SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls Football Team (6-4, 4-2 NSIC South), which ranks second in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and 15th in NCAA DII in total offense, will host Wayne State (3-7, 2-4 NSIC) at 1 p.m., on Saturday (Nov. 10) on Senior Day at Bob Young Field.  The NSIC matchup will be the season finale for both USF and WSC.
 
#AT STAKE -- The Cougars will look to reach seven wins in a season for the sixth time in seven seasons in the NSIC. For the first time since 2013, the Cougars will not be in a hunt for a postseason berth. USF had advanced to the postseason four straight years (2014-17). In 2018, USF has had some hard luck with four losses by a combined 18 points. In fact, USF has lost three games by a total of eight points. In games decided by five points or less, USF has finished 1-3 this year with a 27-24 home win over Concordia St. Paul on Aug. 31, a 16-15 loss at Winona State on Sept. 8, a 25-21 road loss at Bemidji State on Oct. 6 and a 30-27 loss to St. Cloud State on Oct. 13.
 
#RECENT ACTION -- On Nov. 3, the Cougars dropped a hard-fought decision to No. 1 Minnesota State, 31-21 at Blakeslee Stadium in Mankato, Miin. With a win over Upper Iowa on Oct. 27, the Cougars clinched a 25th consecutive winning season. It is a streak that ranks sixth best across all NCAA divisions. 

In the setback to MSU, the Cougars led, 7-0, after a Gabriel Watson touchdown but trailed 21-14 at halftime. The Cougars, which generated 323 yards in total offense, pulled within 28-21 in the fourth quarter on a second Watson touchdown but could draw no closer. When MSU's Casey Bednarski hit a 24-yard field goal with three minutes to play, the Cougars hope of knocking off a No. 1 team ended as did their faint playoff hopes. Against MSU, USF received 106 rushing yards and two TDs from Watson, who surpassed 100 yards rushing for a school record 10th straight game. Senior wide receiver Michael Maxwell recorded his third straight 100-yard receiving game by hauling in a career-high eight receptions for 119 yards. Maxwell is the first receiver in USF's DII history to record three straight 100-yard receiving games since Jeremiah Oates in 2012.
 
Wayne State, which is directed by 14-year head coach Dan McLaughlin, rallied from a 21-0 deficit to Upper Iowa and captured a 42-35 road win on Nov. 3.
 
#BREAKING DOWN USF-WSC -- Coming into today's game, the Cougars average 475.3 yards in total offense per game, which ranks 15th nationally and second in the NSIC. Meanwhile, WSC is 13th in the NSIC at 332.2 yards per game. On defense, the Cougars sit sixth in the NSIC at 356.9 total yards allowed per game and WSC is ninth in allowing 374.8 yards per game. USF remains one of the nation's top rushing teams (5th, NCAA DII) and the leader the NSIC with 282.9 yards per game with 2,828 yards on 452 carries for a league-high 6.3 yards per carry. WSC averages 92.4 rushing yards per game and rank 13th in the NSIC. Defensively, the Cougars are sixth in the NSIC rankings and have given up just 122.8 yards rushing per game. WSC sits 12th in the NSIC against defending the run and has given up 174.0 yards per game.

In the passing game, WSC  ranks seventh in the NSIC with 239.8 yards per game while USF is 11th at 192.5 yards per game. Defensively, the Wildcats ranks second in the league and have given up 200.8 yards per game. USF is 11th in passing defense at 234.1 yards per game. The Wildcats have a solid pass rush on defense with 28 sacks for sixth in the NSIC while USF is 14th with 17 sacks. On the flip side, USF has allowed just 18 sacks in 10 games which ranks fifth in the league. WSC has allowed 23 sacks for eighth in the league.
 
