With its perfect 2008 record in tow, the University of Minnesota Duluth will head to Allendale, Mich. this Saturday (Nov. 29) to take on Grand Valley State University in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. Opening kickoff is set for 12 p.m. (CST) at Lubbers Stadium (8,550) on the Grand Valley State campus.
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THE RECORDS: The Bulldogs are 12-0 this fall and captured the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title with a 10-0 mark. The Lakers own an 11-0 overall record and went 10-0 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play to lay to claim their fourth consecutive league championship.
HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and Grand Valley State stack up in the latest American Football Coaches Association Division II and d2football.com polls as well as the NCAA Division II Super Regional 3 Rankings:
AFCA d2football Regional 3
UMD 6th 7th 2nd
GVSU 1st 1st 1st
THE BROADCAST: TSaturday's NCAA II quarterfinal will be carried locally on 102.5 The Hog (KHQG-FM). That broadcast can also be heard via the internet at: umdbulldogs.com.
In addition, the Bulldog-Laker matchup will be videostreammed live and be available on: ncaa.com.
THE COACHES: After a four-year hiatus, Bob Nielson returned to the UMD sidelines this fall and has picked up right where he left off. Nielson, the 2008 NSIC Coach of the Year whose first tour of duty with the Bulldogs ran from 1999-2003, was officially appointed to his old post on Jan. 3, 2008. (He continues to also serve as UMD's athletic director, a position he's held since 2003-04). His overall record at UMD now stands at 50-19, which translates into a .725 winning percentage -- the best mark in school history. During his five previous years with the Bulldogs, Nielson helped marshal the UMD football program to unprecedented heights. In 2002, for example, his Bulldogs posted their second unbeaten, untied regular season record ever (11-0), advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time ever and captured the NSIC championship. Nielson, who also coached UMD to its inaugural post-season appearance (the 2001 Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo.) and the school's greatest one-year turnaround in team history (the Bulldogs went 7-4 in 2000 after managing a 3-8 mark the previous fall). The 2002 NSIC Coach of the Year and a runnerup for the American Football Monthly magazine NCAA II Coach of the Year award, Nielson joined the UMD staff in the spring of 1999 after he had guided the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to a share of the 1998 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title (their first since 1983) and an initial berth in NCAA III playoffs five months earlier. He amassed a record of 22-11 in three years with the Blugolds, including a 10-3 mark in his farewell season when Wisconsin-Eau Claire claimed a share of its first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title while setting a team standard for victories. Nielson, the Football Gazette's 1998 Division III Coach of the Year, also was employed for five years as the head football coach at his alma mater, Wartburg College, where he strung together five successive non-losing seasons and landed a pair of back-to-back NCAA III playoff berths (1993 and 1994) and two years at Ripon College (1989-90) in Wisconsin. He is 120-52-1 (.696) in 16 years of collegiate coaching activity but has never faced Grand Valley State.
Chuck Martin is in his fifth year as the head coach at Grand Valley State and has a 61-4 record, two NCAA II championships, four NCAA II playoff berths, and four GLIAC championships to show for it.
THE SERIES: UMD and Grand Valley State will meet for the first time ever Saturday. The only two GLIAC clubs the Bulldogs have ever faced are Michigan Tech University (16 times, the last coming in 1993) and Northern Michigan University (12 times, 1998).
LAST WEEK: The Bulldogs punched their ticket to the Super Regional Three finals by ousting Chadron State College 20-10 Saturday afternoon in Duluth for their first NCAA postseason win ever. Senior quarterback Ted Schlafke had a hand in all three touchdowns while sophomore running back Isaac Odim rushed 25 times for 192 yards -- both career highs -- for UMD, which limited the No. 12 Eagles to just 11 first downs and 178 total yards on the day. Schlafke ran for two touchdowns and passed for another (a 15-yard strike to sophomore wide out Noah Pauley five mintes into the third quarter). Ball control also played a key role in the victory as the Bulldogs held a sizeable 36:43-23:1716 advantage in time of possession.
