By: Madie Brink
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The University of Sioux Falls football team (6-3, 6-2 NSIC) travels to Wayne, Nebraska, this weekend for its final road contest of the regular season, taking on No. 25 Wayne State (7-2, 6-2 NSIC) in a matchup between two teams tied in the conference standings. The Cougars enter Saturday riding a three-game winning streak following a 21-14 victory over Winona State, while the Wildcats are coming off a commanding 54-14 win over Concordia-St. Paul. The matchup marks the 14th all-time meeting between the programs, with Sioux Falls holding a 10-3 advantage in the series.
Sioux Falls enters the weekend averaging 28.1 points and 368.8 yards of total offense per game, while holding opponents to 23.1 points and 343.2 yards per contest. Wayne State is averaging 29.7 points and 400.3 yards offensively while limiting opponents to 19.4 points and 315.7 yards per game. Saturday's contest features a Cougar offense that has scored 98 points over its last three games against a Wildcat defense that has recorded 18 sacks and 10 interceptions through nine contests.
Inside the Series
OVERALL: 14th Meeting - Sioux Falls leads 10-3
CURRENT STREAK: Wayne State, Won 1
LAST MEETING: Nov. 8, 2025 - USF 13, WSU 42 (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Series History
Sioux Falls and Wayne State will meet for the 14th time in a series dating back to Nov. 10, 2012, with the Cougars holding a 10-3 all-time advantage. USF has won seven of the last 10 meetings and holds a perfect 6-0 record against the Wildcats in Wayne, Nebraska. The Cougars are 4-3 at home in the series and have averaged 32.8 points per contest. Sioux Falls claimed the first nine meetings between the programs from 2012 through 2021, establishing the longest winning streak in series history.
The Cougars have enjoyed considerable success on the road against Wayne State, winning all six previous meetings in Wayne. That stretch includes a 59-10 victory in 2015, the largest margin of victory in series history, along with a 41-21 win in 2019 and a 38-17 decision in 2021. The programs last met in Wayne on Oct. 26, 2024, when Sioux Falls earned a 23-13 victory to snap a two-game losing streak against the Wildcats. The Cougars will look to extend their unbeaten road record in the series this weekend.
The most recent meeting came on Nov. 8, 2025, when Wayne State defeated Sioux Falls 42-13 at Bob Young Field. The Cougars held a 6-0 advantage after the opening quarter, but the Wildcats responded with 21 unanswered points in the second period to take control of the contest. Both teams scored seven points in the third quarter before Wayne State added 14 unanswered points in the fourth to secure the victory. The result snapped USF's one-game winning streak in the series and marked Wayne State's third victory over the Cougars.
The Cougar File
Sioux Falls enters Saturday's matchup with a 6-3 overall record and a 6-2 mark in NSIC play after defeating Winona State 21-14 on Oct. 31. The victory extended the Cougars' winning streak to three games, following wins over Southwest Minnesota State (28-14) and Minot State (49-29). USF has outscored its opponents 98-57 during that stretch and has won six of its last eight contests. Through nine games, Sioux Falls is averaging 28.1 points and 368.8 yards of total offense per game, including 226.4 passing yards and 142.3 rushing yards.
The Cougar offense has accumulated 3,319 yards and 34 touchdowns through nine games, including 2,038 passing yards and 1,281 rushing yards. USF has scored 18 touchdowns through the air and 15 on the ground while averaging 5.6 yards per play. The Cougars have converted 43.6 percent of their third-down opportunities and 60.0 percent of their fourth-down attempts. Inside the red zone, Sioux Falls has scored on 27-of-33 trips, including 22 touchdowns.
The Sioux Falls passing attack has been led by
Tate Schafer and
Bennett Brueck, who have combined for 2,030 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. Schafer has completed 81-of-140 passes for 1,027 yards and seven touchdowns, while Brueck has connected on 77-of-136 attempts for 1,003 yards and 11 scores. Brueck has also contributed 273 rushing yards and three touchdowns, bringing his season total to 14 touchdowns accounted for. The Cougars are averaging 12.7 yards per reception while throwing just five interceptions through nine games.
