THIS WEEK IN BLUE HAWK FOOTBALL
Saturday, Oct. 18 — 1:00 p.m. MT — Herb Klindt Field — Billings, Mont.
Dickinson State (2-4, 0-2 Frontier East) at Rocky Mountain (1-4, 1-0 Frontier East)

LIVE VIDEO: www.youtube.com/@RockyAthletics
LIVE STATS: dsubluehawks.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
RADIO: kdix.com
 
SEASON CONTINUES:
Dickinson State heads back on the road in search of its first conference win as the Blue Hawks travel to Billings to take on Rocky Mountain College. DSU (2-4, 0-2 Frontier East) fell 27–25 in a back-and-forth battle with Dakota State last Saturday in Dickinson. Quarterback Marcus Sanders passed for 351 yards and four touchdowns, including two to senior wideout Semaj Clark, who totaled 137 yards on 10 catches. Kyle Meinecke and Jackson Whicker also found the end zone, while Jackson Simonson led the rushing attack with 50 yards. On defense, Nathaniel Jilek and Riley Waters each recorded nine tackles, and Dylan Dahlgren added a sack and forced fumble. The Battlin' Bears (1-4, 1-0 Frontier East) are coming off a bye after earning their first win of the season against Valley City State.
 
100 YEARS OF BLUE HAWK FOOTBALL:
Dickinson State University continues its celebration of a century of Blue Hawk Football during Homecoming weekend. Established in 1925, the program has built a proud legacy defined by toughness, tradition, and community — capturing 32 conference championships and over 500 all-time wins across 100 seasons. From Harry Wienbergen's first title in 1951 to the dynasties led by Hank Biesiot and Pete Stanton, DSU's century-long story reflects generations of student-athletes and coaches who have shaped the Blue Hawk identity. Saturday's game marks another chapter in that historic journey as Dickinson State honors 100 years of pride, tradition, and brotherhood.
 
BLUE HAWKS (2025 to date):
• Scoring Offense: 27.0 | Scoring Defense: 28.0
• Total Offense: 346.0 | 3rd Down: 34-for-98 (34.7%)
• Red Zone: 18-for-23 (78.3%) | Turnover Margin: –1
• Last Game: L, 27–25 vs. Dakota State
 
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Offense —
QB – #10 Marcus Sanders (Jr.)
RB – #21 Jackson Simonson (Jr.)
TE – #15 Gage Gilbert (So.)
LT – #63 Landen Thompson (Fr.)
LG – #66 Adam Symonds (Jr.)
C – #56 Carson Lunak (Sr.)
RG – #74 Justin Vela (Sr.)
RT – #67 Trey Swanson (So.)
WR – #8 Semaj Clark (Sr.)
WR – #6 Adrien Calderon (So.)
WR – #14 Cale Gundlach (Jr.)

Defense —
DL – #40 Dylan Dahlgren (Jr.)
DL – #50 Wyatt Anderson (Sr.)
DL – #57 Chace Waters (So.)
DL – #53 Shel Osborne (Jr.)
LB – #42 Riley Waters (Sr.)
LB – #52 Dalton Tvedt (Jr.)
LB – #39 Nathaniel Jilek (Sr.)
CB – #6 Dominique Carter (So.)
S – #4 Jack Hartman (Sr.)
S – #34 Jaymn Medlock (Jr.)
CB – #9 Chase Selle (So.)

Specialists —
K – #7 Ty Nelson (So.)
P – #7 Ty Nelson (So.)
KR – #3 Jackson Whicker (So.), #6 Adrien Calderon (So.)
PR – #14 Cale Gundlach (Jr.)
LS – #2 Ryan Racht (So.)
Holder – #14 Cale Gundlach (Jr.)
 
vs Rocky Mountain — Rocky Mountain leads 10–3
Last: Dickinson State 42–17 win (Aug. 29, 2024 in Dickinson, N.D.)
Streak: W1
 
OPPONENT SNAPSHOT — Rocky Mountain:
Record: 1–4 | Head Coach: Chris Stutzriem (6th Season)
Last Week: Bye (W, 31–21 vs. VCSU on Oct. 4)
 
SOARING HAWKS:

• Jack Hartman (Sr., DB) – Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Week
   

2025 SEASON LEADERS:
Passing Yards: Marcus Sanders (Jr.), 979
Passing Touchdowns: Marcus Sanders (Jr.), 10
Rushing Yards: Jackson Simonson (Jr.), 234
Rushing Touchdowns: Two tied, 2 each
Receiving Yards: Semaj Clark (Sr.), 470
Receiving Touchdowns: Semaj Clark (Sr.), 6
Total Offense: Marcus Sanders (Jr.), 902
All-Purpose Yards: Semaj Clark (Sr.), 477
Field Goal: Two tied, 1-for-1 (Long: 27)
Punting Avg: Ty Nelson (So.), 37.5
Kick Return Yards: Jackson Whicker (So.), 161
Interceptions: Jack Hartman (Sr.), 4
Total Tackles: Nathaniel Jilek (Sr.), 32
Sacks: Dylan Dahlgren (Jr.), 3.5
 
HEAD COACH — Pete Stanton (12th Season):
Coach Stanton is 97–33 overall at DSU, leading the program to 10 straight NSAA titles and 11 consecutive NAIA playoff appearances. A DSU Hall of Famer, Stanton emphasizes physicality, consistency, and a strong defensive identity. Under his leadership, DSU has earned back-to-back playoff wins in 2023 and 2024 and produced 22 NAIA All-Americans.