UMD, Wayne State Ready for Slugfest

You see all sorts of different teams when you get into the playoffs, especially when it's something like Division II football that is quite the regional sport. The farther you get in the playoffs, the more likely that it's an unfamiliar opponent that your team is preparing to face.

Oftentimes, it's someone your team never plays against during the regular season, and may have never played before in history.

Such is the case Saturday at Malosky Stadium, when UMD hosts Wayne State (Mich.) in the NCAA Division II Super Region Three final. The winner advances to play the champion of Super Region One -- either Winston-Salem State or New Haven -- next weekend, likely on the road.

The Bulldogs won on the road Saturday against Colorado State-Pueblo, and it's not the same kind of game they'll get from the Warriors.

CSU-Pueblo was a smaller, very athletic team that liked to get the ball on the perimeter and let the skill guys make plays with yards after the catch. Their defensive front was geared on speed and not necessarily physicality, and UMD had the edge on both sides of the ball with their bigger and more physical players.

Wayne State has athletes, sure, but it's not necessarily the same kind of football team. The Warriors rely more on their size up front, and there is nothing fancy about the running attack they prefer. Running back Josh Renel is under 200 pounds but only 5-9, while Toney Davis -- who ran for over 300 yards in the road win over St. Cloud State that started their playoff run -- is over 200 pounds, thick, and tough to tackle.

WSU employs some big fellas on the offensive line, including two 300-pounders and a couple guys around 295. Right tackle Will Khoury is 284 and the smallest lineman, at least based on their listed weight.

Quarterback Mickey Mohner has only completed 11 passes in two playoff wins, so the Warriors are clearly relying on their rushing attack. Mohner takes good care of the football, with just six picks in 275 pass attempts. He has 22 touchdown passes.

The keys for UMD's defense will be the play of the front seven, which needs to slow the WSU ground assault, and the secondary has to pay attention to wide receiver Troy Burrell, who has 71 of the Warriors' 157 receptions this season, 51 more catches than anyone else on the team and 58 more receptions than any other wide receiver on the roster.

UMD gets wide receiver DJ Winfield back from a one-year suspension, and while I'm willing to bet he'll play, I don't really know how much we'll see him on the field, outside of kickoff and punt returns. Winfield could provide a spark for a passing offense that has generally struggled during the second half of the season, and give Chase Vogler the deep threat the Bulldogs have lacked for weeks.

Outside of that, though, UMD's recipe for success is similar to Wayne's. Vogler is a much more mobile quarterback than Moehner, who has just 23 rush attempts for minus-32 yards (sacks count as rushing losses, remember). UMD needs Vogler to make good run/pass decisions and accurate throws when called upon. The Bulldogs will use a steady diet of Brian Lucas and Zach Hulce to move the chains on the ground, with Vogler's usual scrambles and designed runs mixed in.

The Bulldogs will also rely on their experience and resourcefulness at various points Saturday. It's been a key to past playoff success, and there's no doubting it will be called on again this weekend. At home in the playoffs, it's hard to imagine that a visiting team that is not clearly more talented than UMD -- as Grand Valley sort of was in 2009 -- is going to pick up the win. The Bulldogs should move on, and then things get really interesting.

UMD's Resiliency Key to Playoff Run

I doubt anyone is really surprised to see the UMD football team in the regional final Saturday. They've been a staple in the Division II playoffs in recent years, and UMD has made four straight Super Region Three finals (wins over Grand Valley State and Augustana, with a loss to Grand Valley in 2009). This is the third straight year that the Super Region Three final will be contested at Malosky Stadium, an amazing accomplishment for a football program that hadn't tasted anything close to this level of success before its first title in 2008.

UMD, though, didn't follow the same path as prior years in getting to this point.

UMD rolled through the 2008 and 2010 championship years with matching 15-0 records. The Bulldogs were rarely challenged in the regular season, and outside of the 2008 road win over top-ranked Grand Valley State, really didn't pull any upsets to win the title. There was adversity in 2010, with injuries to Isaac Odim and Brad Foss and the playoff suspension of leading receiver D.J. Winfield. But UMD overcame it, beating Delta State for the national championship.

