The No. 16 (AFCA) and No. 11 (D2Football.com) University of Minnesota Duluth football team hosts the program's annual Homecoming game against Minnesota State University Moorhead inside James S. Malosky Stadium. This marks the fourth Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) matchup of the season for the Bulldogs after starting 3-0 in conference and 4-0 overall. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m.

2025 HALL OF FAME HONORS: The annual Hall of Fame inductees will be honored between the third and fourth quarter which features nine members including Jheri Booker (women's basketball), Bob Corran (athletic director), Kristi (Duncan) Plante (women's basketball/softball), Chad Erickson (men's hockey), Becky Hoffmann (volleyball), Jason Malec, (baseball), , Liz (Palkie) Kolquist, (Cross Country/Track and Field), Hanne Sikiö (women's hockey), and UMD football's own Isaac Odim.

Isaac Odim played in the 2008-2010 seasons, which included the 2008 and 2010 NCAA Division II National Championships. In his time, he was a 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy Award Finalist and a 2010 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award recipient. In 2009, he was an American Football Coaches Association, D2Football.com, Daktronics, and Dan Hansen Football Gazette First Team All-American. Named the 2009 NSIC Most Valuable Offensive Player, Odim was a three-time NSIC All-Conference selection and holds the program record for rushing yards in a season (1,808) and a career (4,242), along with rushing TDs in a season (29) and career (72). Odim also holds the program record all-purpose yards in a game (354), a season (2,496), and career (5,593). 

OLD GUARD REUNION: The 1960-1968 Old Guard team will be honored between the first and second quarters. They helped obtain and defend a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) title and held five seasons over .500 under hall of fame head coach Jim Malosky. Before UMD moved back to the NSIC, the Old Guard's 1960-61 MIAC titles made up two of the three program's MIAC conference titles.

NATIONAL RANK AND FILE: This past Monday, the Bulldogs remained at No. 16  in the American Football Coaches Association's national rankings for the second straight week, which is their highest ranking since the 2021 season. UMD also remains in the D2Football.com rankings at No. 11.

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 four games under each NSIC team's belt, UMD currently leads the conference in overall team scoring defense (only allowing 45 points in four games), third down conversion defense (28.6%), first down defense (14.8 avg/g), leading in rushing defense (87.5 yds/g) and first in team offensive efficiency (167.5). They are also currently the least penalized team with an average of 25.3 yards lost per game and the top red zone offense.

The team holds multiple NSIC bests in game highs including:
–Points scored (61 against CSP)
–Touchdowns (9 against CSP)
–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)
–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) also marks first and second in average.

NCAA LEADERS: Walljasper currently ranks tenth in passing efficiency with a rating of 174.5. He also ranks eighth in points responsible for (72), seventh in rushing touchdowns (7), and seventh in yards per pass attempt with an average of 10.04.

Dehnicke ranks seventh in receiving yards (398). Jonathan Shrum ranks fourth in kickoff returns (37.0).

The team ranks first in the NCAA in fewest penalty yards per game (25.25), fourth in penalty yards (101), tenth in kickoff return defense (13.69), eighth in passes intercepted (6), sixth in red zone defense (0.429), and eighth in scoring defense (11.3).

THE MATCHUP: This matchup marks the 65th historic meeting between the two programs. The Bulldogs are dominant in the all-time record with a 42-18-4 lead dating back to 1932, the second season of intercollegiate football at UMD. 

Last matchup broke a 24-season-long undefeated streak for the Bulldogs, which was shattered by last season's 29-30 loss. 

MORE ON THE DRAGONS: MSUM currently holds a 3-1 overall record (2-1 NSIC) with wins against Northern Michigan (44-27), Southwest Minnesota State (51-3), and Winona State (45-21). They were dealt their first loss of the season by Wayne State last week in a 27-17 loss. 

As a team, they lead the NSIC in total offense (39.3 avg/g) and passing offense (355.8 avg/g).

Nationally, they are fifth in fewest penalties (14), second in fewest penalties per game (3.50), fourth in fewest penalty yards per game (31.50), seventh in first downs offense (94), eighth in passes intercepted (6), tenth in team passing efficiency (95.62), and fifth in turnovers gained (10).

