The last two NCAA Division II national champions -- the University of Minnesota Duluth and Northwest Missouri State University -- will square off in a rematch of the 2008 title game this Saturday (Dec. 11) when Bulldogs host the Bearcats in the NCAA II playoff semifinals. The opening kickoff is set for 5:06 p.m. at James S. Malosky Stadium (4,500 capacity/artificial turf) on the UMD campus.
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THE RECORDS: The Bulldogs (Super Regional 3) are 13-0 overall this fall and captured their third straight outright Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference crown with a 10-0 record. The reigning NCAA II champion Bearcats (Super Regional 4), who are riding a 12-game winning streak, sport a 12-1 mark in all outings and were 9-0 in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play (first place).
HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and Northwest Missouri 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 3/4 rankings:
AFCA D2Football Region 3/4
UMD 1st 1st 1st
NMSU 3rd 3rd 3rd
THE BROADCAST: The Bulldog-Bearcat 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 playoff semifinal will be televised live nationally on CBS College Sports HD with Jason Knapp and former National Football League defensive end Akbar Gbaja-Biamila will serve as the broadcast team. That telecast is available online at: www.ncaa.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 77-21 overall record at UMD (for a .786 winning percentage -- far and away the best mark in the program's rich 78-year existence) and is 147-54-1 (.730) in 18 seasons of collegiate coaching.
Nielson, the 2010, 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) 77-21 (8th)
Overall Coaching Record (Year) 147-54-1 (18th)
Career NSIC Record 60-12 (.833)
Career NCAA II/III Playoff Record: 10-5
NCAA II Playoff Record at UMD: 7-2
vs. Northwest Missouri State 1-1
THE RIVALRY: Saturday's game will mark only the third meeting ever between UMD and Northwest Missouri. State. The two clubs last dueled on Dec. 13, 2008 in Florence, Ala., where the Bulldogs prevailed 21-14 en route to securing the school's first NCAA II title in any sport. Six years earlier, Northwest State slugged out a 45-41 victory over the visiting Bulldogs in the opening round of the 2002 NCAA II playoffs. UMD, which was making its first NCAA postseason football appearance ever, came into the day carrying a perfect 11-0 overall record.
LAST WEEK: UMD kept its national title hopes alive by derailing NSIC rival Augustana College 24-13 Saturday afternoon at Malosky Stadium. Senior running back Brian Hanson came off the bench to rush 25 times for a game-high 124 yards and one touchdown in propelling the Bulldogs to the quarterfinal round triumph. UMD, which also got touchdowns from senior running back Brad Foss (a one-yard run) and senior outside linebacker Robbie Aurich (a 23-yard fumble recovery), held a substantial advantage in virtually every statistical category including total yards (308-180), rushing yards (247-50), first downs (19-11), time of possession (39:16 to 20:44) and quarterback sacks (4-1).
Senior quarterback Blake Bolles threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as Northwest Missouri State rolled past visiting Central Missouri State University 30-27. Bolles completed 20 of 32 passes for 226 yards on the afternoon while tailback Jordan Smith ran for 73 yards on 17 carries and also paced both teams with nine receptions.
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 a 7-3 record in their 10 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).
BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE: UMD has been at home in December only once previously in its 78-year history and that was for last week's quarterfinal clash with Augustana College.
THREE-PEAT IS QUITE THE FEAT: When the Bulldogs captured the 2010 NSIC championship three 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 23-1 as a starter during his UMD career, has compiled a 174.56 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) in 176 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 three points higher 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 University).
WIN BABY, WIN: UMD is a scorching 40-2 over its past 42 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 (which was televised by CBS College Sports) and 24-10 to Grand Valley State a little less than three months later in the NCAA II playoff quarterfinals.
SOLID UP 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 82 and now has 232 stops as a collegian to rank ninth all-time among Bulldogs. Aurich, who preceded Fechtelkotter as the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year last fall, has 293 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.
SPEAKING OF AURICH AND FECHTELKOTTER: Of the 54 players who will suit up for the Bulldogs this Saturday, only two -- Robbie Aurich and Kiel Fechtelkotter -- were in the starting lineup when UMD took on Northwest Missouri State in the 2008 NCAA II title bout.
