VALLEY CITY – The top two teams in North Star Athletic Association football square off Saturday at Valley City State as the Vikings host Dickinson State in a pivotal conference matchup.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. Saturday from VCSU's Lokken Stadium.
Fresh off a 24-21 double-overtime victory against Mayville last week, Valley City State is now 3-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play. Dickinson State is also 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference after dominating Waldorf University last week in a 41-14 game.
Saturday's winner will take the early lead in the race for the NSAA Conference Championship and a potential berth in the NAIA Playoffs.
Valley City radio coverage can be heard on KOVC 1490 AM/96.3 FM and
www.newsdakota.com. The pregame show starts at 1 p.m. with Ryan Cunningham as he takes listeners up to kickoff with various stories and interviews from around the VCSU campus and Viking football.
Valley City State will produce a live video stream (starting at 2:30 p.m.) and live stats at the links below.
LIVE LINKS: RADIO |
VIDEO |
STATS
Pregame: The tailgate lot opens at 12 p.m. Saturday ahead of the 3 p.m. kickoff. Tickets are $10 for adult and $5 for senior citizens. Fans can speed entrance into the stadium by purchasing digital tickets in advance at
www.vcsuvikings.com/tickets
Series History: Dickinson State has won the last five meetings with VCSU. The Vikings are 3-11 against Dickinson State over the last 10 seasons. VCSU's last victory over the Blue Hawks came on Oct. 26, 2019, as the Vikings won 23-22 in Valley City.
Last Meeting: The Blue Hawks won the last meeting, a 21-13 game on Oct. 29, 2022, in Dickinson. The Blue Hawks outgained VCSU 326-188 in total yards during that game.
Last Week: Andrew Nielsen kicked a 24-yard field goal in the second overtime and then the Viking defense stopped Mayville State to secure a 24-21 victory. Quarterback
Avery Thorsgard rushed for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns, while
Riley Gerhardt and
Jahidi West had a hand in 39 tackles during the game. Dickinson State opened up a 27-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 41-14 win at Waldorf. Braden Zuroff rushed for 185 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win.
Players of the Week: The reigning NSAA Players of the Week will all be featured in Saturday's game including VCSU linebacker
Jahidi West, Dickinson running back Braden Zuroff and Dickinson kicker Chase Miller.
Offensive Numbers: Dickinson's offense has been good this season, averaging 31 points and 439 yards per game. The Blue Hawks are passing for 243 yards each week and rushing for 196 with a balanced attacked. Valley City State is averaging 19 points per game offensively and 286 yards (153 passing, 133 rushing.)
Defensive Numbers: The Viking defense is holding opponents to 18 points and 341 yards of offense per game this season. Dickinson's defense has been strong as well, limiting opponents with 18 points and 311 yards of offense.
