University of Minnesota Duluth, sporting a No. 1 regular season national poll ranking for the first time in school history, will put its 28-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference winning streak on the line this Saturday (Nov. 6) when the Bulldogs take on the University of Minnesota Crookston. Opening kick off is set for 1 p.m. at Ed Widseth Field (2,000 capacity/natural grass) on the Minnesota Crookston campus
The Bulldogs are a 9-0 overall this fall and own an 8-0 NSIC mark, which puts them in for first place with Augustana College and St. Cloud State. The Golden Eagles are 1-8 in all games and winless in conference play (0-8).
Complete Release (pdf)
HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and Minnesota Crookston stack up in this week's American Football Coaches Association Division II and D2Football.com polls as well as the latest NCAA II Super Regional 3 rankings:
AFCA D2Football Regional 3
UMD 1st 1st 2nd
UMC NR NR NR
THE BROADCAST: Saturday's Bulldog-Golden Eagles clash will be carried locally on 1490 The Fan (KQDS-AM) with Jeff Papas handling the play-by-play responsibilities. The broadcast can also be heard on KQ 105.5 in Grand Rapids/Hibbing and KQ 106.7 in Ely/Virginia and is available on the internet at: www.fan1490.com
In addition, all UMD regular season games in 2010, including Saturday's affair in Crookston,will be videostreammed and can be accessed for free at: www.umnd.nmtvsports.com.
THE COACH: Long-known for his knack of putting college football programs back on the winning track, Bob Nielson has done just that -- and how -- in his two tours of duty with the Bulldogs. After returning to the UMD sidelines in 2008 following a four-season hiatus, he proceeded to oversee one of the most impressive one-season turnarounds in NCAA Division II history, taking a club which had gone 4-6 in 2007 and molding it into a national champion. He followed that up last fall by going 11-2 in all games and advancing to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA II playoffs. UMD also maintained its stranglehold on the NSIC title trophy by posting a second consecutive 10-0 mark against league competition.
Named the 2008 NCAA II Coach of the Year by American Football Monthly magazine, D2Football.com, and the Football Gazette, Nielson owns an impressive 73-21 overall record at UMD (for a .777 winning percentage -- far and away the best mark in the program's rich 78-year existence) and is 143-54-1 (.724) in 18 seasons of collegiate coaching.
Nielson, the 2008 and 2002 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). During his five previous years with the Bulldogs, Nielson helped marshal the UMD program to new heights. In 2002, for example, his Bulldogs posted their second unbeaten, untied regular season record at that time (11-0), advanced to the NCAA II playoffs for the first time ever and captured the NSIC championship. Nielson's resume also includes directing UMD to its inaugural post-season appearance (the 2001 Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo.) and the school's second greatest one-year turnaround to date (the Bulldogs went 7-4 in 2000 after managing a 3-8 mark the previous fall).
The runnerup for the 2002 American Football Monthly magazine NCAA II Coach of the Year award, Nielson, 51, 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 (its first since 1983) and an initial berth in the NCAA III playoffs. 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 notched 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 attained a pair of back-to-back NCAA III playoff berths (1993 and 1994) and two years at Ripon College (1989-90).
NIELSON BY THE NUMBERS
Record at UMD (Year) 73-21 (8th)
Overall Coaching Record (Year) 143-54-1 (18th)
Career NSIC Record 58-12 (.826)
vs. Minnesota Crookston 6-1
THE RIVALRY: The Bulldogs and Minnesota Crookston have met on just seven previous occasions. UMD holds a 6-1 lead in the all-time series, which began in Crookston on Sept. 28, 1999 -- the Golden Eagles' inaugural years as members of the NSIC. Two seasons later (Sept. 22, 2001), Minnesota Crookston posted its lone victory over the Bulldogs, a 17-13 decision at home, but have since fallen four straight times. That includes one year ago (Oct. 31) when UMD blanked the visiting Golden Eagles 44-0 and in 2008 when the Bulldogs scored on nine of their first 10 possessions en route to a 63-7 rout in Crookston.