That late-season and playoff adversity was a harbinger of things to come for the football program. The 2011 season started well, with a road win over an amped-up Augustana team that was hell-bent on making up for last year's playoff loss in Duluth. The Bulldogs, though, fell to Wayne State (Nebraska) 7-0 in late September, marking their first NSIC loss since they rejoined the league when the North Central Conference died in 2007.

If that wasn't enough, UMD turned in its worst performance in years in losing to St. Cloud State 35-7 in October, marking UMD's first two-loss regular season since Bob Nielson returned as head coach. The Huskies were better than UMD in virtually every area, and the score really wasn't said to be deceiving.

However, the Bulldogs responded to both losses. After the Wayne game, UMD went to Bemidji and beat a good BSU squad. After they fell to St. Cloud State, UMD needed to win its remaining games to qualify for the Division II playoffs. The Bulldogs did that, including a solid win over Minnesota State in the season finale.

In the playoffs, UMD has shown its resiliency, its mental toughness, its mettle, whatever you want to call it. This might not be the most talented team Nielson has taken into the Division II playoffs, but they're tough and experienced, and they know how to win in the postseason.

Against Colorado State-Pueblo Saturday, we saw how tough this UMD team really is. Pueblo scored on its opening drive, then didn't score an offensive touchdown for the remainder of the first half. UMD's defense stiffened throughout the game, holding the potent Thunderwolves to just 224 yards, a season low.

The Bulldogs offense was content to grind things out, wearing down the smaller Pueblo front seven with a punishing ground game. Were it not for an errant snap that gave CSUP a touchdown right before halftime, there's a chance UMD could have won going away. Instead, the Bulldogs had to respond to that late touchdown, and they did on the opening drive of the third quarter, impressively going the length of the field for a go-ahead touchdown.

After a CSUP touchdown drive gave the Thunderwolves a 21-17 lead, UMD had to again respond to adversity. Quarterback Chase Vogler threw an interception in the end zone, giving CSUP the ball back after a long UMD drive that ended up empty. The defense came out -- desperately needing a stop -- and forced a three and out. After an Aaron Roth punt return touchdown was called back by a penalty, Vogler ripped off a 31-yard run that led to Brian Lucas' one-yard score to cap the scoring.

UMD might not be capable of overwhelming opponents, but Todd Strop's defense has developed into a very good group. They shut down MSU in the season finale, made the necessary stops late in the game against Saginaw Valley State, keeping the Cardinals from scoring a game-changing or game-winning touchdown on a couple occasions. But their best performance of the season may have come against Pueblo.

With Wayne State -- not the one from Nebraska, this one is from Michigan -- coming in on Saturday, look for more out of this defense. UMD isn't as potent offensively as in past years, so they're going to need it as the Bulldogs look to grind out three more wins and pick up what could end up being the most improbable of national championships.

It may be improbable to some, but it really shouldn't be surprising. Nielson's teams have been known for their toughness and resiliency through tough times, and this one may be the most impressive in that regard. Come playoff time, there is nothing at all wrong with a team leaning on its toughness and experience to win close games.

In fact, it's often the best way to win.

Report: Adam Robinson Transfers to UMD

According to an Iowa newspaper report, former Iowa running back Adam Robinson is transferring to UMD.

Robinson led the Hawkeyes in rushing the last two years, but missed the team's Insight Bowl win over Missouri last year for disciplinary reasons.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz announced Monday that Robinson had been dismissed from the Hawkeyes one week after he was arrested for marijuana possession. The coach said he would have no further comment.

Robinson, 21, was charged with possession of marijuana on Dec. 27 in his hometown of Des Moines. The Iowa State Patrol said Robinson was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over for not having a front license plate. A trooper detected a marijuana odor from the vehicle, then found marijuana after a search.

