For the second time in three weeks, the University of Minnesota Duluth will butt heads with a nationally-ranked opponent on the road as this Saturday evening (Sept. 19) it's a first-ever trip to the University of Sioux Falls on the Bulldogs' agenda.  Opening kickoff for the Northern Intercollegiate Sun Conference interdivision clash is set for 6 p.m. at Bob Young Field (5,400 capacity/artificial turf) on the Sioux Falls campus.

THE RECORDS: UMD, which posted a 13-1 overall record one year ago and went 11-0 in NSIC play (to claim a share of the overall league title with Minnesota State University-Mankato), is off to a 1-1 start this fall. Sioux Falls sports a 2-0 mark in 2015 after finishing 11-1 on the year last fall and placing third in the NSIC standings at 10-1.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how the Bulldogs and Cougars stacked up in this week's American Football Coaches Association Division II and the D2Football.com polls:
 
        AFCA    D2Football    
UMD        No. 7    No. 7
USF        No. 12    No. 6    
    
THE BROADCAST: The UMD-Sioux Falls 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.

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

THE COACH: Curt Wiese is in his third season of head coaching duty with the Bulldogs, having guided them to a 25-4 overall record (only three NCAA II head coaches have won more games during that stretch), two consecutive NCAA II playoff appearances, one overall NSIC title (it shared that honor with Minnesota State last fall) and two straight NSIC North Division crowns. One year ago, UMD went 13-1 (its third most single-season victories ever) and closed out the season 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 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).

In addition, UMD has cracked the Top 11 in every American Football Coaches Association Poll during Wiese's head coaching tenure while racking up a victory total unsurpassed by all but two NCAA II coaches in the country.
 
Over the course of 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 87-11 (for an NCAA II-best .888 winning percentage) while capturing two NCAA II national championships (2008 and 2010), six overall NSIC titles and seven NSIC North Division crowns. They've also made seven NCAA II playoff appearances and produced two perfect 15-0 seasons and three 11-0 regular seasons.

Wiese, 39, came to UMD following two years of employment as the head coach at NCAA 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 2004 AFCA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year Award.

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.
   
THE RIVALRY: The Bulldogs and Sioux Falls have collided just once previously -- in the 2013 season opener at James. S. Malosky Stadium where UMD throttled the Cougars 32-7. The Bulldogs, who took a 19-0 lead into the half,  held Sioux Falls to just 144 total yards on the night --  at the time the lowest output by a UMD opponent in almost four years.

LAST WEEK:  MD continued its mastery over visiting NSIC foes by mowing down Wayne State College 48-7 in the Bulldogs' 2015 home debut Saturday night. Looking to rebound from a rare season-opening setback 10 days earlier, UMD raced to a 22-0 first quarter lead and never looked back en route to improving its all-time home record over the Wildcats to a perfect 7-0. Junior wide out/running back Beau Bofferding scored three touchdowns (two off throws from junior quarterback Drew Bauer) while senior running Logan Lauters (149 yards on 13 carries) and freshman running back Jamiah Newell (135 yards and two touchdowns on seven attempts) both cleared the 100-yard rushing plateau. The Bulldogs wound up accumulating 533 yards of total offense, 349 of which came on the ground.

Sioux Falls engaged in its first road activity of the young 2015 season and cruised to a 45-21 victory over the University of Minnesota Crookston. The Cougars torched the hosts for 562 total yards (marking the their fourth straight 500-plus yard harvest going back to last season).  Junior quarterback Luke Papilion completed 17 of 34 passes for 244 and five touchdowns (a career best) while running back Max Mickey contributed 149 rushing yards and one touchdown to the winning effort.

 AYE, AYE CAPTAIN: The Bulldogs' team captaincy responsibilities this fall are being shared by a trio of seniors - defensive nose tackle Jonathan Harden, running back Logan Lauters and inside linebacker Brent Stiglich -- along with junior inside linebacker Beau Bates and junior quarterback Drew Bauer.

