The University of Minnesota Duluth will look to put the finishing touches on a perfect 2010 season this Saturday (Dec. 18) when the Bulldogs invade Florence, Ala. to take on Delta State University for the NCAA Division II championship. Opening kickoff is set for 10:05 a.m. (CST) at Braly Municipal Stadium (14,215 capacity/artificial turf).

Complete Release (pdf)

THE RECORDS: The Bulldogs (Super Regional 3) are 14-0 overall this fall and captured their third straight outright Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference crown with a 10-0 record. The Statesmen (Super Regional 2), who are riding a five-game winning streak, sport an 11-3 mark in all outings and were 6-2 in Gulf Shore South Conference play (first place tie with Henderson State University and Valdosta State University).

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and Delta State stacked up in the final regular season American Football Coaches Association Division II and D2Football.com polls as well as the latest NCAA II Super Regional 3/2 rankings:

AFCA D2Football Region 3/2
UMD 1st 1st 1st
DSU RV 18th 2nd

THE BROADCAST: The Bulldog-Statesmen 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 FM in Grand Rapids/Hibbing and KQ 106.7 FM in Ely/Virginia and on the internet at: www.fan1490.com

In addition, Saturday's national championship will be televised live nationally on ESPN2 with Rob Stone and former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker David Pollack serving as the broadcast team. That telecast is available online at: www.ESPN360.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 dramatic one-season turnarounds in NCAA II history, taking a club which had finished 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 78-21 overall record at UMD (for a .788 winning percentage -- far and away the best mark in the program's rich 78-year existence) and is 148-54-1 (.731) in 18 seasons of collegiate coaching.

Nielson, the 2010, 2008 and 2002 NSIC Coach of the Year whose first stint 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 point (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) 78-21 (8th)
Overall Coaching Record (Year) 148-54-1 (18th)
Career NSIC Record 60-12 (.833)
Career NCAA II/III Playoff Record: 11-5
NCAA II Playoff Record at UMD: 8-2
vs. Delta State 0-0

THE RIVALRY: UMD and Delta State will meet for the first time Saturday morning and it will also mark the Bulldogs' initial confrontation ever with a school from the Gulf South Conference.


LAST WEEK: UMD, hosting a NCAA II semifinal game for the first time ever, punched its ticket to Florence by rallying for a 17-13 victory over defending NCAA II champion Northwest Missouri State on a bitterly cold and blustery Saturday night at James S. Malosky Stadium. The Bulldogs rushed 56 times for 226 yards and got a pair of second-half touchdowns from senior running back Brian Hanson and sophomore quarterback Chase Vogler while holding the defending NCAA II champion Bearcats to their second lowest scoring output of the season. Vogler paced all ground gainers with 101 yards on 18 carries, the most pivotal of which came with 4:12 remaining in the fourth quarter when he scrambled 34 yards for the go-ahead touchdown on a fourth-and-three situation. That capped off a 13-play, 80-yard drive which consumed nearly half a quarter (7:21) and gave UMD its only lead of the game. No. 3 Northwest Missouri State sandwiched a pair of Jordan Simmons' touchdowns (a 14-yard pass from Blake Bolles and a one-yard run) around a 27-yard field goal from UMD junior placekicker David Nadeau to take a 13-3 advantage late into the third quarter before Hanson's four-yard scoring jaunt ignited the Bulldog comeback. Despite the adverse weather conditions, Bolles still managed to go 19-for-29 in the air for 141 yards but was intercepted three times -- twice by junior strong safety Cody Eich and once by sophomore free safety Cameron Harper on the Bearcats' second-to-the-last series of the night. UMD limited Northwest Missouri State to just 108 yards rushing with senior inside linebacker Kiel Fechtelkotter (nine total tackles), Harper (eight) and senior right cornerback Forest Clements (eight) leading the charge.

Delta State downed visiting Shepherd University 29-17 Saturday as Micha Davis threw for three touchdowns (hooking up with L.J. Castile on a pair of those scoring strikes) and running back Trevar Deed ran 20 times for 104 yards on the ground.

PLAYOFF PASTS: This is the fifth year -- all since 2002 -- that the Bulldogs have been invited to the NCAA II dance and they've compiled an 8-3 record in their 11 lifetime playoff engagements. On Nov. 23, 2002 coach Bob Nielson and the Bulldogs took an 11-0 record into Maryville, Mo., where they dropped a 45-41 first-round decision to Northwest Missouri State. UMD, under the direction of head coach Kyle "Bubba" Schweigert, returned to the tournament three years later (Nov. 12, 2005) and was ambushed by then North Central Conference rival North Dakota 23-12 in Grand Forks, N.D. In 2008, the Bulldogs turned in consecutive wins over then No. 12 Chadron State College (20-10 on Nov. 22 in Duluth), No. 1 Grand Valley State University (19-13 in double overtime on Nov. 29 in Allendale, Mich.), No. 7 California University-Pennsylvania (45-7 on Dec. 6 in California, Pa.) and No. 3 Northwest Missouri State (21-14 on Dec. 13 in Florence, Ala.) on the way to laying claim to their first national title. Last fall, the host Bulldogs blasted the University of Nebraska-Kearney 42-7 in the second round on Nov. 21 before being ousted one week later at home by Grand Valley State University (24-10).
UMD'S NCAA II PLAYOFF BREAKDOWN:
All-Time Record: 8-3
Home: 5-1
Road: 2-2
Neutral: 1-0
Championship Game: 1-0

