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The Northern State football team kicks off the 2014 season Thursday as Winona State comes to Swisher Field for a 6 p.m. contest.

Tom Dosch enters his fifth season as the head man for the Wolves. NSU is coming off a 4-7 record in 2013 while Winona went 6-5. Northern was picked to finish 10^th in the league in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll while the Warriors were picked to finish third overall and received one first-place vote.

Wolves Notes
Northern returns All-NSIC First Team tight end Conner Doherty who was the only freshman selected first team all-league in 2013. Doherty was second amongst NSIC tight ends with 559 yards receiving last season. Doherty led the Wolves with 42 catches and six touchdowns and also caught at least one pass in all 11 games in 2013.

Linebacker Ryan Weybrecht was a Second Team All-NSIC selection in 2013. Weybrecht was fifth on the team with 47 tackles last season and was tied for second on the team with two sacks. He was the only player for NSU to record a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, an interception and a blocked kick last season for the Wolves.

Quarterback Jared Jacobson begins his senior campaign sixth on the all-time NSIC total yardage list with 6,642 yards.  This statistic is based on NSIC games played only.

Winona State Notes
Jack Nelson was third in the NSIC last season, passing for 271.5 yards per game. Nelson accumulated over 2,700 yards passing and threw for 25 touchdowns on his way to being named the league's Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2013. The Warriors also return First Team All-NSIC offensive lineman Vance Ross in 2014.

The Warriors have a stout linebacker core as they return three second team all-league from a season ago in Collin Corcoran, Ryan Gerts and Morgan Weaver. Josh Mikes also returns to this year's squad after leading WSU with 584 yards receiving and six touchdowns in 2013 on his way to a second team honor.

Last Meeting
This will be the first meeting between the Wolves and Warriors since September of 2012 when WSU prevailed 42-32 in Winona. Jacobson tallied over 300 yards of total offense and had four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) in the loss. Defensive end Jalon Bibbs recorded a sack for NSU.

Coverage
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio Aberdeen on 1420 AM and 107.1 FM. The Voice of the Wolves Ben Root will be on the call. The game will also be tape delayed on the Midcontinent Sports Network.

Promotions
Thursday's contest will be a "White Out" as fans are encouraged to wear white to support the Wolves. Midcontinent Communications will be handing out free t-shirts to the first 500 fans in attendance, as well as shirts for the first 150 students in attendance.

Free food will be provided at the Wolves Club tent for all Wolves Club members beginning at 3 p.m. Those who wish to join the Wolves Club will be able to do so in the south tailgate lot at the Wolves Club tent. The Wolves Team store will be on location selling gear from both inside the Wolves Club tent, as well as near the concession stand during the game.