VALLEY CITY, N.D. – After three consecutive road games and back-to-back losses decided in the closing seconds, Valley City State football returns to Lokken Stadium looking to turn its fortunes around Saturday, Oct. 17, against Dakota State University.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. as the Vikings celebrate Parents Day. VCSU enters the matchup at 1-5 overall, while Dakota State brings a 4-3 record and is receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll. Both teams are seeking their first Frontier Conference East Division victory after opening divisional play 0-2.
The Vikings have shown their ability to rally in recent weeks. VCSU overcame a 17-point deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead at Rocky Mountain before falling 31-24. Last Saturday at Mayville State, the Vikings erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit, but a field goal as time expired gave the Comets a 36-33 victory. Saturday offers another opportunity to turn those late-game rallies into a win.
VCSU finished with 410 yards of offense at Mayville, including 239 rushing yards. Laggarius Marshell powered the ground game with 133 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Nick Mears contributed touchdowns both rushing and receiving, while freshman quarterback Brayden Medeiros passed for 171 yards and two scores.
Defensively, Gavin Gerhardt and Anthony Madsen led the Vikings with eight tackles apiece. Aiden Russell added seven, while Brent Bearman recorded six tackles, including one for loss.
The Viking defense will face a productive Dakota State passing attack led by quarterback Tray Hettick, who has thrown for 2,273 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. Maddox Kihne leads the Trojans with 33 receptions for 666 yards and five touchdowns. Dakota State averages 448.1 yards of total offense per game.
The Trojans are also coming off a narrow defeat, falling 20-19 to Dickinson State after allowing a touchdown with 53 seconds remaining. VCSU leads the all-time series 30-8, but Dakota State has won the last three meetings.
Live video and statistics links for Saturday's game are available at vcsuvikings.com.