Grand Valley State raced to a quick 14-0 first quarter lead and went on to crush GLIAC colleague Ashland University 40-7 in their NCAA II second round playoff engagement Saturday at Lubbers Stadium. Sophomore running back James Berezik established a Laker playoff record with 207 rushing yards and three TDs on 19 carries. Grand Valley State recorded eight quarterback sacks and held Ashland to a season-low 258 yards of total offense.
THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING: The Bulldogs' team captaincy responsibilities in 2008 rest in the hands of a quartet of seniors -- offensive guard Nate Baier, strong safety Jim Johnson, quarterback Ted Schlafke, and free safety Tyler Yelk.
PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE: The year marks the third time the Bulldogs have qualified for the NCAA II playoffs. On Nov. 23, 2002, UMD took a 11-0 record into Maryville, Mo., where it dropped a 45-41 first-round road decision to Northwest Missouri State University. The Bulldogs returned to the tournament three years ago (Nov. 12, 2005) and was ambushed 23-12 by then-North Central Conference colleague University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. Grand Valley State is participating in the NCAA II postseason play for the 13th time ever and the eighth year in a row.The Lakers have captured the NCAA II title four of the past six seasons (2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006).
PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE II: NCAA II playoff football is nothing new to seven current Bulldog seniors, who were called into action when UMD squared off with North Dakota in 2005. That group includes outside linebacker Jake Comnick, wide receiver Tony Doherty, defensive tackles Drew Fautsch (who was then a tight end) and Dustin Timmersman, strong safety Jim Johnson, quarterback Ted Schlafke, and free safety Tyler Yelk. Doherty, Johnson, Schlafke and Yelk all started that first-round playoff contest.
ONE FINAL FLING: Senior quarterback 2008 and Harlon Hill Trophy quarterfinalist Ted Schlafke has certainly saved some of his best football for last. The 2008 NSIC Offensive Player of the Year currently owns the third best passing efficiency mark (183.85) in the NCAA II and, despite staying in for the entire game only three times all season (at St. Cloud State University on Oct. 18 , vs. Winona State on Nov. 8 and Chadron State last Saturday), still ranks first among NSIC quarterbacks in pass completion percentage (66.8), is third in total offense (251.2 yards per game) and fourth in passing yards (215.9 ypg). A starter in all 44 games over the past four seasons, Schlafke has established UMD career records for pass completions (1,015 and counting), pass attempts (1,623), passing yardage (11,158), touchdown passes (100), total plays (2,135), and total offense (12,523 yards) while his .625 lifetime completion percentage is well above the current team mark (.548 by Darrell McKibbon between 1970-73). Schlafke, the first three-time team captain in the 76 years UMD has been playing football, also is the owner of Bulldog single-game and single-season records for pass completions, pass attempts, passing yards, total offense and total plays. Nationally, the four-time North Central Conference/NSIC All-Academic Team selection now ranks fourth on the NCAA II career total offense charts, is sixth all-time in passing yards and 12th in touchdown passes. Last fall, he became just the second quarterback ever to lead the Bulldogs in rushing (500 yards on 176 carries).
THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON: The Bulldogs laid claim to their 16th NSIC title this fall and, in the process, became the first team to ever win 10 league games in one season.
IT'S BEEN QUITE A RUN: Sophomore running back Isaac Odim, who became the fifth Bulldog ever to crack the 1,000-yard rushing mark this fall, has run for 21 touchdowns, which is just one score shy of the UMD single-season mark set by All-American and former National Football League running back Ted McKnight in 1976.His 22 overall touchdowns are two less than McKnight's school mark, which he established 32 years ago. Odim has rolled up 1,319 yards on just 165 attempts for an 8.0 yards per carry average -- the third best mark in nation. The Rochester Community College transfer has amassed 100 or more yards on the ground in each of the past five games and seven times overall in 2008. Odim occupies the No. 3 post on UMD's single-season rushing yardage chart, trailing only the late Corey Veech (1,377 yards in 1986) and McKnight (1,482 in 1976).
