WINONA, Minn. – Winners of three straight, Winona State University wraps up its slate against NSIC North foes on Saturday at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium against St. Cloud State. Kickoff between the Warriors and Huskies is set for 1 p.m.
Game Day Experience opens at 11 a.m. Fans are encouraged to wear white to this week's game.
After alternating wins and losses over the first four weeks of the season, the Warriors have played consistent football of late, including a big 27-14 win at Bemidji State last weekend. St. Cloud State has historically dominated the all-time series with WSU, but the two teams have split their last four meetings, including a 34-10 Warrior win in 2017.
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SCOUTING ST. CLOUD: The Huskies (3-4) have lost two straight and are just 1-2 on the road this season, with their lone win away from home coming in Week 1 at UMary. In total, the Huskies have lost four of their last five games, however, those setbacks have come by a combined 16 points. The Huskies' victory in that span was another close contest, 18-15 in overtime, versus CSP. SCSU ranks in the middle of the pack in scoring offense (24.7 ppg), while the Huskies' scoring defense ranks fifth in the NSIC (17.9). The St. Cloud defense allows just 285.4 yards/game and has yielded only 264 kickoff return yards this year, ranking third in both categories. The Huskies' 23 sacks also rank third in the NSIC. St. Cloud's balanced offense is led under center by quarterback Dwayne Lawhorn who leads the league in passing touchdowns (12) and ranks fourth in yards/game (196.4). John Solberg has been on the receiving end of four of those TDs and Tanner Teige leads the team in receiving yards (433). Joe Blando has a team-best 326 rushing yards while Curtwan Evans commands the goal line carries with four rushing TDs.
BEAST MODE: Last week, junior running back Sam Santiago-Lloyd ripped off a career-high 231 rushing yards with two touchdowns. It marked just the 16th time in program history a running back has accumulated at least 200 rushing yards as Santiago-Lloyd's yardage now stands as the fifth-most in single-game history. Santiago-Lloyd has already rushed for a career-best 709 yards on the ground with five touchdowns. His 101.3 yards/game rank second in the NSIC and 5.3 yards/rush rank ninth. Santiago-Lloyd and the Warrior run game will be put to the test this week against a SCSU defense that ranks third in the league while allowing just 496 total rushing yards and 70.9 yards/game.
BALL HAWKS: Winona is known for its picturesque bluffs with bald eagles soaring above, and equally as notorious is the Warrior defense. Last week, the Warriors recorded five interceptions against Bemidji State and WSU currently leads all Division II teams with 15 picks. Winona State's 19 total takeaways on defense rank fifth in the country. Cam Gavin, Romario Gayle, Clay Schueffner, David Smith and Joe Perhats each have two INTs this year, with five other Warriors recording one. Gavin also leads the team in pass breakups (5).
COMEBACK SZN: After missing seven games due to injury in 2018, redshirt junior Jake Balliu is making the most of his comeback season in 2019. The wideout leads the team in receptions (27), receiving yards (328) and TDs (4). Balliu is averaging nearly four catches per game and has reestablished his dynamic connection with quarterback Owen Burke. With Balliu's agility and speed underneath, Burke has been able to connect on deep passes of 47 yards or more three times this year. Tyler Anderson, Dakota Matthees and Sawyer Maly have been on the receiving end of those bombs. The junior quarterback currently ranks third in the NSIC in TDs (9), fifth in yardage (1295) and sixth in completion percentage (57.0).
HOME SWEET HOME: The Warriors are looking to defend their home turf and keep their perfect (3-0) home record intact on Saturday vs. St. Cloud. Dating back to the 2016 campaign, WSU is 17-4 at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium.
PLAYOFF HUNT: With their recent winning streak, the Warriors have re-entered the postseason conversation for both the NCAA Playoffs and the Mineral Water Bowl Game. Entering this week, there are six NSIC teams with two losses or fewer, including four in the South Division. The first NCAA DII Regional Rankings are set to be released on Monday.