Bubba Tann III continues to lead the Cougar rushing attack with 576 yards and seven touchdowns on 108 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt. Tann has also added 11 receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns, giving him a team-high nine total touchdowns and 686 all-purpose yards. Brueck follows with 273 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while
Daevion Simonsen has contributed 226 yards and two scores. Sioux Falls has totaled 15 rushing touchdowns while averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
Adonis Hutchinson leads the Sioux Falls receiving corps with 48 receptions for 746 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 93.3 receiving yards per game and 15.5 yards per catch.
Hank Brown Jr. follows with 32 catches for 384 yards and a team-high six receiving touchdowns, while
Todd Benedict has added 200 yards on 13 receptions.
Dahlton Wood has contributed 139 yards and a touchdown, while
Mark-hel Joinville has added 112 yards on nine catches. The Cougars have recorded 18 passing touchdowns and are averaging 226.4 passing yards per contest.
Defensively, Sioux Falls is allowing 343.2 yards and 23.1 points per game, including 146.0 rushing yards and 197.2 passing yards. The Cougars have recorded 43 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and nine interceptions while recovering six fumbles. USF has forced 15 turnovers through nine games and has limited opposing quarterbacks to nine touchdown passes against nine interceptions. The Cougar defense has also generated 33 pass breakups and 11 forced fumbles.
Owen McCloud leads the Cougar defense with 62 tackles, adding an interception and fumble recovery.
Andy Henson follows with 53 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, three sacks and three forced fumbles, while
Cade Morse and
Garret Hoffman have contributed 45 tackles apiece.
Beau Giblin have has recorded 42 tackles on the season with three tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Denim Blackstad and Henson leads the defensive front with seven tackles for loss, followed by
James Woodward with six. Woodward has also recorded three sacks, while
Cam Enright has contributed 31 tackles, an interception, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
Special teams have provided another dimension for Sioux Falls, with the Cougars averaging 21.5 yards per punt return and 18.5 yards per kickoff return sitting 2nd in the NCAA and leading the conference in punt returns.
Cade Morse has totaled 52 yards on two punt returns, including a 44-yard return, while
Isaac Rudningen has recorded a 23-yard punt return touchdown.
Mark-hel Joinville leads the kickoff return unit with 291 yards on 13 attempts, averaging 22.4 yards per return.
Scott Dickson is averaging 38.3 yards on 37 punts, including five punts of 50-plus yards and 12 placed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
JT Frieders has connected on four field goals with a long of 33 while going 18-19 in PATs.
Scouting the Opponent
No. 25 Wayne State enters Saturday's matchup with a 7-2 overall record and a 6-2 mark in NSIC play following a 54-14 victory over Concordia-St. Paul. The Wildcats are averaging 29.7 points and 400.3 yards of total offense per game, including 205.3 rushing yards and 195.0 passing yards. Wayne State has scored 35 touchdowns through nine games, including 19 rushing and 13 passing scores, while converting 38.2 percent of its third-down opportunities and scoring on 25-of-29 trips inside the red zone.
Offensively, quarterback Brady McGill has completed 127-of-229 passes for 1,716 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding 142 rushing yards and a score. Dawson Forgy leads the rushing attack with 778 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 6.3 yards per carry, while Brennan Hayes has contributed 586 rushing yards and eight scores. Keaten Bonderson leads the receiving corps with 28 receptions for 615 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 22.0 yards per catch. Alex Phelps has added 228 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while Tanner Houck and Charlie Lamski have contributed 174 and 173 yards, respectively.
Defensively, Wayne State is allowing 315.7 yards and 19.4 points per game while recording 47 tackles for loss, 18 sacks and 10 interceptions. Clyde Hinton leads the Wildcats with 64 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, followed by Kaden Johnson with 58 tackles, seven tackles for loss and three sacks. Jackson Bos has added seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, while Hayden Kelley leads the secondary with three interceptions. The Wildcats have been particularly effective on third down, holding opponents to a 28.0 percent conversion rate, while forcing 15 turnovers through nine games.
Wayne State Head Coach Logan Masters
Logan Masters enters his fifth season as Wayne State's head coach in 2026, holding a 31-14 record through his first four seasons. A former Wildcat standout receiver, Masters led WSC to its first NSIC overall championship and an NCAA Division II Playoff appearance in 2022, earning NSIC Coach of the Year honors. Under his leadership, Wayne State has captured two NSIC South Division titles and recorded four consecutive seasons with at least seven wins.
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