Complete Release (pdf)

 For the second time in as many weeks, the University of Minnesota Duluth will face a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division foe on the road as this Saturday (Oct. 14) it's Northern State University which will play host to the Bulldogs. Opening kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Swisher Field (6,000/artificial turf) in Aberdeen, S.D.

THE RECORDS: UMD is off to a 4-2 start this season while the Wolves are an even 3-3.
          
THE BROADCAST: The UMD-Northern State clash will be carried live locally on KDAL-Radio (610 AM and 103.9 FM) and that broadcast can also be heard at: kdal610.com.

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 in his fifth season of head coaching duty with the Bulldogs, having guided them to a 47-10 overall record (only two NCAA II coaches have won more games during that stretch), three NCAA II playoff appearances (2013, 2014 and 2016), one overall NSIC title (it shared that honor with Minnesota State University-Mankato in 2014), four straight NSIC North Division crowns and a school-record 22-game home winning streak which stretched between Oct. 5, 2013 and Nov. 12, 2016.

Last fall, his Bulldogs reeled off 10 straight victories following a setback in the season opener and wound up going 10-2. Along the way they returned to the NCAA II playoffs after a brief, one-year absence, and occupied the No. 13 spot in the final AFCA II poll. One year earlier, UMD capped off a 9-3 season by defeating Fort Hays State University 30-22 in the Mineral Water Bowl and in 2014 rolled up a 13-1 overall record (the third most wins in program history) and captured a share of its league-record 19th NSIC crown after going 11-0 in conference play. That was in addition to advancing to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA II playoffs and ending up at No. 3 spot in the final AFCA II poll. That followed up Wiese's 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 17 different All-Americans and 27 All-NSIC first team selections while his Bulldogs have earned NSIC All-Academic status 55 times. That includes 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 generated both the second- most victories (they are 109-17) and winning percentage (.865) in the country while capturing two NCAA II national championships (2008 and 2010), six overall NSIC titles (2008-12 and 2014) and nine NSIC North Division crowns. They've also made eight NCAA II playoff appearances and produced two perfect 15-0 seasons and three 11-0 regular seasons.

Wiese 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 was among 10 head coaches nationwide who were honorary coach nominees for the 2016 Allstate Insurance and American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team.

    WIESE BY THE NUMBERS
    Record at UMD (Year): 47-10 (5th)
    Overall Coaching Record (Year):  56-21 (7th)
    Career NSIC Record:  44-7
    Career UMD Home Record: 24-3
    Career UMD Road Record:  23-7
    vs. Northern State:   3-1

THE RIVALRY: UMD and Northern State will collided for the 35th time ever Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs hold a commanding 23-11-0 lead in the all-time series, which began on Nov. 8, 1980 in Duluth, and are 8-1 in their last nine meetings with the Wolves. The lone setback during that stretch occurred on Halloween two years ago in the Bulldogs' last visit to Swisher Field (a 23-15 decision). Last fall (Oct. 15), UMD found the end zone on the first series of the day and never looked back en route to a 39-19 Homecoming triumph over Northern State.
UMD racked up 299 yards passing and another 211 yards via the rush while Northern State was held to 270 yards overall – 114 yards below its season average.

LAST WEEK: The Bulldogs completed its third, fourth-quarter comeback of the 2017 season in a 23-14 NSIC North Division triumph at Minnesota State University-Moorhead last Saturday afternoon. UMD trailed 14-10 heading into the final 15 minutes of play before striking for for a pair of touchdowns midway through the quarter en route to slaying the Dragons for a 16th consecutive time (a run that dates back to the 2000 season).

