The University of Minnesota Duluth football team will hit the gridiron this Saturday against the University of Mary for a 12:00 p.m. Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game at James S. Malosky Stadium. The Bulldogs will enter the weekend 5-1, 4-1 in NSIC action, while the Marauders are winless at 0-6 overall and in league play so far this season.

SACK ATTACK: The Bulldogs rank fifth in the NCAA in sacks, averaging 3.38 sacks a game. UMD also sits 17th for tackles for loss, with 8.3 yard a game. In all, UMD has had 23 sacks in six games so far this season.

Twice this season the Bulldogs have turned in  eight sacks in a game -- both game-highs for the NSIC this season.

HENNESSEY TRACKS SINGLE-SEASON SACK TOP-10 LIST: Drew Hennessey, who had 3.5 sacks for a league-high against WSU two games ago, ranks fifth in the country with a 1.17 sacks per game average -- which also leads the NSIC. Hennessey has seven sacks so far on the season, which already surpasses his 2022 career-high mark of six. Hennessey's 3.5 sacks against the Warriors was also a single-game best by the redshirt senior.

Hennessey is now just two sacks shy of cracking into the single-season sacks top-10 list. The last Bulldog to crack into that top-10 list? Former linebacker Nate Pearson, who registered nine sacks in both 2021 and 2019

LET'S GET DEFENSIVE: Overall, UMD's defense has been dominate, and currently ranks first in the NSIC for total offense given up a game (294.7), and first for rushing defense, with just 96.5 yards an outing.

The Bulldogs sit third in the league on defense, allowing just 17.8 points per game.

SECOND HALF SHUTDOWNS: UMD's defense has allowed second half points in only three of the six games they've played this season.

In fact, the Bulldogs are giving up an average of  just eight points a game in the second half.

POINT TAKEN: The Bulldogs continue to score early through six games, averaging  23.5 points before halftime. UMD is averaging 11.8 points in the first quarter alone.

Overall, the Bulldogs have the third-best scoring offense in the NSIC, averaging 36.5 points per game.

WITNESSING WALLJASPER: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kyle Walljasper ran and threw for two touchdowns last weekend, running his season total through six games to 22.  Those 22 TDs now rank Walljasper 10th all-time for total touchdowns in a season. Walljapser has thrown for 12 TDs and run for 10 so far this season.

Walljasper also cracked another top-10 list earlier this season -- he accumulated 406 yards against Sioux Falls on Sept. 16, including 270 on the ground and 136 in the air, the 10th most total yards amassed by a Bulldog in a single game ever.

With 852 passing yards and 674 rushing yds, Walljasper sits at 1,526 total yards of offense through six games in 2023.

A RUSH TO THE TOP: Kyle Walljasper has run for 10  touchdowns through the first five games -- just one shy of his total output for last season (11).

Walljasper ranks seventh in the nation with a 7.09 yards per carry and sixth in rushing TDs (10).

Other categories where Walljasper currently ranks in the top-10 in the NCAA:

4th -Total Points Responsible For (134)

4th - Points Responsible for per Game (22.3)

7th - Rush Yards per Carry (7.09)

6th - Rushing Yards (674)

7th - Scoring per game (10.0)

7th - Total Points Scored (60)

Walljasper now has 10 rushing TDs to pair with 12 passing touchdowns for a total of 22 through six games.

HAVE LEGS, WILL RUN: UMD's offense is averaging 250.3 rushing yards a game -- the seventh most yards a game in the NCAA and second most in the NSIC.

TOUCHDOWN TIGHT END: Redshirt senior tight end Sam Pitz ranks 10th in the NSIC with six touchdown receptions and one two-point conversion. Pitz has 17 receptions overall and is averaging 15.7 yards per catch.

BEST OF THE BEST: The Bulldogs rank in the top-20 nationally in the following categories:

15th -- Team Sacks (3.83)

17th -- Team Tackles for Loss (8.3)

 7th -- Rushing Offense (250.3)

19th - 3rd Down Conversion Pct  (0.492)

  9th - Net Punting (39.71)

18th - Winning Percentage (.833)

THE MATCHUP: The Bulldogs and Marauders have met 15 times since their first meeting in 2006, and UMD owns a spotless record against UMary. All-time, the Bulldogs are 15-0 against the Marauders and dialed up one of the biggest margins in program history -- 61 points -- in the 2016 season when UMD defeated UMary 75-14 -- the second most points by a Bulldog team in a single game ever.

The two sides last met in 2022 in Duluth, a 48-14 UMD win on Oct. 8, 2022. The third most points the Bulldogs posted last season, UMD scored five touchdowns on the ground, including   four by then redshirt freshman quarterback Kyle Walljasper. Walljasper, who had a breakout game against UMary, along with the TD output, ran over the Marauders with 123 yards. 

Three players logged interceptions against UMary -- Tim Pokornowski, Gbor Dayvia and  Brumfield Rayshion, while the Bulldogs turned in seven sacks overall.

UMD's offensive avalanche built throughout the game, with the Bulldogs logging just one TD (Wade Sullivan) -- the only points between either side -- in the first quarter. 

Walljasper ran in two touchdowns in the second quarter, and  after UMary got on the board with 43 seconds left in the second quarter, UMD held a 21-7 lead at halftime.

Walljasper tacked on a seven-yd TD in the third quarter for the 28-7 lead, and then Garrett Olson, Walljasper and Noah Skifton all added TDs in the fourth to run the grand total to 49-14.

UMD had a whopping 568 total yards of offense compared to just 207 of UMary. 

LAST TIME OUT: UMD suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, a 28-18 setback to Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action. 

