director Roger Thomas on the call for all home football games.  
 
DAN DOHERTY SET TO MAKE UMARY FOOTBALL DEBUT AS VOICE OF THE MARAUDERS SEPTEMBER 5
Dan Doherty, a voice familiar to many sports fans across North Dakota, joins the University of Mary as the lead broadcaster for Marauders athletics. As UMary moves all athletics broadcasts to streaming online only, Doherty is the new Voice of the Marauders.

The first Coordinator of Athletic Broadcasts and Live Events at UMary, Doherty will serve as the lead play-by-play announcer for all Marauders athletics.

All home Marauders contests and road Northern Sun games will air exclusively at www.GoUMary.com/coverage and www.NSICnetwork.com/GoUMary.

Doherty makes his Marauders football debut when UMary hosts Augustana in the Northern Sun opener for both teams Thursday, September 5. Doherty will call the game alongside Hall of Fame football coach and former UMary Athletic director Roger Thomas.  
 
WEEK 0 REWIND | UMARY 23 UNIVERSITY OF JAMESTOWN 6
Taking advantage of the first-ever week 0 opportunity in NCAA Division II, the University of Mary downed I-94 foe University of Jamestown 23-6 to open the 2024 season. Justus Breston stole the show in his Marauders debut as he returned two touchdowns in the first half for touchdowns (25 and 47 yards).

• 1^st meeting between the Marauders and the Jimmies since 2005
• UMary 16-3 all-time vs. Jamestown
• With the Jimmies on their 8 yard line, a center snap sailed out of the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Marauders lead with 1:47 to play in the 1stquarter
• Breston returned an interception 25 yards on the final play of the 1^st quarter for a 9-0 UMary lead
• Breston returned his second interception 47 yards midway through the second quarter to give UMary a 16-0 lead at half
• Karsyn Jablonski scored on a 68 yard TD reception from Sofian Massoud to cap the Marauders opening possession of the second half
• Grant Collins had a sack to stop a Jimmies possession in the 3^rd and Mason Phillips had two sacks on the Jimmies subsequent possession
• Jakob Petry, Abram Jopp and Christopher Federico led the Marauders with five tackles. Jopp added an interception and a pass breakup
• In addition to his two interceptions, Breston, a junior defensive back who transferred to UMary from Chabot College, broke up a pass and made a tackle
• Massoud completed 21-of-25 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown to pace the Marauders attack
• Amir Bankhead picked up 34 yards rushing and 43 yards receiving. Andrew Trandahl added 29 yards receiving and 27 on the ground.
• Kevin Powell pinned Jamestown deep all day, dropping four of his six punts inside the Jimmies 20 yard line

 
BIG DAY BY BRESTON
Justus Breston had a record-setting day for the Marauders in his UMary debut. The defensive back from Atlanta, GA, returned a pair of interceptions for TDs in the Marauders 23-6 win. Breston is the first UMary player to score two defensive touchdowns in the same game during the Marauders NCAA era of football (2006 and on). Check out the last time the Marauders had:  

• Last defensive TD: Jakob Petry against Minot State in 2023 (30 yard interception return)
• Last time 2 interceptions in one game: Johnny Tillman against MSU Moorhead 2022
• Last player to score 2 defensive TDs in same season: Troy Guptill 2019 (interception, fumble)
• Last time the Marauders scored multiple defensive TDs in the same game: 48-0 win over Minnesota Crookston Oct. 2, 2010 (Arthur Pittman 42 yard interception, DeShon Benton 30 yard interception, Demetrius Allen 58 yard interception)
• Last time a Marauders defender had two interception returns for TDs in same season: Shawn Melland 2 TDs in 2007

 
MARAUDERS-VIKINGS SERIES HISTORY

• This is the 10^th meeting between the Marauders and the Vikings
• Augie leads the series 7-2 and owns five straight wins
• After the Vikings won the first two contests, the Marauders evened the series with back-to-back wins at home in 2011 (10-0) and 2012 (32-25)
• Craig Bagnell quarterbacked the Marauders to both victories, earning NSIC Player of the Week honors in 2012 after throwing for 409 yards
• Tyler Steffen was also a key player in both wins. The All-American wide receiver caught the only touchdown of the game in 2011 and had two TDs and 154 yards receiving in 2012.    
• Augustana won last year's meeting 38-7 on a day that saw game temperatures reach triple digits

 
QUICK HITTERS

• Among the 58 Marauders who played in the season opener, 16 were playing in their first game for the Orange & Blue
• 10 of the Marauders 11 starters on offense started games last season with senior transfer WR Kalani Washington (transfer from Sacramento State) the lone newcomer
• 10 of the 11 Marauders starting defenders also played for UMary last season with JR LB Tuakoi Mahe (transfer from Chabot College) the lone new face
• WR Karsyn Jablonski and LT Elliot Kooiker – both sophomores – are the lone underclassmen in the offensive starting lineup
• Defensively the Marauders started four sophomores – LB Chris Federico and DBs Antwon Jenkins Jr., Abram Jopp and Treyton Horstman
• Head coach Shann Schillinger is in his second season at the helm of the Marauders
• The Marauders open game week with 98 players on the roster
• UMary returns 64 players from last fall, including 47 Marauders who saw action last season
• BY CLASS: 18 true freshmen, 13 Redshirt Freshmen, 24 sophomores, 25 juniors, 18 seniors/graduate students. 
• 26 players who started at least one game for UMary in 2023 return (15 offense, 11 defense)
• The incoming class features 18 freshmen and 16 transfers

 
SACKED
With two sacks in the season opener, Mason Phillips is on his way to cracking the Marauders All-Time career leader board. Entering his third season, the junior linebacker has corralled opposing QBs 10.5 times in his career (2.0 in 2022, 6.5 in 2023, 2.0 in 2024). All-American LB Grant Singer is #12 all-time at UMary with 16.  
 
