Football | 9/15/2016 3:53:00 PM

SIOUX FALLS -- The #15 USF Football Team (2-0, 0-0 NSIC South), which has opened the season with consecutive 20 point wins, will face Minot State (1-1, 0-0 NSIC North) on the Beavers homecoming on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. at Herb Parker Stadium.  
    
Game Breakdown
Both teams come into the game after success last weekend. The Cougars, which ranked second nationally in total offense (594.5 yards per game) and fourth in rushing (393.5 yards per game) rolled up 604 total yards on 75 plays, including 444 rushing yards (185 by Max Mickey) in a 42-21 home win over Minnesota State Moorhead (1-1) at Bob Young Field. Meanwhile, Minot State held off Wayne State for a 20-14 as backup quarterback Isaiah Weed replaced starter Zac Cunha and completed 12-of-15 passes for 161 yards and a TD.

USF is 36-10 in NSIC games and 42-15 in all DII games since the transition in 2011. USF's 22 straight winning seasons is unmatched in D2 and the fifth-longest streak across all divisions. The string of success began with an 8-3 season for legendary head coach Bob Young in 1994. In the four seasons in the NSIC, USF has gone 9-2, 6-5, 11-1 (Mineral Water Bowl champs) and 9-3 in 2015.  

USF, which moved up in both the AFCA and D2Football.com polls to #15. The Cougars, who just one of eight schools nationally ranked in all 13 AFCA and D2Football.com polls in 2015, have been ranked in 25 straight polls.  
 
SERIES - USF 5 Minot State 1
USF owns a 5-1 edge in the series with Minot State in a series that dates back to a 20-13 Minot State win in 1994 in the NAIA playoffs.  The last time the two teams faced each other, USF took a 41-14 decision in the season opener at Bob Young Field. USF built a 34-7 halftime lead as Luke Papilion (8-9-117-2 TDs) threw a pair of first quarter TD passes and Nephi Garcia had two TD runs to go with 89 yards rushing. In 2012, USF took a 42-20 decisions in Minot, N.D., on Sept. 15. After Minot State jumped to a 7-0 lead on a 63-yard TD pass from Blake Eggl to Wayne Peters, USF wide receiver Jeremiah Oates went to work. He caught TD passes of 50, 7 and 38 yards from Taylor Perkins as USF built a 24-7 lead early in the third quarter.   'After two Zac Cunha TD throws, USF had a 37-yard TD reception by Carrington Hanna (Taylor Perkins), a Braden Wieking field goal (32) and a 34 yard TD interception return by Brett Jensen. In USF's transition year to DII in 2011, the Cougars defeated Minot State twice, winning at Minot State, 38-23 on Sept. 24 and taking a 29-10 decision on Oct. 29 in Sioux Falls. In 2009, USF defeated Minot State, 63-21, racing to a 35-0 first quarter lead. The Cougars rushed for 318 yards and five TDs, including 10 carries for 140 yards and two TDs. Kristian Porter had nine carries for 87 yards and two TDs.
 
Preseason Honors
Senior offensive guard Antonio Green has earned three preseason All-American honors, including first team honors by Lindy's Sports Magazine and second team recognition from Football Gameplan and HERO Sports. Meanwhile Westly Johnson has been named second team All-American by Football Gameplan and HERO Sports while also an NSIC Player to Watch.  

USF ranks in the top-five nationally in 11 categories
The #15 ranked University of Sioux Falls Football team, which has opened 2-0 with two wins by 21 points or more, is ranked in top five in 11 statistical categories and in the top 10 in 15 individual or team categories. Junior running back Max Mickey leads NCAA DII in rushing yards per carry at 12.96 and ranks second in rushing yards per game at 181.5 per game while sitting second in rushing yards with 363 (28 carries).  Senior quarterback Luke Papillion ranks second in points responsible for with 60 and sits fourth in points responsible for per game at 30.0. He is also second in rushing TDs with six while sitting seventh in average rushing yards per carry at 8.88 (23-213-6 TDs). Senior wide receiver Josh Angulo is ninth in TD receptions with three. On defense seniors Nathan Lucs ranks second in forced fumbles with two while Clifford Redmond is second in fumble recoveries with two. In team categories, USF's rushing offense, which leads the NSIC, is fourth in NCAA DII with 87 carries for 787 yards and 393.5 per game. However, USF leads the country in rushing yards per carry at 9.05, led by Mickey's 12.96 yards per carry. The USF offense ranks second in total offense at 594.5. In fact, USF's total is the best for teams that have played two games. The Cougars have produced 8.55 yards per play, which ranks number one nationally by teams that have played two games. The Cougars are also seventh in the country in first downs on offense with 53, including 33 which ranks second in DII.

On Minot State
Minot State opened with a loss to nationally ranked Minnesota State, 35-7 before defeating Wayne State, 20-14.  The Beavers are led on offense by sophomore quarterback Isaiah Weed, who completed 12-of-15 passes for 161 yards and a TD in the 20-14 win. He stepped in for Zac Cunha (27-46-319-2 TDs), who was injured. The rushing attack is led by senior running back Jarvis Mustipher (42-102-TD; 7-68-0 receiving) in two games. He has rushed 459 times for 1,899 yards and nine TDs in his career. Akkil Walker (7-167-TD) and Ray Watkins (4-64-TD) lead the receiving corps. On defense, senior linebacker Trevin Swensen had 25 tackles and  junior defensive back Donnell Vercher, 17 stops with an interception.