Robinson was suspended for Iowa's win over Missouri in the Insight Bowl for failing to comply with team policies. His arrest came the night before the bowl game, leaving the Hawkeyes (8-5) with an unwanted distraction they overcame in beating the Tigers 27-24.

UMD has not made a habit out of taking on transfer students, to the point where the rosters of the Bulldogs and Delta State were constructed in very different ways ... something that was brought up as a potential storyline heading into the Division II title game last December.

Robinson may have chosen UMD because of some local ties. Robinson is from Des Moines, and UMD coach Bob Nielson is a Marion, Iowa, native. Nielson started his coaching career at Wartburg, where he worked his way up to head coach from 1991-1995 until he moved to UW-Eau Claire and eventually UMD.

There are two Iowans currently on the UMD roster, both offensive linemen.

Robinson will join the Bulldogs in 2012. Another Division I transfer, former West Virginia running back Zach Hulce, is on the roster for this season. Hulce's WVU career was plagued by injuries after he transferred there from a junior college.

The Bulldogs open the 2011 season Sept. 3 at Augustana

UMD Football Notes

We noted earlier this week that UMD coach Bob Nielson was named the Liberty Mutual Division II Coach of the Year.

That's not the end when it comes to honoring the UMD football team, or its insanely-accomplished head coach.

Nielson was named Tuesday as the American Football Coaches Association Division II Coach of the Year. Nielson is now 79-21 at UMD, including an astonishing 41-2 over the last three years, in which UMD has won two Division II titles (2008, 2010).

The Bulldogs have won four NSIC titles and made the NCAA playoffs four times under Nielson's leadership.

Also, the school announced that there will be a celebration of the team's latest national championship coming up on campus. The celebration will include player and staff introductions, as well as the playing of a highlight video. It's all set for Jan. 20 at 7 p.m., and will take place at Romano Gym on the UMD campus.

It's free and open to the public.

Bob Nielson Named Coach of the Year

Outside of being a snazzy dresser, a class act, and a heck of a busy guy, UMD football coach and athletic director Bob Nielson is also the best coach in Division II.

For the second time in three years, UMD won the Division II national championship, beating Delta State (Miss.) 20-17 on Dec. 18 in Florence, Ala.

This year, Nielson added the Liberty Mutual Division II Football Coach of the Year award to his list of honors.

Here is the release from UMD:

After a season marked by the success of the University of Minnesota Duluth on the football field, achievements by his student-athletes in the classroom, and tireless dedication to his communities and charities, Bulldog head coach Bob Nielson today received the ultimate reward for his inspirational efforts both on and off the field. Liberty Mutual Insurance announced Nielson as its 2010 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winner for Division II. The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award is the leading college football honor recognizing coaches for their sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence, on and off field.

Nielson rose above a group of five Division II coach finalists through fan votes cast Dec. 13-28 at www.CoachoftheYear.com and ballots from elite selection committees of national media and College Football Hall of Fame players and coaches. Fans votes contributed 20 percent to each coach’s final score, and the media and College Football Hall of Fame accounted for 25 percent and 55 percent, respectively. The other 2010 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year winners include Gene Chizik, Auburn University (FBS) K.C. Keeler, University of Delaware (FCS) and Glenn Caruso, University of St. Thomas (Division III).

“Nielson embodies the spirit of the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award through his dedication to his students, team and community, and fans should be proud of the significant impact they made through their votes and support for their teams, alma maters and coaches,” said Greg Gordon, Liberty Mutual senior vice president, Consumer Marketing. “As a company that values ‘doing the right thing’ as its core responsibility, we introduced the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award in 2006 to celebrate responsibility in coaching because we believe it is one of the clearest examples of a positive influence one can have on young people, their families and their communities. Liberty Mutual is delighted to celebrate Bob Nielson with our award.”

