UMD Football Heads to Minot State

NSO NEWS RELEASE

The University of Minnesota Duluth football team will trek on with its Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule on Saturday when its faces Minot State University at the First Western Bank Field at Herb Parker Stadium in Minot, ND. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

STATISTICALLY SUPERIOR: As a team, the Bulldogs are one of the most statistically sound teams in the NSIC.

The Bulldogs own the league’s stingiest defense, allowing a league-low 15.3 points a game, which also doubles as the 15th best scoring defense in all of the NCAA.

On the other side of the ball, UMD’s offense sits second in the NSIC with a 37.9 points per game average, which ranks it 18th in the NCAA for scoring offense.

TO RUSH OR NOT TO RUSH: The Bulldogs sit atop of the NSIC and high in the NCAA with both their rushing offense and rushing defense.

On offense, UMD sits first in the conference and fourth in the NCAA with an average of 261.4 yards a game on the ground and a total of 1,830 with 15 touchdowns. In 277 attemots UMD is averaging 6.6 yards per carry.

Defensively, the Bulldogs are allowing just 84.1 yards game and just 3.1 yards in 191 attempts. That puts UMD 15th in the NCAA and first in the NSIC.

SACK ATTACK: The Bulldogs rank sixth in the NCAA in sacks, averaging 3.43 sacks a game. UMD also sits 19th for tackles for loss, with 8.0 yard a game. In all, UMD has had 24 sacks in seven 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 three games ago, ranks ninth in the country with a 1.00 sack 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

SHUT IT DOWN: The Bulldogs shut out UMary last weekend 46-0, the second time this season that UMD has held an opponent scoreless.

It also marks the first time since the 2017 season that the Bulldogs have posted two or more cleansheets in a season. In 2017, UMD held three-straight teams without a point — Northern State (41-0), Minot State (37-0) and Bemidji State (17-0).

In fact, over the past 20 years, UMD has posted two shutouts or more in season just four times — in addtion to this season and 2017, in 2009 (2) and 2003 (2).

SECOND HALF STALEMATE: UMD’s defense has allowed second half points in only three of the seven games they’ve played this season.

The Bulldogs are giving up an average of just 6.71 points a game in the second half. In the third quarter alone, UMD has allowed just 2.4 points a game, while in the fourth, just 6.7.

POINT TAKEN (EARLY): The Bulldogs continue to score early through six games, averaging 24.7 points before halftime. UMD is averaging 12.1 points in the first quarter, and 12.5 in the seocnd quarter.

Overall, the Bulldogs have the third-best scoring offense in the NSIC, averaging 37.9 points per game.

WITNESSING WALLJASPER: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kyle Walljasper threw for three and ran one touchdown for a total of four last weekend — in the just first half. Walljasper ran his season total through seven games to 26. Those 26 TDs now rank Walljasper 7th all-time for total touchdowns in a season. Walljapser has thrown for 15 TDs and run for 11 so far this season and has racked up 158 total points 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 948 passing yards and 692 rushing yds, Walljasper sits at 1,640 total yards of offense through seven games in 2023.

A RUSH TO THE TOP: Kyle Walljasper has run for 11 touchdowns through the first seven games — tying his total output for last season (11).

Walljasper ranks fifth in the nation with a 7.06 yards per carry and seventh in rushing TDs (11).

Other categories where Walljasper currently ranks in the top-15 in the NCAA:

4th -Total Points Responsible For (158)

4th – Points Responsible for per Game (22.6)

5th – Rush Yards per Carry (7.06)

13th – Rushing Yards (692)

12th – Scoring per game (9.4)

9th – Total Points Scored (66)

HAVE LEGS, WILL RUN: UMD’s offense is averaging 261.4 rushing yards a game — the fourth most yards a game in the NCAA and most in the NSIC.

TOUCHDOWN TIGHT END: Redshirt senior tight end Sam Pitz ranks 4th in the NSIC with seven touchdown receptions and one two-point conversion. Pitz has 20 receptions overall and is averaging 15.3 yards per catch.

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

6th — Team Sacks (3.43)

19th — Team Tackles for Loss (8.0)

15th — Rushing Defense (84.1)

12th — 3rd Down Conversion Pct (.500)

6th — Net Punting (39.72)

16th — Winning Percentage (.857)

TURN IN THE TACKLES: Seven players have record 20 or more tackles so far this season, including four that have registered 26 or more.

Redshirt linebacker Andrew Klopp leads UMD with 29 tackes (19 solo), while fifth-year defensive back Marcus Glodowski has 28 (21 solo). Junior linebacker Mac Strand has 27 total to pair with a team-best 23 solo efforts, while graduate defensive back Tim Pokornowski has 26 tackles (22 solo).

THE MATCHUP: The Bulldogs and Beavers have met 10 times since their first meeting in 2012, and UMD owns a spotless record against MSU. All-time, the Bulldogs are 10-0 against the Beavers and are averaging 40.8 points per game against MSU over those 10 games on 449 total points. Last season, UMD dialed up a big win in Malosky against the Beavers, a 51-7 triumph on Oct. 29, 2022.

Last year, UMD scored 30 points in the opening half to cruise to its 51-7 victory — the second most points the Bulldogs put up last season.

Kyle Walljasper ran in the game’s first TD from 13 yards at 5:25 of the first quarter, and then Zach Ojile added a three yd TD just under three minutes later. Ojile caught a 4-yd pass from Walljasper at 9:32 of the second frame, and Armani Carmickle caught a touchdown pass from Walljasper 12 seconds before halftime to take a 30-0 lead.

