Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State University football opens the 2016 home season tomorrow in the 2^nd annual InsuraCrop Ag Bowl from Swisher Field. The Wolves will kick-off against Southwest Minnesota State University at 6:04 p.m. in the programs first nationally carried game on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
 
In addition to the ESPN3 broadcast, the day is filled with a variety of events for the whole family, including free admission for all kids eighth grade and younger with a paid adult ticket, kids ninja course, YMCA Golf Balls for Smalls, and a free tailgate for Wolves Club and Gyps members. The game will be a WHITE OUT with the first 5,000 fans receiving a free white NSU Football t-shirt courtesy of Dacotah Bank, Steven Lust Automotive, and Geffdog.
 
The Wolves opened the 2016 season with a heartbreaking overtime loss on the road at No. 25 Augustana (37-34). NSU tailback, Nicholas Truen led all rushers in the game with 126 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 7.9 yards per carry. The Wolves were led defensively by Joe Parsley and Tyson Zemlicka with nine tackles apiece. Parsley notched one of the team's two interceptions, while Zemilcka tallied 1.5 tackles for a loss including a sack. Christian McAlvain paced the Northern offense in the 2016 season opener, passing for 186 yards and rushing for another 97. The senior connected with Conner Doherty for his lone passing touchdown of the game, however tallied two more TD's on his feet in the rushing game. McAlvain was 13-of-25 in the passing game with a 38 yard long to Zech Culbreath. He also averaged 4.2 yards per rush. The NSU quarterback currently ranks in the top-12 in the league in passing, rushing, and scoring.
 
About the Mustangs
• SMSU enters the match-up with the Wolves after a 42-38 upset victory of No. 19 Minnesota Duluth.
• Quarterback Blake Gimbel tallied 397 yards passing with one touchdown and a 50 yard long.
• Ashanti Payne led the Mustang rushers with 74 yards, averaging 6.2 per carry.
• Gene Germain and Caleb Leichtnam led the team defensively with 12 and 11 tackles respectively, including two tackles for a total loss of seven yards by Leichtnam.
• Head coach Cory Sauter is in his seventh season as head coach at Southwest Minnesota State and has an overall record of 29-38.
• The Mustangs are receiving votes in this week's AFCA Top-25 Poll.
 
Last Match-Up
• Northern came away with the 46-43 victory over Southwest in 2014.
• Nathan connected with a 36-yard field goal attempt to give the Wolves the lead with just one second remaining.
• Also scoring in the game were current NSU players Stephen Erlandson and Nicholas Truen.
• The Wolves are 22-10-2 all-time versus the Mustangs, dating back to their first match-up in 1980.
 
A Season Ago
• Northern went 6-5 overall and 6-1 in the NSIC North in 2015, while Southwest Minnesota went
8-3 overall and 4-3 in the NSIC South.

Weather Forecast
• Saturday calls for sunny skies with a high of 74 and low of 48, with west winds at 10-15 mph.
 
#AllIn
• Each week the Northern State University football team names both an offensive and defensive scout team player of the week. Colten Drageset (TE) and Chase Hulbert (LB) earned the first POW honors of 2016.
 
#NSICFB: What's Trending
• Five Northern Sun teams find themselves in the AFCA Top-25 poll in No. 6 Minnesota State, No. 17 Sioux Falls, No. 21 Augustana, (RV) Minnesota Duluth, and (RV) Southwest Minnesota State.
• Southwest Minnesota State pulled off a 42-38 upset victory over No. 19 Minnesota Duluth.
• Concordia-St. Paul and Winona State shutout the University of Mary and Minnesota Crookston, 17-0 and 68-0 in week 1.
• Former Augustana Viking, CJ Ham has been signed to the Minnesota Vikings practice squad.
• Also coming away with victories was MSU Moorhead over Wayne (41-24), Minnesota State over Minot State (35-7), Sioux Falls over St. Cloud (49-13), and Bemidji State over Upper Iowa (38-24).
 
ESPN3 Information
Fans are able to view Saturday's Northern State versus Southwest Minnesota State football game on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. The game can be found online at the above WatchESPN link. Fans will still need to log in to WatchESPN using their credentials from their WatchESPN affiliated provider. Please note that their provider must have an agreement with ESPN. Those who are on a college campus or military base will not need to log in. Fans are also able to watch on their smartphones by downloading the WatchESPN app. Once in the app, fans can search the game using Northern State or choosing the ESPN3 channel listing.
 
About the Ag Bowl
In 2015, Northern State University Athletics and InsuraCrop partnered for the first Ag Bowl to highlight the agricultural community in Northeastern South Dakota and the Aberdeen Area. The Wolves defeated MSU Moorhead 48-26 in the inaugural game back on October 10 from Swisher Field. 2016 will prove to be an even bigger event with family fun planned for all ages! The Wolves will face Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday, September 10th from Swisher Field, in Northern's first ever nationally carried game. ESPN3 and the WatchESPN will cover the match-up with the Mustangs beginning with a 6:04 p.m. kickoff.
 
About InsuraCrop
With InsuraCrop's combined experience of over 40 years, they are the experts in your field. Just as experience in farming is important, having experience in crop insurance is a critical asset. Crop insurance is an ever-changing landscape. With their knowledge and personalized service, Greg Wieker and Rich Bachmeier know how to adapt to these changes and provide a plan designed with your operation in mind. By meeting with you face-to-face at your farm, they can walk you through the four types of crop insurance – Crop-Hail, Multiple Peril Crop Insurance, Livestock Risk Protection and Livestock Gross Margin – ensuring you will make the right decisions that will benefit you and your business.