The University of Minnesota Duluth will close out the non-conference portion of its 2005 regular season schedule Saturday (Sept. 24) when the Bulldogs invade Fayette, Iowa, for the first time ever to take on Upper Iowa University. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Eischeid Stadium (natural grass/3,500 capacity).

THE RECORDS: UMD is off to a 3-1 start in 2005 while the Peacocks, an NCAA Division II independent who will join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference next fall, sports a 1-3 record this season.

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Football Notes vs. Upper Iowa

THE BROADCAST: Saturday afternoon's Bulldog-Upper Iowa clash will be carried live locally on KDAL-Radio (610 AM) with Bruce Ciskie 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 in his second season at UMD where he has compiled a 7-8 overall record (1-0 vs. Upper Iowa). Prior to officially being named the school's fifth head coach on Dec. 23, 2003, Schweigert spent 15 seasons at the University of North Dakota where he helped guide the Fighting Sioux to six NCC titles. During his tenure, North Dakota also secured an NCAA Division 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.

Mike Knoll (Missouri Western State College) took over as the Peacocks head coach on Feb. 28, 2005. During the 2004 season, he served as the special teams coordinator/defensive line coach at Bacone College in Muskogee, Okla. His previous collegiate head coaching experience includes a somewhat brief stint (1986-89) at New Mexico State University from 1986-89. Before that, the Marshalltown, Iowa native spent the previous two seasons as a University of Miama assistant coach, overseeing the Hurricanes' defensive secondary in 1984 and their linebackers in 1985. Knoll has also done assistant coaching time at Missouri Western State, New Mexico State, the University of Tulsa, Iowa State University, and Northwestern University.

THE RIVALRY: The Bulldogs and Upper Iowa met for the first time one year ago (Sept. 25) with host UMD prevailing 30-7.

LAST WEEK: UMD breezed to a 55-7 victory over Minnesota State University-Moorhead Saturday afternoon at Malosky Stadium as eight different Bulldogs scored touchdowns, four of which came from the right arm of freshman quarterback Ted Schlafke. Schlafke completed 28 of 34 attempts for 347 yards while helping lift the Bulldogs to their sixth straight win over their former NSIC rivals. UMD raced out to a 35-7 halftime lead on touchdown runs by freshman tailback Marek Seta and scoring strikes from Schlafke to freshman tight end Drew Fausch (10 yards), juniors wide receivers LaShawn Bullock (10 yards) and Greg Aker (21 yards) and sophomore wide receiver Vinny Flury (30 yards). The Bulldogs added three more scores in the final quarter of play – a one-yard run from sophomore tailback Joe Russell, a five-yard run from junior tailback Keith Bizzle, and a 24-yard scoring strike from junior quarterback Ted Pelzer, who replaced Schlafke with 10 minutes to play, to junior wide receiver Mike Hoyord. Defensively, UMD limited the Dragons to just 11 first downs and 56 rushing yards on 36 carries.

Turnovers and miscues cost the Peacocks dearly in a 30-14 loss to future NSIC colleague Southwest Minnesota State University Saturday in Fayette. Upper Iowa finished with more rushing and passing yards, accumulated more first downs, and held the ball nearly seven minutes more than the Mustangs, but threw five interceptions and had two of its punts blocked in the Homecoming game setback. SMSU was able to put up 30 points despite mustering a mere 157 yards of total offense, including 47 yards on the ground.

NCC HONORS PAIR OF BULLDOGS: Freshman quarterback Ted Schlafke and sophomore outside linebacker Cody Ahmann were named the NCC Co-Offensive Player and Defensive Player of the Week for their spirited performances Saturday against MSU-Moorhead. Schlafke, a native of Stevens Point, Wis., completed his first 11 passes of the afternoon and went on to establish personal highs for completions (24), attempts (36), passing yardage (347) and touchdown throws (four) before exiting the game with 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Schlafke, who shared this week's award with Augustana College junior running back Josh Fulton, is the first repeat selection for an NCC Player of the Week honor in 2005 (he received that distinction following the season opener). He was also named by Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette as co-NCAA II National Offensive player of the week. Ahmann, a first-year starter, had a hand in a game-high 10 total tackles, including seven solos. The sophomore from Bloomington, Minn. (Kennedy H.S.) also was credited with 3.5 quarterback sacks, which is just one shy of the school single-game record.

RAPID GETAWAY: This Saturday the Bulldog will be looking to go 4-1 for only the fourth time since the 1987 season. The last time a UMD club had accumulated four of more wins through the opening five games of the year was in 2002 when the Bulldogs were 5-0 en route to going a perfect 11-0 during the regular season.

IN THE ZONE: UMD has come away with points (93 of a possible 98) in each of the 14 times it has entered the red zone so far in 2005 while Bulldog foes are eight of 10 (48 points) in that department.