Minot State HC Tyler Hughes
Tyler Hughes is in his third season as head football coach of the Minot State University. Overall at Minot State, he has a 3-21 record (1-10, 2014; 1-10, 2015) with an overall head coaching mark of 23-26. He is the 20th head coach in Beaver history. This season, the Beavers are 1-1. He picked up his first win in the NSIC with a 50-20 decision over Minnesota Crookston on Oct. 25. He was the quality control assists in 2013 at The Ohio State University. Prior to Ohio State, Hughes spent nine seasons at Snow College, a member of the NJCAA, in Ephraim, Utah. Hughes was the head coach during the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the offensive coordinator from 2005-10 after being hired as the WR/TE coach in 2004. As the head coach at Snow, Hughes led the team to a 20-4 overall record, two bowl game championships and one conference title. In addition, Hughes was named the WSFL Coach of the Year in 2012 following an 11-1 season and a #3 national ranking. He coached current USF quarterbacks coach Jon Eastman at Snow during the 2007-08 seasons before Eastman moved to Colorado State and eventually to USF where he led the 2010 team to the NAIA title game.  As a player, Hughes started at wide receiver for Snow College winning the Badger Pride award which was given to the team member who best exemplified leadership and selflessness.  During his prep career he played at East High School under Coach Chris Georgelas. A 2005 graduate of Utah State, he is married to the former Lisa Adamson and the couple has four
children: Kenyon, Isaac, Will and Max.  They reside in Minot. 
 
Numbers to Watch
Luke Papilion ranks 2nd all-time on USF's Total Offense Chart
Senior quarterback Luke Papilion already ranks as one of the school's all-time greats. Here is a breakdown of some of the milestones that Papilion has reached or is approaching. He already owns seven school marks.
~With eight 100-yard rushing games, he owns the mark for the most by a  quarterback at USF. He had 16 carries for 149 yards against Minnesota State Moorhead last weekend. With two more, he will move into fifth and a tie with Terry Austin, 10, 1992-95 and Ryan Lowmiller, 10, 2006-09.   
~ Needs 688 yards to set USF's all-time total offense record held by Dax Michelena (1997-2001) with 10,410. Papilion has 9, 723 yards in total offense and ranks 2nd all-time at USF.
~ Ranks second on the NSIC all-time chart in total offense with 303.8 yards per game, trailing only  Jeff Loots of Southwest Minnesota State at 343.2.
~ With 2,609 yards, needs 147 yards rushing to go past Dax Michelena (1997-2001, 2,755 yards) to rank as the all-time leading rusher among quarterbacks. He is eighth all-time overall at USF just behind Michelena .  
~ Needs seven passing TDs to pass Dax Michelena (72, 1997-2001) for 2nd all-time at USF. Kurtiss Riggs, 1993-96, is the career leader with 85 passing TDs.
~ With 7,114 yards passing, he needs 216 yards to move into second all-time at USF, currently held by USF Hall of Fame quarterback Kurtiss Riggs at 7,329.  The all-time lead is Dax Michelena (1997-2001), 7,665 yards.

Gentry searching for top 10
Evan Gentry, a senior defensive end, is just two sacks from moving into the top 10 all-time at USF. He has 16.5 with Letarius Lee at 18.5. He has 11 tackles and a TFL in 2016.

Angulo moving up charts
With four catches against MSUM on Sept. 10, senior wide-out Josh Angulo (6-81-3 TDs, 2016) has 156 career receptions and 2,196 receiving yards, which both rank fifth all-time at USF. Angulo has three TDs this season and ranks fifth all-time with 24 career TD receptions.

Rose continues to climb receiving charts
Senior H-back Brady Rose had a career day in the win over SCSU on Sept. 1, both catching and throwing a TD.  Rose had seven catches for 163 yards and a 64-yard TD reception. He also threw a 39-yard TD pass to Kyle Groeneweg. Rose, who had five catches for 60 yards against MSUM on Sept. 10, now has team-highs with 12 catches and 223 yards  receiving. He now has 144 career receptions, which places him seventh all-time, just eight from sixth (Trey Erickson, 151, 2004-07). Rose is sixth on the career yardage chart with 1,914 yards. With 86 yards, Rose will reach 2,000 yards and become the sixth receiver in USF history to reach that milestone.  He has 17 receiving TDs, including one this year, as he sits 10th all-time at USF, just two away from Zach Rutten, who had 19 from 1997-2001.