The Bulldogs managed just 273 yards of total offense (the second lowest output of season), but MSU-Moorhead did not fare a whole lot better, generating 285 overall yards, including only 19 via the rush (on 26 carries). The Bulldogs did, however, force four turnovers (three fumble recoveries and one interception) while doing what it does best -- hold on to football (a sizable 36:03 to 23:57 advantage). The Bulldogs got one touchdown reception each from redshirt running back Griffin Hill and senior wide out Dominic Bonner, a 13-yard scoring run from junior running back Anthony Wood (which capped off the rally), and a pair of field goals from sophomore Dan Branger Senior outside linebacker Zach Bassuener (10 total tackles and 1.5 sacks) and junior inside linebacker Gus Wedig (nine stops) topped the Bulldog defensive charts and both also forced a fumble.
Northern State took down NSIC North Division rival Minot State University 27-19 in Minot, N.D., Saturday. Wolves junior linebacker Noah McPherson intercepted his first pass of the season on Minot's opening possession and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown on his way to being named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week. Redshirt freshman quarterback Hunter Trautman completed 19 of 30 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown while senior running back Nicholas Truen rushed 23 times for 134 yards and two scores in the victory.

NORTH DIVISION DOMINATION: In addition to claiming at least a share of all nine NSIC North Division titles since the league instituted divisional play in 2008, the Bulldogs are a sizzling 58-3 in North Division assignments. That includes a perfect 32-0 mark at home. Besides a 23-15 defeat at Northern State on Oct. 31, 2015, UMD's other NSIC North Division losses came in consecutive years at St. Cloud State (51-49 in 2012 and 35-7 in 2011).

WHAT A RUSH: In its most recent matchup with Northern State (Oct. 15, 2016 at James S. Malosky Stadium), UMD got all five of his touchdowns on the ground, including a pair of one-yard runs by current senior offensive tackle and part-time fullback Nolan Folkert.

WHAT A RUSH II: Some 12 different Bulldogs have already run the football this season, including junior transfer Anthony Wood, whose 341 yards on 64 carries tops the club. UMD, which finished 13th in NCAA II rushing offense last fall (averaging 233.4 yards per outing), has outgained the opposition on the ground in 25 of the past 27 games with the 2017 opener against Sioux Falls (when UMD managed negative-16 yards of rushing offense) and ensuing weekend (59 yards versus Minnesota State-Mankato) being the exceptions.

A CATCH TO REMEMBER: In last Saturday's 23-14 win over MSU-Moorhead, redshirt freshman running back Griffin Hill parlayed his first collegiate reception into his first collegiate touchdown (an 11-yard score).

SACK IT TO ME: UMD sacked MSU-Moorhead quarterback Demetrius Carr seven times in its 23-14 win last Saturday. That's three sacks shy of the school record (set 10 years ago against Bemidji State) and a 2017 Bulldog high.  One year ago, the Bulldogs racked up a program-record 52 sacks, 11.5 of which came from current senior outside linebacker Zach Bassuener. Bassuener, a 2016 All-NSIC first team selection, has been credited with a team-leading 4.0 sacks thus far in 2017. That gives him 18.5 for his career, the fourth most in school history.

SACK IT TO ME II: The Bulldogs have 16 sacks on the season, but 14 of those have come in the past three games.

SOME TOUGH SLEDDING: UMD's six opponents to date are a combined 26-10 and the two clubs that defeated the Bulldogs earlier this year -- nationally ranked Minnesota State (6-0) and Sioux Falls (5-1) -- are No. 1 and No. 3 in the overall NSIC standings. MSU-Moorhead is the only team UMD has faced this year that owns a losing record (2-4).

GREAT BALTS OF FIRE: Jason Balts, who three weeks ago at Wayne State College generated the third-highest single-game pass reception yardage total (217) in UMD history, continues to top the Bulldogs in catches (33). He currently ranks 22nd nationally in receiving yards with 555 -- a figure bettered by only one other NSIC combatant (MSU-Moorhead's Damon Gibson with 635). Balts' multi-purpose yards per game average (139.5) this fall is the third best figure in the NSIC.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE ROAD: For the first time since 2014, UMD has started a year with three straight road victories and will enter Saturday's engagement at Northern State having won seven consecutive regular season away games.

