SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The No. 22 Augustana football team is set for Week 8 at Minnesota State on Saturday in Mankato, Minnesota.
 
Complete action can be followed at GoAugie.com/Live and on the GoAugie App, presented by CellOnly. The app can be downloaded in the app store or on Google Play.
 
The Game
Game time is slated for 1 p.m. at Blakeslee Stadium. Augustana enters as the No. 22 team in the nation in the AFCA and No. 14 in the D2Football.com Top-25. The Mavericks are No. 23 in the D2Football.com Top-25 and receiving votes in the AFCA poll.
 
The Mavericks
Minnesota State enters at 5-2 following a win last week against Upper Iowa. The Mavericks' two losses of the year have come via Minnesota Duluth and Wayne State. They have won three of their last four games, outscoring their opponents 208-55 in that stretch.
 
The QB tandem of JD Ekowa and Heyden Ekern have led the Mavericks' potent offense this season. Both have thrown for seven touchdowns and have combined to throw for over 230 yards per game. They have also combined to rush for 400 yards this season. Ekowa has made the endzone his second home this season, with seven passing touchdowns and seven rushing touchdowns.
 
Jalen Sample is the tandem's top target, with 33 catches for 565 yards and four touchdowns on the year.
 
The Maverick defense currently ranks second in the NSIC giving up 300.3 yards per game average. Along with only giving up 20.4 points per game, good for fourth in the NSIC.
 
The Vikings
Augustana is 6-1 overall and in first place of the NSIC after topping No. 23 Wayne State last week. The Vikings control their own ability to win their first outright conference championship since 1959 by winning out the remainder of the season.
 
The Vikings' defense has proven strong all year, leading the NSIC in scoring defense by allowing just 19 points per game. The offense? Equally as good, ranking ninth in the nation with 40.3 points per outing.
 
Kyle Saddler continues to throw the ball a long way, averaging 283.3 yards per game and ranks in the top-five nationally with 23 touchdown passes. Sean Engel is top-five in touchdown receptions (more on that below) while leading the team with 93.7 yards receiving. Jarod Epperson leads the rushing attack and is on pace to break the school record for rushing yards in a season. His current pace is for just over 1,200 yards while the school record is held by Joe Clark and his 1,114 yards in 2008.
 
T.J. Liggett, the reigning NSIC Defensive Player of the Week, leads Augustana with 51 tackles, 34 of which are solo. He has also been credited with three pass breakups and four quarterback hurries. Peyton Buckley has recorded four interceptions and is credited with six pass breakups while recording 34 tackles.
 
Who to Watch For
Sean Engel has been on a tear the last two games with five touchdowns. In fact, the five touchdowns came over five quarters of play dating back to the second quarter against Upper Iowa. His touchdown total rank him fifth in the nation with 10. The downside? That's only good for third in the pass-heavy NSIC. The positive? The Vikings also have the third-highest rusher in the league in Jarod Epperson at 109.6 yards per game. Through the air and on the ground, the Vikings offense has it covered.
 
One Last Thing
Augustana leads the NSIC in eight official statistical categories. Among those categories, the Vikings lead the nation in three. Augustana is the best in the country in sacks allowed per game (0.14), rushing defense (36.9 yards per game) and blocked punts allowed (0).