The University of Minnesota Duluth will close out the road portion of its 2015 regular season schedule this Saturday (Nov. 7) when the Bulldogs invade Bemidji State University's Chet Anderson Stadium (3,500) for a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division clash with the Beavers. Opening kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

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THE RECORDS: UMD, winners of five of its last six games, is 6-3 on the year and 4-1 in North Division play. Bemidji State also owns a 6-3 overall record (5-0 North Division) and will enter the weekend armed with a six-game winning streak.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how the Bulldogs and Beavers stacked up in this week's American Football Coaches Association Division II and the D2Football.com polls as well as the NCAA II Super Region Three Rankings:
 
    AFCA    D2Football    Region 3
UMD    RV    No. 23    NR
BSU    NR    NR    NR  
     
THE BROADCAST: The UMD-Bemidji State matchup will be carried live locally on 92.1 FM The Fan with Jeff Papas handling the play-by-play responsibilities. The broadcast can also be heard on KQ 105.5 FM in Grand Rapids/Hibbing, Minn.; KQ 106.7 FM in Ely/Virginia, Minn.; 105.7 FM The Fan Siren/Pine City, Minn., and Red Zone Sports Radio 930 in Aitkin, Minn., as part of the Bulldog Radio Network and at: 921thefan.com or free via the iHeartRadio app.

Saturday afternoon's game will be videostreammed as well and can be accessed for free at: portal.stretchinternet.com/umd.

THE COACH: Curt Wiese is now in his third season of head coaching duty with the Bulldogs, having guided them to a 30-6 overall record, two consecutive NCAA II playoff appearances, one overall NSIC title (it shared that honor with Minnesota State University-Mankato last fall) and two straight NSIC North Division crowns. Last fall, UMD went 13-1 (its third most single-season victories ever) and closed out the year holding down the No. 3 spot in the final AFCA Division II poll. That followed up a rookie-go-around that included an 11-2 mark in all games and a No. 8 final AFCA II poll ranking.

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.

Since being appointed UMD's sixth head coach on Dec. 21, 2012, Wiese has helped produce 10 All-Americans and 16 All-NSIC first team selections while 26 of his Bulldogs have earned NSIC All-Academic status (including offensive lineman Andrew Pattock, who as a senior in 2013 was named a first team CoSIDA Academic All-American)

Record at UMD (Year): 30-6 (3rd)
Overall Coaching Record (Year): 39-17 (5th)
Career NSIC Record: 26-4
Career UMD Home Record:  16-1
Career UMD Road Record: 14-5
vs. Bemidji State: 2-0

THE RIVALRY: UMD and Bemidji State will meet for the 55th time ever Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs hold a commanding 43-10-1 lead in the all-time series, which began back in 1931 -- the second year of intercollegiate football at UMD. Last fall (Oct. 25, 2014), the Bulldogs broke open a 7-3 first quarter lead by scoring 27 answered points on their way to besting the Beavers 38-10 at James S. Malosky Stadium. Current junior quarterback Drew Bauer threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more in the victory, UMD's 21st in a row at home against the Beavers.

LAST WEEK: UMD's NCAA II postseason plans were dealt a severe blow Saturday in the form of a 23-15 loss to NSIC North Division rival Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D. The Bulldogs, who committed six turnovers and were held to their lowest point output this season, got both of their touchdowns off rushes of five and six yards by junior quarterback Drew Bauer (he added a two-point conversion run as well). UMD, which trailed 20-7 at the half, did have a golden chance to tie the Wolves late in the fourth quarter when it drove down to the Northern State three-yard line, but failed to get into the end zone on three successive running attempts, the last coming on a fourth-and-goal play from the one-yard line. Bauer, who was stopped short of the goal line on that final try, wound up rushing for a game-best 111 yards on 28 carries. The Bulldogs were picked off four times on the afternoon and coughed up the football twice on fumbles. Northern State generated just 224 yards of total offense and 12 first downs the entire day while snapping a seven-game losing skid against UMD.
 
Bemidji State thumped Minot State University 32-7 Saturday, holding the hosts 169 overall yards, including a mere 35 on the ground, and forcing three turnovers (all picks from Gunner Olszewski, the reigning NSIC Defensive Player of the Week) and a safety. The victory extended Bemidji State's winning streak to a program-best six games,

YOU AGAIN?:The Bulldogs have faced Bemidji State on more occasions (54) than all but two lifetime opponents -- Minnesota State University-Moorhead (57) and the University of Wisconsin-Superior (55), which no longer sponsors intercollegiate football. UMD has reeled off 15 straight victories at the Beavers' expense since dropping a 35-26 decision at Chet Anderson Stadium on Oct. 23, 1999.

PRIDE OF THE NORTH: Even with Saturday's defeat at Northern State, the Bulldogs are still a sizzling 47-3 in NSIC North Division assignments (26-0 at home) since the NSIC instituted divisional play in 2008. The other two losses came in consecutive years to St. Cloud State (51-49 in 2012 and 35-7 in 2011). UMD is the seven-time defending NSIC North Division champion but finds itself sitting one game back of both Bemidji State (5-0) and Northern State (5-0) in the North Division standings with two games to go.

THE BREAK UP ARTIST: Senior cornerback and second-year starter Darion Fletcher is tied for the NCAA II lead in pass breakups with 16. That's one more than the UMD single-season mark set by Marcus Davis in 2005. The 2014 All-NSIC North Division second team pick is the school's career leader (31) and single-game record holder (four at Minnesota State-University-Mankato in the 2015 opener) in that department as well. Fletcher also has registered two of UMD's five interceptions this season, giving him a team-high seven for his career (no other Bulldog has more than one collegiate theft).