#15 SENIORS TO BE HONORED -- The USF Football Team will honor its 15 seniors in a pre-game ceremony. During their careers with the program, the seniors have accounted for a 36-11 record, an NSIC Championship (2016), and three NCAA DII playoff appearances (2015-17). Those student-athletes, who come from seven different states and have eight different majors include: Trevor Coleman, linebacker, business administration major, son of Melissa and Stefan Coleman, Atwater, Calif.; Joshua Collazo, running back/deep snapper, criminal justice and psychology major, son of Shawn and Herman Collazo, Orlando, Fla.; Shayden Drey, linebacker, criminal justice major, son of Rod and Dawn Drey, Winner, S.D.; A.J. Garrow, wide receiver, criminal justice and sports management major, son of Chad and Melissa Garrow, Brandon, S.D.; Shaunard Harts, defensive back, exercise science major, son of Jessica and Shaunard Harts, Elk Grove, Calif.; Anthony Holmes, wide receiver, education major, son of grant and Whitney Pippert, Des Moines, Iowa; Lucas Lunstra, linebacker, business administration and criminal justice major, son of Karl and Colleen Lunstra, Brandon, S.D.; Michael Maxwell, wide receiver, business administration major, son of Tasha Williams, Richmond, Texas; Steven McKee, defensive tackle, business administration and sports management, Dave and Laurie McKee, Yankton, S.D.; Alexander Morales, linebacker, business administration graduate program, son of Martha Morales and Frank Verges, Miami, Fla.; Trey Pipkins, offensive tackle, sports management major, son of James and Trisha Pipkins, Apple Valley, Minn.; Mason Schroyer, running back, criminal justice and sociology major, son of Steve and Kelly Schroyer, Fort Collins, Colo.;  Adam Sheffield, offensive tackle, media studies major, son of  Gary and Nancy Sheffield, San Jose, Calif.; Noah St. Pierre, cornerback, exercise science major, son of Staycee St. Pierre, Wagner, S.D.; and Riley Waldie, tight end, exercise science major, son of Shawn and Elizabeth Waldie, Fort Collins, Colo.

#SERIES NOTES - USF LEADS WSC, 6-0 -- USF is 6-0 all-time against Wayne State College in a series that began in 2012. A year ago, the Cougars took a 31-7 win over WSC at Bob Cunningham Field. In that game, USF recorded 376 yards in total offense with 209 yards passing.  On Nov. 12, 2016, USF recorded a 30-7 win at Bob Young Field. In the victory, Max Mickey had 17 carries for 132 yards and two TDs. On Oct. 3, 2015, USF took a 59-10 victory at Bob Cunningham Field. In that 2015 encounter, Luke Papilion completed 20-of-30 passes for 311 yards and three TDs while also recording two TD runs. On Nov. 15, 2014 at Bob Young Field, the Cougars picked up a 63-28 victory on a snowy day. USF, which was ranked No. 17 nationally, was led by Nephi Garcia with 21 carries for 225 yards and three TDs. Luke Papilion also threw for 225 yards and four TDs. On Nov. 16, 2013, USF defeated the Wildcats, 35-10, at Bob Cunningham Field. Solomon St. Pierre had his first career interception return for a TD (70-yards) and Brady Rose had 111 yards rushing and two TDs.  Sioux Falls won the first-ever meeting between the two programs, 24-14, on Nov. 10, 2012 as John Tidwell had a 77-yard punt return for a TD.
2017 -- Sioux Falls 31 Wayne State 7, Bob Cunningham Field
2016 -- Sioux Falls 30 Wayne State 7, Bob Young Field
2015 -- Sioux Falls 59 Wayne State 10, Bob Cunningham Field
2014 -- Sioux Falls 63 Wayne State 28, Bob Young Field
2013 -- Sioux Falls 35 Wayne State 10, Bob Cunningham Field
2012 -- Sioux Falls 24 Wayne State 14, Bob Young Field
 
#COO TRACKS - USF WINNING AT .744 PCT AT DII LEVEL -- USF is 62-19 (.765) since joining the NSIC and 67-23 (.744) all-time in NCAA DII. In NSIC play only, USF stands 60-16 with a 36-12 mark against South opponents and 24-4 vs. the North. The Cougars are 30-9 in road NSIC games and 30-7 in home NSIC games. In North Division road games, the Cougars are 11-3 and 12-1 at home against NSIC North teams. USF stands 19-6 against South opponents at home and is 17-6 on the road. 
 
