Fired Up - Dragons Football 2025

[IceBoxDragon]

Another season is nearby and it's the final season of quarterback Jack Strand. Here's a list of the main upperclassmen on this squad for MSUM:

• Jr. Grant Warkenthien, QB, 72 yards
• Jr. Madden Thorson, WR, 1,479 yards, 8 TDs
• Jr. Gavin Jarchow, DB, 50 Solo Tackles, 6 PD, 1 FF
• Jr. Kennan Stowers, DB, 40 Solo Tackles, 4 PD, 1 INT
• Jr. Evan Miles, DB, 8 Solo Tackles, 1 PD, 1 INT
• Jr. Devin Beach, LB, 10 Solo Tackles, 2 PD
• Jr. Denver Piechowski, DL, 8 Solo tackles, 3 Sacks, 1 PD, 2 FF
• Jr. Ashton Sayre, DL, 12 Solo tackles, 1 Sack, 1 FR
• Sr. Brady Perryman, WR, 1,790 yards, 26 TDs
• Sr. Carter Birrenkott, WR, 1,046 yards, 10 TDs
• Sr. Gage Florence, WR, 2,797 yards, 17 TDs
• Sr. Carson Elbert, WR, 533 yards, 6 TDs
• Sr. Jack Strand, QB, 9,615, 84 TDs
• Sr. Cyrinus George, DB, 16 Solo Tackles, 3 CDs, 1 FF
• Sr. Adam Kallenbach, DB, 42 Solo Tackles, 3 INTs, 11 IDs, 1 FF
• Sr. Caleb Munger, DB, 16 Solo Tackles, 4 PDs
• Sr. McKale Pierson, DB, 66 Solo Tackles, 1 INT, 16 PDs, 2 FF, 1 FR
• Sr. Tate Gustafson, LB, 61 Solo Tackles, 3 INTs, 4 IDs, 1 FF
• Sr. Mitchell Jezierski, LB, 56 Solo Tackles, 1 Sack, 3 CDs, 1 FF
• Sr. Jacob Brosius, LB, 13 Solo Tackles, 1.5 Sacks, 1 INT, 1 PD

Here's the results from last season:

• Wayne State, Loss, 44-17
• Minnesota Duluth, Win, 30-29
• McKendree, Loss, 22-15
• Augustana, Win, 43-41
• Winona State, Loss, 33-6
• Minnesota State-Mankato, Loss, 24-19
• Concordia-St. Paul, Win, 34-31
• SW Minnesota State, Win, 38-6
• Minot State, Win, 42-38
• Bemidji State, Loss, 25-14
• U Of Mary, Win, 52-3

Here's the schedule for 2025:

• At Northern Michigan
• At SW Minnesota State
• Vs. Winona State
• Vs. Wayne State
• At Minnesota Duluth
• Vs. Minot State
• At U of Mary
• At Northern State
• Vs. Bemidji State
• Vs. Jamestown U
• At Minnesota State-Mankato

I think this season could easily be called a “Make-or-Break” year considering the upperclassmen here, including Strand. Hopefully they can fight for a playoff spot. Here are my most important games of the season:

• Northern Michigan: Dragons haven’t won a season opener since 2021. Snagging one on the road to start the year would be good.
• Winona State: They beat the Dragons good last year, hopefully they can return the favor at home.
• Minnesota Duluth: The win last year was a season highlight. Doing it again would be huge.
• U of Mary: The Dragons have owned the Battle for the Paddle lately, and I don't want to give that thing up.
• Bemidji State: The Dragons haven’t won the Axe since 2018. That’s enough motivation right there. And this one is at home.
• Minnesota State-Mankato: The Dragons have kept it close in the last two years. Knocking off the Mavericks from the other Minnesota State would be huge and a good cap to the season.

[IceBoxDragon]

The 2025 season is just three weeks away and it means a roadtrip for the Dragons in their season opener. The game is taking place at Northern Michigan's Superior Dome. Fun fact, this will be the Dragons' first game, from what I can tell, in a domed stadium since playing in the 2007 Metrodome Classic. As someone who started college that year and wasn't familiar, can some other NSIC fans fill me in on what the Metrodome Classic was like and why it was discontinued?

