The University of Minnesota-Duluth will continue on its diet of non-conference football competition Saturday (Sept. 18) when the Bulldogs journey to Moorhead, Minn., to face Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Alex Nemzek Stadium (5,000) on the MSU-Moorhead campus.
THE RECORDS: UMD is off to a 1-2 overall start this season while the Dragons are 0-3 in all games.
THE BROADCAST: Saturday afternoon's Bulldog-Dragon clash will be carried live locally on WEBC Radio (560 AM) with Brian Dennish handling the play-by-play duties. All UMD games during the 2003 season can be heard via the internet at: www.umdbulldogs.com.
THE COACHES: Kyle (Bubba) Schweigert makes his head coaching debut in 2004, having been officially named the fifth head coach in the storied 72-year history of Bulldog football on Dec. 23, 2003. Schweigert completed his 15th year as a Fighting Sioux assistant coach last fall and, during the last 14 seasons he had been in charge of the Fighting Sioux defensive secondary. In 1997, he was appointed the team's defensive coordinator. He then added the title of assistant head coach prior to the start of the 2001 season. During Schweigert's tenure, North Dakota earned NCAA D-II playoff berths on eight occasions, making it to the semifinal round four times and the title game twice (in 2001 when the Fighting Sioux won the national championship and in 2003 when they took runner-up honors). The recipient of the American Football Coaches Association NCAA D-II Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 2000, Schweigert was employed for four years (1985-88) as the defensive coordinator at Jamestown College (ND) before joining the North Dakota staff.
Ralph Micheli (Macalester College, 1970) is in his 12th season of duty at MSU-Moorhead, where he has compiled a 56-59-2 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 85-122-2 in his 22 seasons in the collegiate ranks. He is 4-7-1 in his 12 lifetime confrontations with UMD.
THE SERIES: UMD and MSU-Moorhead will meet for the 48th time Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs hold a 26-17 lead (with four ties) in the rivalry, which began way back in 1932 -- the third season of varsity football at UMD.
LAST YEAR: Then junior running back Dave Rufledt (Bloomer, WI) was certainly one of the heroes the last time UMD and the Dragons collided (Nov. 7, 2003 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis) as he rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Yet his shortest run of the night may have been the most important -- if not most inspirational -- one as far as the UMD was concerned. With the Bulldogs trailing the Dragons 17-10, Rufledt scored from one yard out just as time expired in the first half. That one play arguably was the turning point in the game as UMD went on to outscore MSU-Moorhead 34-3 the rest of the way to earn a 51-20 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference win.
LAST WEEK: UMD's school-record 18-game home wining streak came to an end Saturday night as the Bulldogs fell 34-13 to University of Wisconsin-La Crosse before an overflow crowd of 5,000 at Griggs Field. For a second straight week, the UMD defense was victimized by the passing game, surrendering 216 yards through the air to the nationally-ranked Eagles. UMD, playing for the second weekend in a row without preseason All-American running back Dave Rufledt, lost back-to-back games for the first time since the end of the 2001 season. UW-La Crosse assumed control of the game early, marching 49 yards on its opening drive to go up 7-0. Following another Eagles’ score, the Bulldogs appeared poised for a rally but a fumble returned 43 yards for a touchdown by UW-La Crosse safety Ken Halvorson dashed those hopes and gave the Eagles a 20-0 lead. Bulldog freshman running back Aaron Kelly (Green Bay, Wisc.) sparked a short-lived UMD rally late in the first quarter, surging through the right side of the UW-La Crosse defense for a 10-yard touchdown scamper after a seven-play, 51-yard drive, but the Eagles added another touchdown before halftime and cruised to the non-conference victory. Kelly proved to be one of the Bulldogs’ offensive bright spots, rushing for 139 yards on 28 carries. A pair of UMD quarterbacks — freshman Kyle Opahle and sophomore Ted Pelzer — combined for 127 yards in the air on 12 completions. Pelzer notched his first touchdown pass of the season in the fourth quarter, connecting with sophomore Greg Aker from 15 yards out on a fade route. It was Aker’s team-leading second touchdown reception of the season.
MSU-Moorhead was trounced by the University of South Dakota, 51-3, on Saturday afternoon in Vermilion, S.D. The Dragons were held to just 108 yards of total offense in the contest. It was the third straight game that the South Dakota offense racked up over 300 rushing yards.
2004 NCC PRE-SEASON POLL HAS BULLDOGS TABBED FOR FOURTH: In its inaugural year of North Central Conference membership, UMD was selected to finish fourth in a vote by the coaches of the league. The University of North Dakota, the 2003 NCAA Division II runner-up, held down the No. 1 spot followed by the University of Nebraska-Omaha, St. Cloud State University, UMD, South Dakota, Augustana College and Minnesota State-Mankato. In the 21 years the NCC has conducted a preseason poll, the coaches' prognostications on a league champion have been correct 11 times.