#OFFENSE MAKING IMPACT - SETTING GAME PER PLAY MARKS -- In 2018, USF has averaged 7.2 yards per play, which is the best mark since the program moved to NCAA DII. In 2016, USF averaged 7.0 yards per play in winning the NSIC title for the first time in school history. Of note this year, USF has averaged 9.0 yards per play three times, which had not been accomplished previously at the DII level. USF tied the school total offense mark of 9.1 yards per play (SCSU, 2016) in the 51-13 "Key to the City" win over Augustana on Sept. 22 and registered 9.0 yards per play in the 56-14 home win over Minot State on Sept. 29. However against MSU Moorhead, the Cougars were even better and rolled up 583 yards in total offense on 57 plays for a school record 10.2 yards per play. Seven times this year, USF has averaged 6.1 yards per play or better. Led by Harlon Hill candidate Gabriel Watson, who has an NSIC-best 1,808 rushing yards and 25 TDs, USF has had success all season running the ball. Eight times they have rushed for at least 200 yards. USF has recorded 300 yards rushing five times with a high of 444 vs. Minot State at Bob Young Field. USF's top rushing effort on the road was 404 yards against MSU Moorhead as Watson set a school game record with 320 yards rushing on 19 carries and five TDs. In total offense, the Cougars have totaled at least 400 yards seven times. Five times, USF has game totals of 500 yards in total offense or more this year. It is an achievement only bettered during the program's DII era by the 2016 squad with six. The season-high mark in total offense for USF is 620 yards on 69 plays in a 56-14 win over Minot State on Cougars Day on Sept. 29. The Cougars also totaled 616 yards of offense at home in a 34-7 decision over Upper Iowa.
 
#USF OFFENSE MAKES BIG JUMP FROM 2017 to 2018 -- USF's offense has made a big jump in production from 2017 to 2018. A year ago, USF generated 4,573 yards in total offense on 875 plays for a 5.2 yards per play average. With a game to play in 2018, the Cougars have bypassed that number with 4,754 yards on just 663 plays for a 7.2 yards per play average. If USF generates 246 yards in total offense against the Wildcats, the Cougars will surpass 5,000 yards in total offense for the fifth time in six seasons. USF has also zoomed past their rushing yards total of a year ago. In 2017, the Cougars had 555 carries for 2,283 yards. This season, the Cougars have accumulated 2,829 yards on 452 yards. For the first time since 2015, USF has scored at least 50 points in a game three times. In 2015, USF accomplished the feat four times.
 
#COO CAPTAINS -- Captains for the 2018 season include senior offensive tackle Trey Pipkins, senior wide receiver Michael Maxwell, junior safety Tucker Stout and senior All-NSIC defensive end Logan Dykstra.
 
#WATSON WATCH -- Harlon Hill and All-American candidate Gabriel Watson continues to put together a record-breaking season with the USF Football Team. Watson has broken USF's rushing marks for a single season, single game, in one half of play and for consecutive 100-yard games. He is also approaching the NSIC rushing mark.
 
In a 55-21 win over Minnesota State Moorhead, Watson broke USF's rushing record with 320 yards and scored five touchdowns. After that performance, he was named the D2Football.com DII National Player of the Week. Watson was also selected the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Offensive Player of the Week for the third time. Watson also set a school mark of 269 rushing yards by halftime and finished with a program-best game record of 320 yards on 19 carries with five touchdowns, which tied the school DII mark held by Luke Papilion (240 yards rushing, five TDs, vs. Northern State, 2013). Watson played just two series in the second half and had six carries for 51 yards in the third quarter. He broke the school rushing mark with his final carry of the game, which was a 12-yard burst late in the third quarter. USF Hall of Fame running back David Rutter had set the rushing game mark with 315 yards on 33 carries and four touchdowns against U-Mary in a first-round playoff win (Nov. 23) in 1996 when the Cougars won their first-ever NAIA national title. A junior from Piedmont, Calif., Watson scored on runs of 79, 31, 2, 74 and 13 yards in USF's victory. He also had runs of 33, 18, 17 and 13 yards during the game.
 
