SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The University of Sioux Falls Football Team (8-3), which owns the second-ranked defense in NCAA DII, will open the NCAA DII Championships against No. 7 Colorado School of Mines (11-0) at Marv Kay Stadium at 1:05 pm, Saturday, Nov. 23 in Golden, Colo.

Fans can tune into the radio broadcast on KWSN.com with veteran announcer Tom Frederick and analyst Tim Hiatt. The game will stream live on the RMAC Network, which is providing a simulcast with KWGN in Denver (Channel 2 in Denver).  Live stats will also be available.

The Cougars, which finished in a tie for third in the NSIC, will make their fourth DII playoff appearance when they face the No. 3 seeded Orediggers in the opening round of the Super Region 4. This will be the first-ever matchup with USF and CSM. The Orediggers, which won the RMAC title with a 10-0 record and was 11-0 overall, will host a playoff game for a second straight year as they make their sixth appearance in the playoffs. 

After opening the season 2-2, the Cougars have won six of seven games when they have outscored opponents, 287-to-103 with a 140-to-28 second quarter edge. In fact, USF owns a 188-51 margin in the first half of those games. In that seven-game run, USF has averaged 437.3 yards (6.6 yards per play) in total offense and allowed just 267.4. USF's only loss in the last seven weeks was a heart-breaking 42-39 setback to No. 4 Minnesota State (11-0), which won the NSIC and is the top-seeded team in Super Region Four.

USF was the first team this year to lead MSU at halftime (17-14) and the first to hold a second half lead over the conference champions. USF, which accumulated 371 yards in total offense and five TDs against the nation's No. 1 defense, played MSU tough for the fifth time in six seasons. USF defeated MSU, 24-14 in 2016 as the Cougars won their first NSIC title with an 11-0 mark. Prior to the MSU game, USF had won five straight with their most recent victory, a 41-21 road decision at Wayne State. In that game, USF picked up its 451st  program win. It was also USF's 76th win in 101 games at the NCAA DII level.

The winner of the USF-CSM game will face the victor of No. 2 seeded Tarleton State and Texas A&M Commerce. Interestingly Tarleton State will make their final appearance in the DII playoffs as they move up to NCAA DI next year as a member of the Western Athletic Conference.

CSM will host a first-round game at Marv Kay Stadium for the second straight year. A year ago, they fell to CSU-Pueblo, 37-17. The Orediggers have advanced to the second round twice in 2004 and 2016. Overall they have hosted three playoff opponents in the opening round with their 2014 played at Campbell Field. CSM is 2-5 in playoff games with wins in 2004 (Nov. 13) over Midwestern State, 52-33, in the first round and Southwest Baptist, 63-35, in 2016 (Nov. 19) in the first round. Neither USF or CSM have advanced out of the second round.

#USF clinches 26th straight winning season

After a 35-13 win at Northern State, the Cougars clinched a 26th straight winning season, which is a mark fourth best across all divisions. 

Active Streaks

1. Linfield (Ore.), 63 years, 1956 (9-1 this year)

2. Mount Union (Ohio), 41 years, 1979 (10-0 this year)

3. Wartburg (Iowa), 27 years, 1993 (9-1 this year)

4. USF, 26 years, 1994, (8-3 this year)

5. Hobart (Ind.), 22 years, 1997 (8-2 this year)

6. Wheaton (Ill.), 21 years, 1998 (10-0 this year)

7. LSU, 21 years, 1999 (10-0 this year)

8. Oklahoma, 21 years, 1999 (9-1 this year)

#USF sits 38-15 all-time in postseason play

Before moving to DII in 2011, the Cougars had a highly successful run in NAIA, including winning national championships in 1996, 2006, 2008 and 2009. In the NAIA playoffs, USF was 36-12, including the four national titles, three runner-up finishes and three semifinal appearances. USF won its first ever league title in 1981 and with the NSIC title this season have 20 total conference crowns. USF's first unbeaten regular season was in 1988. USF has had 16th 10-win seasons, including two in the past five seasons.  Overall USF has a 38-15 mark in postseason play, which includes a 42-10 win over Central Oklahoma in the 2014 Mineral Water Bowl and the program's first-ever DII playoff home win against seventh seeded Azusa Pacific, 34-21 in the opening round of the 2016 playoffs. USF, seeded second, dropped a 27-24 overtime decision to #3 seeded Harding at home in the second round of the 2016 DII playoffs.  In 2015 the Cougars (seeded sixth) fell the road to GNAC champion Henderson State (third seed), 23-16, in Arkedelphia, Ark. In 2017 the Cougars lost at Midwestern State, 27-23 after leading 17-0 in the first half. USF stands 1-3 in NCAA playoff games and 2-3 overall in five DII postseason games.

