The University of Minnesota-Duluth will continue on its diet of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference competition Friday (Nov. 7) when the Bulldogs head to the Metrodome in Minneapolis to take on Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Opening kickoff time is set for 8:30 p.m.
THE RECORDS: UMD, which has reeled off five straight wins, is 7-2 overall and 5-1 in NSIC play (second place tie with Winona State University) while the Dragons own a 2-7 mark in all games and a 1-5 NSIC record (seventh place tie with the University of Minnesota-Crookston).
THE BROADCAST: Friday night's Bulldog-Dragon matchup will be carried live locally on WEBC Radio (560 AM) with Howie Leathers handling the play-by-play and Dave Walter providing color commentary. All UMD games during the 2003 season can be heard via the internet at: www.umdbulldogs.com.
THE COACHES: The 2002 NSIC Coach of the Year, Bob Nielson (Wartburg College, 1982) is in is fifth year at UMD and has a 37-18 overall record (for a .673 winning percentage) to show for it. Last fall, the Nielson-led Bulldogs posted the first 11-0 regular season record in the program's 70-year history and earned an inaugural berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Nielson, who coached UMD to its first-ever post-season appearance in 2001 (Mineral Water Bowl) after his Bulldogs experienced their greatest one-year turnaround in team history the previous fall, joined the UMD program after guiding the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to the semifinal round of the 1998 NCAA Division III playoffs. He amassed a three-year mark of 22-11 with the Blugolds, including a 10-3 record in his farewell season when Wisconsin-Eau Claire claimed a share of its first WIAC title in 15 years while setting a school mark for victories. Nielson, who sports a 107-51-1 collegiate coaching record (.676), also spent five years (1991-95) as the head coach at Wartburg College where he pieced together five successive non-losing seasons, and two years at Ripon (WI) College (1989-90). He is 3-1 in his four career confrontations with MSU-Moorhead.
Ralph Micheli (Macalester College, 1970) is in his 10th season of duty at MSU-Moorhead, where he has compiled an even 55-45-2 record. Micheli, who served previous head coaching stints at Tarkio College in Missouri (1978-80) and at Sul Ross University in Texas (1985-91) prior to his appointment with the Dragons, is 79-108-1 in his 19 seasons in the collegiate ranks. He is 4-6-1 lifetime against UMD..
THE SERIES: UMD and MSU-Moorhead will meet for the 47th time Friday evening. The Bulldogs hold a 25-17 lead (with four ties) in the rivalry, which began way back in 1932 -- the third year of varsity football at UMD. The Bulldogs overwhelmed the Dragons 53-27 one year ago (Oct. 12) in Moorhead.
LAST WEEK: Buoyed by the offensive heroics of senior quarterback Cash Langeness (Luck, WI) and junior running back Dave Rufledt (Bloomer, WI), the Bulldogs remained in the thick of the NSIC title hunt by disposing of Bemidjji State University 34-21 Saturday afternoon on the Beavers' home turf. Langeness rushed 17 times for 143 yards and one touchdown and also connected on 9 of 14 passes for another 96 yards and one score. Rufledt found the end zone on three occasions while piling up 124 rushing yards on 27 carries.
MSU-Moorhead was bested by NSIC rival Northern State University 56-27 and surrendered 555 yards of total offense in the process. Chad Davison parlayed three pass catches into 164 yards and three touchdowns for the Dragons, who trailed by just eight points (35-27) at the start of the fourth quarter.
NSIC TIPS IT HAT TO RABE: Russ Rabe (Lake Holcombe, WI) was selected the NSIC's Co-Offensive Player of the Week after being credited with 10 tackles, including a pair of quarterback sacks, one forced fumble and one blocked punt in the Bulldogs' 34-21 victory over Bemidji State. It was the second time this fall the junior defensive end has been so honored.
TEAM CAPTAINS: Senior wide receiver Tim Battaglia (Cloquet, MN), Cash Langeness, junior outside linebacker Adam Skinner (Cumberland, WI), senior middle linebacker Dave Otto (Milltown, WI) and senior left offensive guard Dan Soldner (Cold Spring, MN) -- are serving as UMD team captains for the 2003 season.
RUFLEDT'S RUN AT BULLDOG HISTORY: Junior running back Dave Rufledt, who has run for 100-plus yards in each of the past five games, needs just six more touchdowns to match the UMD single-season mark for rushing scores of 22 which was set by All-American halfback Ted McKnight back in 1976. Rufledt's 962 yards on the ground this season his the fourth highest output in team history. With 38 more rushing yards, he'll become just the third Bulldog ever -- and first since 1986 (Corey Veech) -- to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season. Rufledt now has 36 rushing touchdowns to his collegiate credit (matching the team standard held by Boyd Hanson, 1979-82). Last Saturday, Rufledt assumed the top spot on UMD's all-time overall touchdown charts with 41 (breaking Hanson's mark of 40).