AND THE BEAT GOES ON: The regular season finale victory over Minnesota State-Mankato three 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. 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 engagement. The Bulldogs have reeled off a school-record 21 road triumphs since.
READY FOR THE STRETCH RUN: Senior running back Brad Foss, who has started for the injured Isaac Odim each of the past seven 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 2,882 yards (75 yards behind the No. 3 occupant, All-American Ted McKnight) on an even 500 attempts. That works out to be a nifty 5.8 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 last week went over 1,000 yards on the ground for the season -- something only five other Bulldogs have achieved in program history.
HAVEN'T WE SEEN YOU BEFORE?: The last UMD opponent to return an interception for a touchdown was current Northwest Missouri State senior Aldwin Foster-Rettig, who hijacked an errant Ted Schlafke pass and raced 44 yards into the endzone for the Bearcats' first touchdown in their 21-14 loss to the Bulldogs at the 2008 NCAA II final.
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 287 points as a Bulldog and also owns club marks for both extra point kicks (203) and attempts (218). He's also equaled a pair of UMD records for field goals made in one year (12) and in a career (28) while establishing a single-season record for points (106). Heading into this weekend, only two other NCAA II placekickers (Tusculum College's Gareth Rowlands and Abilene Christian University's Morgan Lineberry with 111 points each) have generated more scoring.
KEEP THOSE TURNSTILES TURNING: UMD has drawn an average of 3,897 spectators for its seven home games to date. That's over 400 more per outing than it drew a year ago when the Bulldogs set a team record for attendance (3,434). During its five-game regular season schedule, UMD averaged 4,415 per appearance at the 4,500-seat Malosky Stadium.
SCORE EARLY, SCORE OFTEN: The Bulldogs have outscored their 2010 opponents 558-160 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 third highest scoring offense (42.8 ppg) and stingiest defense (12.3 ppg).
BEND BUT DON'T BREAK: UMD opponents have scored touchdowns on only 12 of the 27 times they have entered the red zone this season. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, are 44-of-60 in that department (73.3 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). UMD has given up 20 or more yards on only 26 plays all season (seven rush and 19 pass).
INJURY REPORT: Besides Isaac Odim, freshman linebacker Nate Zuk (knee) and freshman running back Chaz Thomas (knee), who all sustained season-ending injuries at some point this fall, senior wide out Noah Pauley (clavicle), sophomore offensive tackle Jordan Marriott (ankle) is the only other Bulldog listed as out for this Saturday. Pauley made one catch in last Saturday's 24-13 triumph over Augustana College giving him 100 receptions for his career -- a milestone only nine other Bulldogs had ever reached.
BULLDOG BITS: Both junior wide receiver D. J. Winfield and senior tight end Ryan Hayes did not dress for last Saturday's game because of team rules violations and are out indefinitely. 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 accumulated 2,795 yards on 164 lifetime receptions -- the third and fourth best marks, respectively, in team history ... UMD's victory over Augustana was its seventh of the season at home. That's one more win than the previous team record held by the 2009, 2008 and 2002 clubs) ... 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) ...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 (54) than anyone in UMD history ... The Bulldogs have now gone 73 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 armed with nation's best passing efficiency rating (175.67) and the fourth best rushing offense (282.4 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 eight of the last 10 outings and now has 15 catches on the year ... The Bulldogs are 79-1 in the last 80 games they have been ahead after three quarters going back to November 2001. On the flip side, UMD has lost 25 straight times when trailing at the start of the final quarter, since rallying from a 10-7 deficit to best the University of South Dakota 14-10 on Set. 8, 2001 ...The 25 rushing attempts Brian Hanson finished with last Saturday were a 2010 Bulldog high ... UMD has surrendered a first-quarter touchdown in only five of its last 20 games (including one to both Augustana and St. Cloud State in the NCAA II playoffs) ... Bulldog opponents have combined to go just 3-for-25 (12 percent) on the third down conversions during the 2010 post season.
TO THE VICTORS: Saturday's UMD-Northwest Missouri State winner will advance to the NCAA II championship on Dec. 18 in Florence, Ala., where they will face either No. 19 Shepherd University (12-1) or Delta State University (10-3). Those two teamswill also meet Saturday in the other NCAA II semifinal at 1 p.m. (CT) in Cleveland, Miss.
