With a possible berth in the upcoming NCAA Division II playoffs on the line, the University of Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State University will square off this Saturday (Nov. 5) in the 2005 regular season finales for both clubs. Opening kickoff time for the North Central Conference clash is set for 1 p.m. at Husky Stadium (4,198 capacity/ FieldTurf) on the St. Cloud State campus.

THE RECORDS: UMD is 7-3 overall and is lodged in a four-way tie for second place (with St. Cloud State, the University of Nebraska Omaha and the University of South Dakota) in the NCC standings with a 3-2 mark. The Huskies sport an 8-2 record in all games.

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Football Notes vs. St. Cloud State

HOW THEY RANK: UMD moved up to eighth place in this week's NCAA Division II Northwest Regional Rankings while St. Cloud State holds down the No. 5 position. The Huskies are also ranked 14th in the this week's American Football Coaches Association Division II Poll while UMD received votes.

THE BROADCAST: Saturday afternoon's Bulldog-Husky matchup will be carried live locally on KDAL-Radio (610 AM) with Mark Fleischer handling the play-by-play responsibilities. All UMD games during the entire 2005 season can also be heard via the internet at: www.umdbulldogs.com.

THE COACHES: Kyle \"Bubba\" Schweigert (Jamestown College, 1985) is winding down his second season at UMD where he has compiled an 11-10 overall record (0-1 vs. St. Cloud State). Prior to officially being named the school's fifth head coach on Dec. 23, 2003, Schweigert spent 15 seasons at North Dakota where he helped guide the Fighting Sioux to six NCC titles. During his tenure, North Dakota also secured an NCAA II playoff berth on eight occasions, making it to the semifinal round four times and the title game twice (including in 2001 when it won the national championship). Schweigert began his Fighting Sioux coaching career as the team’s defensive secondary coach before taking over the defensive coordinator duties in 1998. Three years later, he added the title of assistant head coach.

Randy Hedberg (Minot State University, 1977), is in his seventh year at St. Cloud State and has a 40-35 to show for it (including a 2-1 lifetime mark against UMD). One year ago, Hedberg and the Huskies secured the school's first NCAA II playoff berth and finished with an 8-3 overall record. Prior to joining the St. Cloud State staff, Hedberg worked for three seasons as the offensive coordinator at the University of North Dakota (where he was a colleague of Kyle Schweigert's) and six years as the assistant coach at Central Missouri State University (1990-95). He was Minot State's (N.D.) head coach from 1982-89 and posted a 45-23-2 career mark with the Beavers. Selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1977 National Football League draft, Hedberg played for three teams during his three-year NFL tenure (Tampa Bay in 1978, Oakland in 1979 and Green By in 1990), primarily as a backup quarterback. Hedberg was a finalist for the Bulldogs' head coaching position (which was eventually filled by current UMD athletic director Bob Nielson) in 1999.

THE RIVALRY: UMD and St. Cloud State have met 36 times previously in a rivalry which began back in 1933. The Huskies hold a 22-14 all-time series lead and have won nine of their last 10 confrontations with UMD. That includes a 28-0 decision one year ago (Nov. 6) in the 2005 finale at Malosky Stadium.

LAST WEEK: It's not often that a college football team can give up over 600 yards of total offense and come away with a win -- a 13-point win at that. By flexing its own offensive muscle, UMD, however, found a way to do just that Saturday afternoon in a 56-43 triumph over the University of South Dakota. Freshman quarterback Ted Schlafke threw for six touchdowns -- including four to junior wide receiver Greg Aker -- in the home finale victory over the eighth-ranked Coyotes. The freshman quarterback set school single-game marks for both passing yards (457), total offense (504 yards) and equalled club marks for completions (he was 31-of-46 on the afternoon) and touchdown passes. Sophomore wide receivers Vinny Flury and Ross Schumacher also hauled in scoring strikes from Schlafke while freshman tight end Drew Fautsch's first quarter touchdown came off an option pass from junior running back LaShawn Bullock. Flury sealed the Bulldog triumph with 4:12 remaining in regulation by returning an on-side kick 41 yards for a touchdown. In all, the two teams combined for a UMD-record 1,191 yards of total offense and 99 points.

St. Cloud State took a brief respite from NCC warfare and ambushed Missouri Western State College 31-28 Saturday in St. Cloud. Senior running back Matt Birkel rushed for 227 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Huskies, who sealed the win on a Mike Hammerseng to Ryan Koch pass from 10 yards out with 38 seconds remaining in regulation.

THREE-PEAT FOR SCHLAFKE: For his record-breaking performance Saturday against South Dakota, Ted Schlafke was selected both the D2Football.com and North Central Conference's Co-Offensive Player of the Week. It marked the third time the freshman quarterback has been so recognized by the NCC in 2005. Schlafke completed 31 of 46 passes for a school-record 457 yards and six touchdowns, which equalled a Bulldog single-game mark. Those six scoring strikes also tied the NCC record, which had stood unmatched for 39 years. In addition, the Stevens Point, Wis., native rolled up 504 yards of total offense (shattering the previous club mark by almost 100 yards).