HOW THE NSIC COACHES SEE IT SHAKING OUT: For only the second time in the last eight years, UMD was not picked as the team to beat. in the annual NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll. Minnesota State-Mankato, which shared the 2014 NSIC title with UMD, earned that distinction, garnering 10 first-place votes and 218 points. The Bulldogs, who were tabbed as the NSIC North Division preseason favorites for the eighth straight time, picked up a pair of first-place votes and 209 points and were followed by the University of Sioux Falls (the remaining four first-place votes and 206 points), Augustana College (169 pts.), St. Cloud State University (161 pts.), Winona State University (157 pts.), Northern State University (133) and Concordia University-St. Paul (133 pts.).

UMD has been chosen as the overall NSIC preseason favorite in seven of its previous nine years of conference membership (2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2003 -- the Bulldogs belonged to the now-defunct North Central Conference from 2004-07).

THE FIRST ONE IS ALWAYS SPECIAL: Curt Wiese made his UMD head coaching debut the last time the Bulldogs and Cougars met up (Sept. 7, 2013) and he became just the second coach in Bulldog history(there have been six others) to produce a win in his first appearance. Kyle "Bubba" Schweigert, now the head coach at the University of North Dakota, also accomplished that feat in 2004.

THE FIRST ONE IS ALWAYS SPECIAL II: That Sept. 7, 2013 bout with the Cougars also marked the first collegiate start for current junior quarterback Drew Bauer, who hasn't missed a starting assignment since. Fellow juniors Peter Bateman and Connor Randall -- both offensive linemen  -- also started for the first time as Bulldogs that evening.

BAUER POWER: In last Saturday's 48-7 takedown of Wayne State, Drew Bauer threw for three touchdowns while going 17-for21 with no interceptions. He also spread those 17 completions amongst eight different Bulldogs while improving his career record to 25-4 as a starter  Bauer, the 2015 NSIC North Division Preseason Offensive Player and the holder of the school's single-season rushing record for a quarterback (983 yards in 2014), has already generated both the fourth most all-time total yards (6,152) and passing yards in program history.

THE BIG 5-0 FOR MO: This past Saturday evening marked the opening of the 50th year of Bulldog football at Malosky Stadium. Since moving on campus to that on-campus facility on Oct. 29, 1966 (and christening it with a 20-14 win over the University of St. Thomas), the Bulldogs have won over 77 percent of their home games, going 190-54-4 (.774). In recent times, opponents have found victories even harder to come by at Malosky Stadium as UMD has amassed a sizzling 45-3 mark there since the 2008 opener. The Bulldogs have also gone 51-1 versus overall NSIC competition at Malosky Stadium since Oct. 21, 2000 with that lone loss being inflicted by Minnesota State-Mankato on Sept. 21, 2013 (21-17). In addition, UMD has yet to lose a home bout with a colleague from the NSIC's North Division (24-0).

AND THAT'S NOT ALL ...: UMD has now reeled off 12 straight home victories, a run that began on Oct. 5, 2013 -- two weeks after a 21-17 loss to Minnesota State-Mankato.

WHAT A RUSH: Senior team captain Logan Lauters, who rolled up 1,526 yards on the ground last fall -- a figure eclipsed by only one other Bulldog ever in a single-season (Isaac Odim in both 2009 and 2008), has a legitimate shot of exiting the UMD program as its career rushing leader. The 2014 Associated Press Little All-American (third team) now ranks fourth among all-time Bulldog ball carriers with an 3,185 yards. That's just 21 yards behind the No. 3 occupant on the school's all-time rushing list,  Austin Sikorski (his backfield mate the previous three seasons), and 33 yards behind No. 2  Dave Rulfledt (2001-04) ). Lauters's career 6.6 yards per run average takes a backseat only to three-time All-American Isaac Odim's 7.2 clip (2008-10) among Bulldogs with 1,000 or more yards. Lauters currently ranks sixth among all active NCAA II players in career yards per carry and ninth in rushing yards.