Behind a veteran offensive front, which includes preseason All-American Trey Pipkins, Watson leads DII with 1,808 yards on 236 carries and a DII-best 25 rushing touchdowns. Watson, who set a school record with his 10th straight 100-yard rushing game against No. 1 Minnesota State  on November 3, has accumulated six runs of 50 yards plus (81, 81, 79, 74, 67, 54), and 18 carries of 30 yards or more in 2018. In addition, he has had 21 runs of 20 yards or more with 51 carries of 10 yards or more. He leads DII with 180.8 rushing yards per game.
 
Watson is 172 yards away from the NSIC mark for rushing yards in a season, which is held by Tyler Tonderum of SMSU with 1,979 in 2013.  He will need 192 yards against Wayne State to crack 2,000 yards. It is a mark that has previously been unreached at USF and in the NSIC. With his nation-best 25 TDs this year, Watson is second all-time at USF. USF's all-time season rushing touchdowns record is held by Ruter with 29 in 1998. 
 
Watson's 100-yard rushing games - 2018
Concordia St. Paul -- 27 carries 200 yards, 3 TDs
@ Winona State -- 29 carries for 172 yards, TD
Southwest Minnesota State -- 19 carries for 193 yards, 2 TDs
@ Augustana -- 23 carries for 140 yards, 4 TDs
Minot State -- 15 carries for 205 yards, 2 TDs
Bemidji State -- 27 carries, 126 yards, 3 TDs.
St. Cloud State -- 22 carries, 161 yards, TD
MSU Moorhead -- 19 carries, 320 yards, 5 TDs
Upper Iowa -- 29 carries, 185 yards, 2 TDs
No. 1 Minnesota State -- 26 carries, 106 yards, 2 TDs
  
#MAXWELL LEADS USF RECEIVING CORPS -- A senior wide receiver, Michael Maxwell is enjoying a breakout season in 2018. He has accumulated a team-high 41 catches for 729 yards with four TDs. Maxwell has three straight games over 100 yards receiving. He registered five catches for 112 yards and a TD against MSU Moorhead and followed up with seven catches for 128 yards with a TD against Upper Iowa on Oct. 27. Last week he had a career-best eight catches for 119 yards against No. 1 Minnesota State.  Junior tight end Clint Sigg has also had a solid year for USF. He has 24 catches for 323 yards with four touchdowns. Sigg also caught the game-winning touchdown against Concordia St. Paul in the season opener at Bob Young Field. Sophomore Ty Smith set a personal-best with eight receptions for 94 yards against Upper Iowa. He now has 22 catches for 280 yards this season.
 
#ALL-AMERICAN TREY PIPKINS LEADS HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE OL GROUP -- Senior offensive tackle Trey Pipkins has been named to the Senior Bowl Watch List and two preseason All-American Teams - D2Football.com and The Podyum. This season, Pipkins has been the leader on one of the league's top offensive line units. Pipkins is one of the best linemen in NCAA DII and the NSIC. He has graded out at 91.4 percent with 79.5 knockdowns. Pipkins, who has 223.5 knockdowns in his career, has allowed just one sack this year and two in his career. Junior offensive guard Nolan Kern leads the team with 106.5 knockdowns while grading at 85 percent. Senior offensive tackle Adam Sheffield has an 88.3 percent grade this season and 64 knockdowns. Center Nick Zimmerman has an 86.3 percent grade and 55 knockdowns and guard Elijah Perine has an 81.7 percent grade and 69 knockdowns. As a unit, the Cougars have an 86.2 percent grade with 421 knockdowns.
 
#MAKING THINGS HAPPEN ON D-ST -- USF's defense has a tradition of creating turnovers, playing shutdown defense and scoring TDs. In the DII era, USF has scored 40 TDs on defense/special teams with 27 alone on defense. Junior cornerback Parker Gregston scored USF's 39th special teams/defensive in the past seven years with his 75-yard interception return for a TD in the second quarter of the USF win over Augustana on Sept. 22. With Nate Johnson's 85-yard kickoff return against MSUM on Oct. 20, USF added its 40th TD at the DII level.