This past fall, the 51-year old Nielson directed the Bulldogs to their second NCAA Division II championship in three years, defeating Delta State University 20-17 on a last-second field goal in the title game to cap off a perfect 15-0 season. In his eight years at UMD, Nielson has won four Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference titles (including the last three in a row with identical 10-0 marks) and earned four NCAA II playoff berths while amassing a 79-21 record, the best in the school’s storied 78-year football history. Along the way, he has produced 14 All-Americans along with a pair of Harlon Hill Award finalists and has helped nurture classroom champions as well (nine Bulldogs received 2010 NSIC All-Academic Team status, including senior running back Isaac Odim, who was chosen as one of 16 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award recipents as well as the 2010 ESPN Academic All-America of the Year for football).

Nielson, who has also served as UMD’s director of intercollegiate athletics since 2004, is known throughout the Duluth area for his civic and philanthropic endeavors. This year, he was the honorary chairman of the Udac “Walk a Mile in Our Shoes” campaign, helping to provide fitness services for individuals with severe physical, mental or developmental disabilities. He also organizes and leads a Junior Football League clinic, and he and his players and staff participate in an annual fishing tournament to raise money for ALS research.

Nielson will be honored in the permanent Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year display at the College Football Hall of Fame. In addition, Liberty Mutual will make a $50,000 charitable donation on his behalf, which Nielson has designated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Northland, Mentor Duluth, the Northern Lights Foundation, the Udac STEPS program, and Peace in Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, Minn. A $20,000 scholarship award also will be presented in his name to the University of Minnesota Duluth Alumni Association. With this year’s award, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year winners have now donated more than $1.2 million since the award’s inception in 2006.

"On behalf of our football program and coaching staff I want to thank Liberty Mutual for this award and for their commitment to college football and the coaching profession," said Nielson. "As a coach, you work to help make a difference in the lives of those who you coach and this award certainly emphasizes the value and importance of those efforts. I am truly honored to have been selected as this year's NCAA Division II recipient."

NCAA Division II Football Championship Thoughts

We're on the verge of the NCAA Division II Football Championship, featuring UMD and Delta State.

The Bulldogs are the last remaining unbeaten in Division II, sitting at 14-0 entering Saturday's game. Delta State lost two games this season, but the Statesmen rolled through their playoff games, posting double-digit wins over North Alabama, Albany State (who was unbeaten and the region's top seed), and Shepherd. Delta State is the first unranked team to make the championship game in the event's 38-year history.

But that's motivation. That's the "no one gave us a chance" mentality come to life. UMD has been No. 1 in both national polls for most of the season, they earned the No. 1 seed in their region, and they haven't left home since Nov. 14.

I'm not going to bore you with analysis. I have only seen a chunk of one Delta State game. It looks like they have a balanced offense, and they field a small but quick and athletic defense. This game is going to come down to the play up front, plain and simple, and naturally turnovers. If UMD can dominate up front like they did against Augustana and for parts of the semifinal game against Northwest Missouri State, they are a clear favorite to win. If the Bulldogs get outworked by either of Delta State's lines -- offense or defense -- they will be in for a long day trying to make anything positive happen.

As we saw last week, turnovers matter a great deal. The team that takes better care of the football is normally in a position to win. The St. Cloud State playoff game (UMD was minus-four in turnover margin) was a great anomaly in that regard. You cough the ball up four times to none in a game, and there's a pretty good chance you'll end up on the wrong end of the scoreboard.

Ahead of the game, the Duluth News Tribune takes a look at UMD's activities on Friday.

There was no crowd to greet the Bulldogs outside Willson (Elementary), but after the players wound their way through the halls to a darkened auditorium, a throng of 315 children screamed wildly and twirled glow sticks to illuminate the darkness.

The UMD offense took the stage behind 15 “cheerleaders” who earned the honor to be up there not because of their voices but because of their reading ability, the underlying message of the Bulldogs’ visit.

... “I was telling Coach Nielson that was even better than any of the pep rallies we get at our college,” said UMD offensive lineman Garth Heikkinen. “You could tell they were really looking forward to that and enjoyed it, but I think I got just as much out of that as they did.”

