UND Sioux vs Southern Oregon will be broadcasted on 790 AM KFGO. Pregame begins at 3:00pm and game time is 4pm.
GRAND FORKS, ND - Sioux football closes out its home schedule on Saturday with a non-conference matchup against Southern Oregon.
It could be a milestone for the University of North Dakota. UND's football program has 599 victories in its history and Saturday's would be 600. North Dakota is 599-357-30 all time.
And to call this game the Sioux's softest opponent of the season would be an understatement. Southern Oregon, like Sioux Falls, is an NAIA team. But unlike Sioux Falls, who have now won 23 straight games, Southern Oregon is not an NAIA powerhouse looking to move up to Division II.
As a point of measurement, the Raiders lost to the University of South Dakota 37-0 last year in Vermilion. The Sioux knocked off South Dakota 34-31 in overtime last year.
This year, the Raiders are 2-6, winning both games by seven points or less over NAIA foes. Southern Oregon is coming off of a 21-0 defeat at the hands of Division III Mary Hardin-Baylor.
For the Sioux, this week's game shouldn't be taken lightly, but certainly on paper it looks lopsided. The Raiders average just over 250 yards of offense per game and allow opponents 26.5 points per game.
Look for North Dakota to use all of their weapons offensively.
Mitch Sutton rushed for 143 yards in last week's victory over Cal Poly and had 188 total yards. He has 574 rushing yards on the season with six touchdowns.
The Sioux have struggled to dominate through the air this year, but have come up with key plays when needed. Quarterback Jake Landry had a solid performance Saturday and looks to improve on that. Sophomore wideout Ishmael Bamba has been downright electric this season and is just 8 yards shy of 1,000 receiving yards for the year.
The Sioux have been able to contain passing on defense this season much more than expected. Joel Schwenzfeier has five interceptions on the year, the most by a single UND player since Craig Riendeau in 2001.
Kicker Brandon Hellevang is quietly having a strong year as well.
His 167 career extra points is just seven shy of the franchise record set by Jeff Glas, his predecessor, in 2002-2005. He has also kicked the two longest field goals in the Great West Conference.
This is the first meeting between UND and the Raiders. The Sioux hold a 7-5 non-conference record since moving up to Division I FCS.
Game time on Saturday is set for 4 p.m. at the Alerus Center.
Saturday's game will be Heroes Day at the Alerus Center.
Pregame and in-game festivities will honor firefighters and police officers of the surrounding communities.
After Saturday's final home game, the Sioux will travel for their last two games of the season. They will travel to face UC-Davis on November 14th to finish their Great West conference schedule. The Sioux, who are 2-1 in conference play, could win at least a share of the title with a win against Davis.
Their final game will be November 28th at Central Arkansas.
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Source: UND, KFGO News Center
