MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State University football program released its 2022 schedule Thursday featuring 11 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games including six home games at Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center.

This is the first season since 2018 that SMSU will have six home games and just the third time since 2015.

SMSU, under the direction of first-year head coach Scott Underwood, will open the season on Thursday, Sept. 1, at Minnesota Duluth. The game is the first of four straight versus NSIC North Division teams and the first versus three teams that qualified for the NCAA playoffs last season.

On Sept. 10, SMSU will have its first home game of the season taking on Concordia-St. Paul for the annual Ag Bowl with game time at 5 p.m. The Mustangs are 5-9 all-time in Ag Bowl games.

Following a road game versus UMary on Sept. 17, SMSU will return home to face Minot State on Sept. 24 with kickoff slated for 5 p.m.

SMSU will have a second-straight home game on Oct. 1 opening NSIC South Division play versus Upper Iowa for Homecoming with game time set for 5 p.m.

The Mustangs play at Sioux Falls on Oct. 8, before returning home on Oct. 15 to face Winona State in the annual ‘Battle for the Sledge’ game starting at 1 p.m.

SMSU will continue NSIC South Division play at Wayne State on Oct. 22 before stepping out of division play on Oct. 29 hosting 2021 NSIC North Division champion and NCAA playoff participant Bemidji State at 1 p.m.

SMSU’s final road game is Nov. 5 versus Minnesota State starting at 12 p.m. The regular season will conclude on Nov. 12 hosting another 2021 NCAA playoff qualifier, Augustana, with kickoff set for 1 p.m.

Southwest Minnesota State finished 2-9 during the 2021 season.

2022 Opponent Notes:

Minnesota Duluth: UMD leads the all-time series 27-7-1 … UMD has won nine of the last 10 meetings with SMSU’s lone victory during that span occurring on Sept. 1, 2016, in Marshall … UMD won the last game, 42-13, on Oct. 13, 2018 … SMSU is 2-15-1 all-time in games played in Duluth.

Concordia-St. Paul: CSP leads the all-time series 13-11 … SMSU earned a 34-24 victory last season in St. Paul, snapping a three-game winning streak in the series for CSP … SMSU’s last win in the series in Marshall occurred on Oct. 29, 2016 … SMSU is 5-6 at home in the series, including 2-4 at the Schwan Regional Event Center … SMSU is 5-9 all-time in Ag Bowl games.

UMary: UMary leads the all-time series 6-4 … UMary’s win last season (45-23) in Marshall snapped a two-game win streak for SMSU in the series … SMSU won the last meeting (54-24) played in Bismarck, N.D., on Sept. 29, 2018 … the series is tied 2-2 in games played in Bismarck.

Minot State: SMSU leads the all-time series 7-1 … SMSU has won the last five games, including the last meeting, 21-17, at Minot on Oct. 5, 2019 … SMSU leads 4-0 since MSU joined the NSIC in 2012 … SMSU is 3-1 all-time at home, including 2-0 at the Schwan Regional Event Center.

Upper Iowa: SMSU leads the all-time series 14-3 … SMSU has won 12 of the last 13 games since the 2008 season, including 20-14 last season in Fayette … UIU’s only win since 2007 occurred on Oct. 28, 2017, in Fayette … SMSU, which has won three straight in the series, is 7-1 all-time in Marshall, including 6-0 at the Schwan Regional Event Center.

Sioux Falls: USF leads the all-time series 10-3 … USF has won all nine meetings since joining the NSIC in 2012 … USF won the last season (35-7) in Marshall … SMSU’s last win in the series was on Oct. 20, 1979, in Sioux Falls … SMSU is 2-4 at USF, including 0-4 since the Cougars joined the conference.

Winona State: WSU leads the all-time series 31-20 … WSU has won the previous five games, including the last match-up, 26-14, last season in Winona … WSU has won five of the six ‘Battle for the Sledge’ games since the trophy game was started in 2015 … the series is tied 12-12 in games played in Marshall with WSU winning the previous two games in 2019 and 2017 … the teams have split six games at the Schwan Regional Event Center.

Wayne State: WSC leads the all-time series 24-8 … WSC has won the previous five games, which includes last season, 38-16, in Marshall … WSC leads the series 13-3 since the 2005 season with SMSU’s last victory coming on Oct. 10, 2015, in Wayne, Neb. … SMSU is 4-11 all-time at WSC.

Bemidji State: BSU leads the all-time series 25-21-1 … BSU has won 16 of the last 17 meetings since 1998 … SMSU’s lone victory in that span occurred on Sept. 12, 2015, in Marshall … BSU won last season, 48-14, in Bemidji … SMSU leads 12-10 all-time at home, including 1-2 at the Schwan Regional Event Center.

Minnesota State: MSU leads the all-time series 19-0 … MSU won last season, 52-0, in Marshall … MSU has scored 34 or more points in each of the 13 games played since MSU joined the NSIC in 2008 … SMSU is 0-10 all-time in Mankato.

Augustana: AU leads the all-time series 22-3 … AU has won the last seven, including 55-0 a season ago in Sioux Falls, S.D. … SMSU won the first two games of the series in 1990 and 1991, but has won just once (2013) in the last 23 games … SMSU is 1-11 all-time at home, including 0-6 at the Schwan Regional Event Center.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications