Red Rock Radio, UMD Extend Radio Partnership Through 2016-17

Happy to announce that UMD football and men's hockey will be staying with Red Rock Radio through the 2016-17 athletic season.

Please see the below for more information.

Red Rock Radio and the University of Minnesota Duluth are proud to announce the extension of their radio rights contract. Red Rock Radio and UMD have signed a two-year extension, keeping rights for UMD football and men’s hockey radio coverage with Red Rock Radio until the end of the 2016-17 athletic season.

“We're very excited that we were able to come to terms with UMD for another two-year sports agreement,” said Shawn Skramstad, President of Red Rock Radio. “We have had a very good working relationship with the college and are delighted to be able to bring all of UMD's football and men's hockey action to the Northland.”

The deal continues a relationship that first began in the fall of 2009. UMD football coverage airs on KQDS-AM “The Fan 1490,” while men’s hockey is found in the Duluth area on KZIO-FM 94.1 (“94X”). Games also air on a recently-expanded network throughout northeast Minnesota, with games on KBAJ-FM 105.5 (Deer River/Grand Rapids), KAOD-FM 106.7 (Babbitt/Ely), KKIN-AM 930 (Aitkin), and WXCX-FM 105.7 (Pine City/Siren).

“It’s great that we’ve come to this agreement,” stated Bruce Ciskie, Sports Director for Red Rock Radio and play-by-play voice of UMD men’s hockey. “I’ve had a great time working with UMD all these years, and I’m excited to continue what I think has been a great relationship for everyone involved, including Bulldog fans all over the Northland.”

In addition to continuing to air UMD men’s hockey and football, Red Rock Radio will continue to air the Bulldog Blitz Thursdays on the KQ Morning Show (KQDS-FM 94.9) and The Fan 1490 between August and April.

"UMD Athletics is very pleased to extend our partnership with the Red Rock family of radio stations to bring the Bulldog Men's Hockey and Football broadcasts to more stations and more of Bulldog Country than ever before.  In addition, we are excited about the expanded the Bulldog Blitz coach and student athlete weekly spotlight to both KQ Morning Show and The Fan 1490. We look forward to continuing to grow this strong partnership." said Josh Berlo, UMD Athletic Director.

UMD Football: Bulldogs Must Slow Upper Iowa's Offense

WATERLOO, Iowa -- That's right. After (nearly) eight years, it's back on the UMD football beat, at least for one week.

The Bulldogs are at it Saturday night in Fayette, about an hour's drive from here in Waterloo, taking on Upper Iowa in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game.

I've called 293 UMD men's hockey games, a couple UMD women's hockey games, and a slew of high school hockey games since the last time I threw on a headset and called a football game.

I'm equal parts excited and nervous ahead of Saturday, largely hopeful I won't sound like a bumbling idiot who can't get his sports terminology straight.

The Bulldogs beat Sioux Falls 32-7 last week, but Upper Iowa presents challenges that Sioux Falls did not, and you're making a serious mistake if all you do is look at the Peacocks' record from last season (2-9) and just shrug this game off as an easy UMD win. There are challenges afoot for the Bulldogs Saturday, and many of them surround the UIU offense.

The Peacocks run a fast-paced offense that works a lot without a huddle. It's an offense that clicked in a few games last season, rolling up over 40 points in an incredible 106 total plays against Sioux Falls. UIU also topped 90 plays in a game against Minnesota State-Moorhead. For the season in 2012, Upper Iowa averaged nearly 75 plays per game.

"If you let them get a couple first downs, they're a little tougher to defend," veteran defensive coordinator John Steger told me this week. "Plus they'll wear you out a little bit because you can't substitute, and we can't get some of our packages on the field."

"They're a high pace, up-tempo offense," head coach Curt Wiese said. "Definitely a concern is making sure our defense is aligned, that we can slow their tempo offensively."

