The University of Minnesota Duluth football team will build on its week one momentum when it travels to Aberdeen, S.D. to face Northern State University Saturday in Dacotah Bank Stadium for a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference showdown. The kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., and can be watched on the NSIC Network or listen to on KDAL 610 AM or 103.9 FM.
ALL IN ON THE OPENER: The Bulldogs continued their history of strong season openers last Thursday, ringing up Northern Michigan University 47-10 in Malosky Stadium. UMD's 47 points ranks as its ninth-most points in a season-opener ever, and marked the most points by a Bulldog squad in an opener since UMD put up 52 in 2019. As a program, the Bulldogs are now an impressive 64-22-4 all-time in season opening games, and head coach Curt Wiese improved to 7-3 over his tenure in openers, including four-straight wins.
WIESE WIN WATCH: UMD head coach Curt Wiese, currently in his 11th season with the Bulldogs and 13th overall as a head coach is just two wins shy of a 100 career wins. All-time, Wiese is 98-32, with a 89-21 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 with the Bulldogs.
WALLJASPER THE EXASPERATER: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kyle Walljasper -- starting in the first season opener of his career -- rushed for two touchdown passes and threw for three for a total of five against NMU. The native of Fond du Lac, Wisc. surpassed his previous career best of four TDs, and his 129 rushing yards bested his previous mark of 123 yds, set just last season against Mary on Oct. 8, 2022.
Walljasper averaged 70.5 rushing yards a game in 10 games last season as a redshirt freshman. Last Thursday was the second 100-plus yard rushing game of his young career.
RANKED RIGHT OFF: UMD had one of the best performances in the NCAA last week, and the national rankings reflect it. The Bulldogs had the nation's third-best rushing offense (379 yds), and finished fourth in kickoff returns with a 38 yard average.
The Bulldogs also ranked third in the NCAA with just two penalties, and seventh in both 3rd down conversion percentage (69.2) and net punting (44 yards a punt.)
THE MATCHUP: UMD and Northern State University last faced off in the final game of the 2022 season on Nov. 12, 2022, a 28-7 Bulldog win in Aberdeen, S.D. All-time, UMD owns a 26-13 series lead against the Wolves, and currently own a six-game winning streak against NSU that started back during the 2016 season. Over that six-game winning streak that started seven years ago, the Bulldogs are averaging 40.8 points a game.
Last November, with the temps running in the low 20's at Dacotah Bank Stadium in Aberdeen, then redshirt freshman quarterback Kyle Walljasper ran in a two-yard touchdown three minutes into the first half, and the Bulldogs never looked back. Sam Pitz caught a 17 yard pass from Wade Sullivan 32 seconds before the half to put UMD up 14-0, and the Bulldogs added two more TDs in the fourth quarter. Walljasper ran another touchdown in from 1-yard out 36 seconds into the fourth, and followed it up with a nine-yard toss to Sullivan in the end zone with 5:54 remaining to go up 28-0 on NSU, who finally got on the board with 57 seconds left in regulation to make it a 28-7 final.
The Bulldogs had 321 yards of total offense against the Wolves, who had 258, including 189 in the air. UMD had 182 rushing yards to pair with 139 passing, but it was the Bulldog defense that shutdown NSU's third down conversions -- the Wolves went just 4-of-11 on their third downs and 1-of-3 on fourth downs. The Bulldogs, a perfect 4-of-4 in the red zone that day, held NSU to just one unsuccessful redzone try in the entire game.
LAST TIME OUT: UMD went right to work on the 2023 season last week against Northern Michigan University, securing a 47-10 win -- the most points the Bulldogs had ever produced against a Wildcat side.
Behind the superb play of redshirt sophomore quarterback Kyle Walljasper, who both threw and passed for a career-high five touchdowns while rushing for a career-best 129 yards, the Bulldogs UMD compiled a total of 492 yards on offense, including 354 on the ground.
UMD welcomed NMU's first head-to-head showdown in over 25 years with 20 unanswered first quarter points, including a 24-yard quarterback sneak by Walljasper less than four minutes into the first quarter. The Bulldogs went to the air for their next touchdown at 2:40, a 32-yard toss to redshirt senior Sam Pitz to stretch UMD's lead to 13-0 after a two-point conversion was stopped.
