SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls Football Team (2-2, 2-2 NSIC South), which ranks second in NCAA DII in total defense, will host their first NSIC North opponent U-Mary (0-4, 0-4 NSIC) at 1 pm Saturday (Oct. 5)  at Bob Young Field in the Homecoming/Hall of Fame Game.  

USF, which has a 2-2 mark in four games against NSIC South opponents in 2019, will have matchups with four straight NSIC North foes as they travel to Minnesota Crookston on Oct. 12 before hosting nationally-ranked Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 19 and playing at Northern State on Oct. 26. 

Alumni and fans can follow USF Football on radio with play-by-play announcer Tom Frederick and analyst Tim Hiatt at KWSN.com. At USFCougars.com, and at the following links, live stats and live video is available.

The Cougars will play their third home game of 2019 against U-Mary and stand 1-1. Last week, the Cougars dropped a heartbreaker at the Bob to Augustana, 20-13, despite a 318-to-139 yard advantage.  USF ranks second nationally in total defense by allowing just 210.5 yards in total offense per game. On 233 plays, opponents have 842 yards or 3.63 yards per play. In total offense, USF is 37th in DII at 425.8 yards per game.

Entering play against U-Mary, USF has a 70-10 record at Bob Young Field since beginning play at the stadium, which is named for USF's career wins leader Bob Young, in 2007. 

U-Mary is 0-4 this season and dropped a high scoring 47-32 decision to MSU Moorhead on the road on Sept. 28.

On homecoming, USF will unveil royalty court and honor Hall of Famers at halftime Saturday

Prior to the game today USF Head Coach Jon Anderson will receive a game ball from game sponsor Midco. At halftime, USF will unveil the Cougars Days homecoming royalty. Also during halftime festivities, USF will recognize the 2019 USF Athletics Hall of Fame Class. Here is a look at the Class of 2019 which will be inducted Friday night at the Washington Pavillion.
 

Gerdes Schroedermeier ranks 13th all-time in University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball in scoring and seventh all-time in rebounding. A former g High School prep standout, she was a three-time All-South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference selection, as she was honored as a senior, junior and as a freshman. Gerdes Schroedermeier was part of USF's first ranked NAIA team (No. 17) in 1998-99. Gerdes Schroedermeier was named third team All-SDIC as a senior.  She earned a degree in History and Political Science in 2000 from USF. Kim and her husband Clint have two boys Blake and Brady and live in Hurley, S.D. She works at Scheels All Sports in Sioux Falls.   

Harold, a Torrington, Wyo., native now lives in North Platte, Neb. After transferring to University of Sioux Falls from Chadron State, Harold became one of the best offensive linemen in school history and was a three-time All-American from 1995-97. Named second team All-American as a junior, he played a key role in USF's national title run in 1996 when the Cougars posted a 14-0 record on its way to the school's first-ever National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) title. Harold was also named first team All-American on the Don Hansen Football Gazette. As a sophomore in 1995, Harold earned second team NAIA All-American honors.  Harold, who earned a History degree in 1998 from USF, was named All-SDIC in 1995, 1996 and 1997. During his career, USF fashioned a 36-3 record with 11 wins twice and 14 in his other season.  Harold and his wife, Courtney, have a son, Gavin, and daughter, Averie. Harold serves as manager of Terminal Operations in the North Platte, Neb., Bailey Yard for Union Pacific Railroad.   

Originally of Sioux Falls, S.D., Amy Birkeland Hofer helped lead USF to three straight South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC) cross country championships on a team directed by the late USF Athletics Hall of Fame Coach Rich Greeno. Birkeland Hofer won the 1994 individual title at the SDIC Cross Country Championship (18:31) and qualified for the NAIA nationals. In track and field competition, she set records in the 10,000 meters and marathon and ranks among best all-time. In addition, she qualified for nationals in 1995-96 in the marathon. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from USF in 1996, competed in three marathons and six half marathons. She is the mother of three, and her children include Raegan (21), Ethan (14) and Dylan (10) and lives in Brandon, S.D. She works at Dakota Lions Sight and Health as a tissue recovery technician.    

Darin Martyna, who ranks first all-time with 36 quarterback sacks and 59 tackles for loss in USF Football history, earned 2001 NAIA second team and 2002 first team NAIA All-American honors.  He was a three-time All-GPAC first-team selection. A Sioux Falls Lincoln High School graduate, Martyna earned a degree in Elementary Education in 2004 from USF and served on the USF coaching staff for a season. Martyna played professionally for two seasons in the Austrian Football League. He and his wife Brandi have two daughters Nyah and Tayla and live in Sioux Falls. 

