Article

Nebraska-Omaha at Minnesota State

Noon today, Blakeslee Stadium KDOG 96.7-FM

November 6th, 2004
By Jim Rueda
Mankato Free Press

The matchup

Minnesota State (5-5, 2-3 in North Central Conference) closes out the 2004 season with the home game against the University of Nebraska-Omaha (8-2, 5-0). Both teams are nicknamed the Mavericks.

Today's game will also be Senior Day for 15 Minnesota State players who will be participating in their final collegiate game. UNO has already clinched a share of the 2004 NCC championship. A win would strengthen Nebraska-Omaha's case for selection to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

UNO is riding a six-game winning streak and is coached by Pat Behrns. Behrns is in his 11th season with Nebraska-Omaha and has a record of 115-72 in 17 seasons as a head coach that includes a six-year stint with North Dakota.

UNO is averaging 407.1 yards of offense per game, with 253 of those coming on the ground. Nebraska-Omaha has scored at least 20 points in all 10 games.

Minnesota State is coming off a 19-12 win over Augustana and is at the five-victory plateau for the first time since 1998. A win over UNO would give MSU its first winning season since 1994 when it compiled a 7-4 record.

This will be the 23rd meeting between the two school dating back to 1982. UNO holds a 12-10 lead in the head-to-head matchups.

Nebraska-Omaha has won the last seven meetings between the schools, including last year's 42-25 win last November in Omaha. The last time MSU defeated Nebraska-Omaha at Blakeslee Stadium was in 1995 when it notched a 49-10 triumph.

Iron men

Senior offensive linemen Christian Harmeyer and Bob Jeske will each make their 33rd consecutive start for Minnesota State today.

Harmeyer, a native of Le Center, began his streak with 11 games at right tackle and will conclude it today with his 22nd straight game at left tackle. All 32 of Jeske's previous MSU starts have come at center and he is expected to be snapping the ball again today.

Treasure chest

Last week junior I-back Sean Treasure became the sixth back in MSU history to surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark in a season. In the same game he became MSU's all-time single-season kickoff return yardage leader. He now has 591 kickoff return yards in 2004, bettering the previous record of 566 yards set by Reggie Patterson in 1996.

Treasure and sophomore Cory Jones have combined for 1,566 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 312 carries this season. The rushing total is the most by a pair of MSU teammates since T.J. Schraufnagel and Zach Witt combined for 1,626 yards in 1999.

King's ransom

Sophomore quarterback Ben King has completed 129 of 243 passes for 1,658 yards - the 10th highest single-season total in school history. He has thrown 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

King is in sixth place on the MSU list in career passing yards with 3,663.

Flannigan's rainbow

Junior defensive end Darnell Flannigan is tied for the team lead in sacks with 4.5. He is also tied for the team lead in tackles for losses with 11. He is one of only three MSU players to have both a forced fumble and a fumble recover this season.

UNO update

Junior quarterback Brian Masek has completed 107 of 180 passes for 1,523 yards and 17 touchdowns against six interceptions this season. He is also the team's second-leading rusher with 410 yards and seven TDs on 84 carries.

Junior running back Jamar Day is the key ingredient to the UNO attack, rushing for 1,460 yards and 16 touchdowns on 233 carries. Sophomore Scott Anderson has added 400 yards and touchdown on 67 carries.

Defensively, UNO is led by the brother tandem of junior linebacker Taiwo Onatolu and sophomore linebacker Kenny Onatolu.

Taiwo has a team-high 87 tackles and five interceptions along with three sacks and three blocked kicks. Kenny has 74 tackles, including eight tackles for losses.