October 31, 2025
Game 8: (RV) DAKOTA STATE (S.D.) (5-2, 2-1 FC EAST) at MAYVILLE STATE (N.D.) (5-4, 2-2 FC EAST)
NOV. 1 I JEROME BERG FIELD I MAYVILLE, N.D. I KICKOFF: 4 PM
FRONTIER CONFERENCE EAST DIVISION GAME #4
THE SERIES
Series Overall: 40th meeting all-time (DSU leads series 23-16
Series Notes: Dakota State and Mayville State split their two meetings in the final North Star Athletic Association season last season, with both teams winning on the road. The Comets edged the Trojans on a windy Brian Kern Family Stadium by the score of 13-12 in the first meet. DSU answered with a 7-0 shutout at MSU in the second meeting. The Trojans are 18-7 record in the last 25 meetings with the Comets.
Best Starts: Both Dakota State and Mayville State had their best starts in their first year of the Frontier Conference era, with both teams recording five victories this season prior to Saturday's contest at Mayville State.
2025 STATS COMPARISON
|
|
|
|
| 27.7 |
Scoring Offense |
19.0 |
| 123.1 |
Rushing Offense |
240.1 |
| 248.0 |
Passing Offense |
38.9 |
| 371.1 |
Total Offense |
279.0 |
| 20.1 |
Scoring Defense |
23.2 |
| 91.0 |
Rushing Defense |
127.8 |
| 192.7 |
Passing Defense |
185.6 |
| 283.7 |
Total Defense |
313.3 |
| 7 |
Interceptions |
11 |
| 34/34.9 |
Punts/Avg. |
38/37.8 |
| 20-164 |
Sacks-Yards Lost |
22-118 |
LAST GAME
Dakota State (S.D.) cruised to a 33-0 lead through three quarters and never trailed in a 40-7 Frontier East Victory over Valley City State (N.D.) at Brian Kern Family Stadium on Oct. 18. The Trojans earned their fifth win in the last six games before heading to their bye week on Oct. 25.
DSU earned their third straight win in the series meeting with VCSU and remained undefeated at home this season (3-0 record). The 33-point victory margin is the largest victory by a DSU squad over the Vikings.
Dakota State outgained Valley City State 334-192 in total offensive yards.
Tray Hettick threw for 183 yards with two touchdowns.
Preston Iverson added 94 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Gabriel Chambliss and
Jordan Cooper each combined for four quarterback sacks for 39 yards lost.
Lucas Chamberlin and
Deveon Moses each had an interception.
ABOUT MAYVILLE STATE (N.D.)
Mayville State (N.D.), located in Mayville, N.D, or southwest of Grand Forks, N.D. and northwest of Fargo, N.D., was shut out by the Frontier Conference co-leader and No. 4 ranked Montana Tech 51-0 on Oct. 25 in Butte, Mont. The Orediggers held the Comets to no passing yards and outgained them 438-188 in total offensive yards (188 total yards rushing).
Mayville State kicked off their season with a 3-1 record, including wins over Judson (Ill.), Nebraska Wesleyan in overtime, and Simpson (Calif.) in the Frontier Conference cross-over contest. The Comets also ended their 19-game losing skid in the series meeting with Dickinson State (N.D.), earning a 34-32 thrilling triple overtime victory on Oct. 4.
MSU earned their fifth victory of the season, holding off Montana State-Northern 21-17 at home on Oct. 18. Mayville State has two remaining games on their schedule, versus Dakota State (S.D.) Saturday and at Rocky Mountain (Mont.) to close the season on Nov. 15.
Rocky Larson is in his sixth season as the head coach at Mayville State. In the past five seasons, Larson has had 13 First Team All-Conference athletes, 13 Second Team All-Conference athletes, and one NAIA All-America athlete.
Mayville State is 3-1 record at Jerome Berg Field this season, while being 2-3 record on the road. The Comets are 5-4 overall record and 2-2 record in the Frontier East Division.
TROJANS IN THE NAIA NATIONAL POLL
Dakota State (S.D.) made their first appearance on the 2025 Netting Professionals NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 national poll on Oct. 20. The Trojans earned four points in the sixth edition of the national football poll.
It was the first time since the 2018 NAIA Football Coaches' Preseason Poll that the Trojans were listed on the national poll (No. 25 in the preseason poll).