POINTS APLENTY: The Bulldogs are averaging a whopping 44.0 points per game thus far -- a figure surpassed by only two other NCAA II clubs. The 528 total points UMD has rolled up in 12 outings this fall are second most in team history, trailing only the 2002 Bulldogs (539 points), who were also under the direction of head coach Bob Nielson.
FOOLS RUSH IN: The Bulldogs rank second among all NCAA II schools in rushing defense, yielding only 54.2 yards a game (and 1.9 yards per rush). The most yards an opponent has accumulated on the ground this season is 130, which St. Cloud State University on Oct. 18.
SACK IT TO ME: Opposing running backs aren't the only ones who have found the going tough so far this season. UMD is also chalking up quarterback sacks at a near record-breaking pace. To date, the Bulldogs have been credited with 40 sacks which is just one short of the school record set in 1987 and matched in 2002. The 3.3 sacks per game average this fall has been bettered by only eight other NCAA II schools at the moment. And, talk about spreading the wealth. Thus far in 2008, some 17 different Bulldogs have been in on at least one sacks with defensive tackles Kevin Pexa and Drew Fautsch leading the way with a team-high 4.5 sacks followed by senior defensive tackle Dustin Timmersman (4.0)
THESE 'DOGS HAD THEIR DAY: UMD not only had half of their starting lineup land All-NSIC first team recognition 2008, but they also claimed three of the five major conference awards -- Offensive Player of the Year (Ted Schlafke), Offensive Newcomer of the Year (D.J. Winfield) and Coach of the Year. (Bob Nielson). Schlafke and Winfield were accompanied on the 24-member NSIC All-North Division first team by nine fellow Bulldogs -- senior offensive guard Nate Baier, senior offensive tackle Mitch Cady, senior outside linebacker Jake Comnick, senior defensive end Drew Fautsch, senior strong safety Jim Johnson, junior center Tobias Lemke, senior linebacker Ben Loth, sophomore running back Isaac Odim and senior free safety Tyler Yelk, an All-North Central Conference first team pick one year ago. UMD placed three more players on the All-North Division second team. That trio included sophomore inside linebacker Robbie Aurich, junior cornerback Cole Strilzuk and senior defensive end Dustin Timmersman. Sophomore running back Brad Foss, junior offensive tackle Sam Whitney and junior cornerback Brandon Wood all earned honorable mention acclaim.
HEADING HOME: UMD sophomore inside linebacker Robbie Aurich, UMD's leading tackler in 2008 with 68 total stops, hails from Spring Lake, Mich., about 15 miles northwest of Allendale.
SCORE EARLY, SCORE OFTEN: UMD, which has found the end zone in eight of its 12 opening possessions this season (and kicked a field goal in another), has outscored the opposition 346-37 in the first half.
CATCHING ON FAST: Freshman wide receiver D.J. Winfield, whose debut year with the Bulldogs lasted less than two quarters (he suffered a season-ending ankle sprain in the 2007 opener with Bemidji State University), has parlayed 13 of his team-leading 59 pass receptions into touchdowns this season. Those 13 scoring strikes rank third on the UMD single-season charts, trailing only Tim Battaglia (19 in 2002) and Greg Aker (15 in 2005). Winfield's one other TD this fall came on 48-yard run off a lateral in Game 1 at Concordia University-St. Paul. Winfield needs just 96 more pass reception yards to equal the Bulldog single season mark of 1,166 set by Steve Battaglia in 2002.
ONE FOR THE BOOKS: UMD's current No. 6 AFCA II ranking is the school's highest ever in a national poll.
A REAL ONE-TWO PUNCH: The 2008 Bulldogs sport what is arguably the most gifted safety tandem in the NSIC (and perhaps in the storied history of UMD football) in seniors Tyler Yelk and Jim Johnson. Yelk, a two-time all-conference first team selection, has paced the Bulldogs in tackles three straight seasons -- a UMD first -- and five weeks ago took over as the school's career leader for stops (he currently has 305 tackles). Johnson, who joined Yelk on the All-NSIC first team this fall, has never finished lower than third among Bulldogs in tackles.. In UMD's 40-10 victory at Concordia University-St. Paul earlier this season, Johnson became the 15th member of UMD's 200-tackle club (he now has 249 stops as Bulldog, which is good for the No. 5 spot on the team's career list.) Against St. Cloud State on Oct. 18, Johnson returned a fumble a school-record 99 yards for a touchdown in capping off UMD's 38-21 road win over the Huskies.
