ST. PAUL – The University of Northwestern football team will head to Northfield, Minn., Saturday to open its 2015 campaign at St. Olaf. Kickoff at Manitou Field is slated for 1 p.m.



The Series: The all-time series record sits at 1-1, as the Eagles and Oles have squared off each of the last two seasons. In 2013, St. Olaf came out on top 37-18, while UNW came away with a dramatic 17-16 win last year at Reynolds Field.

Who To Watch:
When UNW Has the Ball: Northwestern's offense welcomes back a strong group to the gridiron in 2015. Returning is wide receiver Joe Sutton, who hauled in 34 receptions in 2014 and found the end zone eight times during his junior season. With the graduation of Jacob Fletcher (Moorhead, Minn./Park Christian) under center, the Eagles will turn the reigns over to senior Grant Schoen (Independence, Minn. /Orono). Protecting Schoen will be four strong returners including Chris Kirby (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial), Ben Evans (Earlham, Iowa/Homeschool), Justin Morin (Eagan, Minn./Eastview), and TJ Palme (West Des Moines, Iowa/Dowling Catholic).

When St. Olaf Has the Ball: Despite losing standout linebacker Cameron Cox (Becker, Minn./Becker), who tallied 128 tackles in his two years in Purple and Gold, UNW returns a number of key contributors on the defensive side of the ball in 2015. Senior Luke Sommerlot (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area ) returns after amassing 86 tackles, while Ben Greener (Foley, Minn./Home School) and Nathan Van Zee (Moose Lake, Minn./Moose Lake) are back at the linebacker position. Also look for Austin Warner (Fridley, Minn./Fridley), Austin Stubbs (Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Des Moines Christian), Nick Swore (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northpointe Christian) and Andrew Smith (Henning, Minn./Henning) to make some plays from their defensive back positions. 

Scouting the Oles: St. Olaf was picked to finish ninth in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) after going 1-9 in 2014. Senior Nate Penz returns under center for his final campaign and will welcome back fellow senior J.J. Strnad to the backfield. Colten Yahn, a second team All-League linebacker, will anchor the Olaf defense.  
Live Stats: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/stolaf/

Live Video: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/stolaf/

Be sure to visit www.unweagles.com following the game for a complete recap highlighting Saturday's season-opening action.