BATTAGLIA NEARS ANOTHER UMD PASS CATCH MARK: Senior wide receiver Tim Battaglia, who already owns UMD career records for pass reception yards (3,424) and touchdown catches (38), needs just three more receptions to become the Bulldogs' career leader in that department as well. A member of both the 2003 Football Gazette and d2football.com Pre-season All-American second teams, Battaglia has been on the receiving end of 180 passes during his UMD tenure, a number surpassed only by his older brother, Steve (182 catches between 1999-2002). The first Bulldog ever to eclipse the 1,000-yard pass reception yardage barrier for a single season (he finished with 1,166 yards last fall), Battaglia has registered at least one pass catch in 35 straight games -- a school record he shares with brother Steve. He currently holds down the No. 2 spot on the NSIC's career touchdown reception charts with 32 in league play and is third in reception yardage with 2,401 . Alvin Ashley of Southwest Minnesota State University (1990-93) is first in that statistical category (2,651 yards) followed by Steve Battaglia (2,416 yards).
SACK HAPPY: With his two quarterback sacks Saturday at Bemidji, MN, junior defensive end Russ Rabe upped his 2003 total to 12.0. That equals a UMD single-season standard which was established 19 years ago by defensive end Steve Ahlers. Through nine games, the Bulldogs as a team have sacked the opposition quarterback 31 times for a 3.4 per outing average. On the other side of the line of scrimmage, UMD has given up only 6 sacks.
MR. VERSATILITY: Senior Cash Langeness, who, at one time or another as a collegian, has been used as a cornerback, quarterback, running back, wide receiver, placekicker, punt returner, kick returner and holder on field goals and extra points, is averaging 11.0 yards per carry since taking over the team's quarterback duties on Oct. 4. Langeness is UMD's career leader for punt (88) and kick returns (74), punt (832) and kick return yardage (2,055) and currently owns the best yards per kick return average (27.8) in club history. During his UMD playing days, he has returned four kicks, two interceptions, one punt and one fumble for scores and has passed for five touchdowns and run for another four TDs.
NCAA II LEADERS: Besides Russ Rabe (fourth in sacks -- 1.3 per game and 10th in tackles for loss -- 1.9 per game), other Bulldogs among current NCAA II leaders include wide receiver Tim Battaglia (9th in receiving yards -- 106.4 yards per game), Cash Langeness (7th in kickoff return average -- 31.4 yards per return), and runnig back Dave Rufledt (6th in scoring -- 101.6 ppg and 24th in rushing -- 106.9 ypg). As a team, UMD ranks 5th in rushing offense (260.7ypg), 14th in scoring offense (37.0 points per game), 18th in rushing defense (94.8 ypg), and 20th in scoring defense (17.1 ppg) and total offense (435.3 ypg).
INJURY REPORT: The following two players will not accompany the Bulldogs to the Metrodome this Friday due to injuries and are out for the remainder of the 2003 season.
Player Pos Injury
Mike Hoyord WR Foot Fracture
Adam Skinner LB Neck
BULLDOG BITS: Senior placekicker Chad Gerlach has made a school-record 40 consecutive extra point kicks since missing his last attempt at Minnesota State University-Mankato in UMD's 2003 season opener. He shattered the old UMD mark (39 by Alex Sticker between 1995-97) last Saturday at Bemidji State ... The Bulldogs are 9-4 in their 13 lifetime trips to the Metrodome, but have dropped four straight decisions at the indoor stadium. Three of those setbacks have come under the coaching reign of Bob Nielson (22-21 to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1999, 17-15 to the University of Wisconsin-Stout one year later, and 33-30 to Winona State two seasons ago). Friday will mark the the third time the Bulldogs and MSU-Moorhead have butted heads in the Metrodome ... Sophomore free safety Blake Hendrickson (Lake Park, MN) is expected to return to the Bulldog fold Friday after being shelved the past three weeks with an injured right shoulder. Hendrickson has amassed 18 total tackles while making five starts this fall ... Bob Nielson, who will assume the role as athletic director at UMD on Dec. 1, has compiled a 27-6 record since the start of the 2001 season ... The Bulldogs have rolled up 95 points while surrendering just 19 (including just two touchdowns) in the opening 15 minutes of play this season and have outscored their opposition 222-58 in the first half ... UMD currently ranks first in the NSIC in rushing defense (117.5 ypg), rushing offense (282.8 ypg), time of possession (32:29 minutes per game) and fewest sacks allowed (0.7 spg). Individually, Dave Rufledt is first in scoring (13.0 ppg) and touchdowns (2.2 per game) and Russ Rabe is first in sacks (1.5 spg) and tackles for loss (2.33 per outing) ... 11 different Bulldogs have hauled in at least one interception, including senior strong safety Shaun Fisher (Milltown, WI) and sophomore backup cornerback Brandon Cooley (Chippewa Falls, WI), who each have a team-leading three thefts.
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will conclude theirr 2003 regular season with a Nov. 15 NSIC showdown at Winona State University.
