GAME OF THE WEEK

Sioux Falls (8-0, 4-0 NSIC South) at Minnesota State Mankato (8-0, 4-0), 1 p.m. Saturday: Sioux Falls, ranked No. 14 in the d2football.com poll, is coming off a 41-28 victory at Winona State. The Cougars rank third in total offense (478 yards per game) and second in scoring offense (43.5 point per game) in the NSIC. The Cougars lead the NSIC in turnover margin (plus-16) and are second in scoring defense (15.4 points per game). … MSU Mankato, ranked No. 1, outlasted Augustana 34-28 Saturday for its 30th consecutive NSIC victory. The Mavericks lead the NSIC in scoring offense (45.5 points per game) and scoring defense (12.6 points per game). The Mavericks beat Sioux Falls 52-17 in 2013.

WEEK 9 STORY LINES

• The first Division II region rankings of the season were released by the NCAA on Tuesday and the NSIC has the top three teams in Super Region 3. Minnesota Duluth, which has won 16 consecutive regular-season games, is ranked No. 1 in the region, followed by MSU Mankato, which is ranked No. 1 overall in Division II, and Sioux Falls. Rounding out the top six in the region are: Ouachita Baptist is No. 4, Azusa Pacific No. 5 and Pittsburg State No. 6. Defending Division II champion Northwest Missouri State is ranked No. 7.

• Concordia (Moorhead), which has won 23 of its past 28 games, has two regular-season games remaining. The Cobbers (7-1, 5-1 MIAC), who are ranked No. 18 in the d3football.com poll, have won three consecutive games since losing to MIAC-leading Bethel on Oct. 4. The Cobbers play at St. Thomas on Saturday and close out their regular season Nov. 8 at home against Gustavus. Bethel plays at Gustavus on Saturday.

• Former St. John's receiver Blake Elliott is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the second consecutive year. Elliott, a three-time All-America and two-time MIAC Player of the Year, ended his St. John's career in 2003 second in all NCAA divisions in receptions (327) and second in Division III in touchdown receptions (56). The 2015 honorees will be announced Jan. 9 and inducted into the Hall of Fame on Dec. 8, 2015.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Samson Bialostok, QB, Macalester: The 6-1 senior from North Woodmere, N.Y., has rushed for eight touchdowns and passed for seven more while leading the Scots to a 6-1 record. Macalester plays host to Carroll University in St. Paul on Saturday bin a game that should decide the Northern Division title in the Midwest Conference.

Tom Obarski, P/K, Concordia (St. Paul): The 5-11 senior from Burnsville has set a school record with 15 field goals in 17 attempts this season. Obarski kicked a 56-yard field goal — the longest in Division II this season — in the Golden Bears' 37-34 victory over Upper Iowa.

Bialostok

BY THE NUMBERS

214 Rushing yards by Minnesota State Moorhead's Demetrius Carr in the Dragons' 52-45 loss to Mary. It is the most by a Dragons player since 1998.

1,180 Rushing yards this season (a school single-season record) for Sam Sura of St. John's.

5,327 Career passing yards (a school record) for Concordia (Moorhead) senior Griffin Neal.

JOEL RIPPEL