SHARING THE LOAD: True freshman tailback Marek Seta has paced all Bulldogs in rushing yardage in each of the past two games after sophomore tailback Joe Russell had held that distinction in the opening two weekends of the 2005 season. Freshman quarterback Ted Schlafke, however, has carried the ball more than any other Bulldog to date (34 times) while Russell (33) and Seta (31) are next in rushing attempts.

A SENIOR MOMENT: The 2005 Bulldog roster sports just 10 seniors and of that group a mere six-- offensive tackles Dan Akerson and Brian Burnette, cornerback Brandon Cooley, wide receiver Adam Kuhlman, outside linebacker Aaron Halda, and center Jack Lyons -- started their collegiate careers at UMD.

PASSING STREAK ENDS FOR SCHLAFKE: Freshman quarterback Ted Schlafke's streak of consecutive passes thrown without an interception ended at 98 on Saturday when he was picked off late in the second quarter by a MSU-Moorhead defensive lineman. Schlafke's only other interception this fall came in the season opener at Chadron State.

GETTING HIS KICKS: There is no question that punter Luke Radke has earned his keep thus far in 2005. The true sophomore has been called upon to punt a personal-high eight times in two of UMD's four games and on 27 occasions in all. In the 2005 opener at Chadron State College, Radke boomed a 69-yard punt -- the longest of his career -- and set a Bulldog single-game mark for punting average (47.9 yards per kick). He is averaging 39.2 yards a punt this season, a figure surpassed by only one NCC competitor at the moment.

IN GOOD HANDS: Junior wide receiver Greg Aker has now managed at least one reception in each of the Bulldogs' last 15 outings. Aker, who paced the Bulldogs in receptions (37), reception yardage (470) and reception touchdowns (6) last fall in his first year of starting activity, parlayed his six catches into a career-high 113 yards in Saturday's win over MSU-Moorhead.

TOUGH ON TURNOVERS: UMD is a +8 in the takeaway-giveaway department this fall, having thrown just two interceptions and coughing up only one fumble.

HOW THEY STACK UP NATIONALLY: As a team, UMD is tied for 10th among all NCAA II schools in both punt return average (18.7 yards per return) and in turnover ratio (+2.0 a game). On the individual front, freshman quarterback Ted Schlafke ranks second in completions (95) and pass attempts (142) and eighth in passing yardage (934) while junior Marcus Davis owns the sixth highest punt return average (23.0) in the nation.

TOUGH SLEDDING AHEAD: Playing nationally-ranked opponents didn't end for the Bulldogs two weeks ago at the University of Northern Iowa. The rest of 2005 Bulldog schedule features four outings with clubs who appear in this week's American Football Coaches Association Division II Poll -- North Dakota (No. 2), the University of Nebraska Omaha (No. 4), St. Cloud State University (No. 13) and the University of South Dakota (No. 17). Nebraska-Omaha (Oct. 8), North Dakota (Oct. 15), and South Dakota (Oct. 29) will all pay visits to Duluth later this season.

INJURY UPDATE: Junior fullback Ryan Bowen (hamstring) will bypass the remainder of the 2005 season as a medical redshirt. Junior center Chris Lapakko (mononucleosis) and Scott Syverson (ankle) are not expected to accompany the team to Fayette. Both sophomore cornerback Eric Castellano (ankle), who has been sidelined since the second week of preseason practice, and senior offensive tackle Talo Tavale, who's missed the past three games with an ailing knee, returned to the Bulldog fold this week.

BULLDOG BITS: UMD is outscoring its opposition 34-3 in the fourth quarter this fall ... Sophomore wide out Vinny Flury continues to lead the NCC with his 25 overall catches. Those 25 pass receptions already equal his entire harvest from his freshman season ... The 55 points, 29 first downs, 523 yards of total offense and 380 passing yards the Bulldogs accumulated on the day were their most under the two-year head coaching reign of head coach Kyle “Bubba” Schweigert ... Junior right cornerback Tim Garceau, who recorded seven interceptions -- the most by a Bulldog since 1988 and two shy of the school mark -- and ranked first among his NCC brethren in that department (four thefts in league play), is still in search of first pass hijack of 2005 ... The Bulldogs are a now 22-3 in their last 25 engagements at Malosky Stadium ... Freshman strong safety Tyler Yelk, whose 19 total tackles this fall are good for a share of fourth place on the UMD defensive charts, made his first collegiate start Saturday against MSU-Moorhead, as did freshman center Jake McKeever, who filled in for the ill-stricken Chris Lapakko.

UP NEXT: UMD will make its 2005 NCC debut with an Oct. 1 matchup at Minnesota State-Mankato.

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