The Bulldogs were held to a season-low two touchdowns, and the second lowest offensive yard output of the season, (337). 

Placekicker Curtis Cox hit a 30 yard field goal at 6:12 of the first quarter, the lone points by either side.  But four seconds into the second quarter, WSC threw a 10-yard TD to make it a 10-3 game.

After a 51-yd run set the Bulldogs up just outside the redzone, a few players later, redshirt sophomore quarterback Kyle Walljasper ran a touchdown in from up the middle from a yard out to retake the 10-7 lead.

Wildcat quarterback Nick Bohn ran in a TD from a yard out a little over three minutes later, and UMD trailed an opponent for the first time all season at halftime by a score of 14-10.

WSC struck again 43 seconds into the third quarter, a 75 yard rushing TD to push its advantage to 21-10, but Walljasper and company answered again with a 28 touchdown down the right side of the field to Jimmy Durocher at 11:49. A Walljasper toss to Sam Pitz secured the two-point conversion, and UMD pulled within three points at 21-18.

The Wildcat defense kept the Bulldogs scoreless, including a goal line stand mid-quarter, before they added a touchdown with 8:20 remaining to hand UMD its first defeat of the season.

NOTES FROM THE WSC GAME: Overall, UMD had 337 total yards of offense to WSC's 353, 265 of which came on the ground for the Bulldogs. Kyle Walljasper led UMD with 126 rushing yards, which doubled as a game-high for either team. Graduate senior running back Chamere Thomas led UMD with three receptions for 20 yards.

--On the defensive side, Andrew Klopp and Marcus Glodowski each recorded eight tackles for the Bulldogs, while Tim Pokornowski had six, including a team-high five solo efforts. 

All-time, the Bulldogs are now 14-3 against the Wildcats, but have lost back-to-back games (2023, 2021).

--UMD entered last Saturday's game averaging 35.7 ppg against WSC over the past 21 years (since 2002) -- the Wildcats held them to 18.

NSIC NOTABLES: UMD leads the league with the fewest offensive yards allowed a game -- 294.7

Other UMD NSIC players/stats in the top-7 -

--UMD ranks first in rushing defense (96.5) and second in rushing offense (250.3)

--Kyle Walljasper -- 2nd in rushing TDs (10), 2nd yards per game (112.3), 2nd scoring (10.0 ppg).

--DaShaun Ames, 2nd, kick returns (34.7), while Ames' 93-yd return against WSU is the longest in the league this season.

--Drew Hennessey, 1st Sacks (1.17, 7 total). 2nd tackles for loss (2.50)

--Ethan Beffer, 7th, tackles for loss (1.25)

--Tim Pokornowski and Marcus Glodowski, 9th interceptions (2). Pokornowski's 95 yard interception against Northern State is the longest this season in the NSIC.

--Curtis Cox ranks 2nd among all kickers with an average of 7.5 points a game, and 4th in made FGs (6). Cox tied a program record for fields goals in a game on Sept. 23 against Southwest Minnesota State by making four field goals, the first UMD kicker to hit four in a game since David Nadeau did it against Bemidji State on Sept. 24, 2011.

-- Logan Kubus, 3rd average punt yardage (42.9 average per punt in 17 attempts)

--The Bulldogs 550 offensive yards against Sioux Falls on Sept. 16 ranks as the biggest haul by any team so far in the NSIC. The Bulldogs averaged 10.0 yds per carry.

REPORTING FOR DUTY: The Bulldogs have five captains for the 2023 season -- graduate seniors Brad Dati, Treyvon Cahalan, Marcus Glodowski, Nathan Bursch and redshirt sophomore Kyle Walljasper.

WIESE HITS 100: Curt Wiese picked up his 100th career victory last in UMD's 42-34 win over Sioux Falls on Sept. 16. All-time, Wiese is 102-32, with a 93-21 record at the helm of the Bulldogs.

Wiese is currently the third all-time winningest coach in UMD program history, and is closing in on the second winningest coach Bob Nielson, who had 100 wins in 10 total seasons.

NOTES ON UMARY: The Marauders are 0-6 this season after they dropped a 17-7 game to Winona State last weekend in Bismarck. 

UMary's game last Saturday against the Warriors was its lowest point total of the season (seven). Jeremiah Moore had a 59 yard run for their Marauders lone TD of the game.

While the Bulldogs enter Saturday contest averaging 35.5 points a game, UMary is averaging just 14.2 points a game. On defense, UMD is allowing just 15.8 points a game -- the Marauders are allowing 35.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:  Sophomore wide receiver Traivon Dyson leads UMary with four touchdowns (24 points), while Kevin Powell has amassed 21 points on 6-of-7 successful field goals.

Two other players have scored two TDS -- redshirt freshman running back Jeremiah Moore, and junior wide receiver Mujeeb Rufai.

On the defensive side Reginald Phillips and Seth Jarrett lead UMary with 30 tackles each. Mason Phillips, who ranks third with 27 tackles, leads the Marauders with three sacks.

HEAD COACH SHANN SCHILLINGER:   UMary introduced former NFL player and Baker, MT, native Shann Schillinger as its new head coach at a press conference, Monday, March 27. 2023. Schillinger, who played at the University of Montana, coached in both the NCAA Division I Big Ten and Big Sky conferences. 

Schillinger is the eighth head coach in program history since the program began in 1988. After a four-year NFL career, Schillinger's full-time coaching career began in 2015 as a special teams and defensive backs assistant for the University of Nebraska. He returned to his alma mater in Montana to coach special teams and safeties from 2016 to 2021 and served as the team's pro scout liaison.