By: Madie Brink
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Sioux Falls returns to Bob Young Field on Saturday, Sept. 26, for one of its biggest tests of the season as the Cougars host No. 3 Minnesota State as part of Cougar Days. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. as USF welcomes alumni and fans back to campus for its annual Homecoming matchup.
The meeting brings another nationally ranked Minnesota State team to The Bob and continues a series that has produced several memorable games during USF's NCAA Division II era. Saturday will also give the Cougars an opportunity to earn their first home victory over the Mavericks, with all four of USF's wins in the series coming away from Sioux Falls.
Inside the Series
OVERALL: 16th Meeting - Minnesota State leads 11-4
CURRENT STREAK: Minnesota State, Won 1
LAST MEETING: Sept. 27, 2025 - USF 12, MSU 38 (Mankato, Minn.)
Series History
Sioux Falls and Minnesota State will meet for the 16th time, with the Mavericks holding an 11-4 advantage in a series dating back to 1936. The programs met twice before an extended hiatus, with Minnesota State winning the inaugural matchup 27-0 before USF answered with a 7-0 victory in Mankato in 1937. The series resumed when the Cougars joined the NSIC in 2012, with Minnesota State holding a 10-3 advantage in conference meetings.
USF has earned three victories over Minnesota State since 2016, with each coming in Mankato. The Cougars won 24-14 in 2016, followed with a 45-35 victory in 2021 and knocked off No. 7 Minnesota State, 40-36, in 2024. USF is 3-7 over the last 10 meetings but enters Saturday looking for its first home victory in the series, carrying an 0-7 record against the Mavericks in Sioux Falls.
The two programs last met on Sept. 27, 2025, when then-No. 14 Minnesota State earned a 38-12 victory in Mankato. Sioux Falls struck first and held the Mavericks scoreless in the opening quarter before Minnesota State took a 10-6 advantage into halftime. The Mavericks pulled away with 21 unanswered points in the third quarter, snapping USF's one-game winning streak in the series following the Cougars' 40-36 upset victory the year prior.
The Cougar File
Sioux Falls enters Cougar Days riding a three-game winning streak and sitting at 3-1 overall and 3-0 in NSIC play following a 40-34 road victory over UMary. Since dropping the season opener to Black Hills State, the Cougars have responded with victories over Jamestown, MSU Moorhead and UMary. USF is averaging 30.3 points per game while totaling 324.8 yards of offense per contest, including 203.8 through the air and 121.0 on the ground. The Cougars have scored 16 touchdowns through four games and have converted 14-of-15 red-zone opportunities, with 11 ending in touchdowns.
Quarterback
Bennett Brueck has accounted for a large portion of the Cougar offense, completing 48-of-79 passes for 609 yards and six touchdowns while throwing just one interception. Brueck has also been a factor on the ground, rushing for a team-high 134 yards and three touchdowns to give him 743 yards of total offense and nine total touchdowns.
Bubba Tann III has added 128 rushing yards and three touchdowns in three games, while
Daevion Simonsen has rushed for 87 yards and a score.
Adonis Hutchinson continues to lead the USF receiving corps with 24 receptions for 346 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 86.5 receiving yards and 14.4 yards per catch. Tann has added six receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns, while
Mark-hel Joinville has eight catches for 103 yards. USF has spread its seven passing touchdowns among five different receivers, with
Isaac Jarovski,
Blake Stahl and Simonsen joining Hutchinson and Tann with touchdown receptions.
The Cougar offense has also done a strong job protecting the football. Through four games, USF has thrown just one interception and lost one fumble, while the defense has helped the Cougars build a positive turnover margin by recording five interceptions and recovering two fumbles. Sioux Falls has thrown seven touchdown passes against just one interception while allowing only two sacks through its first four contests.
Defensively, Sioux Falls has held opponents to 311.0 yards per game, including just 100.3 rushing yards per contest and 3.0 yards per carry. The Cougars have accumulated 21 tackles for loss, six sacks and five interceptions, while opponents have scored 21.5 points per game. USF has also held opposing offenses to a 37.9-percent conversion rate on third down.
Andy Henson and
Garret Hoffman lead the defense with 19 tackles apiece. Hoffman has added an interception, while Henson has a tackle for loss, two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
London Kolb and
Owen McCloud follow with 16 tackles each, while
Cam Enright,
Beau Giblin,
Peyton Marceau and
Davieian Williams have each recorded 14.
Denim Blackstad leads the Cougars with five tackles for loss, while
James Woodward has three tackles for loss and a team-high two sacks.
USF's secondary has also consistently generated plays on the football, recording five interceptions and 15 pass breakups through four games. Enright,
Isaac Rudningen, Hoffman, Marceau and McCloud have each recorded an interception, with Enright returning his pick 33 yards. Enright has also forced two fumbles, while Rudningen has made an impact on special teams with a 23-yard punt return touchdown.
Scouting the Opponent
No. 3 Minnesota State enters Cougar Days 4-0 overall and 3-0 in NSIC play, having defeated Colorado Mesa, UMary, Bemidji State and Northern State. The Mavericks are averaging 37.8 points and 451.5 yards of offense per game, including 231.3 rushing yards and 220.3 passing yards. Minnesota State has been especially productive on third down, converting 50 percent of its opportunities, while scoring 20 touchdowns through four games.
Minnesota State has used both Mitchell Thompson and Maximus Sims at quarterback. Thompson has completed 71.4 percent of his passes for 463 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 205 yards and five scores. Sam Backer leads the Mavericks with 252 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Carter Henderson has added 223 yards. Jackson Owens leads the receiving corps with 193 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, the Mavericks are allowing just 12.8 points and 256.0 yards per game, including only 87.5 rushing yards per contest. Minnesota State has generated 23 tackles for loss and 13 sacks while intercepting eight passes through four games. Jack Hawkinson leads the pass rush with three sacks, while Jamal Spiyee and Emanuel Spiyee have each recorded two interceptions.
Minnesota State Head Coach Todd Hoffner
Todd Hoffner enters his 15th season as head coach at Minnesota State, where he has built the Mavericks into a perennial NCAA Division II contender. Through his first 14 seasons, Hoffner compiled a 142-37 record, guided Minnesota State to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven NSIC Championships and nine NSIC South Division titles. His teams reached the NCAA Division II National Championship game in both 2014 and 2019, while Hoffner was named the AFCA National Coach of the Year following the 2019 season.
Prior to Minnesota State, Hoffner spent seven seasons as head coach at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, posting a 42-28 record and winning a conference championship in 2001. He later served as offensive coordinator at South Dakota before taking over the Mavericks in 2008. A Valley City State graduate, Hoffner played cornerback in football and competed in the 400-meter hurdles in track and field before beginning his coaching career at Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
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