START ME UP: Junior Matt Juneau, a 2016 All-NSIC second team honoree who relocated from right tackle to left tackle on the UMD offensive front this season, has cracked the starting lineup in 26 consecutive games--the longest ironman streak of any 2017 Bulldog. Senior outside linebacker Zach Bassuener is next with 22.

NO PASSING FANCY: Sophomore quarterback Ben Everhart, who ranks 22nd among NCAA II signal callers and first in the NSIC in passing yards per completion (14.25) was sidelined with an injury on UMD's second series of the second half last Saturday. His replacement, redshirt freshman John Larson, connected with senior wide out Dominic Bonner on a 20-yard touchdown strike for the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter.  

KING OF THE SPECIAL TEAMS: Justic'e King, who has started the past two games in the defensive secondary, paces the 2017 Bulldogs in special teams tackles with six. Both King and fellow cornerback Jake Goodman, who made his collegiate debut two weeks ago against St. Cloud State, are the lone two first-year Bulldog freshmen to see playing time so far in 2017. King has been credited with 14 total tackles and one interception while Goodman has been in on two stops.

IN GOOD HANDS: No NCAA II outfit in the country did a better job of controlling the football last season than UMD. The Bulldogs ranked first nationally in time of possession with a 36:06 per game average after occupying the No. 3 spot at the conclusion of the 2015 season (34:08). Thus far in 2017, UMD ranks 7th nationally and second in the NSIC in that department (34:04). UMD has held the upper hand in time of possession over its opponent in 20 of the past 22 games.

GETTING HIS KICKS: Sophomore Cameron Hausman has already punted a career-high 40 times this year after he -- and two other Bulldogs -- registered 32 punts during the entire 12-game 2017 season. (Hausman had 26 of those punts).

DOWN AND OUT: UMD is one of just three NCAA II schools -- and the lone unit from the NSIC -- that has yet to allow a fourth down conversion this season, although its opponents are only 0-for-3 in that situation (with two of those failed attempts coming last Saturday in Moorhead, Minn.

BULLDOG BITS: The Bulldogs have been outscored 55-20 in the third quarter this season but have turned the tables on the opposition (58-34) in the final 15 minutes of regulation. The Bulldogs have trailed at the end of the third quarter in seven of its past eight games going back to last season.
 
• Senior offensive tackle and part-time fullback Nolan Folkert has rushed 12 times for 11 yards and eight touchdowns during his career (with all those carries coming in the past two seasons).

• Since taking over the Bulldog program four-plus seasons ago, Curt Wiese has won 47 of 57 games Only two other NCAA II head coaches -- Colorado State University-Pueblo's John Wristen and Shepherd University's Monte Cater (both with 50) -- have accumulated more victories during that the time period. Of Wiese's 10 lifetime losses, seven have come against NSIC South Division members (including four at the hands of Minnesota State) and one against a NSIC North Division foe (at Northern State on Oct. 31, 2015). The other two setbacks have occurred in NCAA II postseason play.

• Six current Bulldogs have an interception to their collegiate credit and four of those have multiple thefts -- junior strong safety Sam Lynch (four, including a team-leading three in 2016), senior free safety Kegan Wirtz (three- one this season and two in 2016), sophomore strong safety Bill Atkins (two - both last fall) and sophomore cornerback Bishop McDonald (one in 2016 and the club's first pick of this season). First-year Bulldogs Justic'e King and Dennis Archibald both recorded their first interceptions at UMD at Wayne State on Sept. 23.

• Going back to the 2008 season opener, only one NCAA II team in the country has racked up more victories (108) and posted a higher winning percentage (.864) than UMD. That club, top-ranked Northwest Missouri State University, is the two-time the defending NCAA II champion, and owns the nation's longest winning streak at 36 games, having not lost since falling 25-21 to host UMD in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA II playoffs (Nov. 22).

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will return to Malosky Stadium on Oct. 21 to take on Minot State University in their annual Homecoming game.