EXPERIENCE
All 11 projected offensive starters for the Marauders earned starts for UMary. Leading the way is Melvin Hudson. The senior right tackle moved into the starting lineup week one of his freshman year in 2021. Hudson started 28 straight games before his streak was halted by injury. He returned two weeks later and has started all 32 games he has played in for UMary. Redshirt junior Luke Bodine was limited to three games in 2023 and enters his 4^th season as a starter at tight end.
 
On defense, linemen Grant Collins and Caden Green enter their 3^rd seasons as starters.
 
K/P Kevin Powell has played in 34 straight games for the Marauders… LB Jakob Petry has played in 32 career games.
 
FAMILY MATTERS
Ryan Woroniecki's older brother Adam also played football for the Marauders… Cameron Brusven and Karsyn Jablonski are 2nd generation Marauders as their father's played football for the Marauders.
 
MUJEEB RUFAI NAMED MARAUDERS OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH IN NSIC
A transfer from the University of Idaho, Mujeeb Rufai immediately played a major role in the Marauders offense in 2023. The senior wide receiver from Portland, OR, caught a team-high 65 passes for 569 yards and three touchdowns. Rufai snared a season-high 12 passes against the University of Sioux Falls and posted nine receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown at Concordia-St. Paul.
 
MASON PHILLIPS NAMED THE MARAUDERS DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH IN NSIC
Mason Phillips provided tremendous pressure in opponent's backfields last year as the junior linebacker led the Marauders with 6.5 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss. The native of Gilbert, AZ, also forced and recovered a fumble. Phillips posted a pair of sacks and forced a fumble against USF while making a sack and forcing a fumble in a win over Southwest Minnesota State University. He was 5th in the NSIC in sacks and 13th in tackles for loss.
 
UMARY PICKED 13^th IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
UMary was picked to finish 13th in the 2024 NSIC Football Preseason Coaches' Poll. Minnesota Duluth sits atop the rankings, followed by Augustana, Minnesota State, Wayne State, Bemidji State, MSU Moorhead, Winona State, Sioux Falls, Northern State, Concordia-St. Paul, Southwest Minnesota State, Minot State and UMary. 
 
TWO TRAVELING TROPHIES
The Marauders play two games annually for travelling trophies. UMary is a combined 12-15 in trophy games. The Marauders are 8-9 in the "Battle for the Paddle" with MSU Moorhead and 4-6 in the "Battle for the Big Lake" against Minot State.
 
MARAUDERS FOOTBALL QUICK FACTS
History | 36th varsity season (JV season 1987, varsity 1988)
Record - overall (through 2023) | 191-181-1
Record - conference | 132-145
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, 2^nd year (Montana, '10)
Offensive Coordinator | David Schramm, 2^nd year (San Diego State, '88)
Defensive Coordinator | Ben Davis, 10^th year (MacMurray, '11)
Offensive Line | Mark Martin, 6^th season (St. Cloud State, '01)
Wide Receivers | Renato Diaz, 1^st season (University of South Florida, '83)
Special Teams/Safeties | Van Cooper, 2^nd year (Montana, '07)
Inside Linebackers | Tom Johnson, 3^rd year (University of Mary, '17)
Outside Linebackers / Pro Scout Liaison | Eli Alford, 1^st year (Montana, '23)
Running Backs / Recruiting Coordinator | Gavin Robertson, 1^st year (Montana, '22)
Tight Ends | Eli Stewart, 1^st year (United States Naval Academy, '22)
 
Equipment Manager | Wayne Norman
Chaplain | Father Jarad Wolf
 
STAT CITY | NCAA DIVISION II FINAL 2023 RANKINGS FOR RETURNERS

• Mujeeb Rufai #19 receptions/game (5.9)
• Eli Heinrich #22 fumble recoveries (2)
• Jaxon Feller #6 combined kick return yards (772)
• Ian Kopf #16 blocked kicks (2)
• Kevin Powell #47 in punting (39.1 yards/punt)
• Kevin Powell #14 field goal percentage (.769) and #38 in field goals made/game (0.91)
• Sofian Massoud #36 completion percentage (0.619)

 
TEAM STAT CITY | NCAA DIVISION II FINAL 2023 RANKINGS FOR RETURNERS

• #20 4^th down conversion (.591)
• #16 Blocked kicks allowed (1)
• #49 Blocked kicks (3)
• #33 Completion percentage (,619)
• #16 Fewest penalties/game (4.82)
• #28 fewest penalty yards/game (48.3)
• #28 Fumbles lost (5)
• #32 fumbles recovered (9)
• #14 kickoff return defense (16.0) 
• #36 Turnovers lost (15)

 
SHANN SCHILLINGER – YEAR 2 LEADING THE MARAUDERS
Former NFL player and Baker, MT, native Shann Schillinger leads the Marauders onto the field for his second season in 2024 after taking over as UMary head coach in 2023. 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.
 
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