The No. 10 (AFCA) and No. 8 (D2Football.com) ranked University of Minnesota Duluth football team heads back on the road for the first time since week four, traveling to face the Northern State University Wolves. This will mark the sixth Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) matchup of the 2025 season and is set for kickoff at 6:00 p.m. inside Dacotah Bank Stadium in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

NATIONAL RANK AND FILE: This past Monday, the Bulldogs moved to No. 10 in the American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) national rankings, which is their highest ranking since the 2018 season where the team enjoyed a perfect 11-0 regular season record (one of Head Coach Wiese's two perfect seasons) and topped out at No. 6 in the regular season polls with a NCAA Tournament playoff appearance. UMD also moved up in the D2Football.com rankings to No. 8, which is the team's highest since the 2019 season.

When they entered the rankings, it marked the first time the team was ranked by the AFCA since week one of the poll last season, where they ranked No. 19.

OPENING STRONG: The Bulldogs improved their historically strong dominance of season openers to a staggering 66-22-4 all-time record with an impressive 9-3 record under Curt Wiese (six straight since 2018).

Notably, in Luke Dehnicke's breakout performance as a redshirt freshman tight end, he climbed his way to 152 receiving yards to knock out Jason Balt's 2017 performance from the program's 150-yard receiving last time list.

LEAGUE LEADERS: With six weeks under each NSIC team's belt, UMD currently leads the conference in overall team scoring offense (averaging 39.7 points per game), rank second in scoring defense (only allowing an average of 14.5 points per game), hold second in total defense (allowing 324.2 yards avg/g), are second in rushing defense (allowing 75.8 yds avg/g), rank first in offensive efficiency (175.3), hold first in kickoff returns (26.7 avg), holds second in punting (38.4 net/p),  are the first best in interceptions (336 yds), opponent first down defense (16.5 avg/g), second in opponent fourth down conversions (30.8%), and fourth down conversions (85.7%). They are also currently the second least penalized team with an average of 34 yards lost per game and rank first in redzone defense (63.6%).

The team holds multiple NSIC bests in game highs including:
–Points scored (61 against CSP and 63 against SMSU)
–Touchdowns (9 against CSP and SMSU)
–Third best in offensive yards (7.9 avg against CSP)
–The top two games in passing yards (12.9 avg at Winona, 12.7 avg at CSP)
–Tied for first on the longest field goal (52 yards, Drew Henson)
–The longest interception return (82 yards, Brock Unger)
–One of three teams with a kick return touchdown (UMD, Northern State, and Sioux Falls)
–Holds the first and second best interceptions (63 yards by Luke Humbert against CSP and 61 yards by Brock Unger against Winona).

Individually, Kyle Walljasper ranks fourth in passing yards (199.5 avg/g) and tied for fourth in scoring (42 points).
Luke Dehnicke holds third in receiving yards (89 avg/g). Jonathan Shrum is first in kick returns (32.7.0 avg)

On the defensive side, Mojo Weerts is second in sacks (4) and Brock Unger leads the NSIC in total interception yardage (166) with a tie for second in total interceptions (3).

NCAA LEADERS: Kyle Walljasper currently ranks sixth in completion percentage with an average of 71% and fifth in passing efficiency (179.2). He also ranks seventh in yards per pass attempt (9.89).

Dehnicke ranks eighth in receiving yards (534) while Jonathan Shrum ranks teeth in kickoff returns (34.0).

The team ranks third in the NCAA in fewest penalty yards per game (34), fifth in fourth down conversions (86%), third in completion percentage (71%), second in defensive touchdowns (3), second in passes intercepted (12), and tied for second in punt return defense (0.0).

THE MATCHUP: This matchup marks the 41st historic meeting between the two programs. The Bulldogs maintain a dominant 29-12 all-time record since 1980. The Bulldogs have earned an 8-2 record in the last ten games and have averaged 37.17 points per game. In the last ten games in Aberdeen, UMD is 8-2, with the two most recent games from 2022-23 both being colossal victories (2022 28-7, 2023 41-21).

MORE ON THE WOLVES: NSU has started the season 3-2 overall, losing to Sioux Falls University in week one (28-42) and Bemidji State University last week (21-24). Both losses, the Wolves combined for just 13 of 27 third-down conversion attempts (48%).