END OF THE LINE?: Saturday's game could mark the farewell collegiate outing for 10 Bulldogs. That group includes nine seniors -- offensive tackles Dan Akerson, Brian Burnette and Talo Tavale, offensive guard Ben Bowditch, cornerback Brandon Cooley, outside linebacker Aaron Halda, nose tackle Matt Hofman, tight end Adam Kuhlman, and center Jack Lyons -- along with junior center Chris Lapakko. Of that 10-member ensemble, just seven (Akerson, Burnette, Cooley, Halda, Kuhlman, Lapakko, and Lyons) started their collegiate careers at UMD.

A ROOKIE ON THE RISE: Ted Schlafke, a two-time NCC Offensive Player of the Week honoree in 2005, is enjoying the most productive rookie season of any quarterback in the 73-year history of Bulldog football. With at least one game still to be contested in 2005, Schlafke has already established school-single season marks for pass completions (237) and attempts (374) and has thrown one or more touchdowns in 10 straight outings this fall (another Bulldog mark). He currently ranks second among all NCC signal callers in passing yardage and total offense (both overall and in league play) and owns the NCC’s top single-game performances this year for pass completions (31 vs. vs. both South Dakota and Nebraska Omaha). Here's how the Stevens Point, Wis. native sits at the moment on the UMD single-season passing list:

Name (Year) Att Cmp. Int. Pct Yds TD

1. Ricky Fritz (2002) 287 160 12 .557 2,760 34

2. Ted Schlafke (2005) 374 237 11 .634 2,610 27

3. Ricky Fritz (2000) 319 145 13 .455 2,315 22

4. Ricky Fritz (2001) 254 135 15 .531 2,133 26

YIELDING QUITE A RETURN: No NCAA II school in the country has done a better job of returning kickoffs this fall than the Bulldogs. Through 10 games, UMD is averaging an NCAA II-leading 27.5 yards per return. Junior Marcus Davis ranks sixth among all NCAA II individuals in that category, with a 29.5 yards per return average.

THE GOOD HANDS PEOPLE: Talk about a one-two punch! Sophomore wide receiver Greg Aker and junior wide receiver Vinny Flury have both hauled in a team-leading 59 catches this fall, which is just one reception shy of school single-season mark held by both Tim Battaglia (2003) and his older brother, Steve (2002). Aker and Flury have combined for 118 catches which breaks the previous school tandem record of 115 set by Tim (55) and Steve Battaglia (60) three years ago. Aker, a second-year starter who has caught at least one pass in 21 consecutive games, has already accumulated the sixth highest single-season pass receiving yardage figure (912) in team history and is one the verge of becoming just the third Bulldog to ever reach the 1,000-yard plateau. Junior LaShawn Bullock (37 catches) and true sophomore Ross Schumacher (a career-high 29 receptions) have been the Bulldogs' other primarly pass targets.



GETTING AHEAD AND STAYING THERE: The Bulldogs are a perfect 7-0 this fall when they've held a lead through three quarters and 7-1 when they've scored first.

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED: True freshman tailback Marek Seta has paced all Bulldogs in rushing yardage in five games this season while sophomore tailback Joe Russell has held that honor on three occasions, and quarterback Ted Schlafke twice. In all, that trio -- Schlafke (100 attempts), Seta (84) and Russell (82)-- have done 83.9 percent of the ball-carrying thus far for UMD, which is averaging only 94.1 yards on the ground per game in 2005. Incidentally, the last quarterback to pace UMD in rushing carries was Dale Gessell, who turned the trick back in 1989.

IN THE ZONE: UMD has come away with a touchdown 27 of the 40 times (67.5 percent) it has entered the red zone so far in 2005 while Bulldog foes are 21 of 39 (53.8 percent) in that department.

INJURY UPDATE: With the exception of those already shelved with season-ending injuries, no Bulldogs are expected to sit out Saturday's regular season finale.

BULLDOG BITS: The Bulldogs' only trip to the NCAA II playoffs came in 2002 when UMD took a perfect 11-0 record into its first-round game at Northwest Missouri State University ... UMD posted a 4-1 home record in 2005 and has now won 24 of its last 28 engagements at Malosky Stadium ... Placekicker Britt Baumann has tied a personal-best with his four field goals (in seven tries) this fall. The true sophomore has also converted all but one of his 40 extra point kicks this fall after going 17-for-21 as a rookie ... Sophomore inside linebacker Cody Ahmann has responded to his first full year of starting responsibilities by registering the second highest quarterback sack figure (8.0) of any NCC defender to date ... UMD is 1-4 lifetime in NCC road games ... Junior fullback/tight end Mark Slinden has turned three of his seven career pass receptions (all but one of which have been registered this year) into touchdowns ... UMD averaged 3,745 spectators for its five home outings in 2005 the second best per game figure in school history. Three years ago, the Bulldogs set team records for both total (23,046) and per game average attendance (3,841).

COACHES SHOW: The UMD Coach's Show, featuring \"Bubba\" Schweigert, airs each Wednesday night during the entire 2005 season at 6 p.m. on KDAL-Radio (610 AM). Bruce Ciskie and veteran Malosky Stadium p.a. announcer Dave Walter host the one-hour program, which can also be heard via the internet at: umdbulldogs.com.