A NEW CONFERENCE FOR THE BULLDOGS: The 2004 season marks the first for the UMD athletic program in the prestigious North Central Conference, one of the nation's elite Division II conferences.
SACK HAPPY: Senior defensive end Russ Rabe (Lake Holcombe, Wisc.) posted a record-breaking 15-sack season in 2003 and is poised to break the career quarterback sack mark at UMD. Rabe needs only a half-sack to tie Sean Callahan's (1988-91) Bulldog record of 22.5. A full sack would establish a new high.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES: Three UMD seniors were honored with Preseason All-American selections in 2004. Don Hansen's Football Gazette recognized DE Russ Rabe, OL Adam Fechhelm and RB Dave Rufledt. Rabe was also honored on the Lindy's, Street and Smith and D2football.com lists.
RUFLEDT RUNNING TOWARD RECORD: UMD senior running back Dave Rufledt is on pace to break the all-time Bulldog rushing yardage record, held by former Kansas City Chiefs back Ted McKnight (1973-76). Rufledt needs just 143 yards to eclipse McKnight's mark. Rufledt has already established a new UMD rushing touchdowns record with 42.
PELZER UNDER CENTER: After serving as Kyle Opahle's backup for the first three games of 2004, sophomore quarterback Ted Pelzer (Champlin, Minn.) will make his first start of the season against MSU-Moorhead. Pelzer, a North Dakota State University transfer, saw action in relief of Opahle last week, completing 10 of 25 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. Last season with the Bulldogs, Pelzer threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns in limited action.
KELLY SURGING IN RELIEF ROLE: Freshman running back Aaron Kelly (Green Bay, Wis.) has made his mark in 2004 with senior Dave Rufledt shelved due to injury. Through three games, Kelly has rushed for 353 yards and two touchdowns on 58 carries. Kelly's yards-per-carry average (5.9) is second-best nationally among all Division II freshman backs. His 114.7 yards-per-game average ranks No. 3 nationally among freshmen.
JIPSON AMONG NATION'S BEST: UMD senior defensive back Luke Jipson (South Range, Wis.) currently ranks second in the nation with an average kick return of 36.8 yards. Jipson is tied for the nation's lead in interceptions with four. The UMD single-season record stands at nine.
END ZONE FAVORITE: UMD sophomore wide receiver Greg Aker (Superior, Wis.) assumed the team lead in touchdown receptions last week with his second of the season. Aker is one of two Bulldogs who also compete on the baseball field at UMD. Sophomore defensive back Tim Garceau (Marinette, Wis.) is the other.
BULLDOG BITS: Thus far, senior Luke Jipson is the only Bulldog to earn NCC Player-of-the-Week honors. He was named NCC Co- Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 30 ... UMD's current two-game losing streak is the team's first such streak since the 2001 season when the Bulldogs dropped their final regular season game before losing in the Mineral Water Bowl to Central Missouri State. UMD has not lost three consecutive regular season games since 1999 ... UMD's loss to UW-La Crosse last week snapped the Bulldogs' school record 18-game home winning streak ... The Bulldogs are getting outscored 35-13 in the second quarter of games this season ... Turnovers have hurt the Bulldogs thus far. In three games, UMD has already fumbled eight times and tossed five interceptions ... Freshman wide receiver Ross Schumacher (Fond Du Lac, Wis.) currently leads the Bulldogs in receptions with 10. UMD's top two receivers are both underclassmen ... Sophomore LB Kevin Krenz (Bloomer, Wis.) paces the Bulldogs in sacks with two ... Even without preseason All-American selection Dave Rufledt, the Bulldogs' ground game has been strong, averaging 4.5 yards per attempt ... The combined record of UMD opponents thus far in 2004 is 6-1 ... The Bulldogs have not lost to MSU-Moorhead since 1999. UMD has not lost in Moorhead, Minn., since 1994. Since that loss, UMD has compiled a 7-2-1 record against the Dragons ... UMD has broken the 50-point barrier in back-to-back games against MSU-Moorhead ... UMD has yet to convert successfully on a field goal this season. On the flipside, UMD has scored touchdowns on six of the team's eight red zone opportunities ... The Bulldogs' longest play from scrimmage thus far was a 66-yard scamper by running back Aaron Kelly against the Concordia University Golden Eagles. UMD's longest completed passing play of the season was a 40-yard strike from Kyle Opahle against Chadron State.
BULLDOGS ON THE AIR: In 2004, the FAN 560 AM will be the broadcast home of UMD football each week with Brian Dennish providing the play-by-play.
UP NEXT: UMD will host the Upper Iowa University Peacocks (0-3) on Sept. 25 at 1 p.m.