The two sides last battled last season in James S. Malosky Stadium in suffering a 24-21 loss by the Wolves. A fourteen-point effort to UMD's seven in the second quarter, combined with a determined ten points in the fourth quarter, helped hold off a fourteen-point comeback attempt from the Bulldogs. 

NSU currently is the No. 1 total offense leader in the NSIC with an average of 452.8 yards per game. They also hold the No. 3 slot in total defense, only allowing an average of 337 yards per game. 

The Wolves' offense is led by senior quarterback Daniel Britt, who threw for 260 yards (15 for 20 attempts), one touchdown, and 35 rushing yards last game. He is backed up by the third-best NSIC rusher, redshirt senior Wyatt Block, who has 454 yards rushing this season with three touchdowns. Last week, he ran for over 100 yards (108) against Bemijdi State. The top targets this season are Zach Kroft (205 yds), Jacoby Boykins (198 yds), and DJ Smith (182 yds).

On the defensive side, NSU has multiple NSIC leaders, including Jake Adams (tackles, 63), Gabe Gutierrez (tackles for loss 1.8 avg/g and sacks 7).

LAST MATCHUP: The Wolves scored 14 straight points in the second, including an 80 yard drive that ended in a 33 yard passing touchdown. Down  two scores with just over one minute in the half, the Bulldogs drove 73 yards down field and found themselves on the board with a 17-yard passing touchdown from Kyle Walljasper to DaShaun Ames, their seventh connection of the season to cut NSU's lead down the middle before half.
 
After a scoreless third quarter, the Wolves took a 21-7 lead on a 12-yard rushing touchdown. Another pair of drives ended in a punt before the offense of the Bulldogs rallied high gear. A 73-yard drive from UMD was capped off by a one-yard rushing touchdown from Walljasper, moving UMD back within one touchdown. The Bulldogs were quick to regain possession after UMD's defense collected a huge stop on fourth down. This time, Derrick Johnson closed out a 44-yard drive with a one yard rush up the middle. 
 
With the game tied at 21-21 with just two and a half minutes left to go, the Bulldogs were unable to touch the ball again as the Wolves drove down field for the game-ending field goal.
 
The Bulldog offense was led by Walljasper, who went 9-14 with 115 yards and a touchdown through the air. The quarterback also led all Bulldog rushers with 145 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Daniel Mitchell added 24 yards on the ground, averaging 6-yards per carry, and Ames pulled in four catches for 39 yards and one score.

Jonathan Shrum led the Bulldogs' defensive effort with a 0.5 TFL and one interception. Jarrett Bennett led the Bulldogs with 10 tackles and Drew Hennessey tallied one pass breakup.

NOTES ON THE SMSU GAME: First 6-0 start since 2018, which ended in an NCAA Playoff appearance… first time scoring 63 points since 2019 against Minnesota Crookston… Menzel earned his first 100+ yard receiving game in his career.

LAST TIME OUT: The offense combined for the team's best scoring effort since 2019 for an identical 63 points. In another great outing for the redshirt senior quarterback Kyle Walljasper, he improved to the fifth slot in the program's career passing yards with 5,560 yards to beat John Larson's 5,308 yards. He threw four touchdowns with his longest at 75 yards for a total of 278 yards. He earned an 85.7% completion rate with 18 completions and 21 attempts. Peyton Menzel had a breakout performance, leading the receiving effort with two touchdowns and a total of 106 yards, while Luke Dehnicke followed with two touchdowns and 92 yards.

The defense earned three interceptions throughout the day between Joey Krouse (39-yard interception return), Alex Sylvester, and Jayce Walrath. They also got to the Mustang's quarterback four times with Gus Taylor earning two for a loss of nine yards, Brysen McLeod earning one for eight yards, and Ross Rivord downing one for three yards. Jonathan Shrum led tackles with four total (three solo and one assisted).

SMSU got on the board first with a 75-yard touchdown in the first drive of the game. The Bulldogs didn't wait long to tie it up as Walljasper and the offense drove down the field on six plays for 57 yards, culminating in a 16-yard pass to Nick Ojile for their first touchdown.

The UMD defense locked down the Mustangs to 18 yards on the next drive to allow Walljasper to connect with Peyton Menzel for a 75-yard touchdown pass to get over the top 14-7.

