It all starts now!

The University of Minnesota Duluth will launch its 82nd season of intercollegiate football this Saturday (Sept. 6) by hosting Nothern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rival Concordia University-St. Paul. Game time is set for 6:05 p.m. at James S. Malosky Stadium (4,500 capacity/artificial turf) on the UMD campus.

(complete release-pdf)

THE RECORDS:The Bulldogs closed out 2013 with an 11-2 mark in all games and tied for second place (with St. Cloud Sate University) in the NSIC at 10-1. Concordia-St. Paul went 5-6 overall and in NSIC play (eighth place) one year ago.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how the Bulldogs and Golden Bears stacked up in the preseason American Football Coaches Association Division II and the D2Football.com polls.

             AFCA    D2Football    
UMD        No. 3    No. 4
CSP        NR    NR
        
THE BROADCAST: For the seventh year in a row, My9 (KBJR DT 6.2/KRII DT 11.9) will be televising all UMD home games, including Saturday's season opener. Northland Newscenter sports director Zach Schneider and former long-time UMD defensive coordinator Vince Repesh will serve as the on-air talent. The telecast, which is also available locally on Charter and Mediacom cable, will be videostreammed as well and can be accessed for free at: portal.stretchinternet.com/umd/

The UMD-Golden Bear clash will be carried live 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, KQ 106.7 FM in Ely/Virginia, along with new affiliates in Hayward (Red Zone Sports Radio 910 AM) and Pine City (Red Zone Sports Radio 1350 AM) as part of the Bulldog Sports Radio Network and at: www.fan1490.com.

THE COACH: Curt Wiese, who was promoted to the UMD head coaching position on Dec. 21, 2012 after spending the previous five years as its offensive coordinator, guided the 2013 Bulldogs to an 11-2 overall record, a sixth straight berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs, a sixth NSIC North Division title in as many years and a No. 8 national ranking in the final AFCA Division II poll.  Wiese's troops also shined in the classroom last fall as 14 Bulldogs earned NSIC All-Academic Team status, including offensive lineman Andrew Pattock, who was named a first team CoSIDA Academic All-American.

For his exemplary efforts, Wiese was selected the 2013 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winner for Division II, a prestigious honor recognizing coaches for their responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship and excellence, on and off the field.

During Wiese's successful five-season run as the team's offensive coordinator, the Bulldogs finished near the top of the NCAA II leader board four times in scoring (third in 2012 with a school-record 46.5 points per game average, fifth in 2008, sixth in 2010 and ninth in 2009) and in 2012 possessed the nation's seventh best rushing attack (after ranking seventh, fourth, and third, respectively, in that department the previous three seasons). The 2012 Bulldogs were also the nation's leader in third down conversions (54.8 percent). In addition, no less than 15 of his pupils landed some kind of All-American recognition, including a pair of Harlon Hill Award finalists -- quarterback Ted Schlafke (2008), the school's career passing and total offense leader, and running back Isaac Odim (2009), UMD's  No. 1 all-time ground gainer and scorer and the holder of 17 school records. In addition, his starting offensive guard from 2009-12, Garth Heikkinen, became the school's first recipient of the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year of Award and earned a playing spot in the annual East-West Shrine Game in January 2013.

Since Wiese's arrival at UMD in February 2008, the Bulldogs have gone 73-9 (for a .891 winning percentage while capturing two NCAA II national championships (2008 and 2010) along with five overall NSIC titles while producing two perfect 15-0 seasons.

Wiese, 38, came to UMD following two years of employment as the head coach at NCAA Division III member Marietta College (Ohio). He compiled a 9-11 career overall record with the Pioneers, including a 6-4 mark in 2006. The Stoughton, Wis., native signed on with the Marietta football program in 2003 when he became the team's offensive coordinator -- a duty he continued to maintain after he was elevated to head coach. In five years of directing the Marietta offense, Wiese helped churn out two All-Americans and 12 All-Ohio Athletic Conference selections and was a finalist for the American Football Coaches Association Division III Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 2004.

Prior to his move to Marietta, Wiese worked as a graduate assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, tutoring the tight ends for two years and the offensive line for one season. He entered the coaching arena a little over a dozen years ago on the heels of a four-year collegiate playing career. After three seasons at Minnesota State University-Mankato (1995-97), Wiese transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where as a senior in 1998, he quarterbacked the Pointers to a share of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title.

    WIESE BY THE NUMBERS
Record at UMD (Year)    11-2 (2nd)
Overall Coaching Record (Year)    20-13 (4th)
Career NSIC Record    10-1
Career UMD Home Record    5-1
Career UMD Road Record    6-1
vs. Concordia-St. Paul     0-0

THE RIVALRY: Saturday night's game will mark the 11th meeting ever between UMD and Concordia-St. Paul. The Bulldogs hold a 7-3 lead in the all-time series, which began in St. Paul on  Oct. 9, 1999 -- Concordia-St. Paul's first year of membership in the NSIC. UMD has won seven of the past eight matchups with the  Golden Bears, including  the last four in a row.The two clubs last collided on Sept. 15, 2012 in St. Paul, Minn., where UMD found the end zone on each of its first 10 offensive series, scored the game's final 42 points and yielded just 30 total yards in the second half en route to a 70-24 win over the Golden Bears.

THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING: The Bulldogs' team captaincy responsibilities this fall are being shared by a trio of seniors -- defensive end Jacob Brusehaver, linebacker/long snapper Yusef Hassan, and wide out/return specialist Aaron Roth. Roth handled that same role last year and is UMD's first two-time captain since 2008 (quarterback Ted Schlafke).

HIGH EXPECTATIONS, AGAIN: In their annual preseason poll the NSIC coaches picked the Bulldogs to finish first in both the North Division and in the overall standings this fall. UMD garnered eight first-place votes and 215 points -- three more than Minnesota State-Mankato, which received seven votes. Winona State University, a member of the South Division, was third with 189 points (and the remaining first-place vote) followed by North Division combatant St. Cloud State University, (183 pts.), the University of Sioux Falls (147 pts.) and Augustana College (145 pts.) while Concordia-St. Paul checked in at No. 12 with 81 points. The Bulldogs, have been chosen as the overall NSIC preseason favorite during all but one of their previous seven years of league membership (2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2003 -- they belonged to the now-defunct North Central Conference from 2004-07).  In addition, UMD senior running back Austin Sikorski was tabbed the North Division Preseason Offensive Player of the Year  -- the first Bulldog to be so honored since quarterback Chase Vogler in 2011.

GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: The Bulldogs certainly have made a habit of launching new seasons on a winning note as of late. Not only has UMD rolled up 14 consecutive opening-day victories in a row (going back to a 35-17 setback to visiting Minnesota State University-Mankato in 1999), but it is a sizzling 41-6 in season debuts since 1967. Two of those victories during that stretch have come at the expense of Concordia-St. Paul (56-0 in 2009 at Malosky Stadium and 40-0 in 2008 in St. Paul).

START ME UP: Five individuals are expected to make their first collegiate starts this evening against Concordia St. Paul and that quintet includes senior tight ends Taylor Grant and Ryan Miesbauer, sophomore center Matt Catton, sophomore inside linebacker Beau Bates and senior cornerback Daryl Brown, who transferred to UMD last spring from the University of North Dakota where he started for three seasons.

SOME MALOSKY MOJO: Since falling 37-27 to Concordia-St. Paul back on Oct. 7, 2000 (the Golden Bears' first-ever appearance in Duluth), UMD has gone 44-1 in NSIC games at Malosky Stadium. The lone blemish over that time was inflicted by Minnesota State-Mankato one year ago (21-17 on Sept. 21). Last season, the Bulldogs outscored the opposition 251-47 in their six home engagements and posted a 5-1 mark in the process. This year marks the 49th season the Bulldogs have called Malosky Stadium home. They are 182-54-4 in 240 lifetime outings at that on-campus facility
    
ALL IN THE FAMILY:  Saturday night will serve as a reunion of sorts for three members of the Huberty family. Craig Huberty is a sophomore linebacker at UMD while his older brother, Rob Huberty, worked out of that same position with the Bulldogs from 2008-11 and is in his second year as a Golden Bear graduate assistant coach. Sister Becky Huberty, who graduated this past spring after an outstanding track and field career at the College of St. Scholastica, is a UMD athletic training staff student.
    
OLD FACES, DIFFERENT PLACES: Speaking of reunions, a couple of current Concordia-St. Paul assistant coaches -- defensive coordinator Todd Strop and special teams coordinator Joe Lardinois -- will be back Saturday on the Malosky Stadium sidelines for the first time since they departed the Bulldog program. Strop, whose son, Tyler Smrcina, is UMD's starting free safety, was the Bulldog defensive coordinator for two years (2010-11) while Lardinois served as a graduate assistant during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

BULLDOG BITS: UMD will sport new road and home uniforms this season and, for the first time since 1968, the team's helmets will be adorned with a Bulldog head ... The Bulldogs are 476-260-24 all-time heading into the 2014 season. That .642 lifetime winning percentage is currently the ninth best among all NCAA Division II schools. No team in the country, however, can match UMD's winning percentage (.890 off a 73-9 overall record) over the past six seasons ... UMD brought back four interceptions for touchdowns last fall and that equaled a school record set in both 1986 and 2010. One of those four thefts was hauled in by current junior linebacker Nathan Zibolski ... UMD head coach Curt Wiese and offensive coordinator both celebrated birthdays this past Thursday (Sept. 4)  while junior inside linebacker Brent Stiglich turned a year older one day later.. The Bulldogs have not been blanked by an NSIC foe at Malosky Stadium since Minnesota State University-Moorhead turned the trick (29-0) back on Oct. 31, 1981 ... UMD produced a 100-yard rusher on nine occasions last season. Five of those were turned in by current senior running back Austin Sikorski (who is out with an injury Saturday) while junior running back Logan Lauters (three) and sophomore quarterback Drew Bauer ... The 2014 Bulldog roster sports just 14 seniors (they had 22 one year ago) and of that group, 11 began their collegiate careers at UMD ... Between them, the senior wide out tandem of Aaron Roth and Zach Zweifel have hauled in 236 passes for 2,722 yards and 20 touchdowns since they first emerged on the UMD landscape as true freshman in 2011 ... The Bulldogs closed out the 2013 regular season riding an eight-game winning streak.

ON TAP: UMD will engage in its first road activity  of 2014 next Saturday afternoon against Augustana College.    .