South Power -- Four NSIC South Division Teams make postseason - three in DII playoffs

The Cougars, which have won 56 games over the past six seasons, were one of three NSIC teams selected to the playoffs as top-seeded Minnesota State (11-0) and fifth-seeded Augustana (9-2) along with USF earned berths. Plus Winona State earned a bid to the Mineral Water Bowl after an 8-3 campaign. Similarly, three NSIC South Teams made the DII playoffs in 2017 as USF (9-3) joined Winona State (10-2) and Minnesota State (12-1) in the playoffs.

Also similar to 2017, the Cougars have one of the nation's top defenses which is directed by defensive coordinator Nick Benedetto. They rank second in DII with a 246.7 yards per allowed mark and only stand behind Minnesota State. Minnesota Duluth (8-3) did not earn a playoff berth but they are third ranked in defense in DII. 

USF's offense, directed by offensive coordinator Jim Chapin, is averaging 433.1 yards per game, which ranks third in the NSIC. Interestingly, the Cougars, which averaged 36.5 points per game (2nd in the NSIC), have a near 50-50 balance in rushing and passing yards. The Cougars have almost 50-50 balance on offense with 213.8 rushing (2nd, NSIC) and 219.3 passing (6th, NSIC) per game.

#Breaking it down - USF vs CSM - National Stats

                                                USF                 CSM

Total Defense                         246.7 (2nd)     265.1 (9th)

Avg. Per Play Defense           4.05 (6th)        4.21(7th)

Total Offense                         433.1 (37nd)    507.6 (8th)

Scoring Offense                     36.5 (28th)       45.3 (8th)

Scoring Defense                    16.60 (17th)     15.80 (12th)

Rushing Offense                     213.8 (28th)     276.7 (6th)

Rushing Defense                     94.3 (15th)       57.0 (1st)

Passing Offense                      219.3 (68th)     230.9 (58th)

Completion Percentage           61.5% (21st)     70.8 (4th)

Passing Yards Allowed            152.5 (9th)       208.1 (80th)

Third Down Conversions         43.6% (39th)     45.8% (29th)

Third Down Conversions Def. 33.5% (47th)     22.4% (1st)

First Downs Defense               153 (10th)         162 (T15th)

First Downs Offense                 237 (T33rd)     281 (2nd)

Interceptions                             19 (T5th)         10 (T-84th)

Sacks                                         2.18 (T-70th)    3.27 (T-12th)

Team Passing Efficiency          160.0 (17th)     163.56 (11th)

Team Passing Efficiency Def.     87.47 (2nd)   108.0 (23rd)

Turnover Margin                       1.27 (9th)             .36 (51st)

Red Zone Offense                     90.2% (14th)     88.2% (20th)

Red Zone Defense                     80.8 % (99th)   90.5 (156th)

#USF Offense shows balance

With 2,352 yards rushing on 485 plays, USF running game accounts for 49.4% of the years while the passing game is 50.6 percent with 2412 passing yards on 278 plays. In run-pass balance, USF runs the ball 64 percent of the time to 36 percent through the air. 

#Led by Walters and Kern, Cougars place 12 on All-NSIC Squad

Headlined by first team honorees Caden Walters and Nolan Kern, the playoff-bound University of Sioux Falls Football Team had 12 student-athletes selected to the NSIC All-League squad which released Wednesday by the league office. The all-league list included two first-team, seven second-team, and three honorable mention All-NSIC honorees from USF.  Walters, a senior quarterback from Dodge City, Kansas., and Nolan Kern, a senior offensive guard from Eau Claire, Wisc., were key performers on the USF offense which ranked second in the league in scoring (36.5 ppg) and third in total offense (433.1 yards per game) in the NSIC. Aside from Walters and Kern, USF had seven on the second team including Kyle Barnetche, a senior tight end from Susanville, Calif.; Nate Johnson, a senior wide receiver from Vista, Calif.; Thuro Reisdorfer, a sophomore running back from Sioux Falls, S.D.; Nick Zimmerman, a senior offensive center from Rosendale, Wisc.; Logan Dykstra, a senior defensive end from Hull, Iowa; Harvey (Michael) Enalls, a senior linebacker from Sioux Falls. S.D.; and Tucker Stout, a senior defensive back from Spokane, Wash. USF had three honorable mention selections and they included senior linebacker Brody Grantham of Hamlin, S.D.; senior safety from Mentone, Calif.; and senior defensive tackle Nick Zimmerman of Oceanside, Calif. This group of 12 All-NSIC performers helped the Cougars to a to a 26th straight winning season. With this group, USF, which has had 12 or more all-league honorees in each of the past three years, now has had 354 all-conference players in school history with 112 All-NSIC honorees.
 

