A pair of NCAA Division II heavyweights -- the University of Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State University-Mankato -- will renew their longstanding rivalry this Saturday night (Sept. 16) when they collide in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference interdivision showdown. Opening kickoff for the Bulldogs' fifth annual Military Appreciation Night is set for 6:05 p.m. at James S. Malosky Stadium (4,500/artificial turf) on the UMD campus.

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THE RECORDS: UMD, which is an even 1-1 in 2017, went 10-2 last season, placed second to the University of Sioux Falls in the overall NSIC standings with a 10-1 record and claimed its ninth straight NSIC North Division title by going a perfect 7-0. The Bulldogs also advanced to the NCAA II playoffs for the eighth time in the past nine seasons.

Minnesota State, off to a 2-0 start this season, was 8-3 one year ago to gain a share of third place  (with Augustana University, Bemidji State University and Winona State University) and tied Augustana and Winona State in the  NSIC South Division race with a 5-2 mark .

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and Minnesota State stacked up in this week's  American Football Coaches Association Division II and D2Football.com polls:
 

	AFCA	D2Football
UMD	No. 20	No. 15
MSU	No. 8	No. 9

THE BROADCAST: The Bulldog-Maverick clash will be carried live locally on 102.5 DUKE FM with Jeff Papas handling the play-by-play responsibilities and ex-University of North Dakota offensive lineman Gregg Swartwoudt providing color commentary. The broadcast can also be heard at: dukefmduluth.com.

For the 10th consecutive year, My9 (KBJR DT 6.2/KRII DT 11.9) is televising all UMD home games, including Thursday's season opener. KBJR-TV 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 COACH: Curt Wiese is in his fifth season of head coaching duty with the Bulldogs, having guided them to a 44-9 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 upped their home winning streak to a school-record 22 games, 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 league 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 106-16) and winning percentage (.869) 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 one of 10 head coaches nationwide who are honorary coach nominees for the 2016 Allstate Insurance and American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team.

    WIESE BY THE NUMBERS
    Record at UMD (Year):  44-9 (5th)
    Overall Coaching Record (Year): 53-20 (7th)
    Career NSIC Record: 40-6
    Career UMD Home Record: 23-2
    Career UMD Road Record: 21-7
    vs. Minnesota State: 0-3

THE RIVALRY: The Bulldogs and Mavericks will do battle for the 38th time Thursday night. UMD holds a 20-16-1 lead in the all-time series, which began in Duluth on Sept. 30, 1932 (the Bulldogs' third year of intercollegiate football), but has lost three straight to its long-time intrastate nemesis. The two clubs last met in the 2015 season opener in Mankato, where the then-No. 3 Bulldogs fell to top-ranked Minnesota State 20-17 after jumping out to a 17-0 second-quarter lead. UMD was held to just 44 yards of total offense in the second half by a Maverick club that scored the go-ahead touchdown with 7:21 remaining in the fourth quarter.

LAST WEEK: In its first road test of the young 2017 season, UMD finished with a flurry by scoring 16 unanswered fourth-quarter points on its way to a 33-21 triumph over Upper Iowa University on Saturday. Redshirt freshman running back Austin Sylvester rushed for one touchdown and was on the receiving end of another score for UMD, which outgained the Peacocks in virtually every offensive statistical categoryincluding total yards (447 to 329), rushing yards (249-144), passing yards (198to 185), first downs (24 to 12) and perhaps most impressive, time of possession (40:49 to 19:11)  Sophomore quarterback Ben Everhart, who came on in relief in the third quarter after both starter Mike Rybarczyk and John Larson were sidelined with injuries, put UMD on top for good with an 11-yard touchdown run 1:11 into the final quarter of play. Junior running back Anthony Wood, a transfer Fullerton (Calif.) College, picked up a team-leading 82 of UMD's 249 rushing yards on 13 carries. UMD used what is believed to be a program first four different individuals at quarterback (senior Nate Ricci was the other) and that quartet combined to complete 12 of 26 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Dan Branger added a pair of fields goals (his first two as a collegian) in the victory -- UMD's seventh in seven lifetime outings with Upper Iowa.

That same afternoon, the University of Minnesota Crookston jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead on a 12-yard fumble recovery nine seconds after the opening kickoff, but it was all Minnesota State after that. The Mavericks. making their 2017 home debut, rolled up 661 yards of total offense and flattened the Golden Eagles 56-19. Quarterback Ryan Schlichte threw for 172 yards and  two touchdowns, while tailback Ian Pribyl ran 10 times for  a game-high 133 yards. Adding even more fuel to the fire was Minnesota State junior placekicker Casey Bednarski, the reigning NSIC Special Team Player of the Week who connected on four-of-four field goals, including a NSIC record 63-yarder.

HOW THE NSIC COACHES SEE THINGS: In the annual NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Bulldogs were tabbed as the North Division favorite (for the 10 straight year), but for only the fourth time in the last 10 seasons, they were not picked as the team to beat in the overall standings. That distinction went to Minnesota State University-Mankato, which garnered four first-place votes and 213 points. UMD was right on the Mavericks' heels (a league-best seven first-place votes and 209 points) followed by Bemidji State University (two first-place votes and 184 points), Augustana University (one first-place vote and 172 points), defending NSIC champion University of Sioux Falls (the remaining one first-place vote and 171 points), Winona State University (165 points), Minnesota State University-Moorhead (137 points) and Southwest Minnesota State University (129 points).

