The University of Minnesota Duluth will launch its 74th season of intercollegiate football Thursday (Aug. 31) when the Bulldogs travel to Bemidji, Minn. to take on former Northern Intercollegiate Sun Conference rival Bemidji State University. Opening kickoff time is set for 7 p.m. at Chet Anderson Stadium (natural grass/3,500 capacity) on the BSU campus.

\"After nearly three weeks of practice, it's time for us to be tested on the field of play,\" said UMD head coach Kyle \"Bubba\" Schweigert, who will be facing the Beavers for the first time. \"We'd like to think we've made some nice progress during fall camp, but until we hit the field on Thursday, we won't know how much.\"

TO VIEW THE FULL PDF VERSION OF THIS RELEASE CLICK HERE:

UMD/BSU Football


THE RECORDS: The Bulldogs posted an 8-4 overall record, won a share of their first NCC title with a 4-2 mark, and secured their second NCAA Division II playoff berth in four years last fall. BSU, which will also be making its 2006 debut Thursday, was 7-3 in all games one year ago and tied for fourth place in the eight-team NSIC at 4-3.

HOW THEY RANK: UMD received votes in this week's American Football Coaches Association Division II Poll while BSU was not ranked.

THE BROADCAST: Thursday's Bulldog-Beaver matchup will be carried live locally on KDAL-Radio (610 AM) with Jayson Michaels handling the play-by-play assignment and Dave Walter and Bruce Ciskie providing color commentary. All UMD games during the entire 2006 season can also be heard via the internet at: www.umdbulldogs.com.

THE COACHES: The 2005 NCC Coach of the Year, Kyle \"Bubba\" Schweigert (Jamestown College, 1985) is beginning his third season at UMD and has a 12-11 overall record to show for it (0-0 vs. BSU). Last fall, Schweigert directed his troops to an 8-4 overall record (defeating three AFCA Top 20 teams along the way), a share of the school’s initial NCC title, and its second NCAA Division II playoff berth in four years. For his efforts, he was named the D2football.com Northwest Region Coach of the Year and the American Football Coaches Association Division II Coach of the Year for Region 5. 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.

Jeff Tesch (Minnesota State University-Moorhead) is in his 11th season of head coaching duty at Bemidji State where he has compiled a 62-44 mark. Tesch, who is 2-6 lifetime against UMD, was an assistant coach for 11 years at North Dakota (where he was a colleague of Bubba Schweigert's) prior to his appointment with the Beavers in 1996.

THE RIVALRY: Thursday night's game will mark the 46th meeting ever between UMD and Bemidji State. The Bulldogs hold a commanding 34-10 lead (with one tie) in the all-time series which began way back in 1931 -- the second year of varsity football at UMD. The two clubs last met on Nov. 1, 2003 (UMD's final year as members of the NSIC) with visiting Bulldogs pulling out a 34-21 triumph.

THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING: A trio of seniors -- offensive guard Mark Knudsen, outside linebacker Kevin Krenz, and strong safety Trent Scheidecker -- along with sophomore quarterback Ted Schlafke are serving as UMD team captains this fall.

OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: Commencing a year 1-0 has become pretty much a rite of fall for UMD football -- particularly in recent times. The Bulldogs have been victorious in each of their last six season openers (including last year's 28-17 win at Chadron State College) and are an impressive 33-6 in season debuts since 1967.

NCC FORECAST: Both the media and league coaches have the Bulldogs projected for a middle-of-the pack finish in the NCC race this fall. The media predicted a fourth-place showing for the Bulldogs while the coaches have UMD holding down the No. 5 spot. One year ago, incidentally the Bulldogs were picked to finish sixth (out of seven teams) by the coaches and media in their respective annual preseason polls. UMD went on to prove those two entities wrong -- and how -- by claiming a share of the 2005 NCC title.

Defending co-champion North Dakota was selected as the league favorites byt the media and coaches. This season’s media poll marks the 52nd time that the league scribes and broadcasters have made their prognostications. The media have correctly picked the NCC champion on 27 occasions, including 15 of the past 24 seasons. In all, the media have successfully chosen the NCC champion 27 times in the 51 years of the poll’s existence. The NCC coaches, meanwhile, have conducted their poll for the past 23 years and have predicted the eventual titleholder 12 times.

GETTING THE CALL: Some eight Bulldogs are expected to receive their first collegiate starts Thursday when UMD and the Beavers collide. That octet includes sophomore right guard Nate Baier, freshman right offensive tackle Dan Beck, senior wide receiver Troy Foss,junior left offensive tackle Russell Foster, a transfer from Southwestern College in Chula Vista, Calif., freshman wide receiver Dominque Johnson, senior left cornerback Boloy Lokombo, junior noseguard Scott Syverson and sophomore left defensive end Dustin Timmersman.