USF's "lightning fast" offense
During 2015, USF's spread offense was a quick-strike offense.  In 2016, USF is continuing that fast break offense. In a week one win over SCSU, USF had six TDs with drives taking three minutes or less. Of that six TDs, five came in two minutes or less and two in under a minute. Against MSUM, five of the six scoring drives were under three minutes, including two in less than 20 seconds. This year USF has produced four TDs  in 40 seconds or less. In 11 of the 13 scoring drives, USF has taken less than three minutes. A year ago, USF had 44 TD drives of three minutes or less drive time with 33 in under two minutes and 16 in one minute or less.  In the past two years  years USF has had 96 TD drives in three minutes or less. In the past two seasons, USF has 20 scoring driving in under one minute and 41 in under two minutes of time.

Cougars sit 55-5 all-time at Bob Young Field
Despite a loss at home on Oct. 24, 2015, USF has a home record at Bob Young Field of 54-5 (.915). The Cougars, which has won 10-of-12 home games, including 1-0 in 2016, were victorious the first 32 games at the stadium and have since taken 24-of-29 at the friendly confines of Young Field. Overall, including play at Howard Wood Field (through 2006), the Cougars have won 75 of the past 80 games and 65-of-69 home conference games, including 47 in the GPAC (NAIA) and 19 (19-4) as an NSIC member in NCAA DII.  Since 2000, USF is 93-10 at home.   

USF records 22nd straight winning season
At 9-3 in 2015, USF cinched a 22nd consecutive winning season,  a run which began with an 8-3 record in 1994 season with legendary head coach Bob Young. It was the sixth consecutive winning season for the Cougars under the direction of head coach Jed Stugart.

By the numbers under Stugart
USF is 53-3 when leading at halftime in the Coach Stugart era.  They are 1-11 when trailing at halftime and 1-2 when tied at halftime. USF is 44-5 when scoring first and when opponents score first, the Cougars stand 14-11.

Scoring streak hits 127 games
Since moving to DII in 2011, the Cougars have scored 2,063 points in 57 games or 36.19 ppg. In 2015, USF averaged 39.33 points per game for third in the league and 24th nationally. It has been 127 games since USF has failed to score, which was a 55-0 loss to Carroll College in the final game of the 2005 season. USF had a DII-best 73 points vs. Minnesota State-Moorhead (Sept. 27) in 2014. The previous high was in 2011 when the Cougars defeated the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 71-0.  

Cougars are 65-0 all-time when scoring 50
When the Cougars reach 50 points, they are 65-0 all-time and 25-0 when scoring over 60 points. They are 7-0 all-time when breaking the 70-point mark. When the Cougars have scored over 40, USF has a 153-1 mark, including 23-1 in DII. When they have scored over 30 points, USF is 226-8. The only time USF has lost when scoring over 40 points was a 45-40 setback to Winona State on Oct. 12, 2013 at Bob Young Field.

Offense lighting it up
With 1,075 points in the past 26 games (start of 2014 season), USF is averaging 41.35. In the past 26 games, the Cougars have scored 145 TDs or 5.6 per game.  USF has averaged more than six yards a play in 14 of the last 20 games.  With 585 yards on 64 plays, against SCSU on Sept. 1, the Cougars averaged 9.1 yards per play, which is its best mark at the NCAA DII level and the best since averaging 11.4 yards per play (638 yards on 56 plays)  in a 66-13 win over Doane College on Sept. 18, 2010.

Max Mickey producing big in the backfield
Junior running back Max Mickey has had a big start in his junior season at USF. The standout from Holden, Mo., leads NCAA DII in rushing yards per carry at 12.96 and ranks second in rushing yards per game at 181.5 per game while sitting second in rushing yards with 363 (28 carries). He is part of a backfield and an offense that leads the NSIC and ranks fourth nationally in rushing yards at 393.5 per game. The Cougars have rushed for 343 yards (SCSU) and 444 yards (MSUM) in back-to-back games this season. Mickey had 13 carries for 178 yards and a TD in the win over SCSU and then produced 15 carries for 185 yards against MSUM. Interestingly he has done it off the bench as senior Justin Fulks has started both games. Fulks (103 vs. SCSU) and Mickey (178) both had 100-yard rushing games against SCSU on the road and then Mickey (185) and Luke Papilion (149) busted out for 100-yard rushing games against MSUM. In fact, USF, which had just five 100-yard rushing games all last year, already has four through two games this year. He now has 253 carries for 1,382 yards rushing. Mickey, who now has six career 100-yard rushing games, has scored 13 career TDs, including one this year. His game total of 185 yards against MSUM is the most by a USF back since Nephi Garcia had 225 in the regular season finale of 2014 against Wayne State in a snowstorm.  Senior Justin Fulks, who earned the start in the opener, has two 100-yard rushing games at USF, and now has 147 carries for 705 yards and four TDs at USF. Fulks, who has been on a playoff team three straight years (twice with Northwest Missouri State, who won a national title his freshman year), is approaching 1,000 career rushing yards with 184 carries for 908 yards and six TDs in his time at USF and NMSU.  

Defense off to solid start
The USF defense ranks third in the league in defense scoring at 17.0 per game and second in sacks with seven.  USF has produced 16 tackles for loss, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Josh Butler, who had 104 tackles a year ago, has 18 tackles to lead the team. He is one of four players (Delvin Batiste, Cliff Redmond and Matt Young) with an interception. Michael Mehling, who is a first-year starter at linebacker, has 15 tackles and two TFLs.