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Trojans search for first football win of the season Saturday vs. Briar Cliff
October 12, 2011
THIS WEEK: Dakota State (0-7 overall record) is searching for their first win of the season as they host Briar Cliff (2-4, 1-4 Great Plains Athletic Conference record) on Saturday. The annual 'Rushing for a Cure' game, which helps raise cancer awareness, will kickoff at 1 p.m. It will be the first-ever meeting between Briar Cliff and Dakota State at Trojan Field.
LAST TIME OUT: Dakota State was held to 21 rushing yards as the Trojans suffered a 44-14 road defeat at Hastings on Oct. 1. The Trojans had a 6-3 lead in the first quarter before the Broncos scored 35 straight points to seal the victory. Large was 24-for-44 for 196 yards with two touchdowns passes - one to Mike Curtis and one to Zach Ely. Briar Cliff lost on the road at Concordia (Neb.). The Bulldogs scored 30 straight points and went on to defeat the Chargers 47-12. Concordia outgained Briar Cliff 400-297 in total yards.
FOOTBALL FORECAST: Saturday's forecast calls for a high of 62 degrees and a partly cloudy sky.
FIRST IN THE NATION: Robert Ortiz ranks first in the nation in three different categories. He leads the nation in total kick-off returns with 854 yards, all-purpose yards with 1133 and all-purpose yards per game with an average of 188.8 yards.
KEEP CATCHING DAUZ: Wes Dauz received Beyond Sports Network, Inc. (BSN) Offensive Player of the Week, announced on Oct. 3. He ranks third in the nation in total receptions with 47. He is fifth in the nation in receptions per game with an average of 6.7 catches.
LARGE LEADS DSU OFFENSE: DSU's quarterback Brandon Large ranks eighth in the nation in total offense with 1607 offensive yards. He also ranks eighth in the nation in total passing with 1548 yards. He is 15th in the nation in passing yards per game with an average of 221.1 yards.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: Carl Curtis ranks 35th in the nation in total scoring with 38 points. Josh Licht is 36th in the nation in tackles for loss with 7.5 tackles. As a team, Dakota State ranks tenth in the nation in total pass offense with 1548 yards. The Trojans is 19th in the nation in opponents' fourth down conversions (33.3 percent).
DSU QUICK LEADERS: Jeb Olsen leads the team in rushing with a total of 507 yards, an average of 84.5 yards per game. Brandon Large averages 221.1 passing yards with a completion percentage of 58.3. Wes Dauz leads the team in receptions with 47. Bryce Logan and Keith Knudsen each record 53 tackles for the Trojans. Blake Schlagel and Josh Licht each record two quarterback sacks this season for DSU.
DSU FOOTBALL HISTORY LESSON: Dakota State is in its 92nd year of competition. The Trojans own an all-time record of 267-442-17. DSU opened their first year of competition in 1908 with an overall record of 4-1-1.
FOLLOW LIVE COVERAGE: Follow Briar Cliff-Dakota State football live video/audio and free of charge on www.streaming.dsu.edu/Athletics-Live. The link will be available on www.dsuathletics.com, above the 'Upcoming Events' on the 'Live Game' tab. The live stats and play-by-play will also be available on the 'Live Game' tab.
STAY CONNECTED: Follow Dakota State all season long on its official online home, www.dsuathletics.com.
UP NEXT: Dakota State plays its final home regular season game on Oct. 22. The Trojans host Dordt (IA) as DSU's seniors play their final home career game at Trojan Field. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