Regardless, it got me wondering about how the Dragons have done inside domed stadiums, so I went back and looked at some records. I may have missed some, but this is pretty much how MSUM has played at indoor stadiums. Games in bold were away games to teams now in FCS:

• St. Cloud State, Metrodome, Won 22-21, Nov. 20, 1983
• Dubuque, Metrodome, Won 56-0, Nov. 18, 1984
• Northern State, Metrodome, Lost 20-10, Nov. 17, 1985
• SW Minnesota State, Metrodome, Lost 32-26, Nov. 15, 1986
• Minnesota Duluth, Metrodome, Lost 24-17, Nov. 21, 1987
• Michigan Tech, Metrodome, Won 42-21, Nov. 12, 1988
• St. Cloud State, Metrodome, Lost 42-20, Nov. 18, 1990
• Peru State, Metrodome, Won 42-32, Nov. 17, 1991
• Michigan Tech, Metrodome, Won 36-34, Nov. 14, 1992
• Northern Iowa, UNI Dome, Lost 48-0, Nov. 6, 1993
• Winona State, Metrodome, Lost 23-20, Nov. 13, 1993
• Minnesota Morris, Metrodome, Won 60-0, Nov. 12, 1994
• Valley City State, Metrodome Lost 26-16, Nov. 12, 1995
• Wisconsin River Falls, Metrodome, Lost 28-21, Nov. 17, 1996
• Wisconsin Stout, Metrodome, Won 30-21, Nov. 16, 1997
• Minnesota Duluth, Metrodome, Won 37-27, Nov. 14, 1998
• North Dakota State, FargoDome, Lost 71-20, Sept. 11, 1999
• Wisconsin Oshkosh, Metrodome, Won 56-7, Nov. 14, 1999
• North Dakota State, FargoDome, Lost 80-0, Sept. 9, 2000
• Wisconsin Eau Claire, Metrodome, Lost 39-14, Nov. 11, 2000
• Northern State, Metrodome, Won 24-14, Nov. 9, 2001
• Minnesota Duluth, Metrodome, Lost 51-20, Nov. 7, 2003
• South Dakota, DakotaDome, Lost 51-3, Sept. 11, 2004
• Minnesota Crookston, Metrodome, Lost 47-36, Nov. 6, 2004
• South Dakota, DakotaDome, Lost 56-10, Sept. 10, 2005
• Minnesota Crookston, Metrodome, Lost 34-14, Nov. 5, 2005
• SW Minnesota State, Metrodome, Won 22-20, Nov. 11, 2006
• SW Minnesota State, Metrodome, Won, 41-27, Nov. 10, 2007

Overall Record: 12-16
Away Game Record: 0-5
Metrodome Classic Record: 12-11

[vikingfaithful]

Take away those road games against, NDSU, USD and UNI all future FCS programs the Dragons have a winning record. Uffda,80-0 in the Fargo dome.

[laker]

The 2025 season is just three weeks away and it means a roadtrip for the Dragons in their season opener. The game is taking place at Northern Michigan's Superior Dome. Fun fact, this will be the Dragons' first game, from what I can tell, in a domed stadium since playing in the 2007 Metrodome Classic. As someone who started college that year and wasn't familiar, can some other NSIC fans fill me in on what the Metrodome Classic was like and why it was discontinued?

I went to several at the Dome when MSU was in the NCC. Good crowd for the first one, then the novelty wore off. I think the last one that MSU had was against USD on a Thursday night. Schools were losing a home game. And being in such a big stadium it just didn't have the same feel.

[IceBoxDragon]

Some recent headlines for the Dragons with less than TWO WEEKS to go!

• West Fargo Packers receiver Ian Skari commits to Dragons football program
• MSUM Dragons add $200K videoboard to Alex Nemzek Stadium
• Carter Birrenkott back to full health, adding big target to already potent Dragons passing game
• Dragons football adds another West Fargo recruit in RB Aiden Samek

Glad to have Birrenkott back in the mix for the receiving corp. Also, awesome to see that Nemzek has a video board now. The stadium and the basketball arena are both older and not the best in the NSIC, but the school has done quite a bit over the last 15 years, updating the turf, court, video boards and other upgrades.

[MrMustang]

the real question is will they bounce back after being 0-1?

[IceBoxDragon]

the real question is will they bounce back after being 0-1?

Not that I think that will happen, but hypothetically, if it did, my guess is they would take out there aggression on whoever they play in week two.

[vikingfaithful]

I went to several at the Dome when MSU was in the NCC. Good crowd for the first one, then the novelty wore off. I think the last one that MSU had was against USD on a Thursday night. Schools were losing a home game. And being in such a big stadium it just didn't have the same feel.

I'm thinking Mavs and Vikings had a shootout in the Metrodome with 100 pts. scored or close.

[MrMustang]

Not that I think that will happen, but hypothetically, if it did, my guess is they would take out there aggression on whoever they play in week two.

Trying to be funny backfired on me as I had no idea Moorhead plays in Week 0 !

so I should have said 0-2... Joke's on me apparently

[vikingfaithful]

Don't know anything about Dragons Defense, but Jack Strand and his merry band of receivers are back. This makes Dragons a dangerous team for anybody to play.

[IceBoxDragon]

Don't know anything about Dragons Defense, but Jack Strand and his merry band of receivers are back. This makes Dragons a dangerous team for anybody to play.

They're bringing a good amount of upperclassmen back on the defensive side of the ball so it should be alright. Hopefully it's a "bend don't break" situation, hold the other team just enough and let the offense work.

