MARSHALL, MN. – For the first time in over 20 years, Minot State football enters week two following a win in the opener. The Beavers hit the road for the start of conference play, and the team is focused on the task that is ahead of them as the competition gets fierce.

Head Coach Ian Shields noted the good start last Thursday night but knows there is more to be had coming up on the schedule. "It is a good start, and we know the bar gets raised here now as we enter conference play," coach Shields stressed.

On deck for MSU are the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs.

After the Beavers (1-0) topped Valley City State 38-7 last week, they get their first taste of NSIC competition in 2024. The Mustangs dash into a new season after being one of the few teams that were idle last week. Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m. on Saturday at Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center.

Southwest finished with a record of 2-9 last year, with one of their wins coming against Minot State and the other being Sioux Falls. The Beavers will look to rebound from their season-opening loss in 2023 when the Mustangs defeated the Beavers 28-23.

While the newcomers on the roster were not involved in last year's game, the returning players and coaches will be extra motivated to come out on top and reverse fortune on a Mustang squad that has also seen some changes of their own. Coach Shields sees a matchup with the Southwest defense as a challenge, while facing their offense presents a new look. "They got good players on all three levels of the defense…defensively for us, they have a lot of newcomers on offensive side of the ball," Shields said. "With our style, we just need to take a step forward and play better and keep playing hard…we can keep playing harder."

Evan Lovett and Carson Chrisman working behind the "Minot Moving Company" offensive line were able to lead the way in rushing, combining for 272 of the 416 yards (a record in the D2 era) on the ground by Minot State against Valley City. Look for them to consistently pound the rock once more as a key to victory.

In his first game as starting quarterback, Chrisman ran for four touchdowns in a run-first game plan that only saw one pass attempt the whole game. Lovett carried the ball for a score in his return from injury.

Standing in their way are some notable defensive returners of Southwest, including Josiah Hedensten and Avery Johnson. Hedensten led the team in tackles with 88 last year and collected three sacks. Johnson met many quarterbacks in the backfield during his 2023 campaign, as he notched five sacks himself.

A possible x-factor may be that Beaver defense taking advantage of a new Southwest Minnesota offense, which coach Shields believes there is still more in the tank. "We had zero sacks last week, so we got to get some pressure on the quarterback and pressure helps coverage," Shields explained regarding his pass rush. With that expectation, the Beavers can look forward to using week one as a learning tool for a matchup with the Mustangs. If there is any part of the season where you can learn a lot with one game on film, it is right now at this time. "You are going to make the most improvements from week one to week two," Shields alluded now with one game under their belt and being able to observe a set of game film.

The Beavers are in search of their first win against Southwest Minnesota since both teams first met on September 20, 2013. In the all-time series, the Mustangs are 6-0 in the teams' NCAA-era and 9-1 overall with the previous win taking place in Minot back on August 31 of last year. Minot State is hungry to leave Marshall with a win and return to the Magic City at 2-0 for Homecoming weekend.

The Beavers are also facing some familiar foes working on the Southwest Minnesota sideline. Passing Game Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach Zac Cunha will take on his former team, where he appeared in 46 games as the quarterback for the Beavers from 2012-2017. Cunha threw for 52 touchdowns (t-2^nd all-time), 8,222 yards (1^st all-time), and completed 687 passes (1^st all-time) during his tenure with Minot State.

Mustangs Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach Doug Patterson was an offensive lineman for the Beavers from 1988-91, along with being a coach for seven years at Bishop Ryan High School.