Helping some of those leading stats is senior quarterback Jack Strand who helped deal UMD's first loss last season. He ranks fourth in the nation for completions per game (26.50), in a tie for first in passing touchdowns (16), tied for first in points responsible for (106), second in points responsible for per game (26.5), second in passing yards (1,311), sixth in passing yards per game (327.8), and seventh in total offense (325.5). He is backed up on the receiving end by Brady Perryman and Gage Florence. Perryman is sixth in the nation in receiving touchdowns (5), with Florence ranking third in receptions per game (9.25)

LAST MATCHUP: Graduate kicker Curtis Cox put the Bulldogs on the board first with a 47-yard field goal 11:37 into the opening quarter. The Dragons responded with their first touchdown of the game with 3:35 left, but it took UMD just 2:23 later on five plays and 80 yards to punch in its first TD of the day. It came in the form of redshirt junior quarterback Kyle Walljasper finding junior DaShaun Ames on a nine yard pass, and after Cox drilled a 25-yard kick at the 11:40 mark of the second quarter – the lone offense for either team in the second quarter – UMD owned a 13-7 lead at half.
 
Midway through the third quarter, MSUM quarterback Jack Strand threw a TD pass to Brady Perryman, but again the Bulldogs responded at the 3:34 mark, a march of 52 yards on 14 plays that took just 1:57 and ended with redshirt sophomore RB Derrick Johnson's three-yard TD catch from Wallpaper to retake the 19-14 lead. Then, after UMD's Jarret Bennett blocked a punt that was recovered by Jacob Mogensen on the Dragon's nine yardline, Cox was able to hit a 40-yd FG to stretch the Bulldog lead to 22-14.
 
Walljasper found Ames for a second TD on the day – and third in two games – at the 6:13 mark of the fourth, a 14-yd connection to make it a 29-14 contest. But the MSUM combination of Strand to Perryman pulled the Dragons within a single score (29-22) with 3:01 remaining
 
Ames ran a 27-yd reverse into the endzone at 1:51, but the TD was erased by a holding penalty. A missed UMD 40-yd field goal with 1:33 left gave the ball back to the Dragons on their 23, and Strand found Luke Imdieke as the fourth quarter expired to draw MSUM within a single point at 29-28. Instead of kicking a field goal and forcing the game into extra time, the Dragons were successful on the two-point conversion for the 30-29 upset – MSUM first win over the Bulldogs in two and half decades.
 
UMD had 485 total yards of offense, while the Dragons recorded 412. The Bulldogs outrushed MSUM 152 to -6, but the Dragons outgunned UMD in the air, putting up 418 yards of offense compared to the 333 yard effort of Walljasper and company.
 
Walljasper's most prolific target in the ballgame was Ames, who caught six passes for 98 yards and two scores. Senior WR Jimmy Durocher hauled in five balls for 80 yards, while the Bulldogs also got 76 receiving yards from redshirt freshman wide receiver Ryder Patterson in the contest. On the ground, UMD's Johnson totaled 51 yards to lead the ground attack in addition to his TD – the first of his collegiate career.
 
On the other side of the ball, redshirt junior DB Zach Wallace recorded his first career interception, and Drew Hennessey added three tackles, 2.5 TFL, and 2.5 sacks in the game.  Hennessey's 2.5 sack effort now puts him just .5 sacks away from UMD's all-time career sack top-10 list. The graduate DB is sitting at 16.5 career sacks, just one out of the 17 needed to crack into the list. The Bulldogs had two players with more than eight tackles in the contest, led by senior DB Jacob Mogensen, who had nine. Redshirt junior DB Alex Sylvester had a team-high six solo tackles and eight overall in the game.
 
The Dragons, led by Strand and his 418 yard,  four touchdown afternoon, are now 1-1 overall and 1-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

NOTES ON THE SIOUX FALLS GAME: First 4-0 start since 2023 (5-0 start)… best rushing day of the season (251 yards, 5 rushing TDs)… won their first game in Sioux Falls (now 1-4 record)… first four drives equaled first four touchdowns… Walljasper enters the program's top ten in career rushing yards (one of three quarterbacks) with 2,784 rushing yards to breakthrough Amory Bodin's 2,782 yards.