THREE-PEAT IS QUITE THE FEAT: When the Bulldogs captured the 2010 NSIC championship five weeks ago, it marked the first time UMD had ever won three straight conference crowns of any kind in its 78-year history. The 2010 crown is the Bulldogs' 16th in NSIC competition (no school has more) and their 20th league championship overall (three in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and one in the now-defunct North Central Conference).

THESE 'DOGS HAD THEIR DAY: UMD had over half of its starting lineup land All-NSIC first team recognition this season in addition to claiming all three of major league awards -- Offensive Player of the Year (senior running back Isaac Odim), Defensive Player of Year (senior inside linebacker Kiel Fechtelkotter) and Coach of the Year (Bob Nielson). Odim and Fechtelkotter were accompanied on the 24-player All-NSIC North Division first team by 12 Bulldog teammates -- senior inside linebacker Robbie Aurich, junior strong safety Cody Eich, junior offensive tackle Cory Flesch, sophomore free safety Cameron Harper, sophomore offensive guard Garth Heikkinen, junior offensive guard Francis Herzog, junior outside linebacker Rob Huberty, freshman center Eli Kelley, senior nose tackle Jim Kunz, junior placekicker David Nadeau, sophomore quarterback Chase Vogler,and junior wide receiver/return specialist D.J. Winfield. Winfield is a three-time first team pick, Aurich (the 2009 NSIC Defensive Player of the Year) and Nadeau are repeat first team selections and Eich made the 2009 second team. UMD placed four more players on the NSIC All-North Division second team -- sophomore defensive tackle Joe Akey, senior cornerback back Forest Clements, senior running back Brad Foss (for a second straight year) and senior tight end Ryan Hayes.

BUT THERE'S MORE: In addition, Isaac Odim was also named the Daktronics Super Region 3 Player of the Year and was one of four Bulldogs to earn All-Super Region 3 recognition of some kind. He joined D.J. Winfield (who made it as a return specialist) and inside linebacker Kiel Fechtelkotter on the first team while offensive guard Garth Heikkinen was a second team selection. Odim was a member of the 2009 Daktronics All-Super Region 3 first team as well after earning second team status the previous fall

RUNNING THE TABLE: This is fourth time UMD has gone an entire regular season unbeaten and untied. It also did so in 2008 (11-0) and 2002 (11-0) under Bob Nielson and 1980 (10-0) under the legendary Jim Malosky.

HE'S NO PASSING FANCY: True sophomore Chase Vogler, who is 24-1 as a starter during his UMD career, has compiled a 168.59 pass efficiency rating this season -- a figure surpassed by only one other NSIC signal caller (his UMD counterpart, sophomore Jon Lynch at 219.9). The Inver Grove Heights, Minn., native has been intercepted just three times all season (once each against Augustana College and St. Cloud State in the NCAA II playoffs and the University of Mary on Oct. 16 -- all at home) in 186 pass attempts while tossing 16 touchdowns. Vogler has not thrown enough passes to make the NCAA II rankings (at least 15 attempts per game are needed to qualify), but his pass efficiency rating is just three points less than the current national leader (Hillsdale College's Troy Weatherhead).

AND HE CAN ALSO RUN WITH THE BIG 'DOGS: In UMD's 20-17 win over St. Cloud State two weeks ago, Vogler ran for a career-high 109 yards (on 18 carries) in becoming the first UMD quarterback to eclipse the 100-yard ground barrier since Nov. 10, 2007 (Ted Schlafke, 145 yards at St. Cloud State). He duplicated that feat last Saturday with a 104-yard effort at the expense of Northwest Missouri State. Vogler has now racked up 822 yards on the ground -- the most ever in a season by a UMD quarterback and 78 yards more than the previous recordholder in that statistical category (Cash Langeness in 2004). His rushing harvest includes a team-leading 277 yards on 49 attempts during UMD's four-game playoff run.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: Of the 54 players who will suit up for the Bulldogs this Saturday, only four -- linebackers Robbie Aurich and Kiel Fechtelkotter, punter Alex Miller and placekicker David Nadeau -- were in the starting lineup when UMD defeated Northwest Missouri State in the 2008 NCAA II title bout. Nine other active Bulldogs saw playing time that afternoon, including Justin Claiborne, Forest Clements, Cody Eich, Brad Foss, Rob Huberty, Brad Just, Jim Kunz, Josh Quilling and Derrick Zappa.