Carmickle opened the third quarter with a 76 yd touchdown pass from Walljasper, the lone UMD score of the third. Cameron Miller had a 11 yard run at 10:19 of the fourth quarter and just under three minutes later, quarterback Logan Graetz hit Noah Skifton for a 56 yd TD to round out the offensive onslaught.

Zach Wallace had a team-high seven tackles, includhing six solo efforts, while Brady Herbst had five. Landon Carter had two sacks to his credit, while UMD as a whole had six. Carter also had an interception and a 20-yard return on the pick.

LAST TIME OUT: UMD bounced back in a big way Saturday afternoon at Malosky Stadium, offensively overwhelming the University of Mary 46-0 to improve to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in NSIC action.

UMD, which has been aggressively scoring points in the first half all season, did it again Saturday, and it started with one of two Kyle Walljasper to Jimmy Durocher TDs in the half. The first came at 11:46 of the first quarter, a 17-yard toss and the second was from 10 yards out, a scoring connection that has now happened between them four times this season. In between the Walljasper to Durocher TD passes, Walljasper found Sam Pitz on a six-yarder at the 4:44 mark of the first, and Walljasper ran in his own TD from 17 yards, his 11th touchdown on the ground this year at 14:10 of the second frame.

After scoring four touchdowns, UMD’s Curtis Cox hit a season-long 43 yard field goal to close out the first half, and the Bulldogs took a whopping 32-0 lead into halftime.

UMD added to its lead when sophomore quarterback Jacob Eggert found redshirt tight end Nick Ojile at 4:05 of the third quarter for a 2-yard touchdown to make it a 39-0 spread against UMary. The Bulldogs rounded out the scoring with a four-yard TD pass from Eggert to freshman TE Nate Branch, the final points in the 46-0 offensive outing.

While Walljasper threw for three total touchdowns and ran for one in the first half, Eggert tossed for two UMD TDs in the second half. Ben Vallafskey had a team-high 15 carries on the ground for a game-best 117 yards, while Jaylen McKnight averaged a game-high 12.3 per carry overall. In the air, three players caught three receptions – Durocher, Pitz and Ryder Ptterson, who had a game-high 52 yards receiving, including one reception for 33 yards.

On the other side of the ball, Alex Sylvester turned in a team-best four tackles, while Tim Pokornowski picked off his third interception of the season. Five players recorded three tackles, including Ty’Rese Gibson, Ty’Rhae Gibson, Jacob Morgensen, Mac Strand and Ethan Beffert.

NOTES FROM THE UMARY GAME: Pouring on the second most points of the season, UMD torched the Marauders in the air with a season-best five receiving touchdowns. The Bulldogs – who have now scored 40 or more points in a game four times this season – were a perfect 6-of-6 in redzone, scoring six TDs.

–Not to be overlooked, UMD’s defense earned its second shutout of the season en route to holding UMary’s offense to just 88 rushing yards and 88 passing yards for a season-low 176 total yards for a Bulldog opponent.

— UMD is now 16-0 all-time against Mary and a perfect 9-0 in Malosky Stadium. In 16 games against the Marauders, the Bulldogs have socred 766 points for an average of 47.8 points per game average.

–Rookie running back Ben Vallafskey picked a game-high and career-best 117 rushing yards against the Marauders. Freshman TE Nate Branch also scored his first collegiate TD, while rooke WR Ryder Patterson collected his first three UMD receptions on Saturday for a total of 52 yards.

NSIC SEASON NOTABLES:

–Kyle Walljasper — 2nd in rushing TDs (11), 2nd yards per game (98.9), 2nd scoring (19.4 ppg). Walljasper’s 24 points again Sioux Falls on Sept. 16 is tied for the most points in a game so far this season, as well as his four TDs, (and rushing TDs) in the same game ranks is tied for the most touchdowns in a single game.

–DaShaun Ames’ 93-yd return against WSU is tied for the longest in the league this season.

–Drew Hennessey, 1st Sacks (1.00, 7 total). 2nd tackles for loss (1.57)

–Ethan Beffer, 6th, tackles for loss (1.21)

–Tim Pokornowski, 2nd in interceptions (3).

–Curtis Cox ranks 2nd among all kickers with an average of 7.1 points a game, and 2nd in made FGs (7). 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.

–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 MINOT STATE: The Beavers are 1-6 overall and in NSIC play and picked up their first win of the season last Saturday at home against Concordia St. Paul by a score 17-10.

BEAVER PLAYER TO WATCH:

–Myles West, RB, Freshman, 3TDs, averaging 66.8 yards a game and rushed for 125 yardslast weekend against the Bears.

HEAD COACH SHIELDS: Named the 22nd head coach of the Beaver football program in January of 2023, Ian Shields brings more than 20 years of coaching experience with him to the sidelines at Minot State.

Most recently an assistant, analyst, and top advisor to the head coach at UNLV for the last three seasons, Shields spent four years as the head coach at NCAA Division I FCS program Jacksonville University in Florida, two years as the head coach at NCAA Division II Lenoir-Rhyne in North Carolina, and two seasons as head coach at NAIA Eastern Oregon University.

Along with eight seasons as a head coach, Shields has served as offensive coordinator at Army, Cal Poly, Bucknell (Pa,), and Saint Mary’s (Calif.).