Everywhere you looked, there were Bulldog posters, some with the name and number of every individual UMD player.

That's the kind of stuff even college-age people tend to enjoy and remember. It's also a big part of why the Shoals area has hosted 25 NCAA Division II title games in a row. They've been able to make these events memorable for the participants, and the community gets something out of it, too.

UMD's Kiel Fechtelkotter, Isaac Odim, D.J. Winfield Honored as All-Americans

UMD's football team continues to battle through adversity. With superstar players missing from two key offensive positions, and a starter from another, the Bulldogs beat Northwest Missouri State 17-13 Saturday at Malosky Stadium to move into the NCAA Division II Championship for the second time in three years.

The Bulldogs fly to Alabama Wednesday night, and they play Delta State (Cleveland, Miss.) Saturday morning for the title.

In the meantime, UMD players continue to rake in the honors. Here's the latest from UMD:

Kiel Fechtelkotter, who has captained the University of Minnesota Duluth to a berth in the NCAA II national championship game while anchoring one of the most robust defenses in the country, has been chosen to the 2010 Daktronics All-America first team while a pair of Bulldogs -- senior running back Isaac Odim and junior wide out/return specialist D.J. Winfield landed second team honors.

Fechtelkotter, a third-year starting inside linebacker from Lake Nebagamon, Wis., currently tops UMD in total tackles with a career-high 92 stops, which includes four quarterback sacks. The two-time All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division pick also ranks first among Bulldogs with six pass breakups. He is the 15th Bulldog to ever attain first team All-American recognition of any kind.

With his selection to the Daktronics honor squad, Odim becomes UMD's first three-time All-American. The Rochester, Minn., product suffered a season-ending knee injury back on Oct. 14, but still managed to score 19 touchdowns (17 on the ground) and rush for 796 yards in six games. Winfield, who was suspended indefinitely for violating team rules prior to UMD's quarterfinal round playoff clash with Augustana College a couple of weeks ago, tops the 2010 Bulldog reception charts with 45 catches for 990 yards and eight touchdowns.

Amazingly, Odim was able to become a three-time All-American despite missing half the season with a knee injury. As noted in the UMD info, Winfield is out because of a violation of team rules, and will not play Saturday, either.

Throw in senior receiver Noah Pauley's injury, and you have a banged-up offense, but that's nothing new. UMD's been playing short-handed for a good chunk of the season. All it's done is allow guys like Chase Vogler, Brad Foss, and Brian Hanson to step up. And they've stepped up. That's why UMD's in this game.

UMD Teams Movin' On Up in Polls

While the UMD football team took Labor Day weekend off, the volleyball team got their season started in Omaha. The Bulldogs went 4-0 at the UNO Shootout, beating Arkansas-Fort Smith, Adams State, Northwest Missouri State, and Angelo State, and making it look relatively easy along the way.

In doing so, UMD was able to impress those who vote in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II poll. This week's edition of the poll saw UMD move up four spots from ninth to fifth this week.

Defending national champion Concordia-St. Paul is still No. 1, and while five different teams got first-place votes, no one gave UMD the nod. That makes some sense, because those most likely to give UMD a boost in the polls are probably from this area, and it's hard for them not to vote for Concordia in the top position.

The Bulldogs are in Fort Lauderdale this weekend for a tournament, and then they open the home schedule Tuesday at Romano Gym against Northern State.

The football team, meanwhile, moved up a spot in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll. Top-ranked Northwest Missouri State lost last week, so both UMD and Grand Valley State -- the new No. 1 team -- moved up a spot. The now-No. 2 Bulldogs play Saturday at Upper Iowa.

The Bulldogs got two of 26 first-place votes in the poll. I saw part of Grand Valley State's 34-31 win over West Texas A&M, and the Lakers look strong again. They'll be a formidable opponent in this region when the playoffs come around, and I fully expect both UMD and Grand Valley State will be in the playoffs again.

