ST. PAUL, Minn. - This weekend, Concordia-St. Paul (3-2, 2-2 NSIC, 0-0 South) opens NSIC South Division play at #5 Minnesota State (5-0, 4-0 NSIC, 1-0 South), looking to spoil the Mavericks' homecoming game at 2 p.m. at Blakeslee Stadium.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
Saturday is headed towards a high of 68 with temperatures sitting around 66 during game play hours with a south 18 mph wind that will slow to 10 mph by 5 p.m. There is a 7 percent chance of rain at kickoff, increasing to 24 percent during game hours (2-5 p.m.).
COACHES SHOW RETURNS TO TWIN CITIES RADIO
The Coaches Show with
Joshua Schumacher is back on the Twin Cities airwaves for an eighth season, once again hosted by
Wally Langfellow of Minnesota Score. The show airs following the Minnesota high school football game of the week, typically on Friday evenings in the 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. hour on KYCR 1440 AM radio, available in the Twin Cities metro area.
This week's guests on the show: running back
Joel Lacy and linebacker
Ben Rehl, both fifth-year players.
For fans who miss the show or are outside of the radio station's Twin Cities reach, the entire show is accessible via the CSP Bears Podcast, available in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and YouTube podcasts. It will typically be uploaded late Friday night (after the initial air time) or Saturday morning prior to the game. Search 'CSP Bears' into your favorite podcast provider!
2026 TEAM CAPTAINS
CSP head coach
Joshua Schumacher and the coaching staff have announced the captains for the 2026 season. Captains were selected through a collaboration with student-athlete voting and coach input.
Representing the Golden Bears are fifth-years
Carter Zezulka (WR),
Manny Harris (RB),
Ben Rehl (LB),
Percy Robertson (DL) and sophomores
Lincoln Graf (QB) and
Logan Bockman (OL).
WATCH LIVE: NSIC NETWORK ON MIDCO SPORTS PLUS
Starting with the 2026-27 season, Concordia and the NSIC will call Midco Sports Plus the streaming home for the NSIC Network. Midco Sports Plus, a regional cable provider primarily based in North Dakota, South Dakota and parts of Minnesota, features an expanded variety of online sports coverage.
The NSIC Network will be part of a subscription service with annual access plans starting at under $7 per month for the full year ($79/year) or monthly service for $15 which includes NSIC coverage as well as Summit League.
Away game broadcasts are produced by the host campus with audio commentary provided by the host school. The game will also be broadcast on local radio in Mankato on
AM 1230 The Fan Mankato.
For more information, view the NSIC's press release announcing the Midco Sports Plus partnership: https://cspbears.com/news/2026/7/16/athletics-midco-sports-launches-nsics-new-streaming-home.aspx
For streaming support and troubleshooting, visit Midco's support page: https://sports.midco.com/support
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Fans can download the CSP Bears fan app, free of charge and available in the App Store or on Google Play. The app contains live in-game updates, close game alerts, rosters, schedules, scores, stats, news, social media and more! Customize your options to get notifications to your favorite teams, as well. Search "CSP Bears" in the app store to stay up-to-date on Golden Bear athletics.
SERIES HISTORY: MSU 17, CSP 2
The Golden Bears had won two of the first five meetings against the Mavericks between 2004 and 2010, with the two seasons when CSP defeated MSU (2005, 2010) both resulting in postseason appearances in the Mineral Water Bowl for the Golden Bears.
But 2010's 28-26 win at Blakeslee Stadium was the last time CSP has defeated MSU as the Golden Bears have dropped 14 in a row including six in a row in Mankato.
Concordia hasn't scored more than 13 or given up less than 30 points at MSU since the 2010 victory, with the closest margin being a 30-10 loss in 2012.
In recent history, CSP has played MSU tough twice in the last four meetings, falling 25-15 in 2022 and 33-20 in 2024, both games at Sea Foam Stadium.