LAST WEEK: The Bulldogs undertook perhaps their stiffest test of 2010 in then-No. 20 St. Cloud State University and passed with flying colors, using a 20-point outburst in the third quarter to pull away for a 40-17 home triumph Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs got touchdowns from five different players and a pair of field goals from junior placekicker David Nadeau in the win, their sixth straight over the Huskies. UMD clung to a slim 13-10 lead midway through the third quarter before touchdowns by junior wide receiver D.J. Winfield (a 28-yard pass from Vogler), senior running back Brad Foss (a four-yard run) and junior outside linebacker Rob Huberty (a six-yard fumble return, his second of the season) in a span of seven minutes iced the game. UMD, which ranked first among NSIC schools in total offense yards coming into the day (St. Cloud State was second), finished with the edge in that category (373-350), as well as in first downs (21-19), rushing yards (206-138) and possession time (35:09-24:51).
The Golden Eagles were downed 41-7 by NSIC rival Concordia University-St. Paul Saturday in Crookston. Sophomore running back Keith McBride was one of the bright spots offensively for Minnesota Crookston, as he racked up 99 rushing yards on a season-high 26 carries.
AND THE BEAT GOES ON: Last Saturday's 40-17 victory over St. Cloud State extended the Bulldogs' school-record NSIC winning streak to 28 games -- still six outings shy of the league mark set by the University of Minnesota-Morris between 1975-79. UMD hasn't lost to a NSIC opponent since falling 24-17 at Winona State University on Nov. 15, 2003 and its last league setback at home came on Oct. 7, 2000 (37-27 to Concordia-St. Paul), a run of 27 straight wins. And, speaking of streaks, the last time the Bulldogs dropped a game away from Malosky Stadium was on Oct. 20, 2007 when the University of Nebraska-Omaha prevailed 42-17 in a North Central Conference clash. The Bulldogs have reeled off a school-record 19 road wins since.
HE'S NO PASSING FANCY: Sophomore quarterback Chase Vogler, who is 19-1 as a starter during his Bulldog career, has compiled a 177.7 pass efficiency rating this season -- a figure surpassed by only one other NSIC signal caller (his Bulldog counterpart, sophomore Jon Lynch at 242.5). The Inver Grove Heights, Minn., native has been intercepted just once this season (vs. The University of Mary on Oct. 16) in 127 pass attempts while throwing for 12 touchdowns.
WIN BABY, WIN: UMD is a sizzling 37-2 over its past 38 games (a run which began with a 23-13 win at St. Cloud State in the 2007 season finale) with both of those losses coming at home to a pair of perennial NCAA II powers -- 13-10 to Central Washington University on Sept. 3, 2009 and 24-10 to Grand Valley State University a little less than three months later in the NCAA II playoff quarterfinals.
A CAREER FOR THE AGES CUT SHORT: Two-time All-American senior running back Isaac Odim underwent surgery on Oct. 16 after injuring his left knee in practice two days earlier and is expected to be out for the remainder of the 2010. Odim, who owns 17 UMD single-game, single-season and career records, is the Bulldogs' all-time rushing (4,245 yds.), scoring (492 points) and all-purpose yardage leader (5,593). He continues to top the nation in scoring (19.0 points per game), is third in all-purpose yards (177.2 ypg) and fifth in rushing (132.7 yards per game). The fourth-leading vote getter for the 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy, Odim has eclipsed the 100-yard barrier in 25 of his 34 games as a Bulldog, including 12 of 13 outings one year ago when he was chosen to a program-best five different All-American teams. The Rochester, Minn., native and 2009 CoSIDA Academic All-American also holds down the No. 4 spot on NSIC's career rushing charts with 3,273 yards in league play.
READY FOR THE STRETCH RUN: Brad Foss, who has started for Odim each of the past three Saturdays (and has averaged 132.3 yards on the ground during that time), has moved up to eighth place on the school's career rushing charts. In 41 lifetime outings as a Bulldog, the 2009 All-NSIC North Division second team selection has ran for 2,574 yards on 441 attempts (for a nifty 5.8 yards per rush average). No. 7 on the list -- and just one yard ahead -- is Boyd Hanson (1979-82), the father of UMD senior running back Brian Hanson. Odim has now eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark on 10 occasions at UMD, including four times in the past five games and each of the last three contests.
GETTING HIS KICKS: Junior David Nadeau needs just 11 more points to become UMD's all-time leading scorer for placekickers. The 2009 All-NSIC first team honoree has amassed 247 points during his two-plus years in a Bulldog uniform, which trails only Chad Gerlach (258 points between 2000-03) in that career category.
HOW THE NORTH WAS WON: A victory Saturday in Crookston would assure UMD of at least a share of its third consecutive NSIC North Division title and move the Bulldogs to within one win of claiming their third overall league crown in as many years (which would be a program first.