Dakota State defeated Valley City State (N.D.) 40-7 on Oct. 18, earning their fifth win in the last six games. It was the second time this season that DSU held their opponents to single digits scoring (versus Nebraska Wesleyan on Sept. 6).
The Trojans were the seventh different Frontier Conference team to be listed in the NAIA Football Coaches' national poll this season.
DSU gained more votes to the seventh edition of the national poll, collecting 10 points in the receiving votes section.
Four other Frontier Conference teams are ranked inside the Top 25, including the Frontier East Division co-leader Montana Tech at No. 5, Carroll (Mont.) at No. 8, College of Idaho at No. 15, and Montana Western at No. 20.
FRONTIER CONFERENCE WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
The Frontier Conference football league enters their fifth week of divisional play in the East and West divisions, with three weeks remaining in the football regular season schedule. The regular season concludes on Saturday, Nov. 15, with the NAIA Football Championship Series (FCS) opening round on Nov. 22.
Six games are on schedule in the Frontier Conference football, highlighted by the battle of East Division undefeated teams between No. 5 ranked Montana Tech and Rocky Mountain (Mont.) in Billings, Mont.
Also in the Frontier East action, Dickinson State (N.D.) hosts Montana State-Norther while Dakota State (S.D.) returns to action at Mayville State (N.D.).
No. 8 ranked Carroll (Mont.) looks to stay undefeated in the West Division as they visit Southern Oregon. No. 15 College of Idaho also looks to remain undefeated in divisional play as they host Arizona Christian. Both CC and COI will face off in Helena, Mont., next Saturday, for a possible battle of West Division's automatic bid to the NAIA Football Playoffs.
Other contests in the Frontier West includes Eastern Oregon at No. 20 Montana Western.
Valley City State (N.D.) and Simpson (Calif.) takes a week bye this Saturday and return to action on Nov. 8.
DSU IN FRONTIER CONFERENCE EAST RANKS
According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Friday, Dakota State ranks second in the Frontier East Division in scoring offense with an average of 27.7 points per game. The Trojans also average 371.1 offensive yards per game, which is second in the East Division.
Trey Hettick is tied for second in the FC East with 14 passing touchdowns for DSU.
Preston Iverson ranks second in the division with 64.3 rushing yards per game, as well as tied for second most rushing touchdowns with four.
DSU is third in the Frontier East in scoring defense with 20.1 points per game allowed. The Trojans lead the division in rushing defense with 91.0 yards per game.
Jordan Cooper leads the Frontier East DIvision with 6.0 quarterback sacks this season for Dakota State.
Taron Serr leads DSU with 45 tackles, or 6.4 tackles per game, which is seventh best tackles average in the Frontier East.
TROJANS PREPARE FOR FINAL TWO HOME GAMES
Dakota State prepares for their final two home regular-season football games at Brian Kern Family Stadium after their contest at Mayville State (N.D.).
The Trojans host Rocky Mountain (Mont.) in the Frontier East Division, hosting the Battlin' Bears for both teams' first-ever series meeting on Nov. 8. DSU stays home on Saturday, Nov. 15 as they host Montana State-Northern in another first-ever series meeting.
DSU is 6-2 all-time record at Brian Kern Family Stadium.
2025 DAKOTA STATE FOOTBALL TEAM LEADERS
- Rushing: Preston Iverson - 94 rushes, 456 yards, 4 touchdowns
- Passing: Tray Hettick - 101-of-160 (59.8 completion rate), 1,370 yards, 11 touchdowns
- Receiving: Melek Ford - 29 catches, 431 yards, 3 touchdowns
- Scoring: Adrian Villanueva - 34 points, 5 field goals, 19 PAT extra point kicks
- Punting: Xander Sheehan - 32 punts, 1,120 yards, 35.0 yards per punt
- Field Goals: Adrian Villanueva - 5 field goals
- Kick-offs: Adrian Villanueva - 35 kick-offs, 1,743 yards (49.8 average)
- Returns: Jovi Wolf - 14 returns, 106 yards
- Tackles: Taron Serr - 44 tackles (18 solos, 26 assists)
- Tackles-for-loss: Jordan Cooper - 8.5 tackles-for-loss, 48.0 yards loss
- Sacks: Jordan Cooper - 6.0 sacks, 48.0 yards loss
- Interceptions: Cole Paulson - 2 interceptions, 60 yards return, 1 touchdown