WIN BABY, WIN: UMD is a staggering 41-2 over its past 43 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 a little less than three months later in the NCAA II playoff quarterfinals.

MOUNTAINS IN THE MIDDLE: UMD possesses what is arguably the best senior inside linebacker tandem in NCAA II football in team captain Kiel Fechtelkotter and fellow third-year starter Robbie Aurich. Fechtelkotter, a member of the All-NSIC North Division first team in both 2010 and 2009, currently paces UMD in tackles with a career-high 91 and now has 241 stops as a collegian to rank seventh all-time among Bulldogs. Aurich, who preceded Fechtelkotter as the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year last fall, has an even 300 total tackles to his career credit, good for the No. 2 spot on UMD's all-time defensive list. His one-time teammate and current Bulldog assistant coach Tyler Yelk (323 tackles between 2005-08) is the school's career leader.

HARDLY THE COMEBACK KIDS: Last Saturday marked the first time in over nine years that the Bulldogs posted a win after trailing through three quarters. UMD had lost 25 straight times in that situation since rallying from a 10-7 deficit to best the University of South Dakota 14-10 on Sept. 8, 2001.

AND THE BEAT GOES ON: The regular season finale victory over Minnesota State-Mankato five weeks ago extended the Bulldogs' school-record NSIC winning streak to 30 games -- just four outings shy of the league mark set by the University of Minnesota-Morris between 1975-79. UMD hasn't lost to a NSIC foe 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 University-St. Paul), a run of 27 consecutive wins.

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 engagement. The Bulldogs have reeled off a school-record 21 road triumphs since.

A SENIOR MOMENT: Some 13 Bulldog seniors and one junior will call it a career this Saturday at the NCAA II championship. That group includes the likes of wide receivers Harrison Andrews, Josh Quilling, and D'Andre Sherill, running backs Brian Hanson and Brad Foss, nose tackles Jim Kunz and Tim Rahkola, linebackers Robbie Aurich and Kiel Fechtelkotter, long snapper/tight end Nick Trout, offensive guard Cole Boden, cornerback Forest Clements and defensive end Matt Haas. In addition junior punter Alex Miller is scheduled to graduate this December while two injured Bulldog seniors -- runningback Isaac Odim and wide out Noah Pauley -- are expected to accompany the team to Florence.

READY FOR THE STRETCH RUN: Senior running back Brad Foss, who has started for the injured Isaac Odim in each of the past eight games, has moved up to fourth place on the school's career rushing charts. In 45 lifetime outings as a Bulldog, the two-time All-NSIC North Division second team selection has ran for 2,939 yards (only 18 yards behind the No. 3 occupant, All-American Ted McKnight) on an 517 attempts. That works out to be a nifty 5.7 yards per run average -- the third highest figure in team history behind only Odim (7.2 ypr) and McKnight's (5.9 ypr). Foss has now eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark on 10 occasions at UMD, including four times this fall, and two weeks ago went over 1,000 yards on the ground for the season -- something only five other Bulldogs have achieved in program history.

PUTTING HIS BEST FOOT FORWARD: Although he still has a full season and then some to go before he hangs up his collegiate spikes, David Nadeau already holds the title as UMD's all-time scoring king for placekickers. Nadeau, a two-time All-NSIC North Division first teammer, now has 292 points as a Bulldog and also owns club career marks for extra point kicks (205) and attempts (220) and field goals (29). This fall he has set single-season record for points by a placekicker (111) and field goals (he's 13-of-15 in that department for an 86.7 percent accuracy rate -- the best figure of this career).Nadeau currently shares the NCAA II lead for placekicker scoring with Tusculum College's Gareth Rowlands and Abilene Christian University's Morgan Lineberry.

SCORE EARLY, SCORE OFTEN: The Bulldogs have outscored their 2010 opponents 575-173 and 142-43 in the first quarter alone.

A CAREER FOR THE AGES CUT SHORT: Two-time All-American and two-time NSIC Offensive Player of the Year 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). The fourth-leading vote getter for the 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy, Odim has topped the 100-yard barrier in 25 of his 34 games at UMD, 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 two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American also holds down the No. 4 spot on NSIC's career rushing charts with 3,273 yards in league play. Earlier this fall, he became the first Bulldog to ever be named a recipient of the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award (which comes with an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship) and was later chosen the ESPN Academic All-America Football Player of the Year (another program first).