CATCH OF THE DAY: Junior wide receiver D.J Winfield, who has paced UMD in receptions in each of the last two seasons and leads the 2010 Bulldogs as well, has now caught at least one pass in each of his 38 games as a collegian (he played in one contest -- against Bemidji State University during his injury-shortened rookie season in 2007), including the last 37 in a row. Winfield has amassed 2,577 yards on 152 lifetime receptions -- the third and fourth best marks, respectively, in team history.
SCORE EARLY, SCORE OFTEN: The Bulldogs have outscored their 2010 opponents 414-102 and 107-16 in the first quarter alone. They possess the nation's highest scoring offense (46.00 ppg) at the moment as well as the third stingiest defense (11.3 ppg).
SOLID UP THE MIDDLE: UMD sports what is arguably the best senior inside linebacker tandem in NCAA II football in team captain Kiel Fechtelkotter and Robbie Aurich. Fechtelkotter, a 2009 All-NSIC North Division first team honoree, currently paces UMD in tackles with 59 and last Saturday became just the 15th Bulldog to ever reach the 200 career mark (he now has 209). Aurich, the reigning NSIC Defensive Player of the Year, has 271 total tackles to his career credit, good for the No. 4 spot on UMD's all-time defensive list and five behind the No. 3 occupant, strong safety Jim Johnson (2005-08), his one-time teammate. Another pair of safeties -- current Bulldogs assistant coach Tyler Yelk (323 tackles between 2005-08) and Kevin Westbrock(277 between 1998-2001) rank 1-2 on that chart.
KEEP THOSE TURNSTILES TURNING: UMD has drawn an average of 4,288 spectators for its five home games to date. That's over 800 more per outing than it drew a year ago when the Bulldogs set a team record in that department (3,434).
INJURY REPORT: Besides Isaac Odim, freshman linebacker Nate Zuk (knee) and freshman running back Chaz Thomas (knee), who are all sidelined for the rest of 2010, sophomore offensive tackle Jordan Marriott (ankle) and redshirted freshman defensive lineman Matt Wicklund (shoulder) are the only other Bulldogs listed as out for this Saturday.
BULLDOG BITS: Prior to this week, UMD had never been ranked higher than second during the regular season in the AFCA II poll. They now occupy the No. 1 spot in that poll after being slotted second in each of the previous eight weeks. The Bulldogs have been the top dog in the D2Football.com poll since Sept. 20 ... Senior wide out Noah Pauley needs just six catches to hit the century plateau -- something only nine other Bulldogs have done previously ... The Bulldogs have now gone 69 games in a row without being shut out. The last team to hold UMD off the scoreboard was visiting St. Cloud State, which pinned a 28-0 whitewash on the Bulldogs in the 2004 season finale (Nov. 6). In addition, UMD hasn't been blanked by a NSIC foe in its last 110 tries -- going back to a 7-0 setback at Southwest Minnesota State University on Oct. 28, 1989 ... UMD will enter Saturday's encounter with Minnesota Crookston armed with nation's best passing efficiency rating (185.46 and the fourth best rushing offense (293. 9 yards per game) ... After being limited to one catch during the entire 2009 season and registering no receptions in any of the first three games this fall, sophomore wide receiver Colin Stinogel has emerged as one of Bulldogs' prime pass targets. Stinogel, who is a two-year baseball letterman at UMD, has been on the receiving end of at least one throw in six straight outings, including last Saturday when he registered his second career touchdown in the Bulldogs' 40-17 win over St. Cloud State. He now has 12 catches on the year, which is second only to two-time All-NSIC North Division wide out D.J. Winfield among Bulldogs ... The Bulldogs are 75-1 in the last 76 games they have been ahead after three quarters going back to November 2001. On the flip side, since defeating the University of South Dakota 23-21 on the road on Sept. 22, 2002, UMD has lost 23 straight times when trailing at the half and is 0-25 when it's been behind going 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 best South Dakota 14-10) ... UMD has surrendered a first-quarter touchdown in only two of its last 16 games -- one to St. Cloud State last Saturday and two to Grand Valley State last November ... UMD is off to a 9-0 start for just the fifth time in its 78-year history, joining the 2008, 2002, 1981 and 1980 clubs. In three of those years -- 2008, 2002 (both under current head coach Bob Nielson) and 1980, the Bulldogs went on go unbeaten and untied in the regular season.
ON TAP: UMD will draw the curtain on the 2010 regular season with a Nov. 13 NSIC engagement at Minnesota State University-Mankato.