LAST MEETING, 2025: MSU 47, CSP 19
The Golden Bears led after the first quarter (8-6) and trailed by one score at the half (16-8) and at the end of the third quarter (23-16) and were within a touchdown with less than 10 minutes to play, trailing 26-19 before MSU scored three touchdowns in the last 8:18 of play to seal the contest.
Concordia's defense produced a pair of stops to start the game and
Caden Carsen, a Minnesota State baseball transfer, delivered a 50-yard punt to flip the field position advantage to CSP.
With
MJ Mitchell making his first start and becoming the 11th freshman to start at QB in CSP's Division II era (1999-pres), the young QB connected with veteran wide receiver
Troy Ellison for 37 yards to get the offense going. For Ellison, he would surpass 2,000 career all-purpose yards with the catch that put CSP into MSU territory. A roughing the passer penalty gave CSP 15 more yards with Mitchell adding a 28-yard run to set up his own 3-yard keeper for a score. CSP converted the two-point conversion as offensive tackle
Gavin Layton recovered the blocked PAT in the end zone for an 8-0 lead.
Mitchell went 15-36 for 213 yards passing and 15-57 rushing with a TD run and was the fourth different QB to start for CSP on the season.
Early in the second quarter, CSP had a chance to extend its 8-6 lead but came up short on 4th-and-1 from the MSU 30.
MSU used an INT to set up a 21-yard TD drive, and then converted a field goal to take a 16-8 lead in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, MSU scored on another short field with the wind factoring into the field position on a 36-yard TD drive for a 23-8 lead.
Mitchell responded by connecting deep down the right sideline for a 59-yard completion to
EJ Previlma to the 10-yard line, and two plays later Ellison connected with tight end
Anthony Hickman on a double-pass for a TD. Mitchell hit Hickman for a two-point conversion to make it a one-score game, 23-16.
The teams traded field goals with
Kenny Steffen converting for CSP with 11:21 to play in the game from 32 yards out.
MSU turned to the ground in the windy conditions, rushing the ball on 14 of its next 15 plays for a pair of TD drives, while CSP came up short on downs in between, and MSU secured a pick-six to seal the game.
Although MSU ended up with 47 points, the Mavericks used short fields on scoring drives of 5-21, 4-3, 11-36 and a pick-six to score more than half (24) of their points in the game.
CSP held MSU quarterbacks Maximus Sims (10-21, 97) and Mitchell Thompson (3-5, 54) to 151 combined yards on 13 completions but MSU rushed for 243 yards and five TDs.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS
Minnesota State was NSIC South Division co-champions at 5-1 with Wayne State in 2025, finishing 7-3 overall in the NSIC and in a three-way tie for third. MSU made the playoffs, winning road games at Findlay (37-14) and Indianapolis (35-27) before falling 52-29 at Ferris State.
Entering 2026, MSU picked at the top of the NSIC overall and South Division preseason polls and has made good on those picks with a 5-0 overall, 4-0 NSIC and 1-0 NSIC South Division start.
MSU has scored at least 28 points in all five games nad has yet to allow more than 17 points with the closest margin being a 28-14 win at Sioux Falls last week.
The Maverick offense has compiled 120 first downs, fifth-most in the nation and has the 10th-best third-down offense in the country at 53.2 percent.
MSU averages 231.2 rushing yards per game, 16th-best in the nation while limiting opponents to 100.6 yards per game on the ground, ranking 25th.
But the defense has been truly dominant, as MSU leads the country with 11 interceptions, ranks 11th in the country and leads the NSIC with 3.20 sacks per game and ranks 17th in the nation with 268.2 yards in total defense.
Sam Backer leads the offense, averaging 6.3 per carry to lead a three-headed backfield with 315 yards, followed by QB Mitchell Thompson's 309 yards and seven TD runs and Carter Henderson's 280 yards.
The Mavericks continue with the two-QB approach as Thompson leads the team with 154.8 yards of total offense per game followed by Maximus Sims with 116.0.
FULL GAME NOTES AVAILABLE FOR ONLINE VIEWING