PULLING RANK: This Saturday will mark the sixth straight time UMD and Minnesota State will meet with at least one of the two rivals ranked in the AFCA II Top 25 Poll for that particular week. The higher ranked club, incidentally, has prevailed in each of the last five matchups:    
 

Year	UMD	MSU	Result
2017	No. 20	No. 8	??
2015	No. 3	No. 1	20-17, MSU
2014	No. 2	No. 1	44-17, MSU
2013	No. 7	No. 2	21-17, MSU
2011	No. 10	NR	31-19, UMD
2010	No. 1	NR	45-21, UMD

  
CREAM OF THE CROP: Since the start of the 2008 season, UMD and Minnesota State have generated the second- and third-best winning percentages, respectively, in the country with .869 and .814 marks. In addition, the two schools have combined to make 14 NCAA II playoff appearances over that stretch, advancing to the title game three times (the Bulldogs won it all in both 2008 and 2010 while the Mavericks were national runnerups in 2014). As far as the NSIC is concerned, there is no question who the two big cats have been considering that with the exception of last season, UMD (6) and Minnesota State (4) have won at least a share of all 10 overall league championships the past decade.

MALOSKY MOJO: This is the 52nd season UMD will call James. S. Malosky home and the Bulldogs have certainly used the venerable on-campus facility to their advantage, amassing a 200-55-4 lifetime record there. Visiting teams have found the sledding particularly tough in recent times as the Bulldogs are a sizzling 55-5 going back to the 2008 opener (with two of those five defeats coming in the NCAA II playoffs).

MALOSKY MOJO II: UMD is an eye-popping 62-2 versus NSIC competition (league games and NCAA II playoff outings) in Duluth since Oct. 21, 2000. Those two losses were inflicted by Minnesota State-Mankato (21-17) on Sept. 21, 2013 and by Sioux Falls (26-7) in the 2017 season opener that squashed the Bulldogs' school-record 22-game home winning streak.    

POPPING IT LOOSE: Senior free safety Kegan Wirtz has forced a NCAA II-leading three fumbles this season, all of which came at the expense of Sioux Falls two weeks ago. UMD tied for the NCAA II lead in fumbles last fall with 17 and have three (all against Sioux Falls) in 2017.

GROUND AND POUND: 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 22 of the past 23 games with the 2017 opener against Sioux Falls (when UMD managed negative-16 yards of rushing offense  -- aided by eight Sioux Falls quarterback sacks --marking the first time UMD had finished in the red for ground yardage since Nov. 12, 2005 at the University of North Dakota in the NCAA II playoffs ) being the exception.

GETTING HIS KICKS: Sophomore Cameron Hausman has already punted 15 this year after he -- and two other Bulldogs -- registered 33 punts during the entire 12-game 2017 season.

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 eighth nationally in that department (35:59).

QUITE THE CATCH: Senior wide out/return specialist Nate Ricci, a 2016 All-NSIC North Division first team honoree who hauled in the sixth-most passes (61) for the fourth-most receiving yards (1,047) in program history last fall, now ranks 10th on the UMD career reception charts with 103.  Ricci has registered at least one catch in 14 consecutive games (the longest such streak on the club) starting with the 2016 season opener. In his last outing before that, the 2015 Mineral Water Bowl against Fort Hays State University, he was used at quarterback in place of the injured Drew Bauer.

BULLDOG BITS:  Curt Wiese has won 44 of 53 games since taking over the Bulldog program four-plus seasons ago. Only two other NCAA II head coaches -- Colorado State University-Pueblo's John Wristen and Shepherd University's Monte Cater (both with 46) -- have accumulated more victories during that the time period. Of Wiese's nine lifetime losses, six have come against members of the NSIC South Division, including three at the hands of Minnesota State.

• Junior Matt Juneau, who relocated from right tackle to left tackle on the UMD offensive front this season, has cracked the starting lineup in 22 consecutive games--the longest ironman streak of any 2017 Bulldog. Senior outside linebacker Zach Bassuener is next with 18.

• Cornerback Justic'e King, who is the lone true UMD freshman to see playing time so far in 2017, has been credited with five total tackles.

• Five 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 (two, both last season), sophomore strong safety Bill Atkins (two, both last fall) and sophomore cornerback  Bishop McDonald (one in 2016 and the club's lone pick this year).

• The 195 yards of total offense Sioux Falls mustered in the season opener was the second lowest output by a Bulldog opponent since the 2015 season finale, and exceeded only by Minot State University's 181-yard effort on Oct. 8, 2016.
 
• The Bulldogs haven't been blanked by a NSIC foe at Malosky Stadium since MSU-Moorhead turned the trick (29-0) back on Oct. 31, 1981. The last visiting team of any kind to hold UMD scoreless was St. Cloud State (28-0 in a North Central Conference clash on Nov. 6, 2004).

• Since the 2008 season opener, only one NCAA II team in the country has racked up more victories (106) and posted a higher winning percentage (.869) 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 32 games, having not lost since falling 25-21 to host UMD in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA II playoffs (Nov. 22).

WELCOME BACK BOYS: Celebrating their 30th reunion, various members of the 1987 Bulldogs will be honored between the first and second quarters Saturday night. In addition to posting a league-leading 5-1 Northern Intercollegiate Conference record on the field of play, that club set some 21 school records  and ranked in the top 10 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. It produced seven All-NIC first team selection, including two future UMD Athletic Hall of Famers. One of those, lineman Dave Viaene, became the first and only Bulldog to date to play in the prestigious East-West Shrine Game that winter, before  going on to play  21 games in the National Football League with the New England Patriots (1989-91) and Green Bay Packers (1992).
 
ON DECK: UMD will take its show on the road for a Sept. 23 confrontation with Wayne State -- the Bulldogs' last NSIC South Division foe of 2017.