The Scoop
The University of Minnesota Crookston football team returns home to take on Winona State University Sat., Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. The Golden Eagles are looking for their first win at Ed Widseth Field this season. The last win at home for Minnesota Crookston came Nov. 7, 2015 over Minot State University.

Previewing the Golden Eagles
Minnesota Crookston enters the week with a 1-5 mark on the season. The Golden Eagles are looking to rebound after two-straight losses. A key story this week will be if Jalin Scott is able to return after an injury took him out during the Southwest Minnesota State game. Scott has passed for 653 yards on the season and has rushed for 170. If he isn't in, Jeremy Neuman is the likely starter for Minnesota Crookston. Neuman has passed for 121 yards and a touchdown this season.
In the run game, Elijah Todd leads the way with 330 yards on 74 carries for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. Kevin Evans has 141 yards rushing on the ground, coming off his best effort of the season with 60 yards on 11 carrries.
In the pass game, freshman stand-out Andy Groebner leads the way with 19 catches for 379 yards and two touchdowns, while Jonattan Mudd has 12 catches for 172 yards. Senior Rod Stewart has notched 11 grabs for 163 yards and a touchdown. 
Defensively, Ali Alkhatib leads the team with 46 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception. In addition, Julian Jackson has notched 43 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Will Cole has 40 tackles, while Joe Warner has 23 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack.

Previewing the Warriors
Winona State football enters the week with a 4-2 mark. The Warriors are averaging 31.2 points per game and allowing opponents to score 22.7 points per game. Winona State is averaging 143.5 yards per game on the ground and 260.8 yards per contest through the air.
At quarterback, sophomore Owen Burke has passed for 1,473 yards and 13 touchdowns. His top targets are Isaiah Frandsen and Tanner Gran. Frandsen has 23 catches for 434 yards and four touchdowns, while Gran has 17 catches for 210 yards. In the running game, Javian Roebucks leads the way with 60 carries for 363 yards and two touchdowns, while Sam Santiago-Lloyd has rushed 71 times for 284 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Winona State has been led by Isaiah Hall with 34 tackles, along with his 5.5 tackles for loss. On the defensive line, look for Michael Ferrante to make an impact with 25 tackles, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. In the pass game, Romario Gayle leads the way with four interceptions, while Cole Monckton has an interception. In addition, Devon Moore has seven tackles for loss with two sacks on the season. 

Winona State
3-3 Overall
2-2 NSIC South
Head Coach:
Tom Sawyer

Minnesota Crookston
1-5 Overall
1-3 NSIC North
Head Coach:
Mark Dufner

Date: Oct. 13, 2018
Time: 1 p.m.
Site: Crookston, Minn.
Stadium: Ed Widseth Field
Surface: Grass
Capacity: 2,000
Series: Winona State leads 13-0
Last: Winona State won 68-0 Sept. 1,
 2016 in Winona, Minn.
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/crk/#liveEventsTab
Live Stats: https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Radio: 1260 KROX AM/105.7 FM
Leo Blavin (Play by Play)
www.kroxam.com
App: MN Crookston Athletics on Google Play and Apple Store

#5StoryLines
1. Will the Golden Eagles have ball control with their run game?

2. Can the defense limit the offensive attack of Winona State?

3. Can the Golden Eagles get a big game from one of their receivers in Stewart, Groebner, or Mudd?

4. Can the defense come away with big turnovers?

5. Will special teams be a major factor in the game?

#StingLikeABee
Ali Alkhatib, might not be the same Ali who floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee, but the team's leader in tackles with 46 has been a defensive leader this season and throughout his career. Alkhatib now ranks fourth all-time for solo tackles with 141 and is 10 career tackles from breaking into the top five for that mark. In addition to tackles, Alkhatib currently leads the team with five tackles for loss and an interception. He will look to have a strong weekend against Winona State. 

#GetItToGroebner
Minnesota Crookston freshman wide receiver Andy Groebner is off to an oustanding start to his career. Groebner is off to one of the best starts of any Golden Eagle freshman receiver in school history. He is off to a better start as a freshman than all-time leading receiver Adam Connette had in 2014. Groebner has 19 catches for 379 yards and two touchdowns through six games. He is averaging 20.0 yards per reception and 63.2 yards per game. Groebner will look to be a major factor this weekend against Winona State. 

#30IsTheNew20
Minnesota Crookston senior wide receiver Derek Hartwigsen is the oldest player for the Golden Eagles at 30 years old. This is his first year as a football player for Minnesota Crookston. He previously was a multi-events competitor for track and field at Western Washington from 2010-12. Hartwigsen is coming off his first career catch with a nine-yard catch last Saturday against Southwest Minnesota State. Hartwigsen is a player that is trying to help out the Golden Eagles in any way possible and he will look to do the same this weekend whether on special teams or on offense or as a great teammate. 

#MisterJackson
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Julian Jackson has been a major factor for the Golden Eagles in 2018. Jackson is second on the team in tackles on 2018 with 43 tackles. In addition, he has 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Jackson's best game came against MSU Moorhead with 12 tackles. In addition, he had 10 tackles versus St. Cloud State. Jackson will look to have a major game against Winona State.