3-0! NSU Drubs SMSU For Best Start Since ’89

Posted on September 13, 2026 by - Sports

Marshall, MN (NSUWolves.com) – Three is the charm for the (RV) Northern State University football team in 2026, defeating Southwest Minnesota State 30-3 in their first road contest of the season. The Wolves remain undefeated on the season, while holding the Mustangs scoreless through the opening three quarters.

THE QUICK DETAILS
Final Score: NSU 30, SMSU 3
Records: NSU 3-0 (2-0 NSIC), SMSU 1-2, (0-2 NSIC)
Attendance: 2,884

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Northern tallied two touchdowns in the first quarter via the air assault; Ty Englehart connected with Jacoby Boykins for an 8-yard pass at 11:16 on the clock and Joey Dube-Garrett hit Jessie Campbell for a 10-yard pass with 7:17 on the clock
  • Dube-Garrett extended the Wolves lead in the second with a 57-yard heave to Cooper Eisenbeisz as the quarter opened and Jeremy Caruso closed out the scoring in half with a 32-yard field goal at 4:52
  • Hank Kraft scored the lone points in the third on a 1-yard carry, his seventh rushing touchdown of 2026
  • Southwest Minnesota State added three points in the fourth on a 38-yard field goal by Landon Hubbard, the only points of the quarter for either team
  • Northern tallied 476 yards of total offense in the win, recording 159 yards rushing and 317 yards passing with 21 first downs
  • The Wolves scored four of the five times they entered the red-zone and averaged 15.9 yards per reception and 5.0 yards per rush
  • The NSU defense held SMSU to 250 yards of total offense, shutting down 11-of-14 third down attempts and 4-of-6 fourth down attempts with one interception and one sack
  • Dube-Garrett threw for a team leading 179 yards and two touchdowns, completing 9-of-12 attempts, while Englehart passed for 138 yards with one touchdown, completing 11-of-18 attempts
  • Hank Kraft kept things rolling on the ground with 107 yards rushing and one touchdown, averaging 5.1 yards per carry with a 48-yard long
  • Three Wolves tallied over 70 yards receiving on the day, led by Eisenbeisz with 76 yards, DJ Smith with 74 yards, and Campbell with 72 yards
  • Jake Adams put together his second straight double-figure game with 15 tackles, including nine solo stops and 2.0 tackles for a loss
  • Cashton LaPlante was second on the team with six tackles, followed by Elijah Jopp, Javonnee Szymanski, Joshua Brown, and K’vaughn Landers with five apiece; Brown led the secondary with two pass break-ups
  • Gabe Gutierrez and Kaydn Turnbow teamed up for the sack on the day, while Darion Nundley notched the first interception of his career
  • Caruso went 1-for-2 in field goal attempts and tallied 362 yards on kickoffs with one touchback
  • Keaton Docken made his first punting appearance for NSU, notching 100 total yards punting with a 55-yard long

NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

  • Joey Dube-Garrett: 179 yards passing, 2 touchdowns, 75.0 pass completion %
  • Hank Kraft: 107 yards rushing, 1 touchdown
  • Cooper Eisenbeisz: 76 yards receiving, 38.0 yards per reception, 1 touchdown, 57-yard long, 32 kick return yards
  • DJ Smith: 74 yards receiving, 14.8 yards per reception
  • Jessie Campbell: 72 yards receiving, 10.3 yards per reception, 1 touchdown
  • Jake Adams: 15 tackles, 9 solo tackles, 2.0 tackles for a loss of 3 yards

Hear the first word following the 30-3 win with Head Coach Mike Schmidt with David Tukesbrey during the “Top Chop Meats” Wolves Wrap postgame show HERE: 

UP NEXT
Northern continues their road trip next Saturday, September 19 at nationally ranked Minnesota State. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. from Mankato in the match-up with the Mavericks. Listen to the game LIVE on Fox Sports Aberdeen 1420AM & 98.5FM with the ‘voice of the Wolves’ David Tukesbrey on the call; pregame begins at 12p with the “Wolves Warmup” pregame show, powered by DFS Insurance. You can also listen on the “Hub City Radio” or “605 Radio App” on Fox Sports Aberdeen, also for free on gameday.

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