October 3, 2024
Week 5 Preview
MADISON, S.D.—The Dakota State University (S.D.) Trojan football team (4-0 overall record, 2-0 North Star Athletic Association record) returns home Saturday late afternoon for the first time since Sept. 14. The Trojans begin their two-game North Star home stand, hosting Mayville State (N.D.) (3-2 overall record, 2-1 NSAA conference record). Kick-off is set for 4 p.m. at Brian Kern Family Stadium. There will be a tailgate area in the southeast area of the stadium on the grass field, starting at 1 p.m. Saturday's game will be the Rushin' for a Cure football contest, encouraging the fans to wear pink clothing or items to help raise cancer awareness.
The Trojans remained undefeated this season after their 19-8 road victory at Valley City State (N.D.) on Sept. 21. It was the first time since the 1992 season that DSU started the season with a 4-0 record.
Mayville State notched their second straight victory after defeating Valley City State 16-10 at Jerome Berg Field in Mayville, N.D. on Sept. 28. The Comets began their winning streak by holding off Jamestown (N.D.) on the road on Sept. 21 by the score of 26-20.
Dakota State is playing their second straight home game with Mayville State, with the Trojans winning the previous meeting on Nov. 4, 2023, held north of the stadium on Dan Beacom Track Complex. Both teams will play their second North Star conference meeting on Nov. 9 in Mayville, N.D.
Next Up: Dakota State remains home next Saturday, Oct. 12, as they take on the nine-time North Star defending champion Dickinson State (N.D.). Kick-off is set for 12 p.m. at Brian Kern Family Stadium.
Week 5 Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) is 2-0 record at new Brian Kern Family Stadium this season. The Trojans' defensive unit limited its' opponents to 4.5 points per game, holding rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) to three points and Jamestown (N.D.) to six points.
+ The Trojans are 17-6 in the last 23 meetings with Mayville State (N.D.), including winning nine times in the last ten meetings. Dakota State had won the last four home meetings with the Comets.
+ Each NSAA member have two bye weeks during the conference season. The Trojans took their first bye week on Sept. 28, while the Comets will conclude their first half portion of the conference schedule Saturday and take a bye week on Oct. 12.
+ Mayville State is playing their second road contest this season. The Comets won their first NSAA road contest on Sept. 21, holding off Jamestown (N.D.) in a 26-20 thriller in Jamestown, N.D.
+ Dakota State started the 2024 season with a 4-0 record, the first time since the 1992 season that the Trojans won the first four games of the season.
+ The Trojans are ranked eighth in the NAIA in scoring defense, allowing their opponents to 10.5 points per game through the first four games. DSU allowed their opponents to single digits three times this season.
+ DSU posted its largest margin of victory in the series meeting with Mayville State in 2004 at the former Trojan Field (62-0).
+ Dakota State recorded eight home victories in the last ten home meetings with the Comets in Madison.
+ The Trojans are seventh in the nation in rushing allowed per game, limiting their opponents to 61.5 yards per game.
The Series (38th meeting - DSU leads series 22-15)
Last Meeting—Nov. 4, 2023, Dan Beacom Track Complex, Madison, S.D.—Dakota State (S.D.) shut down Mayville State (N.D.) in final thirty minutes of the game, earning a 19-14 victory. It was their fourth straight home victory over the Comets in Madison.
MSU outgained DSU 113-15 in total offensive yards in the first quarter of the game, earning a 7-0 lead. The Trojans scored the first points of the game in the second quarter, trailing 7-6. The Comets then scored on the next possession to balloon their lead to 14-6. Dakota State closed the second quarter with another touchdown, cutting MSU's lead to 14-12. The Trojans overtook the lead at 19-17 in the third quarter with a 27-yard touchdown pass from
Tray Hettick. DSU's defense shut down MSU in the final quarter to secure the victory.
Hettick finished the game by going 21-of-37 for 296 yards with two touchdowns.
Austin Lake caught six passes for 81 yards.
Preston Iverson had five receptions for 66 yards.
Tyce Ortman ran eight times for 41 yards.
Taron Serr led the Trojans' defense with eight tackles, while
Collin Brueggeman had seven tackles.
Caleb Dwyer had a quarterback sack of five yards lost.
Jay Skogerboe and
Michael Foster each had an interception.
Dakota State and Mayville State met in 1986 for the first meeting in their all-time series. The Comets won the first nine meetings, followed by 11 consecutive wins by the Trojans before it ended in 2010.
DSU and MSU were former members of the Dakota Athletic Conference and then became NAIA independent. Both teams were the original members of the North Star Athletic Association, with the Trojans leading the series with an 11-3 record since its inception in 2013-14.
DSU spoils VCSU's homecoming, remains undefeated
Valley City, N.D. (Sept. 21, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) continued their dominance defense performance coupled with
Tyce Ortman's season-high in rushing yards, earning a 19-8 North Star Athletic Association road victory over Valley City State (N.D.) at Lokken Stadium. It was DSU's second win in the last three road meetings at VCSU.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first fiteen minutes of the game, where DSU had 30 more offensive yards than VCSU (58-28). The Trojans set up their first scoring drive in the second quarter with 12 plays for 71 yards in 7:11. Ortman rushed for an 11-yard touchdown, followed by
Carson Sauseda's PAT extra point kick for DSU's 7-0 lead with 5:49 to go before halftime. DSU added another touchdown with an 8-yard touchdown pass from
AJ Donovan to
Melek Ford, ballooning their lead to 14-0 by halftime after Sauseda's PAT extra-point kick.
