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Teams: Minot State vs. Wayne State College | Series: WSC leads series 1-0
Date: Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014 | Time: 2:30 p.m. | Site: Herb Parker Stadium

RECORDS: Minot State returns to Herb Parker Stadium for Homecoming 2014 with an 0-3 record overall and 0-3 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. Wayne State College is 0-2 after winnings its season opener, coming in at 1-2 overall and 1-2 NSIC.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State's head coach is Tyler Hughes, who begins his first season at the helm. He is 0-3 at Minot State and 20-6 overall as a head coach, all at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, where he coached from 2011-12. Hughes spent last season as an assistant coach with Urban Meyer at Ohio State. Dan McLaughlin is the head coach at Wayne State College. He is 55-49 in 10 seasons at WSC.

FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: The game is broadcast locally on KCJB 910-AM with Scott Kittell calling the play-by-play. Live audio can be accessed online at kcjb.com. MISU 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 either the American Football Coaches Association Poll and the D2Football.com polls.

RECENT HISTORY: The Beavers played a decent game without the results as they were defeated 58-0 at No. 3 Minnesota State Saturday. Minot State was shut out for the first time this season, but the third time in two years, after failing to score in the season opening loss at Concordia-St. Paul (29-0) and in week seven at Minnesota Duluth (52-0). Winona State lost in a slugfest 40-36 at home against Minnesota State University Moorhead. The Wildcats trailed 30-16 at halftime but closed to within 38-36 on a TD pass from Zach Osborn to Adam Stark with just 3:06 to play in the game. But while going to the tie on a two-point conversion, Osborn was intercepted and MSU-M's Sheldon Jones returned it for a conversion.

OVERALL SERIES: MSU and WSC have met just once in football with the Wildcats winning a defensive battle 20-6 in Wayne, Neb., in 2012. Minot State's Zac Cunha (Jr., QB, Rocklin, Calif.) found wideout Wayne Peters from 4-yards out to cut the WSC lead to 13-6 midway through the fourth quarter. But Nick Pulscher capped an impressive 15-play drive with a TD for the Wildcats taking up nearly the remainder of the contest to thwart any comeback attempt by Minot State. WSC's Max Martin hit two field goals for the Wildcats, while Minot State's Casey Weinmann (Sr., LB, Selz, N.D.) finished with 14 tackles for the Beavers.

NOTING THE WILDCATS: Wayne State College's defensive coordinator Mike Aldrich was one of three finalists for the Minot State head coaching position this past winter. He was the head coach at Augustana College before spending the past two seasons at WSC as the D-coordinator… The Wildcats are averaging nearly 500 yards of total offense per game, coming in a 492.7, including 984 passing yards and 494 rushing yards on the season… WSC has been outscored 38-14 in the second quarter – the one quarter in which the Wildcats have a deficit… Quarterback Zach Osborn has thrown for just under 1,000 yards through three games, averaging 328 yards per game with 10 TDs… Receivers Cole McDaniel and Adam Stark have caught 48 of the 71 receptions this season, accounting for 746 yards through the air… WSC has held opponents to just 37 receptions through three games.

TACKLES STACKING UP FOR FREIDT: Senior Levi Freidt (LB, Minot, N.D.) is over halfway to breaking his single season tackle high through just three games. Freidt, who moved from safety to linebacker this season, has 34 stops in three games, including a career-high 15 last week in the loss to Mankato. He has 186 for his career, second to just Casey Weinmann (Sr., LB, Selz, N.D.) in active tackles for the Beavers. He is also the Beavers active leader in interceptions with seven.

COFFIN CORNER: Minot State sophomore Aaron La Deaux (P/K, Port Orchard, Wash.) was one of the bright spots Saturday as he finished with a 44.0 average over his six punts. La Deaux, a former All-NSIC punter during his freshman season, drilled a 68-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Minnesota State 2-yard line early in the second quarter in last week's loss. La Deaux is currently in third in the NSIC in punting average.

JAMES SOLID IN THE MIDDLE: Minot State junior linebacker Aaron James (Oklahoma City, Okla.) continues to have a solid season as he finished with seven tackles total. He is third on the team with 21 stops and has forced two fumbles this year. He also has four tackles for a loss and a sack to his credit.

DOWN FIELD TROUBLE: Minot State has not turned out any big plays since a 52-yard pass from Zac Cunha (Jr., QB, Rocklin, Calif.) hit Glyn Borel (Sr., WR, San Jose, Calif.) for a touchdown with 5:49 to play in the first half in Sioux Falls during the season opener. Cunha and Crosby Jensen (So., QB, Salt Lake City, Utah) have completed just 52-of-109 passing for 483 yards. Cunha has one pass completion over 25 yards – the TD to Borel – and Jensen has not completed a pass covering more than 21 yards.

SPREADING THE LOVE: While the Beavers have not been able to go downfield with much effectiveness, Minot State has spread around the ball in the passing game. Crosby Jensen (So., QB, Salt Lake City, Utah) and Zac Cunha (Jr., QB, Rocklin, Calif.) have found 13 different receivers this season. Senior Leon La Deaux (WR, Port Orchard, Wash.) leads the way with 12 catches for 140 yards.

BEHIND THE NUMBERS
0: Wins the Beavers have over ranked opponents since leaving the NAIA for NCAA Division II. Minot State is 0-1 this season as No. 3 Minnesota State is the highest ranked opponent Minot State has faced as a member of DII. MSU was 0-2 in 2013, 0-1 in 2012 and 0-1 in the team's independent season for a total of 0-5 against NCAA Division II ranked teams. The Beavers are also 0-1 against NCAA FCS teams since moving as they fell 43-7 at No. 6 ranked Montana State in the independent season in 2011.

1: Offensive touchdown scored by Minot State over three games, coming in game 1 of the season. The Beavers have managed just one other TD and a field goal over the final 10 quarter of football this year.

32:05: Time of possession for Minot State per game after three games. The Beavers hold a decent edge on their opponents so far this season, accumulating 1 hour, 36.14 minutes, compared to 1 hour, 23.46 minutes for their opponents.