A record-setting runner and two-time All-American from Pierre, S.D., Torry Zeller performed at a high level individually and as part of talented relay squads at the University of Sioux Falls. He earned All-American honors at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Cross Country Championships in 2000 by placing 25th. He also was All-American at the NAIA Indoor Nationals Track and Field Championship. Zeller earned a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education from USF. He and his family, including spouse Carrie Ward, and children Ella and Mason, live in Pierre, S.D., where he is the training director for the South Dakota Department of Corrections. 

The late Richard E. "Dutch" Erickson was a basketball coach and teacher at University of Sioux Falls for 16 years. Erickson, who served as head basketball coach and athletic director at USF, accumulated 112 wins in 11 seasons from 1969-80. When he left USF, he owned the school's coaching record for wins by a men's basketball coach. Erickson also started USF's baseball program and served as head coach. He was head coach for men's tennis and directed the team to the All-District title in 1967-68 and advanced to nationals. Erickson was named twice as the District 12 Men's Tennis Coach of the Year (1967, 1968).  At USF, he directed the Cougars to the program's first 20-win season as the 1969-70 squad won the Tri-State Conference and second in the NAIA District 12. He also started the baseball program at USF.  He and wife Charlotte had sons Ronald and Richard II (Rich).  

Directed by first-year Head Coach Richard "Dutch" Erickson, University of Sioux Fall's 1969-70 finished 20-8 and won the Tri-State Conference, which was the program's third league title in a span of five seasons. The Cougars became the first team in program history to record 20 wins in a season and the first to win a postseason game. After a start of 7-5, the USF team responded with 11 victories in the last 12 games of the regular season to finish 18-6 and grab the Tri-State Conference title with an 11-1 league mark. USF participated in the District 12 playoffs as part of the NAIA post-season tournament. Sioux Falls defeated Valley City State University which won the North Dakota College Athletic Conference and was USF's first-ever postseason win. It set the stage for an amazing best-of-three series with Northern State  advancing to Kansas City after edging the Cougars in the third game in Aberdeen.  

Game Day Notes -

#Cougars have registered 70 victories at DII level
 

The University of Sioux Falls is  63-17 (.787) since joining the NSIC and 70-25 (.745) all-time in NCAA DII. USF is 39-13 (.750) mark against South opponents and 24-4 (.857) vs. the North. The Cougars are 30-10  (.750) in road NSIC games and 33-7  (.825) in home NSIC games. In North Division road games, the Cougars are 11-3 overall and 13-1 at home against NSIC North teams. USF stands 21-6 against South opponents at home and is 19-7 on the road. To top off the impressive number USF has 25 straight winning seasons, which ranks fourth across all NCAA divisions.

The Cougars and the University of Mary have met 12 times since 1988 with the Cougars owning a 8-4 series record. Two years ago, USF took a 38-7 win in Bismarck as the Cougars outscored the Marauders, 24-7 in the second half while rolling up 473 yards in total offense.  Cougars and Marauders have met three times, including a 55-7 USF win four years years ago (2015) at Bob Young Field. In 2013, the  Cougars dropped a 17-10 decision to U-Mary in Bismarck, N.D. USF has outscored the Marauders 337-230 in the 12 contests. USF took the first two games against U-Mary in 1988 (37-13) and 1989 (28-17) before the Marauders evened the series by defeating the Cougars in 1990 (17-6) and 1991 (35-21). They handed USF its only loss in 1995 by defeating the Cougars 42-17 in the second round of the NAIA playoffs. The Cougars returned the favor in 1996 as USF's Kurtiss Riggs, who is a member of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame, led the Cougars to a 56-19 win in the first round of the NAIA playoffs. USF went onto capture the school's first national title. USF and U-Mary met three more times in the NAIA playoffs with the Cougars winning by a combined 13 points, including 29-25 in 1998, 27-21 in 2001 and 13-10 in 2002.

#Inside peek at U-Mary

U-Mary, directed by second year head coach Craig Bagnell, has opened the 2019 season with a 0-4 mark  in league play. The Marauders opened with a 35-12 home setback to St. Cloud State before falling at Bemidji State, 52-7. In the past two weeks, they have had solid offensive performances but have lost to Minot State, 34-29, at home, and MSU Moorhead, 47-32, in a shootout on the road. Mary has been outscored, 168-to-80. They are led by quarterback Jordan Velarde, who completed 19-34 passes for 252 yards and two TDs against MSUM. Running back Bryan Lumsden has 216 rushing yards and two TDs.