VCSU failed their punt attempt in the third quarter, forcing a safety to extend DSU's lead to 16-0 with 7:19 on the clock. The Trojans added a 43-yard field goal by Sauseda to make it 19-0 in favor of the Trojans with 5:27 left in the game. The Vikings scored their first points of the game with less than two minutes remaining in the game, securing the victory for DSU.
Donovan went 16-of-27 for 148 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first career start at Dakota State. Ford caught two passes for 29 yards with a touchdown.
Austin Lake had three catches for 27 yards. Ortman ran 30 times for 162 yards with a touchdown for the Trojans.
Collin Brueggeman paced the defense unit with eight tackles.
Kaden Eng and
Taron Serr each added five tackles.
Dakota State piled up 332 total offensive yards and held Valley City State to 187 total offensive yards. The Trojans rushed for 184 yards to the Vikings seven yards. DSU converted 22 first downs in the game to VCSU 12 first downs.
Looking back to Dakota State's 4-0 start
Madison, S.D. (Oct. 3, 2024)—It was thirty-two years (32) since Dakota State (S.D.) started their season by winning the first four games. The Trojans posted an overall record of 4-0 record after their 19-8 North Star Athletic Association road victory at Valley City State (N.D.) on Sept. 21.
The last time the Trojans started the season with a 4-0 record was during the 1992 season. That year, Dakota State opened the season with a 19-7 victory over Northwestern (Minn.) followed by pair of shutout victories over Crown (Minn.) 35-0 and Martin Luther (Minn.) 43-0. The Trojans added their fourth straight win by defeating Mount Scenario (Wis.) by the score of 24-13.
Dakota State also opened their North Star Athletic Association play with a 2-0 record. It was the second time since 2021 that the Trojans started the conference football season with a 2-0 record after defeating Presentation (S.D.) and Mayville State (N.D.). Dakota State also started the conference season with a 2-0 record in 2016, defeating Jamestown (N.D.) and Waldorf (Iowa).
Two Trojans collect NSAA weekly honors
Madison, S.D. (Sept. 23, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) had two football athletes honored by the North Star Athletic Association for the third straight week.
Tyce Ortman was selected as the Offensive Player-of-the-Week, while his teammate
Oscar Kooistra was chosen as the Defensive Player-of-the-Week.
Ortman tallied his second Offensive Player-of-the-Week this season for the Trojans. He rushed 30 times for a season-high 161 yards in the game. Ortman scored the team's first points of the game in the second quarter after his 11-yard touchdown run.
He averaged 5.4 yards per run in the game for DSU. He also had five punts for 208 total yards, averaging 41.6 yards per punt. Four of his punts landed inside the VCSU's 20-yard line.
Kooistra fueled the Trojans' defense unit where they limited the Vikings to 188 total offensive yards, as well as just seven rushing yards in the game. He registered a quarterback sack on a fourth-and-three situation on DSU's 43-yard line, turning the ball on downs for VCSU. Kooistra added another sack later in the fourth quarter with nine yards loss. He finished the game with two sacks for 21 yards loss.
Trojans at Brian Kern Family Stadium
Madison, S.D. (Oct. 3, 2024)—Prior to the game on Saturday at Brian Kern Family Stadium, Dakota State (S.D.) is holding their opponents to 4.5 points per game at home this season. The Trojans are 2-0 record in the new football stadium.
Dakota State held their rival Dakota Wesleyan to three points in the season home opener on Aug. 29, followed by six points by Jamestown (N.D.) during Trojans' homecoming football game on Sept. 14. DSU is averaging 25.0 points per game at home.
Brueggeman named Campbell Trophy semifinalist
Madison, S.D. (Sept. 28, 2024)—
Collin Brueggeman of Dakota State (S.D.) was one of the 203 semifinalists to the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy® , the college football's premier scholar-athlete award announced by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF).
The impressive list of candidates, from all NCAA Division and the NAIA, boasts an impressive 3.63 average grade point average (GPA), with more than half of the semifinalists having already earned their bachelor's degree.
Brueggeman is a senior linebacker for the Trojans. He is a scholar-athlete recipient for the North Star Athletic Association and the NAIA. He majors in cyber operations at Dakota State University. He leads the Trojans in tackles with 27 tackles this season.
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 23. Celebrating its 35th year, the Campbell Trophy® recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined success.
DSU football tickets available online
Madison, S.D. (Aug. 24, 2024)—The Dakota State University Athletics are going digital with tickets for their home sporting events.
Tickets to Dakota State's home football games are now online. There are options to purchase tickets for the following categories: general admission, all sports season pass, DSU student season pass, DSU staff/faculty season pass, and season ticket reserved seats.
Make sure to check out on DSU Athletics website on dsuathletics.com or download the Trojan Nation fan app to purchase the tickets DSU home sporting events.
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