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The University of Minnesota Duluth will usher in its 84th season of intercollegiate football this Thursday (Sept. 1) when the Bulldogs take on Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rival Southwest State Minnesota University. Opening kick off is set for 7 p.m. at Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center (3,000 capacity/artificial turf) in Marshall, Minn.

THE RECORDS: The Bulldogs won eight of their last nine games (including a 30-22 triumph over Fort Hays State University in the Mineral Water Bowl) last fall to finish 9-3 overall. UMD also went 8-3 in NSIC play to tie Southwest Minnesota State for fourth place and also captured a share of the NSIC North Division title (with Bemidji State University and Northern State University) at 6-1. Southwest State was 8-3 overall and 4-3 in the NSIC South Division (fourth place).

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how the Bulldogs and Mustangs stacked up in the 2016 preseason American Football Coaches Association Division II and D2Football.com polls.
 
           AFCA    D2Football    
UMD    No. 19    No. 13    
SMSU    NR         NR  
         
THE BROADCAST: The UMD-Southwest Minnesota 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.; 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.

Thursday night's season opener will be videostreammed as well and can be accessed for free at: portal.stretchinternet.com/umd.

THE COACH: Curt Wiese is beginning his fourth season of head coaching duty with the Bulldogs, having guided them to a 33-6 overall record (only two NCAA II coaches have won more games during that stretch), two NCAA II playoff appearances (2013 and 2014), one overall NSIC title (it shared that honor with Minnesota State University-Mankato in 2014) and three straight NSIC North Division crowns. Last fall, the Bulldogs went 9-3  after going 13-1 (their third most single-season victories ever) in 2014 and closing 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 15 different All-Americans and 23 All-NSIC first team selections while 39 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).
 
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 95-13 (for an .880 winning percentage over that stretch -- the second-best mark in NCAA II football) while capturing two NCAA II national championships (2008 and 2010), six overall NSIC titles and eight 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.

WIESE BY THE NUMBERS
Record at UMD (Year): 33-6 (4th)
Overall Coaching Record (Year):  42-17 (6th)
Career NSIC Record: 29-4
Career UMD Home Record: 17-1
Career UMD Road Record: 16-5
vs. Southwest Minnesota State: 1-0

THE RIVALRY: UMD and Southwest Minnesota State will collide for the 34th time ever Thursday evening. The Bulldogs hold a commanding 27-5-1 lead in the all-time series, which began on Oct. 16, 1976 in Duluth, and have reeled off eight straight wins at the Mustangs' expense going back to a 14-9 setback in Duluth on Sept. 25, 1999. The two clubs have met only four times since 2003 with UMD claiming victories in 2008 (43-21 before a national television audience at Malosky Stadium), 2009 (34-27 in Marshall), 2012 (45-20 in the season opener on the Mustangs' turf) and 2014 (38-7 in UMD 's home opener).

HOW THE NSIC COACHES SEE THINGS: In the annual NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Bulldogs were tabbed as the North Division favorite (for the ninth straight year), but for only the third time in the last nine seasons, they were not picked as the team to beat in the overall standings. That distinction went to two-time defending league champion Minnesota State University-Mankato, which garnered 11 first-place votes and 216 points. Augustana University was next with 198 points followed by UMD (one first-place vote and 194 points), the University of Sioux Falls (two first-place votes and 192 points), Bemidji State University (153 points), Northern State University (one first-place vote and 143 points) Southwest Minnesota State University (the remaining first-place vote and 140 points) and Winona State University (139 points).

UMD has been chosen as the overall NSIC preseason favorite in seven of its previous 10 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).

GIVE ME A "B"!: A quartet of seniors and 2015 All NSIC-North Division honorees -- offensive tackle Peter Bateman, inside linebacker Beau Bates, quarterback Drew Bauer and wide out Beau Bofferding -- are serving as UMD team captains this fall. Bauer and Bateman both handled that responsibility last season as well.

GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: The Bulldogs certainly have made a habit of launching new seasons on a winning note as of late, going 15-1 in their last 16 openers (with the lone loss being inflicted by then top-ranked Minnesota State University-Mankato one year ago -- a 20-17 road decision). In addition, UMD has posted a sizzling 42-7 mark in season debuts since 1967.