In a breakdown of the USF and Mary teams, statistics indicate that both teams can put up points. Mary has averaged 30 points in the past two games and is averaging 20.0 per game with 11 TDs. USF is fourth in the league with 28.8 points per game. Led by Caden Walters, USF has the fourth-ranking passing offense at 229.8 yards per game. They also lead the league in pass defense and total defense. USF is allowing just 142.5 yards per game through the air and have six interceptions. Teams are completing just 48.2 percent of their passes, which ranks second in the league. 

In total defense, USF is at top of the league by allowing 210.5 yards per game, which includes just 272 rushing yards in four games. They have  allowed just 3.6 yards per play. Overall USF has allowed just 2.2 yards per rush. In the last three games, Winona State (20-49), SMSU (36-6) and Augustana (29-61) have accumulated 116 rushing yards on 85 carries for 1.36 yards per carry.

On offense, the Cougars are third in total offense at 425.8 yards per game. USF has scored 15 TDs and average 5.7 yards per play. Of USF's 1,703 total offensive yards, they have accumulated more pass yards at 919 yards against 784 rushing yards on 297 total plays With 183 rushes and 114 passes, USF has a high rate of running plays at 61 percent. USF has averaged 4.3 per rush and 8.1 yards per pass play.

As for U-Mary, the Marauders rank 12th in total offense at 318.5 yards per game with 11 TDs and 5.3 yards per play. Defensively, they sit 14th in the NSIC by allowing 440.5 yards per game and 21 TDs. Foes have averaged 6.1 yards per play.

It is year 100 for University of Sioux Falls Football. As the Cougars start the milestone year, they do it with 445 wins in school history, a 25-year streak of winning seasons, which ranks among the best across all NCAA divisions, and four postseason appearances in the past five years. In its history, the Cougars have won four NAIA national titles, an NSIC crown in 2016 when they finished 11-0 in conference play and have totaled 20 league titles.

      

For the 1st time, two former University of Sioux Falls Football position standouts have made NFL rosters in the same year (2019). Both five-time All-American offensive tackle Trey Pipkins and four-time All-American linebacker Dennis Gardeck have the final NFL 53man rosters. Pipkins, who was a third-round draft pick for the Los Angeles Chargers, and Dennis Gardeck, who signed as a free agent a year ago with the Arizona Cardinals and will make an NFL roster for the second straight year, have made the grade as NFL players. Pipkins, who finished his career at USF in 2018 and was a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award while earning the five All-American honors, played the 2017 season at USF with Gardeck as the Cougars made the NCAA DII playoffs. Last spring, Pipkins becomes the first-ever USF position player and second overall drafted into the NFL. Pipkins was chose with the 27th pick of the third round and 91st selection overall. Brian Hansen, the director of the FCA in South Dakota, was drafted as a punter by the New Orleans Saints in the ninth round of the 1984 draft, which was some 35 years ago. With his selection, Pipkins was the highest draft pick (third round) of any school in the area (USD, SDSU, Augustana, etc.). Pipkins was one of the elite players in DII in 2017-18 when USF was 16-7 overall and made a playoff appearance in NCAA DII in 2017. Not only was Pipkins, USF's first-ever position player to be drafted but was the first-ever USF student-athlete to compete at the NFL Scouting Combine. Pipkins, a three-time All-NSIC selection, is one of five former NCAA DII football student-athletes and the only player from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference selected for the NFL Scouting Combine in March in Indianapolis.  One of the nation's top offensive lineman in 2018 Pipkins was a USF sports management graduate (2017) and played a key role as USF earned three postseason berths and compiled a 37-11 overall record during his time with the USF program. Pipkins finished third in the balloting for the Upshaw Award (DII Offensive Lineman of the Year). Gardeck played one season at USF after transferring from West Virginia State. In that season he was named the NSIC Newcomer of the Year and to five All-American Teams. He was selected a finalist for Cliff Harris Award (Small College Defensive Player of the Year) and nominated for the Harlon Hill Trophy as DII Player of the Year in 2017.  He has made two tackles this season both solo stops. In 20 NFL games, he has 10 tackles. Originally signed by the Cardinals as a rookie free agent out of Sioux Falls in 2018, Gardeck appeared in all 16 games in his debut season. He was one of four rookies who appeared in all 16 games for Arizona in '18, joining C Mason Cole, RB Chase Edmonds and LB Ezekiel Turner.  He led all NFL rookies with 388 total snaps on special teams in 2018. Among all NFL players, only Jets WR Terrence Brooks (395) played more snaps on special teams last season.

Gardeck the 2018 season with eight special teams tackles and scored his first career TD in the season finale at Seattle when he recovered a blocked punt in the endzone. It was his first TD since his senior year at Crystal Lake (IL) South High School when he returned a fumble 80 yards for a TD.