In fact, for the foreseeable future, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Bulldogs and Lakers developed quite an impressive rivalry in Division II football.

UMD Starts on Top of Northern Sun

The UMD football team has experienced quite the run as of late. The Bulldogs have won 26 of 28 games over their last two years, claiming a national title in 2008 and two straight Northern Sun titles.

This year, the Bulldogs again start out as a prohibitive favorite in the NSIC, and they have to be considered a national championship threat again.

After all, UMD returns a ton of experience all over the field, most notably senior running back Isaac Odim (Harlon Hill Award finalist in 2009 and one of the favorites in 2010), and senior linebackers Kiel Fetchelkotter and Robbie Aurich, two of the best defensive players in Division II.

The Northern Sun isn't messing around, anointing UMD as the preseason title favorite yet again this year. This is the information from UMD.

In their annual preseason poll, the league coaches picked the two-time defending NCAA Division II Bulldogs to finish first in both the North Division and in the overall standings. The NSIC is a 14-team league and for football, is broken down into two, seven-school divisions.

UMD, which concluded 2009 with an 11-2 overall record and a perfect 10-0 league mark, was unanimous favorites, garnering 13 of a possible 13 votes (coaches could not vote for their own team) and 169 points.

Minnesota State University-Mankato, which captured the South Division title one year ago, was next (157 points and the remaining first-place vote), followed by Augustana College (125), St. Cloud State University (125) and Bemidji State University (122).

In addition, for the second straight time, Bulldog senior inside linebacker Robbie Aurich was chosen the North Division Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and senior running back Isaac Odim landed the North Division Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honor. Both of those two are the reigning NSIC Players of the Year in those two categories as well.

Aurich, who along with Odim and senior inside linebacker Kiel Fechtelkotter will serve as a team tri-captain this season, paced the Bulldogs in tackles for the second year in a row last fall with 93 stops, including a team-high 40 solos. The Spring Lake, Mich., product has finished as UMD’s leading tackler in 15 of the last 17 games and was a integral part of a defensive unit which gave up the second fewest points (12.4 per game) and fifth fewest yards (251.0) of any NCAA Division II school in the country one year ago.

Odim, a native of Rochester, Minn., enters his third, and final year with the Bulldogs owning the title as UMD’s all-time leading rusher and scorer. Last fall, he established club single-season records for rushing yards (1,808), scoring (198 points), rushing touchdowns (29), total touchdowns (33) and 100-yard rushing games (12) -- all marks which he previously owned -- and kickoff return average (35.9) en route to being named to five different All-Americans. One of nine finalists for the 2008 Harlon Hill Award (he finished fourth in the final voting), Odim also ranked second in the NCAA II in scoring, fourth in rushing and fifth in all-purpose yardage (192.0 ypg).

Since transferring to UMD from Rochester Community and Technical College two years ago, he has proceeded to eclipse team standards in a host of categories including rushing yardage (3,446), rushing touchdowns (55), total touchdowns (63), points (378) and 100-yard rushing games (21). Odim's proven to be no slouch in the classroom either, as evident by his selection to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American team.

UMD will enter 2010 armed with a school-record 20-game NSIC winning streak, having not tasted defeat against conference competition of any kind since Oct. 27, 2007 when it fell to then-North Central Conference rival University of North Dakota 31-14. The last NSIC club to derail the Bulldogs was Winona State University, which did so via a 24-17 victory in Winona, Minn., in the 2003 season finale.

The Bulldogs, who have been chosen as the NSIC preseason favorite during each of their last four years of league membership (2010, 2009, 2008 and 2003), return some 44 letterwinners from a year ago, including six starters on offense and five on defense. They'll open their 78th season of intercollegiate football on Aug. 28 with a road clash with NCAA II power Central Washington University.