THAT'S AKER, AS IN RECORD BRE-AKER: Senior wide receiver Greg Aker, a Don Hansen’s Football Gazette 2006 Division II Preseason All-America Team, has caught at least one pass in 23 straight games heading into the 2006 season. Last fall, the Superior, Wis. native latched on to a career-high 67 receptions for 1,005 yards -- becoming only the third Bulldog to ever eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau -- and 15 touchdowns (which was just four of the school single-season record). He also topped the NCC in both scoring (12.0 points per game) and total touchdowns (12) en route to securing All-NCC second team honors. With 110 pass receptions to his career credit, Aker needs two more catches to unseat All-American Terry Egerdahl (1972-75) at the No. 3 position on the school's all-time charts. But Aker's athletic prowess hasn't been limited to just the gridiron at UMD. During each of the past three springs, he has been an all-conference (NSIC/NCC) first team honoree and holds a bevy of Bulldog records including runs (177), hits (236), walks (106) and games played (179) in a career.

COACHES CORNER: Over half of the UMD coaching staff are new additions this fall as Phil Longo (offensive coordinator), who spent the past four years as the head coach at NCAA I-AA La Salle University, Peter Lue (offensive line), an assistant under Longo those four seasons, and graduate assistants Vernard Abrams (wide receivers), Jason Hoskins (running backs) and Mike Lang (defensive backs) join holdovers Bubba Schweigert, John Steger (defensive coordinator) and Tony Biesiot (defensive line).

GETTING DEFENSIVE: Last fall free safety Tyler Yelk became the first freshman in 13 years to finish as UMD’s leading tackler. Yelk was credited with 88 tackles, including a team-high 56 solos -- and also ranked second on the club in pass breakups with eight. He also corralled 2005 All-NCC honorable mention acclaim after placing third overall and first among defensive backs in that circuit in total tackles (10.0 in league play). His 88 total stops were the seventh highest single-season total in club history while junior middle linebacker Nate Fears' 82 tackles were good for the No. 9 spot.

NO PASSING FANCY: Sophomore quarterback Ted Schlafke turned in a season for the ages one year ago, breaking almost every major Bulldog passing and total offense record along the way. An NCC Offensive Player of the Week honoree on three occasions, he established single-season marks for pass completions (305), pass attempts (490), passing yardage (3,335), total offense (3,591 yards) and total plays (625) and surpassed the team single-game records in those same five categories as well. Schlafke, who was named the D2football.com National Offensive Player of the Week twice last fall (Oct. 31 and Nov. 7), also topped the NCC in passing yardage (308.0 yards per game in league play) and per game pass completion percentange (an NCC-record 26.16). In addition, he threw at least one touchdown pass in all 12 Bulldogs outings in 2005. In his last appearance, a 23-12 NCAA II playoff setback at North Dakota on Nov. 12, Schlafke was involved in virtually all of UMD’s offensive plays as he matched an NCAA II playoff record with 64 pass attempts and rushed another 14 times.



INJURY UPDATE: Senior running back LaShawn Bullock (hamstring), the Bulldogs' fourth-leading ground gainer in 2005, and freshman reserve center Sam Whitney (ankle) will not accompany the team to Bemidji Thursday.

BULLDOG BITS: This year marks just the fifth time in the 74-year history of its football program that UMD is playing a game in August. One year ago, the Bulldogs took part in their earliest start ever -- an August 27 battle at Chadron State ... UMD led all NCAA II schools in kick return average last season with a 26.8 yards per return figure. Of the current Bulldogs, however, only senior LaShawn Bullock had more than one return (he had 13 which was second on the club to All-NCC second team selection Marcus Davis) ... The last time UMD and BSU squared off in a non-conference game was on Sept. 22, 1951 in Bemidji ... Both senior co-captains Kevin Krenz and Mark Knudsen have started all 23 games over the past two years -- the only two Bulldogs to do so. Krenz, who was also entrusted with captaincy responsibilities as a junior, is the Bulldogs' first repeat captain since Gus Novotney turned the trick in 1942 and 1946 ... Now with Thursday taken care of, Tuesday and Wednesday remain the only two days the Bulldogs have yet to play on ... Junior placekicker Britt Baumann has converted his last 30 extra point kicks after having one attempt blocked against MSU-Moorhead on Sept. 19, 2005 ... The Bulldogs were a perfect 8-0 last fall when they led after three quarters, 7-0 when they went into halftime on top, and 8-1 when they scored first ... Running back Marek Seta paced UMD in rushing last fall as true freshman with 340 yards on 84 carries. It was the first time a Bulldog failed to eclipse the 400-yard ground yardage barrier since 1967 when Gary Egerdahl carried the football 76 times for 381 yards.

TRAVEL PLANS: The Bulldogs will depart from UMD to Bemidji via a charter bus on Thursday at 1 p.m. and return home immediately after the game.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will return to Griggs Field at Malosky Stadium on Sept. 9 for a first-ever matchup with the University of Mary in UMD's 2006 home opener.

COACHES SHOW: The UMD Coach's Show, featuring \"Bubba\" Schweigert, airs each Wednesday/Thursday night during the entire 2006 season at 6 p.m. on KDAL-Radio (610 AM). Jayson Michaels and Ray Schow host the one-hour program, which can also be heard via the internet at: umdbulldogs.com.