Sophomore running back Jaylen McKnight punched in his first career TD from three-yards out as the first quarter ran down, and after the first 15 minutes of play, UMD owned a 20-0 lead.
NMU finally got on the board with a field goal at 12:16 of the second quarter, and Wildcat quarterback Mariana Valneti threw a 17 yard pass to Sam Peiffer to cut the Bulldog lead to 10 at 7:57.
But it was all UMD from there, and it started with an interception by senior DB Ty'Rhae Gibson, who reeled in a overthrown Wildcat throw on NMU's seven yard line. The pick set up another quarterback keeper from Walljasper – this time for 15-yards.
Walljasper (who had 129 rushing yards and 64 passing yards at halftime) went to the air for his second passing touchdown just six seconds before the second quarter expired, a one-yard dart to the back corner of the end zone to redshirt sophomore DaShaun Ames – his first as a Bulldog. Cox added the extra point to make it a 34-10 UMD advantage into the locker room.
UMD's defense picked up its own touchdown early in the third quarter when Ty'Rhae Gibson's twin brother, Ty'Rese Gibson, pulled in his own pick-six, a 62-yard touchdown to bolster the Bulldogs into a 40-10 lead.
Redshirt freshman Nick Ojile notched his first career TD at the 6:14 mark of the third, pulling in a pass up the middle in traffic from Walljasper for 10 yards. Ojile's reception, along with Cox's extra point, pushed UMD ahead of the Wildcats 47-10, the same score that would stand for the final.
NOTES FROM THE NMU GAME: With the win Thursday, UMD picked up just its second win ever against the Wildcats, improving to 2-11 in a series that largely happened in the 1980's. It also marked the first time the Bulldogs faced a non-conference opponent in a non-conference regular season game since Aug 28, 2010 -- a 35-10 win over Central Washington.
--In all, four UMD players earned their first collegiate touchdowns – Jaylen McKnight, DaShaun Ames, Nick Ojile and Ty'Rese Gibson. It was the third-ever career interception for Gibson, who had two at the University of Mary during the 2021 season.
--Kyle Walljasper's 129 rushing yards displaces Cameron Miller as the last Bulldog player to run for 100 or more yards in a game. Miller ran for 117 against Minot State last season on Oct. 29, 2022. It also marks the second most yards run by any player in a single game since Cazz Martin ran for 191 games against Northern State on Sept. 25, 2021.
--Gibson's interception for a touchdown is the first by a UMD player since Harrison Kielar posted a 24-yard pick-six against Concordia St. Paul on Oct. 15, 2022.
--UMD went a perfect 3-of-3 in the red-zone.
NOTES ON NORTHERN STATE: The Wolves (0-1,0-1) dropped their home opener in Aberdeen to Bemidji State University last Thursday by a score of 49-13.
Despite recording a game-high 306 yards in the air, NSU's quarterbacks threw four interceptions in the loss and suffered three sacks. Starting QB Anthony Vespo had a touchdown and interception, while Colton Hackel recorded a TD but threw three picks. BSU held the Wolves to just five successful third down attempts in 18 tries.
Graduate senior wide receiver DeWaylon Ingram hauled in both of NSU's touchdowns against the Beavers, including the Wolves first TD of the season on a 59 reception. Ingram put up 190 yards in the game for NSU.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ingram missed last season, but averaged 105.5 yards a game in 2021 for the Wolves after recording 1,161 in 11 games played and added a team-best 14 touchdowns that season.
Graduate senior defensive linebacker Ian Marshall returns to the Wolves defense after leading the NSIC in both sacks per game (1.27) and 13 solo efforts. Marshall also lead the conference in tackles for loss, averaging 2.23 yardson 24.5 tackles, including 21 solo takedowns -- also an NSIC high.
LAST SEASON: The Wolves went 6-5 overall last season and averaged 25.7 points per game while holding their opponents to 17.5.
That 17.5 points a game was a NSIC low in 2022, and NSU allowed a conference fewest 26 touchdowns against in 11 games. By comparison, the Bulldogs allowed the second fewest TD against them last season -- 28 in 11 games.
HEAD COACH MIKE SCHMIDT: Mike Schmidt is in his fourth season with the Wolves where he is 13-10 overall and 0-2 against the Bulldogs.
