It's been 10 years since the University of Minnesota Duluth captured the first of two NCAA Division II national championships and this Saturday night (Sept. 22), that 2008 club be UMD's guests of honor at James S. Malosky Stadium when the Bulldogs and Bemidji State University collide in an Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division showdown.

Under the direction of sixth-year coach Bob Nielson (who was in his second tour of duty with the Bulldogs after having served as the school's full-time athletic director the previous four years), UMD put a huge exclamation mark on a season for the ages by holding off No. 3 Northwest Missouri State University 21-14 in the NCAA II title game to finish with a a perfect 15-0 record -- one of only three NCAA II schools at the time to ever reach that mark. UMD was buoyed by a defensive unit that allowed only four touchdowns during its four-game NCAA II playoff run (against a quartet of Top 12 clubs) and the offensive wizardry of senior All-American quarterback Ted Schlafke, the school's first Harlon Hill Trophy Top 8 Finalist.

In all, the 2008 Bulldogs shattered or equaled some 50 individual and team single-game, single-season and career marks. In addition, some nine different Bulldogs attained some kind of first team All-American honors.

Four current members of the UMD coaching staff were that 2008 team -- head coach Curt Wiese (offensive coordinator), John Steger (defensive coordinator), Peter Lue (offensive line) and Noah Pauley, who is now the Bulldogs offensive coordinator but then a sophomore wide receiver/return specialist.