Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State University Football team is set for week three of NSIC action as they travel to Winona State University on Saturday. The Wolves will face off against the Warriors at 1 p.m. from Maxwell Field. Northern is currently 1-1 on the year with two weeks left of cross divisional play. 
 
The Wolves downed the Mustangs, 51-35, in front of 7,960 fans and countless others watching through ESPN3 a weekend ago. Northern tallied 311 yards of total offense and displayed consistency converting on 3-of-5 fourth downs and 4-of-5 red zone chances. Nicholas Truen led the NSU rushers with 83 yards and one touchdown carry. Taylor Houchin led the NSU receivers with 46 yards on three catches, followed by Conner Doherty with 45 yards on four catches and one touchdown. Christian McAlvain was potent in the passing game, completing 16 of 23 attempts without an interception throwing 175 yards with a touchdown. He also added one rushing touchdown.
 
Chad Stoterau led the Wolves on defense with 12 tackles in the game followed by NSIC Defensive Player of the Week and D2Football.com Player of the Week, Channing Barber with 11. Barber led the Northern State defense with a single game career high of 12 tackles in a 51-35 victory over Southwest Minnesota State, including nine solo and two assisted. Barber intercepted two Blake Gimbel passes including one for a 70 yard touchdown return. The Wolves victory was sealed by Barber with a 12 yard fumble recovery to the end zone as time was expiring for his second touchdown of the game. Adding 87 yards off one kickoff return, the defensive back nearly missed yet another touchdown and notched one pass breakup as well. Barber leads the NSIC averaging 39.3 yards per kickoff return and one interception per game for 70 yards.
 
About the Warriors
• Winona State fell to Minnesota Duluth, 34-31 in week 2 of NSIC action, after opening the season with a 68-0 defeat of Minnesota Crookston.
• WSU is averaging 49.5 points per game and 452.5 yards of total offense, while they have held their opponents to 17.0 points and 289.5 yards.
• Jack Nelson is pacing the Warrior offense, with a 60 percent completion mark and just one interception in 50 attempts. He has also tallied 513 yards passing.
• Paul Preston leads the team with 264 rushing yards, averaging 7.3 per carry with three touchdowns, while Cameron Johnson has 230 yards receiving, averaging 23.0 per reception with four touchdowns.
• Andrew Spencer leads the Winona defense with 15 tackles this season, 12 of which are unassisted. He also has a team leading 2.0 tackles for a loss.
• The Warriors are led by head coach Tom Sawyer in his 21st season with the program. Sawyer has a career record of 157-74 and has tallied five playoffs appearances.
 
Last Match-Up
• The Wolves fell to the Warriors 47-13 in the 2014 season opener from Swisher Field.
• WSU rushed for 205 yards and passed for another 398, while the Wolves tallied 101 yards rushing and 165 yards passing.
• NSU is 15-22 all-time versus Winona State, with their last victory coming in 1999.
 
A Season Ago
• Northern went 6-5 overall and 6-1 in the NSIC North in 2015, while Winona State went 5-6 overall and 3-4 in the NSIC South.
 
Weather Forecast
• Saturday calls for partly cloudy skies with a high of 71 and west-northwest winds at 5-10 mph.
 
#AllIn
• Each week the Northern State University football team names both an offensive and defensive scout team player of the week. Mitchell McCarty (WR) and Kendall Coleman (DB) earned the week two POW honors.
 
#NSICFB: What's Trending
• Four NSIC teams found a spot on the AFCA Top-25 Poll - No. 15 Sioux Falls, No. 18 Augustana, No. 21 Minnesota State, and No. 24 Bemidji State
• Augustana defeated U-Mary by virtue of the shutout in week two, 63-0
• Bemidji State stunned Minnesota State 45-17, earning themselves a spot on the AFCA Poll and snapping the Mavericks 18-game win streak vs. NSIC North opponents
• Other victories were CSP over UMC (41-18), SCSU over UIU (27-20), MINOT over WSC (20-14), USF over MSUM (42-21), and UMD over WSU (34-31)
• Channing Barber (NSU), Jordan Hein (BSU), and Jonas Schenderlein (CSP) were named the NSIC Defensive, Offensive, and Special Teams Players of the Week