2010 NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll (Votes) Points
1. Minnesota Duluth (13) 169
2. MSU-Mankato (1) 157
3. Augustana 125
3. St. Cloud State 125
5. Bemidji State 122
6. Wayne State 116
7. Winona State 114
8. Mary 74
9. Southwest Minnesota State 73
10. Concordia-St. Paul 72
11. Northern State 45
12. Upper Iowa 41
13. MSU-Moorhead 26
14. Minnesota-Crookston 15

No real surprises, though the American Football Coaches Association preseason poll, which came out Monday, has two NSIC teams -- UMD and Minnesota State -- ranked, while four others received votes. None of them was Augustana, picked high by the league's coaches.

The Bulldogs play a tough league schedule, visiting Mankato while hosting Bemidji State, Wayne State, Winona State, and St. Cloud. Even with that difficult slate, it's hard to imagine them not being a high seed in the Division II playoffs.

As long as the quarterback situation sorts itself out -- head coach Bob Nielson told us on The Fan 1490 Tuesday that he thinks both Jon Lynch and Chase Vogler will see time -- UMD is a national contender once again.

Considering the way the Bulldogs choose to build their program, it's truly amazing that they've been able to build such a powerhouse.

(Oh, and I wonder where that first-place vote for MSU came from. Hmm ...)

Congratulations, Chase Vogler

One of the many developments from the college football weekend was a revelation at UMD.

It's amazing how well a quarterback can play when he knows what's coming.

True freshman Chase Vogler had to step in for starter Jon Lynch on Sept. 3, as Lynch went down on the first series with a serious elbow injury (sounds like a season-killer for him). UMD lost the game, but Vogler did his best. He has gotten limited work with the offense, being that he's a true freshman and Lynch was the starter (starters, obviously, get the most reps in practice).

Vogler's first collegiate start was Saturday in Marshall against Southwest Minnesota State. While Isaac Odim and the run game still serve as the main cog for the Bulldog offense, the development of Vogler likely will determine UMD's playoff hopes.

The Bulldogs have to think the future is bright.

Vogler shook off any nerves and produced a sharp outing, completing 15 of 20 passes and avoiding any interceptions. The Bulldogs won, 34-27, and showed enough promise to keep very much alive the dream of back-to-back NSIC championships.

Odim ran for well over 100 yards, is an absolute horse, and will continue to lead the way. However, the more Vogler is able to play, the better he'll get, and the better UMD's offense will be.

For now, it's a good start to the promising college career of Chase Vogler.

UMD Football Gets the Spotlight

If the defending Division II national champions are to get back into the NCAA Tournament unscathed later this fall, UMD will need a huge effort Thursday night.

The Bulldogs are up against the best opponent on their 2009 schedule, former North Central Conference rival (briefly) Central Washington. The Wildcats made the Division II playoffs last year, and they are a serious threat to get back, thanks to a strong team this year.

The path they took to Duluth is quite interesting, and worth a read. This is from Jon Nowacki of the Duluth News Tribune.

Central Washington plays Minnesota Duluth at 7 p.m. today at Malosky Stadium, part of an eight-day, 4,300-mile odyssey that began Aug. 27 at home in Ellensburg, Wash. The next day the team flew from Seattle to Denver for a game against Mesa State in Grand Junction, Colo. After winning 10-0 on Saturday, the Wildcats traveled to Duluth via bus during the next four days, with stops in Cheyenne, Wyo., Mount Rushmore and Mall of America. After playing UMD in a battle of nationally ranked opponents, Central Washington will fly from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Seattle on Friday.

Central needs to get used to long trips. Western Oregon is a five-hour ride away, and they're the closest road trip on the schedule this season.

On the field, a strong Central Washington defense will look to slow down UMD's rushing attack, which worked at will in Saturday's 56-0 win over Concordia-St. Paul. Isaac Odim figures to have a much different game this week than he did last week, when it was like watching a knife go through hot butter.