Both offenses sputtered on the next two drives until a fumble recovery by Joey Krouse gave the offense perfect positioning on the SMSU 17-yard line. It took six plays, but O'Malley powered a fourth-down one-yard rush over the goal line to help force a 21-7 lead with a kick from Drew Henson.

Continuing the trend, SMSU would fail on its next drive after an intercepted pass by Walrath to end the drive in the second quarter and start the offense at the UMD 41-yard line. The next drive went the distance with a steady drive in 12 plays, ending in Walljasper passing to Dehnicke for a five-yard touchdown.

With the lead firmly in UMD's favor at 28-7, the defense continued to lock down SMSU, forcing another failed drive, including a sack of eight yards by McLeod. Ojile would make an error to end the next drive with a lost fumble. The defense again dominated with an interception by Sylvester to help hold off the Mustangs at the UMD 25-yard line.

With four minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Bulldog offense scored once more on a 49-yard pass to Dehnicke in stride for his second touchdown of the day to mark a 34-7 halftime lead over SMSU.

Jacob Eggert relieved Walljasper at the start of the third quarter, proceeding to pick up where he left off, driving for a touchdown on the first drive. Eggert handed it off to Allen Pearson Jr. to force in a one-yard rushing touchdown for a 41-7 lead.

On the first pass of the Mustang drive, Crowton was picked off by Krouse for a 39-yard touchdown return. The UMD defense let up on the next drive, allowing SMSU to cut the lead to 35 points.

The next Bulldog drive went into the fourth quarter with Menzel grabbing his second touchdown of the day on a five-yard pass from Eggert. With the score in UMD's favor, the Mustangs found room for a 35-yard touchdown to cut the game to 56-21. SMSU would score one more time after Austin Randall subbed in for Eggert to lead the way on a 50-yard rushing touchdown for his first in his career to seal the game at 63-28.

THESE ARE YOUR CAPTAINS SPEAKING: UMD has four captains this season, including three redshirt seniors, DaShaun Ames, Kyle Walljasper, and Alex Sylvester, along with senior Mojo Weerts.

SECOND WINNINGEST UMD FOOTBALL COACH: Curt Wiese enters his 13th season at the helm of UMD (15th career season). Wiese commands a dominant 106-27 record with an impressive two perfect 11-0 seasons, seven NSIC North Division titles, two NSIC championship victories, and two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II playoff appearances. Last season, he earned his way to becoming the second-winningest coach in UMD football history behind Hall of Fame coach Jim Malosky.

WALLJASPER EYEING TOP-10: Walljasper currently ranks fifth in career passing yards (5,558 yards) and fifth in career total offense (8,448 yards ranking behind Ricky Fritz with 9,926). Last season, he earned the 10th spot in single-season total offense (2,685 yards).

Currently, Walljasper broke into the top 10 career rushing yards with 2,856, breaking Amory Bodin's No. 10 spot of 2,782 yards. This makes him one of three Bulldog quarterbacks in the category. He now trails Cory Veech with 2,904 yards.

FAMILIAR PERFORMANCES: Walljasper had a over 100 yard rushing day with a gain of 162 yards on 19 attempts. He rushed for one touchdown and threw for one to account 12 points of the 21-point day. 

THREE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Five weeks ago, Jonathan Shrum earned UMD's first 2025 NSIC Player of the Week selection off of his Special Teams performance against CSP, with his 90-yard kick return touchdown (Totaled 111 kick return yards).

Four weeks ago, Jadon Apgar earned his first-ever weekly award for special teams as a freshman kicker after helping lift a 17-14 victory over the then-ranked No. 7 Minnesota State. He went three for three in field goals in a match that was decided by his kick in the final second of the game.

And last week, Drew Henson earned his first career special teams weekly award after sending two long field goals in to help the team lift a 28-14 win over the Minnesota State University Moorhead. He nearly met the UMD program record (57 yards) for the longest field goal with his kick of 52 yards. On top of that, he nailed a 40-yard field goal and two extra points for a total of eight points of the Bulldogs' 28-point day. He also kept the Dragons' offense pinned with four punts that averaged 39.5 yards each and set them behind the 20-yard line twice. In total, he punted 158 yards in his best performance in his career.