THE BEAT GOES ON: The Bulldogs are currently riding a 13-game winning streak, the second longest in program history. UMD reeled off a school-record 20 victories between Nov. 3, 1979-Oct. 24, 1981.
YOU CAN HAVE IT BOTH WAYS: The Bulldogs currently sport both the NSIC's top offense (473.4 yards per game) and defense (226.7 ypg). In addition, UMD has scored more points (44.0 ppg) and given up less (11.6 ppg) than any NSIC club to date. On the NCAA II front, the Bulldogs rank second overall in rushing defense (54.2 ypg), third in passing efficiency (178.95), total defense, scoring defense and scoring offense, sixth in rushing offense (248.2 ypg) and in total offense (473.4) and eighth in turnover margin (1.5).
LONELIER THAN THE MAYTAG REPAIRMAN: All of the ball-moving successes UMD has enjoyed in 2008 has meant an extreme lack of punting activity for freshman Alex Miller. Miller has been called on only 29 occasions in 12 games and his heaviest action came against Chadron State last Saturday when he punted five times (one of which was blocked -- the only time that's happened in his young career).
LEAD 'DOGS: The Bulldogs are 53-1 in the last 54 games they have been ahead after three quarters and 46-1 when they've led at halftime going back to November 2001. UMD has also gotten on the scoreboard first in 30 of its last 31 victories. On the flip side, since defeating the University of South Dakota 23-21 on the road on Sept. 22, 2002, UMD has lost 22 straight times when trailing at the half and is 0-24 when it's been behind heading into the final quarter (The Bulldogs last posted a win in that situation on Sept. 8, 2001 by rallying from a 10-7 deficit to shade South Dakota 14-10).
INJURY UPDATE: UMD has no new injuries to report.
BULLDOG BITES: In addition to becoming the team in school history to reach 12 overall wins, the 2008 Bulldogs have also matched school records for both home (six) and road (six) victories in one season ...With his next extra point kick and extra point attempt, true freshman David Nadeau will match the UMD single-season Bulldog records in those two department both set by Chad Gerlach in 2002 (when he was 60-of-67) ... UMD is one of just four remaining unbeaten NCAA II schools in the country -- Grand Valley State (11-0), Abilene Christian University (11-0) and Tuskegee University (10-0), which does not take part in the NCAA II playoffs, are the three others ... The last time UMD found itself trailing an opponent was 13 games ago (vs. North Dakota on Oct. 27, 2007) ... Senior wide receiver and Tony Doherty has caught 30 or more passes in each of his four seasons with the Bulldogs and currently has 140 catches to his collegiate credit, That places the two-sport standout (he was an all-conference outfielder in for the baseball Bulldogs) in the No. 3 slot on UMD's career pass receptions charts ..... Jon Lynch has relieved Ted Schlafke in nine of the Bulldogs' 12 contests to date and, in the process, has become just the second true freshman quarterback in 24 years to see varsity time for UMD (Ricky Fritz was the other in 1998) ... The Bulldogs have come away with 22 interceptions (by 11 different players) in 2008, including two -- one each by junior cornerback Cole Strilzuk and junior nose tackle Tyler Johnson -- which have been brought back for touchdowns ... Saturday will mark the Bulldogs' first football trip ever to Michigan's Lower Peninsula ... The Bulldogs need five total first downs and three rushing first downs to break the respective school single-season marks (283 in 2002 and 152 in 1980).
UP NEXT: Saturday's UMD-Grand Valley State winner will advance to the NCAA II semifinals where they will face the Super Regional One champion -- either Bloomsburg University or California University (Pa.) -- on Dec. 6. Those two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference rivals will also square off this Saturday afternoon in Bloomsburg, Pa. The sites for the two NCAA II semifinals will be determined Sunday.