QUITE A RUN: Going back to the start of the 2008 season, no NCAA II outfit in the country has generated a better winning percentage (.888) or amassed more victories (87) than UMD.
    
   
CATCHING ON FAST: Junior wideout/runningback Beau Bofferding has caught at least one pass in each of the last 15 games since being blanked in that department in the 2013 season opener

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 .741 (off a 232-81-5 record), which is second only to Sioux Falls' .771 mark (27-8-0 in three-plus seasons of NSIC membership).

ANSWERING THE STARTING CALL: Junior Willie Westerman cracked the UMD starting lineup for the first time Saturday, filling in for injured freshman right offensive tackle Trapper Ward. Sophomore strong safety Kegan Wirtz also registered his first collegiate start against the Wildcats and was credited with a team-leading eight total tackles.

BUSTING LOOSE: Freshman Jamiah Newell scored on touchdown jaunts of 48 and 70 yards against Wayne State and that 70-yarder was the longest run from scrimmage by a Bulldogs since the 2011 season (Austin Sikorski, 75 yards).

WHERE THEY'RE FROM: Just over 92 percent of the current crop of Bulldogs are either Minnesota (55) or Wisconsin (41) natives. California (3), Illinois (2), Florida (1), Colorado (1), and Washington (1) are home to the remaining nine Bulldogs.

CLASS WARFARE: Of the 104 individuals who comprise the 2015 Bulldog roster, only 29 are seniors (11) or juniors (18). There are 18 sophomores, 26 redshirt freshmen and 31 first-year rookies.

FOOL ME ONCE: This is the first time UMD has opened a season 0-1 since 1999 (the same year the Bulldogs dropped their first two games before prevailing in Week 3). UMD also hasn't suffered back-to-back losses since in almost eight years

BULLDOG BITS: Curt Wiese has won 25 of 29 games since taking over the Bulldog program three seasons ago and only two other NCAA II coaches -- Northwest Missouri State University's Adam Dorrel with 27 and Colorado State University-Pueblo's John Wristen with 26 have generated more wins over the time period ... With the victory over Wayne State, the Bulldogs avoided their first 0-2 start since 1999 and their first-back-to losses in almost eight years (Oct. 20 and Oct. 27, 2007 ... UMD has been penalized only six times (the fifth lowest total in the country) for 30 yards (the third lowest figure) in 2015 ... Logan Lauters has now rushed for 100 or more yards on a team-high 13 occasions as a Bulldog. Drew Bauer is next with five ... Just 11 individuals make up the Bulldogs' 2015 senior class and of those 11, 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 ... UMD has held leads after the first, second and third quarters of both of its games thus far in 2015 .... Junior wide out Dominic Bonner , a transfer Cabrillo College (California), parlayed his first collegiate pass reception into a 51-yard gain in the first half of UMD's season opener at Minnesota State-Mankato ... Both junior quarterback Drew Bauer and junior offensive tackle Peter Bateman have made more career starts (29 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 (40 of a possible 41). Brees,who earned a spot on the Fred Mitchell Placekicker Award Watch List (excellence on the football field and in the community) for the second straight year, is in his fourth season as UMD's primary placekicker this fall and is also handling the club's punting duties as well. The two-time All-NSIC North Division first team pick (2014 and 2012) was one of seven Bulldogs to attain USA College Football Preseason All-American honors for 2015, joining junior offensive tackle Peter Bateman, junior quarterback Drew Bauer, senior free safety David Boegel, senior nose tackle Jonathan Harden, senior running back Logan Lauters and junior offensive guard Connor Randall ... The Bulldogs have appeared in every AFCA II poll since Aug. 12, 2008 and haven't been knocked out of the Top 15 in almost seven years (a run that started on Sept. 8, 2008).

ON TAP: The Bulldogs will return to Malosky Stadium on Sept. 26 to take on Upper Iowa University for its final NSIC interdivision outing of 2015.

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