USF quarterback Caden Walters, a senior from Dodge City, Kan., who was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career on Oct. 14, finished the regular season leading NSIC in four passing categories. Walters also leads the NSIC in completion percentage (61.4 percent) and leads the NSIC with 24 TD passes. A Dodge City, Kan., senior, Walters has completed 162-of-264 passes with 24 TDs against three interceptions and is first in the NSIC and 15th in DII pass efficiency ranking of 164.0. With 2,781 total yards or 252.8 per game, Walters ranks second in the NSIC in total offense per game and sits 32nd in DII. He has a career-high of 334 yards total offense in the win over Minnesota Crookston and 320 yards against No. 4 Minnesota State.  Walters had just three interceptions this season and had a pass streak of 148 straight passes without an interception end against Wayne State in the second quarter of a 41-21 USF win. Over the last seven games, Walters has been a standout with a 182.77 pass efficiency ranking. He completed 94-of-156 passes (60.2 percent) for 1,474 yards with 21 touchdowns and one interceptions. One of the league's top dual-threat signal callers, Walters has 112 carries for 428 yards (3.8 avg.) with eight TDs this season. He has 162 carries for 573 yards and 10 TDs in his career.  As for his career passing numbers, he is now 307-of-488 for 62.9 percent for 4,386 yards with 38 TDs and 10 interceptions in his career. He ranks ninth in school history in passing yards 4,386and is 12th in total offense with 4,980 yards (690 plays, 7.2 yards per play – fourth all-time).  
 

A three-year starter, Kern had a monster season in 2019 when he led USF with 89 knockdowns and had the second highest grade among USF offensive linemen at 88.21 percent. He had a positive rep on 591 of 670 plays. He allowed just 2.5 sacks. In his career, Kern, who made his second All-NSIC team after earning second team honors a year ago, has 252 knockdowns.   
 

Barnetche, who is a devastating blocker at tight end, has played in 22 games at USF in two years. This year, he made his first all-league team after catching five passes for 46 yards and a TD while playing a key role on the league's second best rushing attack and third ranked offense. He has 10 career catches for 73 yards.
 

Johnson has 44 catches for 707 yards and nine TDs. He averages 16.1 yards per catch, which is third in the NSIC, and 64.3 yards per game places him seventh in the league. He had a season-career high 10 receptions for 82 yards against Augustana on Sept. 26. Against U-Mary he tied his career-high with three TDs (SMSU, 2018) and set a career-best with 186 receiving yards, which is the most at USF since 2003 when Grant Brecher had 10 catches for 187 yards. Johnson's 186-yard game total ranks sixth best all-time at USF.  He also has eight kickoff returns for 164 yards for a 20.5 average and a long of 42. He has also totaled 989 all-purpose yards which includes 118 punt return yards. In his career, Johnson has 66 catches for 1,102 yards and 13 TDs. He has 1,883 all-purpose yards which includes 526 kickoff return yards and a TD.
 

In the backfield, redshirt sophomore Thuro Reisdorfer had a breakout season with133 carries for 984 yards and 12 rushing TDs or 89.5 yards per game, which ranks fourth in the NSIC in rushing yards per game.  With the 984 yards, Reisdorfer is third overall in the NSIC. Against Upper Iowa, he had 16 carries for 157 yards and TD runs of 58 and six yards. It was his third straight game of 100 yards or more and fourth overall this year and in his career. Reisdorfer's 98-yard TD run against Northern State is the longest offensive play in the NSIC and second longest in NCAA DII (99 yards, Daniel McCants, Tarleton State). Reisdorfer needs 16 yards to become the fourth player to reach 1,000 yards rushing in a season in the DII era (Gabriel Watson, 1957, 2018; Max Mickey, 1,763, 2016; Nephi Garcia, 1,190, 2014; Nephi Garcia, 1,068, 2013). Reisdorfer ranks second in the NSIC in scoring with 17 total TDs for 102 points. He established a career high with 171 yards on 13 carries and two TDs against UMD. He also had 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 113 yards and a career-high four TDs with a personal-best 50-yard TD run on 13 carries against SMSU. Against UMC he had 135 all-purpose yards which included three catches for 20 yards and a three-yard TD pass and an 80-yard kickoff return for a TD. The return was his first-ever kickoff return TD.  He ranks fifth in the NSIC with 118.6 yards per game (1,305). He has 116 receiving yards on 10 catches and four TDs while putting together 205 yards in kickoff returns. 
 

A two-time Academic All-NSIC selection, Zimmerman was named honorable mention All-NSIC a year ago and recently selected a CoSIDA Academic All-District first team selection. Zimmerman has graded at 85 percent with 240 knockdowns in his career. This season, Zimmerman has served as a captain on a USF team that has reached the DII playoffs with an 8-3 record. In his senior season he has graded at 90 percent with 45 knockdowns for a team that ranks third in the NSIC in total offense. He has graded positive reps on 642 of 713 plays and allowed just one sack. 
 

