By: Madie Brink
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The University of Sioux Falls continues NSIC play on the road this weekend as the Cougars travel to Bismarck, N.D., to take on the University of Mary. USF enters the matchup at 2-1 overall and 2-0 in NSIC play after a thrilling 29-28 overtime victory over MSU Moorhead, giving the Cougars back-to-back wins following their season-opening loss to Black Hills State. UMary enters at 2-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play after earning a 13-10 road victory over Concordia-St. Paul.
Inside the Series
OVERALL: 18th Meeting - Sioux Falls leads 13-4
CURRENT STREAK: Sioux Falls, Won 7
LAST MEETING: Sept. 14, 2024 - USF 35, UMary 33 (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Series History
Sioux Falls and UMary will meet for the 18th time, with the Cougars holding a 13-4 advantage in the all-time series dating back to 1988. USF has controlled the matchup in recent years, winning seven consecutive meetings and nine of the last 10. The Cougars are 3-1 all-time in Bismarck and 7-1 against the Marauders since joining the NSIC.
The series has included matchups dating back to the programs' NAIA days, with USF winning the inaugural meeting 37-13 in 1988. The Cougars' current seven-game winning streak began with a 55-7 victory in 2015, the largest margin of victory in series history. The most recent meeting was considerably tighter, as Sioux Falls held off UMary 35-33 at Bob Young Field in 2024. USF's last trip to Bismarck resulted in a 36-17 victory during the 2023 season.
Saturday presents a matchup between a USF defense allowing 286.0 yards and 17.3 points per game and a UMary defense that has generated 12 sacks and 21 tackles for loss through three contests. The Cougars have scored 27.0 points per game and have converted nine of their first 10 red-zone opportunities, including eight touchdowns.
The Cougar File
Sioux Falls heads to Bismarck riding a two-game winning streak after defeating Jamestown 31-0 and MSU Moorhead 29-28 in overtime. The Cougars are averaging 27.0 points and 330.7 yards of total offense per game, including 220.7 yards through the air. USF has scored 11 touchdowns through three games and has been particularly effective inside the red zone, scoring on nine of 10 trips with eight touchdowns.
The Cougars have also protected the football, turning it over just twice through three games while forcing six takeaways. USF quarterbacks have combined to throw six touchdowns against just one interception, while the defense has intercepted four passes and recovered two fumbles. The Cougars enter Week Four with a plus-four turnover margin.
Bennett Brueck has taken control of the Cougar offense, completing 38-of-60 passes for 456 yards and five touchdowns while adding 94 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Brueck has accounted for 550 yards of total offense and six touchdowns through three games. USF has also received production from its backfield, with
Daevion Simonsen rushing for 82 yards and a touchdown, while
Bubba Tann III has scored a team-high three touchdowns despite appearing in just two games.
Adonis Hutchinson has emerged as USF's leading target with 21 receptions for 275 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 91.7 receiving yards per game and 13.1 yards per catch.
Mark-hel Joinville has added six receptions for 90 yards, including a team-long 41-yard reception, while
Dahlton Wood has totaled 68 yards on five catches. Eight different Cougars have recorded at least 20 receiving yards, and five different players have caught a touchdown pass.
Defensively, USF has limited opponents to 286.0 yards per game, including just 157.0 through the air. Opposing quarterbacks have completed only 52.7 percent of their passes and have thrown four interceptions against two touchdowns. The Cougars have accumulated 15 tackles for loss, three sacks, four interceptions and 10 pass breakups, while holding opponents to 17.3 points per game.
Garret Hoffman and
London Kolb lead the Cougars with 16 tackles apiece, with Kolb adding a sack and Hoffman recording an interception.
Andy Henson follows with 14 tackles, two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery, while
Owen McCloud has totaled 13 stops. Up front,
Denim Blackstad leads USF with four tackles for loss, while
James Woodward has three tackles for loss and a sack.
Cam Enright,
Isaac Rudningen, Hoffman and
Peyton Marceau have each recorded an interception.
USF's special teams have provided another dimension through the opening three weeks.
Mark-hel Joinville is averaging 32.3 yards on four kickoff returns, while
Cade Morse has averaged 26.0 yards on two punt returns.
Scott Dickson has handled the punting duties, averaging 39.6 yards per punt with three kicks traveling at least 50 yards. The Cougars have also limited opponents to just 9.5 yards per kickoff return.
Scouting the Opponent
UMary enters Saturday at 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the NSIC, earning victories over Rocky Mountain (23-10) and Concordia-St. Paul (13-10) around a 48-7 loss to #4 Minnesota State. The Marauders are averaging 14.3 points and 242.7 yards of total offense per game, with 178.3 yards coming through the air. UMary has controlled possession for an average of 33:07 per game and has converted five of six fourth-down opportunities.
Quarterback Ryan Blair has completed 46-of-71 passes for 509 yards and two touchdowns, completing 64.8 percent of his attempts. Karsyn Jablonski has been his primary target, hauling in 15 passes for 224 yards and both of UMary's receiving touchdowns. Jablonski is averaging 74.7 receiving yards per game, while Desmond Duffy and Lucas Gonzales have combined for another 146 receiving yards.
On the ground, Xavier Brackenridge leads the Marauders with 99 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries. UMary has averaged 64.3 rushing yards per game and 1.7 yards per carry as a team. The Marauders have allowed 11 sacks through three games, while their opponents have accumulated 26 tackles for loss.
The strength of the Marauders has been their ability to create pressure defensively. UMary has recorded 21 tackles for loss and 12 sacks through three games. Vegas George leads the way with 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, while Travis Biery has 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Christopher Federico leads the defense with 32 tackles, including 23 solo stops, while Abram Jopp has 19 tackles and two interceptions.
Jopp has also provided one of UMary's biggest defensive plays of the season, returning one of his two interceptions 42 yards for a touchdown. The Marauders have forced four fumbles and recovered one while holding opponents to a 35.9-percent conversion rate on third down. Punter Carter Henke has been another weapon, averaging 52.5 yards per punt, with eight of his 12 attempts traveling at least 50 yards.
UMary Head Coach Shann Schillinger
Shann Schillinger is in his fourth season as head coach at UMary after taking over the Marauders program in 2023. A Baker, Mont., native and Montana Football Hall of Fame inductee, Schillinger starred at the University of Montana before being selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons in the NFL with Atlanta and Tennessee before beginning his coaching career, which included stops at Nebraska and his alma mater, Montana, prior to joining UMary.
Broadcast Information
