SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Sioux Falls (1-0, 0-0 NSIC) will hit the road for the second week in a row to take on Northern State (0-1, 0-0 NSIC ) this Saturday night for the 17th meeting between the two programs. USF is coming off a huge 34-13 road win over FCS foe St. Thomas while NSU fell to South Dakota last weekend, 45-3. The Coo will open NSIC play at 6pm in Aberdeen, SD at Dacotah Bank Stadium and will be streamed on the NSIC Network. 

QUICK HITS: The USF road win last Thursday night snapped a 31-game home record and a 42 regular season game record for the Tommies of St. Thomas...The Cougar defense held the Tommies to just eight first downs the entire game last week while giving up just 22 rushing yards...Sioux Falls looked great on both sides of the ball last week with just under 400-yards of total offense while only giving up 172-yards on defense.

MATCHUP HISTORY: USF and NSU will open their 2024 NSIC seasons Saturday night during their 17th matchup in program history...The two programs took the field for the first time in 1922 when NSU came away with a 20-0 win over USF...Overall, The Coo are 6-11 against the Wolves, but 4-1 since the Division II era...Sioux Falls has scored 200 points against Northern State with their largest win happening in 2017 when USF defeated the Wolves 37-7.

THE LAST TIME: Sioux Falls fell on the road, 41-10, in 2021 against the Wolves...Adam Mullen threw for 276 yards while Thuro Reisdorfer rushed for 75-yards and Ty Smith with just 75 receiving yards...The Cougar defense forced five tackles for a loss of 25-yards along with two sacks for a loss of 16-yards...Northern States Hunter Trautman threw for 375-yards and three touchdowns while NSU recorded 498-yards of total offense...The Coo out ran the Wolves on the ground, but struggled through the air. 

PREGAME TIDBITS: Junior quarterback Camden Dean will make the start for USF following a 254-yard game last week with 189-yards through the air and 65-yards on the ground with a passing and rushing touchdown...In the backfield, Dylan Rudningen recorded 67-yards with two scores in the fourth quarter against St. Thomas while recorded two receptions for 25-yards...Carter Slykhuis and Mark Leonard each pulled down 50+ yards for The Coo while Slykhuis recorded seven receptions and Leonard having two...On the defensive side of the ball, Matt Goehring paved the way with seven total tackles on the night, four solo and three assisted, while also tabbing a tackle for a loss of 2-yards...Joseph Sapp, Andy Henson and Preston Yohnke all recorded four tackles on the night while Sapp added a pass breakup and Henson recorded two tackles for a loss of 8-yards, a sack for a loss of 7-yards and a forced fumble.

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