THIS WEEK IN BLUE HAWK FOOTBALL

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Thursday, Aug. 28 — 6:00 p.m. MT — Biesiot Activities Center — Dickinson, N.D.
Valley City State (0-0, 0-0 Frontier) at #13 Dickinson State (0-0, 0-0 Frontier)

LIVE VIDEO: www.youtube.com/@bluehawksportsnetwork
RADIO: kdix.com
LIVE STATS: dsubluehawks.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
TICKETS: events.hometownticketing.com/boxoffice/dickinsonstate
   
SEASON OPENER: Dickinson State opens its 100th season of football with high expectations, following back-to-back years with playoff victories and a top-15 national ranking. The Blue Hawks begin their first full campaign back in the Frontier Conference by hosting longtime in-state rival Valley City State on Thursday night at the Biesiot Activities Center. DSU enters the year riding a nine-game winning streak in the series and returns key experience on both sides of the ball. Offensively, senior wide receiver Semaj Clark, sophomore tight end Gage Gilbert, and junior running back Jackson Simonson headline a balanced and physical attack. On defense, senior linebacker Riley Waters, junior defensive lineman Dylan Dahlgren, and senior defensive tackle Wyatt Anderson lead a veteran unit built around toughness and discipline.
 
BLUE HAWKS (2025 to date):
• Scoring Offense: — | Scoring Defense: —
• Total Offense: — | 3rd Down: —
• Red Zone: — | Turnover Margin: —
• Last Week: N/A (Season Opener)
 
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 – #30 Nathaniel Jilek (Sr.)
CB – #25 Rustin Medenwald (Fr.)
S – #4 Jack Hartman (Sr.)
S – #34 Jaymn Medlock (Sr.)
CB – #9 Chase Selle (So.)

Specialists —
K – #8 Chase Miller (Jr.)
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.)
 
THE SERIES:
vs Valley City State — Dickinson State leads 52–35–5
Last: DSU 42–24 win (Nov. 9, 2024 in Valley City)
Streak: W9
 
OPPONENT SNAPSHOT — Valley City State:
Record: 0–0 | Head Coach: Dennis McCulloch (162–118)
Last Week: N/A (Season Opener)
 
HEAD COACH — Pete Stanton (12th Season):
Coach Stanton is 95–29 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 strong defensive identity. Under his leadership, DSU has earned back-to-back playoff wins in 2023 and 2024 and produced 22 NAIA All-Americans.