By: Madie Brink
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - No. 25 University of Sioux Falls Football (3-0, 2-0 NSIC) returns home to Bob Young Field for a marquee NSIC showdown with No. 16 Minnesota Duluth (3-0, 2-0 NSIC) on Saturday, Sept. 20. USF is "Blacking our The Bob" this Saturday with a kickoff set for 1 p.m. in Sioux Falls. USF Athletics will also be honoring our 2025 Hall of Fame inductees at halftime.
Saturday's contest features a clash of nationally ranked, unbeaten NSIC programs as No. 25 Sioux Falls hosts No. 16 Minnesota Duluth. The Cougars and Bulldogs will meet for the eighth time in series history, with USF holding a 5-2 advantage. The two teams last faced off in 2024, when Sioux Falls earned a 24-21 road victory in Duluth.
INSIDE THE SERIES
SERIES HISTORY: Sioux Falls and Minnesota Duluth face off for just the 8th time with USF holding a 5-2 lead since their first matchup in 2013. The Cougars have outscored the Bulldogs 194-167 while averaging 27.71 points per matchup. USF is 4-0 on their home turf against UMD and 5-1 at home over the past two seasons overall.
THE LAST TIME: Sioux Falls held off Minnesota Duluth 24-21 at Bob Young Field during Cougar Days last season. In a game that featured multiple lead changes, quarterback
Camden Dean powered the Cougars with two rushing touchdowns, a passing score, and over 340 total yards of offense. After trading blows through three quarters, Dean connected with
Carter Slykhuis on a 9-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth to put USF ahead for good.
The Cougar defense came up clutch in the closing minutes as
Matt Goehring sealed the win with his fourth interception of the season, while freshman punter
Scott Dickson delivered a game-saving 51-yard punt following a bad snap. Slykhuis finished with 13 catches for 114 yards, and kicker
Nick Hernandez added a field goal and three PATs. The victory marked USF's third straight win of the season and improved their series record against UMD to 5-2.
THE COUGAR FILE
QUICK HITS: Sioux Falls has established itself as one of the most efficient and balanced teams in the country through the opening three weeks of the season. The Cougars rank tied for ninth in NCAA Division II in scoring offense at 41.7 points per game and lead the NSIC in total offense with 1,390 yards on the season. USF has been dominant in sustaining drives, ranking fourth nationally in first downs and sixth in third-down conversion percentage, while also leading all of Division II in time of possession with over 113 minutes. The Cougars have complemented their offensive production with special teams success, standing second nationally in kickoff return average.
Individually, quarterback
Camden Dean has been among the nation's most productive players, ranking sixth nationally in completion percentage, tied for fifth in passing touchdowns with eight, fourth in points responsible for with 72, and tied for seventh in rushing touchdowns. His top target, sophomore wide receiver
Hank Brown Jr., has been equally effective, ranking ninth in Division II in receiving yards and seventh in receptions per game. On special teams, junior
Adonis Hutchinson sits tied for fourth nationally in kickoff return touchdowns, while defensively, sophomore
Preston Yohnke ranks among the NSIC leaders in passes defended.
PREGAME TIDBITS: No. 25 Sioux Falls is now 3-0, highlighted by a dominant 56-23 road win at Bemidji State last week. Through three games, the Cougars are averaging 41.7 points per game while holding opponents to 24.0.
The offense has been led by senior quarterback
Camden Dean, who has emerged as one of the most dynamic players in the NSIC. Dean has completed more than 70 percent of his passes for 744 yards and eight touchdowns without throwing an interception. In addition to his passing efficiency, he has also rushed for 184 yards and four touchdowns, averaging over 300 yards of total offense per game. His dual-threat ability has forced opposing defenses to defend both the air and the ground, giving the Cougars a versatile attack.
USF's run game has been steady and effective, paced by redshirt sophomore
Bubba Tann III, who has totaled 204 rushing yards and three touchdowns while averaging more than 68 yards per game.
Christian Nash has added 121 rushing yards and a touchdown, while
Jordan Smith has chipped in with 96 yards on the ground, including a 75-yard scoring run that highlights his big-play potential. In the receiving corps, sophomore wideout
Hank Brown Jr. has established himself as Dean's top target, recording 24 receptions for 300 yards and averaging 100 yards per game. Graduate transfer
Isaiah Emanuel has provided a reliable downfield presence with 131 yards and two touchdowns, while junior
Adonis Hutchinson has added 91 yards and a score. Tight end
Dahlton Wood has emerged as a red-zone weapon with three touchdown catches already this season, giving the Cougars multiple options in their passing game.
Defensively, Sioux Falls has leaned on a core of playmakers to set the tone. Safety
Garret Hoffman leads the team with 14 total tackles and an interception, while linebacker
Andy Henson has added 11 stops as the anchor of the middle. Linebacker
London Kolb has contributed nine tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, and cornerback
Mauloa Wells has recorded 11 tackles along with a 30-yard interception return. The front seven has also received contributions from defensive linemen such as
Conor Rice, who has six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, helping USF hold opponents to just over 100 rushing yards per game.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
PREGAME TIDBITS: Minnesota Duluth enters the weekend ranked No. 16 nationally by the AFCA and No. 11 by D2Football.com after opening the season 3-0. The Bulldogs have picked up convincing wins over Winona State (35-7) and Concordia-St. Paul (61-7) before edging then-No. 3 Minnesota State 17-14 last Saturday in Duluth. UMD boasts one of the top defenses in Division II, allowing just 9.3 points per game through three contests, while the offense is averaging nearly 38 points per outing.
Quarterback Kyle Walljasper has led the way with 640 passing yards and six touchdowns on nearly 73 percent efficiency, while also rushing for two scores. Wide receiver Luke Dehnicke has emerged as a premier target with 339 yards and two touchdowns, while Chuck Gilbert III and Ben Fritsch provide additional big-play ability. On the ground, UMD leans on Alex Riley and Derrick Johnson, who have combined for over 170 rushing yards.
Defensively, the Bulldogs have stood out with seven sacks and four interceptions already this season. Linebacker Ross Rivord leads the team with 15 tackles, while defensive back Brock Unger has two interceptions, including an 84-yard return. UMD also features one of the nation's most dangerous return units, as Jonathan Shrum has averaged nearly 39 yards per kickoff return, highlighted by a 90-yard touchdown.
MINNESOTA DULUTH HEAD COACH CURT WEISE: Now in his 13th season as head coach, Curt Wiese has built one of the premier programs in Division II football. Since taking over in 2012, he has compiled 113 career wins, a .794 winning percentage, seven NSIC North Division titles, two overall NSIC championships, and four NCAA playoff appearances, including a pair of perfect 11-0 regular seasons. Wiese's Bulldogs have produced 32 All-Americans and 73 All-NSIC First Team honorees, while excelling academically with 148 NSIC All-Academic selections and 12 CSC Academic All-Americans. Already the second-winningest coach in program history, Wiese has guided UMD to nine seasons of nine or more wins and continues to uphold the championship tradition established by the Bulldog program.
PRE-GAME EVENTS
- Join us Friday, Sept. 19 at 12pm for Inside USF Athletics at Gibs Sports Bar & Grill for a chance to talk with Coach Glogowski and some student-athletes ahead of Satuday's matchup!
- Friday night we will induct four individuals a long with the 2016 Football team into our USF Athletic Hall of Fame. The Banquet will begin at 6:30pm at the Hilton Garden Inn downtown. All attendees MUST register HERE.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