LAST TIME OUT: Kyle Walljasper had a colossal day, earning a team high 121 rushing yards (longest 35 yards) and four rushing touchdowns. He also threw for 93 yards while averaging 7.6 yards per carry. Walljasper enters the program's top ten in career rushing yards (one of three quarterbacks) with 2,784 rushing yards to breakthrough Amory Bodin's tenth-place 2,782 yards.

Starting the game, the Bulldog defense set the pace on the first offensive drive of the Cougars, holding them to a negative one-yard gain in three plays on the first drive. With the first UMD offensive drive, Walljasper found an open Luke Dehnicke for a 42-yard gain on the first pass to get to the Cougars' 10-yard line. Walljasper, two plays later, rushed it three yards for the game's first score. With Jadon Apgar's extra point, the Bulldogs eased ahead 7-0 with 12 minutes to go in the first quarter.

Again, the UMD defense shut down the USF drive this time with a first-time career interception from Joey Krouse with a gain of 46 yards. Krouse handed the ball off to Walljasper at the Cougar 27-yard line, where again Walljasper, with help from the offensive line, pushed in a one-yard touchdown for a two-touchdown lead with under three minutes left.

With the Sioux Falls offense sputtering under the pressure of the Bulldog defense, UMD started with possession in the second quarter. The first drive would repeat another successful set of rushes from Walljasper, with one breaking away for a 35-yard gain to get to the USF 15-yard line. A quick 14-yard pass to Dehnicke put Walljasper in position for another one-yard rush for a 21-0 lead.

The Bulldog defense then again stuffed the Cougar offense, holding them to seven yards in six plays. With the ball back in the offense's hands, they again scored but, this time on a short pass to Derrick Johnson to run into the end zone for a 28-0 lead with help from an Apgar extra point. The defense again stopped USF after a 70-yard drive with an interception in the end zone from Jonathan Shrum to stop them five seconds before halftime.

The third quarter began with another scoring drive from the Bulldogs, including another 35-yard breakaway run from Walljasper. This time it would come down to a fourth-down play at the two-yard line, where Walljasper ran to his fourth rushing touchdown of the day.

With UMD firmly ahead at 34-0, the offense would simmer down, not scoring in the final quarter of the game. The Cougars finally found gaps in the suffocating maroon and gold defense to combine for 17 points in the final quarter while shutting down the UMD offense.

In total, the Bulldog defense held the No. 25 Cougars scoreless for three quarters while allowing most of the offensive yards in the fourth quarter for a total of 437 yards (291 passing, 146 rushing).

On the defensive side, Tyrone McCoy marked a team-high eight tackles (six solo, two assisted). Alex Sylvester, Mojo Weerts, and Ross Rivord each earned a sack for a combined loss of 26 yards of Cougar offense. Shrum earned his first interception of the year in the end zone to halt a scoring attempt, while Krouse earned a gain of 46 yards on his first career interception.

Offensively, the team had its most potent rushing outing of the year with 251 yards and five touchdowns run in.
Just behind Walljasper was Johnson, earning a season high of 70 rushing yards and one touchdown. Dehnicke was the top receiver again for four receptions and a gain of 59 yards.

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 sixth in career passing yards (5,094 yards, just behind John Larson with 5,308) and fifth in career total offense (7,912 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 2,784 breaking Amory Bodin's No. 10 spot of 2,782 yards. This makes him one of three Bulldog quarterbacks in the category.

FAMILIAR PERFORMANCES: Ryder Patterson, DaShaun Ames, Derrick Johnson, and Kyle Walljasper all had great outings last season against the Dragons. Ames earned a team-leading 98 yards rushing on 6 receptions (longest 43 yards) with two touchdowns. Johnson netted 53 yards rushing on eight attempts (longest 24 yards) with a receiving touchdown. Patterson earned 76 yards receiving on an impressive three catches with a breakaway run of 49 yards. Walljasper had a great outing with 333 passing yards and three thrown touchdowns but was overshadowed by Dragon's QB Jack Strand's 418 yards.

TWO PLAYERS OF THE WEEK IN TWO WEEKS: Three 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).

Two 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.