For the second time in his career (2017), Dykstra, a two-time team captain, has been named to the All-NSIC second team. This season, he has been a leader on the No. 2 ranked defense in DII. He has totaled 13 solo stops and 10 assists for 23 tackles with three TFLs, a sack and pass defended in his senior season. He now has totaled 94 career tackles, including 45 solo stops in 45 games. He has 14.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and four sacks. Dykstra was selected as nominee to the Allstate and AFCA All Good Works Team for 2018, one of 169 nominated.
 

Enalls, who was All-NSIC honorable mention a year ago, earned his first second team All-NSIC honor. A member of the nation's No. 2 defense, he has accumulated 41 tackles with 26 solo stops in 11 games. Enalls has six TFLs, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions, four passes defended the three fumble recoveries.  In his career, he has 121 tackles with 73 solo stops, 11.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, five fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
 

A team captain for the second straight year, Stout was a stalwart for a third straight year in the secondary for the Cougars. An Academic All-NSIC honoree in 2017 and 2018, Stout earned his first-ever All-NSIC honorable mention selection a year ago. He now has his second nod to the All-NSIC team with his first selection to the second team.  He has 49 tackles (36 solo stops), five TFLs, a sack and five interceptions in 2019 as he has built his career numbers to 129 tackles with 93 solo stops and five interceptions, two TD interceptions returns and two fumble recovery.     
 

Grantham was named to the All-NSIC squad for a second time. A year ago, he was named All-NSIC second team at linebacker and earned Honorable Mention All-NSIC honors. Grantham, who was named Academic All-NSIC in 2017, leads USF with 61 tackles. He has 42 solo stops, 7.0 TFLs, an interception and a pass breakup in his 11 games on the USF's No. 2 ranked defense. In his career, he has played 41 games with 163 tackles which has included 93 solo stops. He has accumulated 16.5 tackles for loss with 4.5 sacks, two interceptions and three fumble recoveries. 
 

Ryan Nieman, 6-2, 188, Sr., DB, Mentone, Calif., Business   
For the first time in his time at USF, Nieman has earned All-NSIC honors as an Honorable Mention selection. He registered his seventh career interception against NSU and first-ever defensive TD against U-Mary with a pick-six 37-yard return in the second quarter of a 39-0 win in 2019. This season he has accumulated 33 tackles with 19 solo stops, tackle for loss, four pass breakups and four picks for 141 yards and a TD. In his career, he has seven interceptions, 60 tackles with 41 solos and eight pass breakups. 
 

In earning his first All-NSIC honor, Zimmerman was named to the team as an Honorable Mention selection. In 11 games, Zimmerman had 13 solo stops and four assists for 17 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, a sack, pass deflection and a fumble recovery. A member of USF's No. 2 defense, he now has 34 career stops, 20 solo tackles, 6.0 TFLs, three quarterback sacks, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery in 22 games. 

More Notes --
 

CSM will be led by RMAC Coach of the Year Gregg Brandon, who was honored for a second straight year after leading the Orediggers to an 11-0 mark. His team is one of three nationally to have both a top-10 offense and defense. In total, 25 Orediggers were named to the All-RMAC Team which included nine first or second team selections. The office will be directed by All-RMAC QB John Matocha, who was named Offensive Freshman of the Year. He took over reins of the offense in week two and has thrown for 2,352 yards with 27 TDs and five interceptions. He also rushed for 533 yards and 10 TDs. All-league running back Michael Zeman took over for an injuring Cameron Mayberry in mid season and has 1,292 rushing yards and 12 TDs with five game starts. Defensively, they are led by All-League linebacker Jimmy Bauer, who has 30 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, sack and three turnovers while All-League linebacker Averie Mansfield had 54 tackles, nine for a loss and a sack.

 #Team Captains for 2019

Tucker Stout, Logan Dykstra, Nick Zimmerman, Caden Walters, Gabriel Watson and Brody Grantham are serving as team captains this season for USF. Dykstra, and Stout are two-year team captains.???????

#Cougars own 402-to-183 scoring edge

USF has outscored opponents, 78-33, in the first quarter and 164-to-68 in the second quarter for a 242-to-101 halftime advantage. The Cougars also have a 75-40 edge in the third quarter and 85-to-42 margin in the fourth quarter.

#Cougars have 76 wins at DII level - playing 102th game

The University of Sioux Falls is 71-22 (.763) since joining the NSIC (69-19 in league games) and 76-26 (.745) all-time in NCAA DII. USF is 41-15 (.732) mark against South opponents and 28-4 (.875) vs. the North. The Cougars are 34-10  (.772) in road NSIC games and 35-9  (.795) in home NSIC games.