Jon Lynch looked equal parts calm, nervous, and inexperienced at quarterback, and it's reasonable to suggest he'll have to make a couple big throws against the Wildcats. It might not do anything but move the secondary away from the line of scrimmage, but UMD will take that. Whatever gives Odim a little more room to maneuver.

UMD head coach Bob Nielson is spot-on when he says this could be one of the better games in all of Division II this season. The Bulldogs are primed for another title run, while Central Washington has traveled a long way for a chance to prove that they truly belong.

UMD Football Polling Well, Playing Well

After mauling Concordia-St. Paul 40-0 in St. Paul in last year's season opener, UMD steamrolled through the rest of their schedule en route to a 2008 NCAA Division II title.

Their title defense started out in similar fashion. The Bulldogs racked up over 450 yards rushing and 600 total yards in a 56-0 thrashing of Concordia this past Saturday at Malosky Stadium. The season-opening win helped the Bulldogs out in both major Division II football polls.

In the American Football Coaches Association rankings, UMD moved up to second, behind Grand Valley State, the team UMD knocked out in a double-overtime classic in last year's quarterfinals.

The D2football.com voters aren't as sold on the Bulldogs as a national contender. That poll ranks UMD third, behind both Grand Valley State and Abilene Christian.

These polls are truly meaningless. This isn't the BCS, where human polls actually count in the selection process. Instead, the polls conducted in Division II are simply discussion pieces and the occasional motivational tool.

Of course, if a team playing the defending national champion needs to be motivated by looking at a poll, then something is seriously wrong.

Thursday night, UMD hosts Central Washington in a nationally-televised game at Malosky Stadium. CBS College Sports has the coverage, and a few FSN regional channels are going to take their feed of the game.

Central Washington is eighth in the coaches poll and ninth in the D2football survey.

UMD FOOTBALL NOW HIGHLY-REGARDED

You've set yourself a standard, Bulldogs. Now, people are beginning to notice.

After a 15-0 run gave UMD their first taste of football glory, a team that could end up being totally different is set to take on all challengers in defense of their national championship.

(For what it's worth, I still pull my "Division II National Champions" hoody over my head with amazement. It's not that I didn't think UMD had a chance, but instead jubilation over the fact they were able to pull off such an great achievement.)

Last year's run was so much fun, in part because the Bulldogs were such a fun team to watch, and in part because of how they came from practically nowhere to get the job done.

This year, half of that equation is not going to happen, because this Bulldog team won't be coming out of nowhere.

According to at least one national sports publication, the University of Minnesota Duluth will again be one of the teams to beat in NCAA Division II football this fall as the The Sporting News slotted the defending NCAA Division II national champion Bulldogs third in its 2009 preseason poll.

In addition, three Bulldogs -- junior running back Isaac Odim, senior cornerback Cole Strilzuk and senior offensive tackle Sam Whitney -- were named to the Sporting News Division II Preseason All-American Team. Odim, a 2008 Football Gazette All-American (third team), established Bulldog single season records for both rushing touchdowns (26) and per carry average (7.3 yards) as a sophomore and also finished as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's leading ground gainer. Strilzuk, responded to his first year of starting duty in 2008 by pacing the Bulldogs in interceptions (six) en route to receiving All-NSIC recognition (second team) while Whitney, who also made his starting debut last year, was an All-NSIC honoree (honorable mention) as well.

UMD, which will enter the 2009 season sporting a 16-game winning streak, retains the services of 49 lettermen from last year's 15-0 club, including six starters on offense and five on defense. The Bulldogs will face just one team which landed in the Sporting News Preseason Poll -- No. 10 Central Washington University -- in a nationally televised home game on Sept. 3.

UMD defeated both of the poll's top two-ranked clubs -- Grand Valley State University (No. 1) and Northwest Missouri State University (No. 2) -- on its way to the 2008 NCAA II championship.

UMD opens defense of their 2008 Division II national championship with a home game against Concordia-St. Paul August 29.

The aforementioned date with Central Washington is UMD's only non-conference game in 2009, and it should be a doozy.