WINONA, Minn. -  The Winona State University football team is back on the road this weekend, taking on Southwest Minnesota State University in the annual Battle for the Sledge trophy game. The Warriors and the Mustangs will kick off on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. on Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center in Marshall, Minn. 

Winona State (4-2 overall, 1-0 NSIC South) is coming off a 42-21 setback at Northern State University last Saturday.  The Warriors and Wolves were tied at halftime, 14-14, but Northern State pulled away with a 21-point third quarter. 

Southwest Minnesota State (4-2 Overall, 1-1 NSIC South) will be looking to rebound from a 35-14 loss at the University of Sioux Falls last week. The SMSU - WSU matchup will see the winner hoist the Battle for the Sledge trophy. Adidas and Game One present the annual award to the winning team. 

For more on Saturday's contest, read on for highlights of the Winona State - Southwest Minnesota State matchup below. 

GAME & FAN INFORMATION

• Live stats, live radio and live video are available at the links above.
• The contest will take place at Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
• Ticket and parking information is available online at www.smsumustangs.com/tickets

WINONA STATE STORYLINES

• Winona State has a five-game winning streak over Southwest Minnesota State since 2016. 
• Ty Gavin is third in the NSIC in total yards (636) and tied for second in yards per attempt (6.6).
• QB Trevor Paulsen is 69-for-124 on the year with three TD's and two INT's. 
• Joe Sikma leads with with 13 catches for 194 yards with a longest grab of 35 yards.
• Kicker Jacob Scott is tied for sixth in the NSIC in scoring, having notched 42 points so far this year. 
• Scott is the only kicker in the league perfect on PAT's (18-for-18) with at least 15 attempts. 
• Clay Schueffner leads the NSIC in total tackles at 59 so far this year. 
• Mitch Snitker is also in the top-20 in stops, sitting 16th with 37. 
• With two interceptions this year already, Brian Corbins, Jr. is in the top-five in the NSIC in picks.  
• Darryl Williams is second in the NSIC in punt return total yards (200) and first in kick return total yards (371).
• Winona State picked up a high-profile transfer wide receiver in Ricky Smalling, who had a standout career at the University of Illinois. Smalling joins other former Big Ten athletes Noah Carlson (Michigan), Cooper Nelson (Wisconsin) and Dominik London (Minnesota) on the Warrior roster. 
• Smalling picked up his first Warrior touchdown last week, one of three catches the former Illini standout had at Northern State.
• Myles Hawthrone and Mitch Snitker both have fumble recoveries this season. 
• Schueffner and Brian Corbins, Jr. both have two interceptions this season. 
• Carter Duxbury has three sacks, totalling 33 yards of loss so far in 2022.
• Winona State will be looking to retain the Sledge for the sixth straight season. 
• Head coach Brian Bergstrom is 4-2 in his first year at Winona State.

Southwest Minnesota State STORYLINES

• Last week, SMSU used both Justus McComb and John Romero at quarterback. 
• Mustang running back Donald Austin ran for 217 yards on 31 attempts at USF in week six.  
• Onte Burns is a key part of the SMSU defense and currently holds 186 career solo tackles. 
• Earlier this season, the Mustangs put together a four-game winning streak. 
• SMSU had held two teams - UIU and CSP - to less than a touchdown in their respective contests. 
• Sioux Falls was ranked 17th in the country when they beat SMSU last week, 35-14. 
• SMSU placekicker Carter Dicker is 3-for-7 on the year on field goals. 
• Head coach Scott Underwood is in his first season at SMSU and was previously at St. Cloud State until the program was discontinued in 2019. 
• Underwood is 90-63 overall in the NSIC between his two schools. 

WARRIOR NOTABLES:

• Winona State is scoring 28.26 points per game while allowing 20.67.
• The Warriors have earned 47 rushing first downs and 50 first downs via the pass.
• WSU has eclipsed the 1,000 yards gained on the ground mark as a team, sitting at 1,067.
• On the season, WSU is 16-of-20 in scoring attempts in the Red Zone.
• Winona State is 24-of-81 (29.63%) on third-down conversions this year. 

For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.

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About Winona State University Athletics: 

The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.  

Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).