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The Northern State football team hits the road for the first time in 2013 as it travels to Sioux Falls Saturday to take on the University of Sioux Falls at 6:30 p.m. at Bob Young Field. The game will be televised live on KDLT-TV.

Setting the Stage
The Wolves are looking for their first road season-opening win since 2000 when NSU defeated Wisconsin-Stevens Point 28-21. Northern is also looking to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2003 when it opened the year with wins over Augustana and St. Mary (Kan.).

The Wolves and Cougars will also be renewing their rivalry for the first time in over 50 years. The two teams are meeting for the first time since 1958, a contest that Northern won 52-7. NSU leads the all-time series 9-2.

About the Cougars
2013 is Sioux Falls' third season as a member of NCAA Division II. USF was a member of the NAIA prior to joining in 2011. The Cougars won four National Championships in football as an NAIA member and are coming off a 9-2 season in 2012, including going a perfect 6-0 at home. Head Coach Jed Stugart is entering his fourth season as the head man of the Cougars.

Wide receiver Carrington Hanna was named the NSIC's South Offensive Preseason Player of the Year in the coaches' poll. Hanna had 69 catches for 898 yards and 10 TD's in 2012. He also passed for over 100 yards on six attempts last year and recorded a score. Last week, Hanna caught seven balls for 42 yards in the Cougars' 32-7 loss to then- No. 11 Minnesota Duluth.

Wolves Notes
NSU will look to get off to a better start offensively this week. Northern had a sluggish first half of offense against Wayne State, recording 66 yards of total offense in the first half against the Wildcats, however, in the second half and OT, NSU compiled 236 yards of offense in the win.

Connor Doherty and Chris Malsam had great debuts for the Wolves in the passing game last Saturday. Doherty led Northern with six catches and 79 yards receiving. Malsam had 62 yards on three grabs including a game-high 38-yard reception.

On the defensive side of the ball, safety Logan Dosch is now just two tackles shy of becoming Northern's all-time career leader in that category. Dosch had five tackles, including two for loss and a block last weekend. Michael Alberts, Devin Olson and Blaine Schmidt each led the team with eight tackles against WSC. Both Alberts and Schmidt recorded career-highs with those marks.

The Wolves are ninth in the country after week one with 12 tackles-for-loss. 11 Wolves registered TFL's last weekend.

The Northern secondary will be tasked with slowing down the Cougars' Hanna in the game. Dating back to last season, in the last three games, the Wolves have allowed just 121 yards passing per game.

NSU Promotions
The Northern State University Alumni Association will be hosting a tailgate Saturday afternoon prior to the game. Join other Wolves fans for burgers and brats provided by the Alumni Association. The tailgate will be held in the parking lot of the South Dakota Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which is near the north end zone of the stadium.

The tailgate will begin at 5 p.m. please call the NSU Foundation to RSVP at 605-626-2550 or email at nsualumni@northern.edu.
There is also still time to "Ride the Bus" down to the game if you're an NSU student wanting to make the short trip. Students are encouraged to come down and support the football team.

A fan bus will leave the Barnett Center at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and will return at around 1:30 in the morning. Cost to ride is $10 and includes transportation, game ticket and food at the alumni tailgate. Students can sign up at the Student Center information desk or at the NSU Student Activities office. Exact cash is due at sign-up.

For more information, call the NSU Student Activities office at 605-626-3007.