MINOT STATE 2-DEEP                            NORTHERN STATE 2-DEEP

MINOT, N.D. – The Beavers continue to build momentum as they head out on the road to start the second half of their season this weekend, playing at Northern State in the team's second trip to South Dakota this fall.

Two weekends earlier the Beavers began building momentum as Minot State's offense erupted for 35 points, and this past weekend the Beavers' ball-hawking defense turned in its best effort which included four takeaways. Now Minot State (0-6 overall, 0-2 North Division) looks to put it all together against a tough Wolves (4-2, 0-1) team this Saturday night at 6 p.m. CLICK TO BUY TICKETS

"We have faced and been tested weekly by very good football teams already this season, so we have to use those experiences to prepare and play confidently against another good team," Minot State head coach Mike Aldrich said. "We need to be fundamentally sound and play good team defense, focus on ourselves and be in control of taking away what we want to take away."

Building on the confidence the team has mustered over the past two weekends will be one big key for the Beavers as they look to start a season-ending win streak with five games left on the schedule.

Here is a quick look at this weekend's matchup:
LAST TIME OUT (NSU): The Wolves hit the road and weathered a frantic comeback effort by host Winona State last weekend. On top 49-28 headed into the fourth quarter, a 38-yard field goal helped Northern State hold on for a 52-49 victory as the host Warriors scored three touchdowns, rallying to try and steal the win.

NSU quarterback Hunter Trautman (6-0, Gr.) had a huge game as he completed 32-of-47 passes for 418 yards and five touchdowns without an interception, leading the way for the Wolves and earning him NSIC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Northern State also got a big game on the ground from running back Brett Brenton (5-10, So.) who finished with 98 yards rushing and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Wide receivers Dewaylon Ingram (6-3, Jr.) and Dakota Larson (6-2, Sr.) each racked up more than 100 yards receiving and also caught a pair of touchdown passes each, as Ingram had seven catches for 178 yards and Larson added 11 catches for 112 yards in the win.

Defensively, Northern State came up with four takeaways and five quarterback sacks, helping the Wolves stave off Winona State.

LAST TIME OUT (MINOT): The Minot State defense stepped up and came through big, giving the Beavers a chance at a comeback against visiting Minnesota State Moorhead, coming up with four turnovers and a quarterback sack while pitching a second-half shutout.

Allowing just two first-half offensive touchdowns, the Beavers found themselves in a battle only to fall 29-17 to the visiting Dragons, who withstood a pair of late Minot State touchdowns.

The Beavers fell behind as a 58-yard interception return for touchdown and a 23-yard blocked punt return for touchdown help Minnesota State Moorhead steal the first-half momentum and built a 29-3 advantage at halftime.

The Beavers battled throughout, though, as Caleb Ness (6-foot-3, Jr., DB) recovered two fumbles, and Roma'n Grissett (5-10, Jr., DB)  and Knylen Miller-Levi (6-1, Jr., DB) each intercepted a pass for Minot State, which had its best day defensively of the season in terms of takeaways.

"We played well defensively, yielding two touchdowns and forcing four turnovers," Aldrich said. "We also did a very good job of minimizing explosive plays allowed. Having that type of success builds confidence going into our next game."

Those extra possessions for the Beavers led to an 11-yard touchdown run by Ali Mohamed, and a 25-yard pitch and catch touchdown from quarterback Dawson Macleary to wide receiver Peyton Lamoureux, which got Minot State as close as 29-17 back before the comeback ended.

Jonathan Leon (6-1, R-Fr., DL) added a quarterback sack on the day, and Jordan Will (6-3, Sr., DL) finished with 10 tackles to lead a strong defensive effort.
Mohamed (5-10, So.) finished with 89 yards rushing on 20 carries while Macleary (6-1, R-Fr.) tied an NCAA Division II single-game school record with 52 pass attempts, completing 24 for 298 yards.

Lamoureux (6-1, Jr.) and tight end Jaxon Lundeen (6-3, Sr.) were the Beavers top targets as Lamoureux caught six passes for 120 yards and Lundeen had seven receptions for 46 yards.

SCOUTING NORTHERN STATE: The Wolves have been prolific through the air led by Trautman who completes more than 62 percent of his passes (152-of-244) and has thrown for 2,056 yards and 24 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Those numbers have him No. 2 in the nation in passing yards and touchdowns.

While the passing game leads the way, Northern State sets up its air attack with a balanced backfield leading the ground game with running backs Brenton, Vance Barnes, and Isaiah Cherrier sharing the workload. Brenton's big game Saturday nearly doubled his season totals as he has rushed for 219 yards on 33 carries, while Barnes (5-9, Gr.) has added 169 yards on 40 carries, and a pair of touchdowns, and Isaiah Cherrier (6-0, Sr.) had 133 yards on 30 carries and two more scores.

A top-notch passing game requires game-breaking receivers and Trautman has them in Ingram and Larson, as Ingram has 40 receptions for 671 yards and eight touchdowns, and Larson has caught 45 passes for 578 yards and nine scores as both average double-digits per catch this season.

Defensively, Saturday's takeaways and sacks were part of a season-long trend for the Wolves who have 18 quarterback sacks and 17 takeaways through six games. Zach Bohnenkamp (5-11, Sr., DB) leads the way with three sacks among his 12 tackles, along with an interception and a fumble recovery, while Luke Chuol (6-4, Sr., DL) has 2 ½ sacks, and Trey King (6-0, R-Fr., LB) and Adam Heining (6-2, Sr., DL) also have two sacks apiece. Chance Olson (5-9, Gr., DB) adds in three picks and a fumble recovery, while Brennan Kutterer (6-1, Jr., LB) and Donovan Lucas ()5-11, Sr. DB) also have two interceptions each, and Chase Teiken (6-0, Sr., LB) leads the way with 43 tackles on the season.

"We have to focus on controlling what we can control and eliminating unforced errors," Aldrich said, looking at Northern State. "We want to be perfect on our assignment and alignment and have great ball security, which will allow us to be in control of our game plan."

COACH ALDRICH'S KEYS TO THE GAME: "Ultimately, we need to focus on the process and execution," Coach Aldrich said, adding, "control what we can control and take advantage of the gray areas.

"All three phases need to work together and have success to allow the confidence to continue to build throughout the game."

LOOKING AHEAD: The Beavers return home for a much-awaited two-game homestand starting on Saturday, Oct. 23, when they host Upper Iowa University at 11 a.m. at Herb Parker Stadium. The game is "Tackle Cancer" Saturday. CLICK TO BUY TICKETS

Minot State is back at home one week later hosting the University of Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. for Minot School System Day, and it will be the Beavers' Halloween celebration, as well. CLICK TO BUY TICKETS