STREAK BUSTER: UMD, the seven-time defending NSIC North Division champion,had won 24 consecutive North Division bouts prior to last Saturday.

END OF THE LINE: Senior team captain and All-American running back Logan Lauters, who returned to the Bulldog lineup last Saturday at Northern State after being injured the previous four games, incurred a season-ending injury early in the fourth quarter against the Wolves. He'll finish his collegiate career situated in the No. 2 spot on UMD's career rushing charts with 3,351 yards. That's 891 yards behind the No. 1 occupant, three-time All-American Isaac Odim (4,242 yards from 2008-10). Lauters's career 6.3 yards per run average takes a backseat only Odim's 7.2 clip (2008-10) among Bulldogs with 1,000 or more yards. He currently ranks 10th among all active NCAA II players in career yards per carry and 11th in rushing yards. One year ago, Lauters rolled up 1,531 yards on the ground -- a figure eclipsed by only one other Bulldog ever in a single-season (Isaac Odim in both 2009 and 2008).

WHAT A RUSH: The Bulldogs currently pace the NSIC and are 15th nationally in rushing yards, averaging 252.2 yards per game.

PUTTING HIS BEST FOOT FORWARD: Earlier this week, senior Andrew Brees received his second straight (and fourth of his career) Fred Mitchell Kicker of the Month citation for excellence on the football field and in the community. Brees, who took three weeks ago at the University of Mary drilled a a school-record 57-yard field goal, is a perfect 31-for-31 in extra point kicks this season and 8-for-10 in field goal tries. This fall, the two-time All-NSIC first team pick (2014 and 2012) became the first Bulldog to handle both the team's placekicking and punting duties fulltime since 1988 (Randy Fietek) and thus far is averaging 41.2 yards per punt -- the second best figure in the NSIC -- with five of his 35 punts sailing 50 or more yards. One of those went for 80 yards (one yard shy of the school record) last Saturday against Northern State. On top of this, he's also run for a pair of two-point conversions, giving him 59 points on the year to rank third on the club in scoring. He currently is tied for ninth in career field goals (37) among all active NCAA II kickers and is first in the NSIC this season in field goal accuracy (80.0 percent).

CATCH 22: Junior wideout/running back Beau Bofferding, who tops the 2015 Bulldogs in receptions (22), all-purpose yards (941) and scoring (60 points -- he shares the distinction with quarterback Drew Bauer), has caught at least one pass in 22 consecutive games since being blanked in that department in the 2014 season opener against Concordia-St. Paul at Malosky Stadium.

QUITE A RUN: Going back to the start of the 2008 season, only one NCAA II outfit in the country - Northwest Missouri State University - has generated a better winning percentage and has amassed more wins than UMD. And, up until this week, UMD had appeared in every AFCA II Top 25 poll since Aug. 12, 2008.  
   
GET IN THE ZONE: UMD has come away with points (including 28 touchdowns) in 33 of its 36 red zone visits this season (91.7 percent -- the fourth highest average in NCAA II football). It failed to score once due to a missed field goal attempt and two other times when it turned the ball over on downs.

BALL CONTROL: UMD is 18th among all NCAA II clubs in time of possession (32:33) and trails only one NSIC comrade -- Wayne State University (32:41) --  in that statistical category.

TOP 'DOGS: UMD captured a share of its league-record 19th NSIC championship last year -- and did so with the most victories (11) in program history. In addition to owning more NSIC crowns than any other institution (they have one more than Winona State University), the Bulldogs have compiled an all-time winning percentage of .737 (a 237-83-5 record), which is second only to Sioux Falls' .787 mark (33-9-0 in three-plus seasons of NSIC membership).

BULLDOG BITS: Junior wide out Dominic Bonner, who transferred to UMD this fall from Cabrillo College (Calif.), has been thrown to more times (37 times) than any other 2015 Bulldog. Bofferding is the next favorite pass target (32 times) ... Head coach Curt Wiese has won 30 of 36 games since taking over the Bulldog program three seasons ago and only two other NCAA II coaches -- Northwest Missouri State University's Adam Dorrel (34) and Colorado State University-Pueblo's John Wristen (33) -- have complied more victories during that the time period .... The last time, UMD and Bemidji State butted heads (Oct. 25, 2014), current UMD senior inside linebacker Brent Stiglich came off the bench to record a career-high 11 total tackles in UMD's 38-10 home victory .. Logan Lauters has rushed for 100 or more yards on a team-high 14 occasions (two in 2015) as a Bulldog. Drew Bauer is next with eight (three this fall) followed by freshman running back Jamiah Newell and junior running back Darren Walker, a 2015 transfer from Los Angeles Harbor College, with one each ... UMD has outscored the opposition 94-46 in the first quarter and 214-91 in the opening 30 minutes of play this season ... Just 10 individuals make up the Bulldogs' 2015 senior class and of those 10, only eight -- David Boegel, Andrew Brees, Ty Fischer (who joined the Bulldogs this fall after a two-season absence), Darion Fletcher, Justin Fowlkes, Logan Lauters, Mark Nahorniak and Brent Stiglich -- began their collegiate careers at UMD ... Both junior quarterback Drew Bauer and junior offensive tackle Peter Bateman have made more career starts (36 in a row) than any other active Bulldog while the senior trio of free safety David Boegel, placekicker Andrew Brees and cornerback Darion Fletcher share the team lead for career appearances (47 of a possible 48). Boegel leads all current Bulldogs in lifetime tackles with 190 while junior inside linebacker Beau Bates (164) and Fletcher (161) are next.

ON TAP: UMD will put the wraps on the 2015 regular season by hosting Minot State University on Nov. 14 in the Bulldogs' annual Senior Day game.
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