A ONE-TWO PUNCH: UMD, which has surpassed the 500-point mark for just the third season ever (2008 and 2002 were the others), sports the nation's fourth highest scoring offense (41.1 ppg) and stingiest defense (12.4 ppg).

JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED: Running back Brian Hanson has definitely saved his best football for last this fall. The senior from Proctor, Minn., who had been relegated to mostly spot duty during his first three seasons at UMD, is fourth among 2010 Bulldogs in rushing with a career-best 529 yards -- nearly half of which (228 yards) has been generated during the postseason. Hanson, who has carried the ball more (53 times) than any Bulldog during the 2010 playoffs, enjoyed his most productive day as a collegian two weeks ago when he torched Augustana College with 124 rushing yards in UMD's 24-13 quarterfinal-round victory.

BEND BUT DON'T BREAK: UMD opponents have scored touchdowns on just 14 of the 29 times they have entered the red zone this season. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, are 45-of-62 in that department (72.5 percent) and have failed to come away with any points on only seven occasions (two of those were because the half had expired and three others were due to fumbles). On top ot this, UMD has given up 20 or more yards on only 27 plays all season (seven rush and 20 pass).

HE'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR YOUR MISTAKES: Since assuming a starting outside linebacker role last fall, junior Rob Huberty has recovered seven fumbles and brought three of those (all this year) back for touchdowns -- a program first. UMD as a team has scored nine defensive touchdowns in 2010 (five fumble recoveries and four interceptions)

INJURY REPORT: Besides Isaac Odim (knee), redshirted freshman linebacker Nate Zuk (knee) and redshirted freshman running back Chaz Thomas (knee), who all sustained season-ending injuries at some point this fall, senior wide out Noah Pauley (clavicle) and sophomore offensive tackle Jordan Marriott (ankle) are the only other Bulldogs listed as out for this Saturday. Pauley made one catch in his final UMD appearance -- the 24-13 triumph over Augustana College on Dec. 4 -- giving him 100 receptions for his career -- a milestone only nine other Bulldogs had ever reached.

BULLDOG BITS: A victory over Delta State Saturday would put UMD in some unique company on two fronts. The Bulldogs would become only the eighth school everto claim more than one NCAA II championship and the only NCAA II club to go 15-0 in season twice (only two other teams besides UMD -- Grand Valley State in 2006 and Northwest Missouri State in 1998 -- have finished a year with that mark) ... Saturday's game will be Bob Nielson's 100th as a Bulldog head coach ... Both junior wide receiver D. J. Winfield and senior tight end Ryan Hayes did not dress for the past two Saturdays because of team rules violations and are suspended for the NCAA II title tilt as well this weekend.. Winfield, who has paced UMD in receptions in each of the last two seasons and tops the 2010 Bulldogs as well, has caught at least one pass in each of his 41 games as a collegian (he played in one contest -- against Bemidji State University during his injury-shortened rookie season in 2007) including a program-best 40 straight prior to last Saturday. Winfield has amassed 2,795 yards on 164 lifetime receptions -- the third and fourth best marks, respectively, in team history ... UMD's victory over Northwest Missouri State was its school-record eight of the season ... UMD has picked off 18 passes thus far in 2010, just three interceptions shy of the club mark set in 2004. Sophomore free safety Cameron Harper , a first-year starter, leads the theft parade with five ...The Bulldogs have occupied the No. 1 position in the AFCA Division II poll since Nov. 8 as well as the D2Football.com poll since Sept. 20. Prior to this year, UMD had never been ranked higher than second during the regular season in either of those two national polls ... Senior inside linebacker Robbie Aurich has played in more games (55) than anyone in UMD history ... The Bulldogs have now gone 74 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 112 tries -- going back to a 7-0 setback at Southwest Minnesota State University on Oct. 28, 1989 .. UMD will come into this weekend's title clash armed with nation's best passing efficiency rating (169.38) and the fourth best rushing offense (278.4 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 Collin Stinogel has blossomed into one of the Bulldogs' prime pass targets. Stinogel, a two-year baseball letterman at UMD, has been on the receiving end of at least one throw in nine of the last 11 outings and now has 17 catches on the year. That puts him tied with senior wide out Josh Quilling for the most receptions of any active Bulldog .. The Bulldogs are 79-1 in the last 80 games they have been ahead after three quarters going back to November 2001. ... UMD has surrendered a first-quarter touchdown in only six of its last 21 games (including one each to Northwest Missouri State Augustana and St. Cloud State in the NCAA II playoffs) ... Bulldog opponents have combined to go just 3-for-36 (16.7 percent) on the third-down conversions during the 2010 post season ... UMD's total rushing yards (3,897) and first downs by rushing (194) are both club single-season records.

TRAVEL PLANS: The Bulldogs will depart the Duluth Airport for Muscle Shoals, Ala. via a charter plane at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and will return home early Saturday evening.