START ME  UP: Four individuals are expected to make their first collegiate starts Thursday evening in Marshall and that group includes sophomore wide receiver Jason Balts, senior inside linebacker Ben McDonald, sophomore outside linebacker Bryce Juedes, and sophomore cornerback Mitchell Johnson-Martin.

START ME  UP II: Senior offensive tackle Peter Bateman has started in all 39 games over the past three seasons -- the longest ironman record of any active Bulldog.  A 2016 D2Football.com Preseason All-American first team pick, Bateman collared All-NSIC North Division status for the third straight year one year ago (first team in 2015 and 2014 and second team in 2013) as well as USA College Football  All-American (first team) and Don Hansen All-American (honorable mention) acclaim.

BEAU KNOWS DEFENSE: Senior inside linebacker Beau Bates reigned as UMD's tackles leader last season, duplicating his sophomore year harvest (71, including 54 off rushing plays) while ranking second among Bulldogs in solo stops (34). A 2015 Don Hansen All-Super Region 3 second team and All-NSIC North Division first team honoree,  Bates enters his final collegiate go-around with a team-leading 177 career tackles to his credit.

BEAU KNOWS HOMECOMINGS: This Thursday marks senior wideout/running back Beau Bofferding 's first opportunity to play collegiately in his hometown of Marshall. The 2015 NSIC All-North Division first teammer rolled up more all-purpose yards (a career-high 1,025), caught more passes (30) and scored more touchdowns (11) than any Bulldog one year ago. In addition to averaging 10.1 yards per carry on his 26 rushes last fall, Bofferding returned a team-leading 10 punts for 82 yards and brought back another 10 kickoffs for 180 yards. He also established a personal best for touchdown receptions as a junior with eight and has now caught at least one pass in 25 consecutive games since being blanked in the 2014 season opener against visiting Concordia University-St. Paul.

BAUER POWER: Quarterback Drew Bauer, who had his junior year come to a premature end after he suffered a season-ending injury on Oct. 31 at Northern State, still wound up sporting the 11th best pass efficiency rating in the country (155.5) while his 16.25 yards per completion average was bettered by only one three other NCAA II signal callers. Bauer, who is 30-6 as a starter since assuming that role at the outset of the 2013 season, also became just the third quarterback ever to reign as the Bulldogs' rushing leader with 661 yards (joining Chase Vogler in 2012 and Ted Schlafke in 2007). He has generated both the fourth most all-time total yards (8,086) and passing yards (5,640) in team history. The Inver Grove Heights, Minn., native is 30-6 as a starter since assuming that role at the outset of the 2013 season.

BULLDOG BITS:  UMD is the NSIC's all-time leader in both team titles (19) and victories (it is 239-80-5, which figures out to be a .714 winning percentage) ... Head coach Curt Wiese, who turns 40 this Sunday, has won 32 of 38 games since taking over the Bulldog program three seasons ago and only two other NCAA II coaches -- Northwest MissouriState's Adam Dorrel (40) and Colorado State University-Pueblo's John Wristen (37) -- have complied more victories during that the time period ... Drew Bauer has registered eight, 100-yard rushing afternoon as a Bulldog while  senior running back Darren Walker (three times), a 2015 transfer from Los Angeles Harbor College, junior wide out Nate Ricci (once) and sophomore running back Jamiah Newell (once), who is out for the season with a lower body injury are the only other three Bulldog to reach that mark ... UMD's all-time winning percentage of .650 (off a 498-264-24) is the ninth best in NCAA II football ... Just under 90 percent of the 2016 Bulldogs come from either Minnesota (56) or Wisconsin (36). Illinois (six), California (1), Colorado (1), Florida (1) and Washington (1) are home to the remaining 10 Bulldogs ... The last time three Bulldogs rushed for 100 or more yards was when UMD and Southwest Minnesota State last collided (Sept. 20, 2014 at James S. Malosky Stadium) as Logan Lauters (154 yards), Drew Baer (111) and Austin Sikorski (103) turned the trick ... UMD returns 10 of its 11 offensive starters from a year ago, including all five members of its front line.

UP NEXT: UMD will make its 2016 James S. Malosky Stadium debut with a Sept. 10 bout against Winona State University in the Bulldogs' annual Military Appreciation Night.