Senior quarterback Caden Walters has six games of 200 yards passing or more with his career high of 283 when he was 21-of-27 with a TD and interception against Upper Iowa on Oct. 27, 2018. He has opened the 2019 season with three 200-yard passing games (217 vs. Concordia St. Paul; 215 yards vs Winona State; and 281 yards against Augustana). As a result, he now has completed 214-of-332 passes for 2,846 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his career. In 2019, he is 68-of-108 for 879 yards with three TDs and two interceptions. In the NSIC stats, he ranks third in passing with an efficiency number of 136.8 and is averaging 219.8 yards per game. Additionally, he has been a factor with his feet. Walters has 89 carries for 302 yards and five TDs in his career. He is averaging 5.4 yards per tote this year with 39 carries for 157 yards and a three. This season, Walters has the second highest total offense total of 1,036 yards and ranks third overall in total offense in the NSIC at 259.0 yards per game. Walters had a career-long 59-yard run against CSP on Sept. 5 . In the win over Winona State, Walters had nine carries for a career-high 70 rushing yards. 

In the backfield, redshirt sophomore Thuro Reisdorfer has 63 carries for 337 yards and six TDs or 84.2 yards per game, which ranks fifth in the NSIC. However, he leads league with seven TDs for 42 points or 10.5 ppg. He has 13 carries for 92 yards against CSP and 20 carries for 82 yards and his first two career TDs in the 34-12 win over Winona State. He had a a career best 113 yards and a career-high four TDs with a personal-best 50-yard TD run on 13 carries. Against Augustana, he had 17 carries for 50 yards and caught a career-first 50-yard TD reception. Ja'Tai Jenkins has 32 carries for 175 yards and 5.5 yards per carry. Two weeks against against SMSU, he had a career best 102 yards rushing on 10 carries with a career-best 51-yard TD run. This seasn he has two receptions for 16 yards and a TD.

In the receiving corps, junior newcomer Karnell Collier has accumulated a team-high 19 catches for 314 yards or 16.5 per catch and 78.5 yards per game, which ranks him fifth in the NSIC. He had his first career 100-yard receiving game in the win over Winona State with seven catches for 108 yards. Against SMSU, he had one catch for a career-best 91 yards. He set his career-high catch total with eight receptions for 89 yards against Augustana. Nate Johnson has 19 receptions for 239 yards and now has 41 receptions in his  career for 634 yards and four TDs. He had a season-career high 10 receptions for a season-best 82 yards against Augustana.

Senior Clint Sigg has 12 catches for 117 yards and a TD in 2019 playing with a cast on his hand. An All-NSIC and All-Region performer, Sigg has played 21 games with 45 receptions for 577 yards and 3 TDs.

On defense, senior Brody Grantham leads USF with 27 tackles. He has 17 solo stops, 3.5 TFLs and pass breakup in his four games on ]the balanced defense employed by defensive coordinator Nick Benedetto. In his career, he has played 32 games with 129 tackles which included 68 solo stops. He has accumulated 13 tackles for loss with 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. 

Senior Ryan Nieman registered his fifth career interception  against SMSU on Sept. 21 and has two picks and 92 yards in returns this season.  For his career he has 101 yards in interception returns on those five picks. He  has 21 tackles this year with nine solos. He has 48 tackles with 31 solos in his career 

Junior defensive end Joey Wehrkamp has 11 tackles with a team-high 5.0 TFLs and three sacks and now has totaled 66 tackles with 16 TFLs and 7.5 sacks in his career. 

Also for USF, junior linebacker Harvey (Michael) Enalls has 100 career stops, 8.5 TFls and six sacks. He has 20 tackles, three TFLs and three sacks in 2019. Senior safety Tucker Stout has 16 tackles and 11 solo stops with an interception in 2019 as he has built his career numbers to 97 tackles with 68 solo stops an interception and fumble recovery.

USF's junior placekicker Daniel Esparza earned his first career Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honor after making a career-best 50-yard field goal against Winona State. Esparza, originally of Dallas, Texas, scored 10 points as the USF Football Team earned a 34-12 victory over Winona State in a key NSIC South contest at Bob Young Field on Saturday (Sept. 14).

In his first year at USF, Esparza is perfect on his kicking as he made two field goals of 17, 19, 38 and 50 yards and all 13 extra points. Against Winona State, he made a career-best 50-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, which was the longest kick since former USF standout Stu Vanden Heuvel connected from 50-yards on Sept. 9, 2017 also at Bob Young Field. 

Since moving to DII in 2011, the Cougars have scored 3,288 points in 95 games or 34.61 ppg. USF has scored in 165 straight games, which dates to a 55-0 loss to Carroll College in the final game of the 2005 season. USF recorded 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.