UMD's Chase Vogler Honored by NSIC

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference is quite accustomed to handing out weekly football honors to UMD players.

This time, the first offensive award of the season doesn't go to the guy you might expect it to.

Instead of All-American back Isaac Odim, already UMD's all-time leading rusher, the NSIC has honored UMD's starting quarterback.

The information on Chase Vogler's award comes from UMD.

Chase Vogler, who quarterbacked the University of Minnesota Duluth to a rousing 35-10 season-opening victory at Central Washington University this past Saturday, has been chosen the first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Offensive Player of the Week for 2010.

The 6-0, 190-pound sophomore from Inver Grove Heights, Minn., generated a career-high 252 yards of total offense, pacing both teams in rushing with 69 yards on just six carries while connecting on nine of 18 passes for another 183 yards with no interceptions. In addition to running 55 yards for one touchdown, Vogler also hooked up with junior wide receiver D.J. Winfield on an 89-yard scoring strike -- UMD's longest play from scrimmage since the 1999 season.

The win over Central Washington, which had won 17 straight regular season games coming into Saturday's clash, elevated the Bulldogs from fourth to third in this week's American Football Coaches Association Division II Poll. That's ties for the third highest ranking ever bestowed on a UMD club in a AFCA Il poll. (UMD closed out the 2008 season with a national championship and a No. 1 rating and held down the No. 2 spot in the Aug. 31, 2009 poll).

UMD, the two-time defending NSIC champions, will return to action on Sept. 11 when it takes on league rival Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa.

You can, by the way, follow UMD's starting quarterback on Twitter. Vogler last updated after Saturday's win, and he doesn't appear to tweet as often as, say, I do, but he's there!

The Bulldogs are heavy favorites to win a third straight NSIC title.