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MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY GAMEDAY 2012

THIS WEEK: Minot State University hits the final stretch of the 2012 season with its second-to-last home contest, entertaining Minnesota Crookston on Hall of Fame Weekend Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

RECORDS: MISU is 1-6 overall and 1-2 in the NSIC North Division. Crookston enters the weekend at 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the NSIC North.
 
COACHES CORNER: Minot State's head coach is Paul Rudolph. Rudolph is 29-29 overall in five seasons with the Beavers and 72-76 overall as a head coach. Paul Miller is in his first season as head coach with UMC after serving as the team's offensive coordinator in 2011. He is 1-6 overall.
 
FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: The game is broadcast locally on KCJB 910-AM with Scott Kittell calling the play-by-play and former Minot State standout Brendan Weidler on color commentary. Live audio can be accessed online at kcjb.com. MSU provides live video and live stats as well as links to the live audio at msubeavers.com. Minot State Athletics also is active on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube with all feeds accessible through the home page.
 
RANKINGS: Neither team is ranked in the AFCA Coaches' Top 25 Poll or the D2Football.com poll this week.
 
RECENT HISTORY: The Beavers were defeated by No. 7 Minnesota Duluth 44-6 at home last week, while UM Crookston fell 35-13 in the inaugural Red River Rivalry Game against Minnesota State Moorhead.
 
OVERALL SERIES: Minot State trails 1-3 in the overall series as the teams played four times between 1995-1998. The Beavers lone win was a 21-18 nail-biter in 1996.
 
NOTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES: Minnesota Crookston has been Jekyll and Hyde this season  depending on whether they get on a bus or not. UMC is 1-2 at home, being outscored a respectable 98-81 in three games. On the road, however, the Golden Eagles have been terrible, losing a combined 159-21 in four games… UMC is last in scoring in the Northern Sun at 14.6 points per game and last in scoring defense giving up 41.0 points per game… The Golden Eagles have been above average running the ball, sitting in eighth place overall in the conference with a 153.6-per game average… Leading the way is tailback Richard Haley who is second in the conference with 818 yards rushing in seven games… Freedom McCullough and Ricky Jacobs are tied for third overall in interceptions in the NSIC… Crookston is the only team in the conference which hasn't hit 1,000 yards passing yet, averaging just 138.7 over seven games.
 
A TALE OF TWO TEAMS: Minot State and Minnesota Crookston can't be much different teams both on offense and defense. The Beavers are last in the Northern Sun in rushing at just 474 yards so far this season on the ground, while the Golden Eagles are eighth overall with 1,075. By comparison, the nation's leader Lenoir-Rhyne is averaging 370.8 per game. The Beavers, however, have passed for nearly 600 yards more than the Golden Eagles, with Minot State throwing for 1,501 yards, good for 11th in the Northern Sun. On defense, just the opposite, UMC is third in the conference in pass defense, giving up 1,356 through the air, while Minot State has surrendered 1,770 yards passing. But the Beavers are ninth against the ground game, giving up 1,121 and Crookston dead last at 1,553 yards rushing, or 221.9 average.
 
SMOOTHER SAILING AHEAD: Minot State's first half of its inaugural season in the Northern Sun was against some of the best in the conference and in the country, helping to explain a 1-6 start. The Beavers faced No. 9 Minnesota Duluth last week, marking the fourth time in seven games Minot State played a team that was either ranked when the Beavers took them on or are ranked now. Along with Duluth (which moved up to No. 7 this week), MISU's schedule featured current No. 9 Minnesota State and No. 23 Sioux Falls. Minot State also faced Wayne State College when it was receiving votes and will take on St. Cloud State in two weeks, a team that is receiving votes now. In all, over the first seven games, MISU's opponents were 31-18. The last four opponents are just 11-17.
 
HALL OF FAME WEEKEND: Minot State is celebrating its Hall of Fame Weekend with the induction of five new individuals and a team. The inductees include Michelle (Boyeff) Hoff, track & field; Ken Vetter, wrestling; Lisa (Webb) Hodgins, volleyball; Joe Alme, special achievement – MSU Marching Band; the 2003 men's cross country team and former football player and track & field standout Harry Mills. Mills was a two-time NAIA All-American, finishing with 3,069 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns. He set DAC-10 single-season records with 1,490 yards receiving and 135.6 reception yards per game as a junior. The group will be honored at halftime of the game, with a reception to follow at 6 p.m. at the Minot State Student Center Third Floor Conference Center.
 
NATIONAL EXPOSURE: During its first season as a NCAA Division II team, Minot State's Glyn Borel (Jr., WR, San Jose, Calif.), Jeff Buchert (Jr., DB, Plainfield, Conn.), Porter Sturm (R-Fr., WR, Roy, Mont.), Wayne Peters (Jr., WR, Carson, Calif.), Aaron La Deaux (Fr., K/P, Port Orchard, Wash.) and Zac Cunha (Fr., QB, Rocklin, Calif.) have all moved into the national statistical reporting. The highest ranked Beaver is Borel, who is ranked sixth in the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 31.93 per attempt.  Peters is 36th overall in punt return average, gaining 9.88 per attempt. Buchert is tied for 43rd overall with 0.43 interceptions per game as he has three picks in seven games. Cunha is 69th overall, throwing for 215.7 yards per game, while Sturm is 83rd with his 68.71 yards per game receiving. Finally, LaDeaux comes in at No. 93 in punting with a 36.45 average.
 
NUMBERS KEEP GOING UP FOR DENNE: Minot State senior defensive back John Denne (St. Cloud, Minn.) is nearing some impressive milestones as he finishes his career with the Beavers. Denne is four games shy of 40 starts, having started in nearly every game since his redshirt season. He has 37 overall. He also needs just six tackles to eclipse his career high of 46 as he has a third-best 41 in 2012. Denne has increased his tackle output each season heading into this year and has 159 total tackles in four seasons.