[IceBoxDragon]

Trying to be funny backfired on me as I had no idea Moorhead plays in Week 0 !

so I should have said 0-2... Joke's on me apparently

Haha, fair enough.

Also, isn't it just week 1? Every other NSIC team is playing that week for its opening, so it's not like it's a week before anyone else. Same at D1 level, the Gophers, Nebraska, Missouri, Wisconsin and other teams are all kicking off that Thursday and nearly every team is playing that weekend. Texas Vs. Ohio State is that Saturday, for example. I think this upcoming weekend is more week 0 with the MEAC/SWAC challenge and that Iowa State Vs. Kansas State kickoff in Ireland

[CheapSkate]

Fun fact, this will be the Dragons' first game, from what I can tell, in a domed stadium since playing in the 2007 Metrodome Classic. As someone who started college that year and wasn't familiar, can some other NSIC fans fill me in on what the Metrodome Classic was like and why it was discontinued?

The Metrodome Classic starting probably in the late 1990's and was originally between the WIAC and the NSIC. Just a way to get all the teams together and showcase the leagues. Was also good for recruiting since some many players from the cities end up at those schools.

Also remember, this was the old NSIC ... Bemidji, Moorhead, Winona, Duluth, Southwest, Northern & Morris.

The Playoffs and Mineral Water Bowl weren't a thing yet for the conference so this was kind of the cap to the season.

Well it didn't often go well for the NSIC schools, and when you have a River Falls beating a Bemidji it's not a great look for the D2 scholarship schools (northing personal Beavers, just the first result that came to mind).

So some say the results were why it was discontinued, and that could be. Also, though, as teams like Winona and Duluth started to show up in the regional rankings, having a DIII team on the schedule wasn't helping.

So the "Metrodome Classic" morphed into and all NSIC Showcase in the dome on the last week of the season. Again a way to get all the teams into one place. I also think the coaches used to use this as their time to meet and vote on all-conference and things like that.

And there were some great games there. The league did it right by trying to get the marquee match-ups last. I'm thinking of some early 2000's Duluth and Winona games that were for the conference title.

Then the league got bigger and games were starting and 10am ot get them all in, and I'm sure scheduling between the Gophers and Vikings and a Monster Truck Rally was difficult. Ultimately, though, I think the coaches wanted the extra home game instead of having to travel to the cities. Two years in a row Crookston played Moorhead there. Each school is driving 4+ hours to play a team that is 70 miles away.

So all of that to say, it became easier and more beneficial to just stop the event ,and let the teams have the home game.

[SW_Mustang]

The Metrodome Classic starting probably in the late 1990's and was originally between the WIAC and the NSIC. Just a way to get all the teams together and showcase the leagues. Was also good for recruiting since some many players from the cities end up at those schools.

Also remember, this was the old NSIC ... Bemidji, Moorhead, Winona, Duluth, Southwest, Northern & Morris.

The Playoffs and Mineral Water Bowl weren't a thing yet for the conference so this was kind of the cap to the season.

Well it didn't often go well for the NSIC schools, and when you have a River Falls beating a Bemidji it's not a great look for the D2 scholarship schools (northing personal Beavers, just the first result that came to mind).

So some say the results were why it was discontinued, and that could be. Also, though, as teams like Winona and Duluth started to show up in the regional rankings, having a DIII team on the schedule wasn't helping.

So the "Metrodome Classic" morphed into and all NSIC Showcase in the dome on the last week of the season. Again a way to get all the teams into one place. I also think the coaches used to use this as their time to meet and vote on all-conference and things like that.

And there were some great games there. The league did it right by trying to get the marquee match-ups last. I'm thinking of some early 2000's Duluth and Winona games that were for the conference title.

Then the league got bigger and games were starting and 10am ot get them all in, and I'm sure scheduling between the Gophers and Vikings and a Monster Truck Rally was difficult. Ultimately, though, I think the coaches wanted the extra home game instead of having to travel to the cities. Two years in a row Crookston played Moorhead there. Each school is driving 4+ hours to play a team that is 70 miles away.

So all of that to say, it became easier and more beneficial to just stop the event ,and let the teams have the home game.

Fun Fact - the final college football game in Metrodome history was between two NSIC schools. CSP beat Winona 23-13 on 11/17/13

As far as I can tell, the NSIC has the final baseball game in Metrodome history too on 4/21/13 - CSP hosted SCSU. It's hard to tell though because they ran baseball almost 24/7 back then, and the final ever game wasn't until early July between two amateur teams.

I went to one of those final CSP games at the Dome in 2013. That was kind of a fun setup for what it was.

[IceBoxDragon]

New from the FM Forum - As NFL scouts buzz around QB Jack Strand, Dragons try to keep waters calm
Senior quarterback, Minnesota State University Moorhead have been visited by 17 NFL teams.