UIU likes to run out of one-back sets with three wide receivers and an H-back/tight end type on the field. The Peacocks will also spread the field with four and five wide receivers, and they'll let their junior quarterback, Cole Jaeschke, sling the rock around.

It was nearly a recipe for upsets last year, but UIU couldn't finish close games with teams like Southwest, Winona State, Wayne State, or Sioux Falls. The Peacocks gave up late scores to lose to Wayne (field goal with 2:14 left), Southwest (TD with :25 left), and Bemidji State (TD with :40 left). They had chances against Winona and Sioux Falls, but couldn't get the job done or make the key stop.

"I think that's a message to our kids," Wiese said. "Upper Iowa's a team that can sneak up and beat you."

Jaeschke threw five scoring passes in last week's win over Minnesota Crookston, a game where about all that went wrong for Upper Iowa was a couple missed field goals from close range and two botched extra points.

UIU outgained Crookston 565-61 and was never threatened. That won't happen this week.

As good as the offense is for the Peacocks, it's had problems staying on the field. And their defense has struggled to get off of it.

Last year, Upper Iowa averaged barely 26:30 of possession per game. Contrast that with a UMD team that may have run fewer plays per game (70.8 compared to UIU's 74.6), but one that averaged holding the ball for over 33 minutes per game. There were a few games last year where the Peacocks either didn't hit or barely hit 20 minutes of possession. That's a recipe for getting worn out on the other side of the ball when you're playing a team like UMD.

The Bulldogs are content to make stops defensively, then let redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Bauer and sophomore transfer Eric Kline lead the team on long drives as the big heavies in front lean on an Upper Iowa front that isn't blessed with a ton of size or depth.

Both quarterbacks played in the USF win last week, and Wiese said both will play again.

"Overall, thought Drew played extremely well, was confident on the field," Wiese said. He went on to add he thought Kline led "the most important drive of the game. Made a fourth down pass and a third down pass. Played composed."

The Bulldogs got great line play last week, despite starting two freshmen on the offensive front. Left tackle Peter Bateman could quickly become a cornerstone player for a program that churns out all-conference linemen the way Penn State churned out linebackers back in the day. No one thought it was going to be easy to replace a player of Jake Bscherer's caliber, but Bateman got off to a great start in the opener.

When you consider that left guard Andrew Muer is already an all-league and potential All-America player, as is stalwart right tackle Tom Olson, you can see why there's so much optimism about the offensive line. Center Grant Schnobrich is out this week, so junior Andrew Pattock will start.

UMD's other line, the defensive one, was outstanding last week. They routinely got pressure rushing just three, which puts a smile on Steger's face.

"That allows us to do a lot of things," he noted. "When we get them in second and long and third and long, we can pressure people."

That's a big key on Saturday. If the defense can continue to stop the run like it did against the Cougars (Sioux Falls ran for a whole 11 yards all night), it'll force Jaeschke to go to five-step drops and throw the ball downfield. His career accuracy numbers aren't eye-popping, so getting him away from the bubble screens and quick passes that dominate this offense would be a win for the Bulldogs.

One way to do that, as Steger and Wiese both pointed out, is to get the offense off schedule. That means get them into second and long and third and long. It negates the running game, ruins any hopes of gaining traction with play-action, and a defense like the one Steger runs here is going to feast on an offense that is rendered basically one-dimensional.

I expect that UIU will have a good crowd and a pumped-up team for Saturday. It's the home opener, and they'll pull out all the stops to try to get the upset win that eluded them last year.

In the end, if the Bulldogs execute as capable on both sides of the ball, that upset will continue to elude the Peacocks.

******

Pregame on The Fan 1490 and the Bulldog Sports Radio Network is set for 5:30 Saturday, with kickoff around 6. New starting this weekend: Fans can listen to the live stream on their smart phones. Once the game stream is activated (around 5:20pm), you can use your phone browser, log on to www.fan1490.com, and find the box on the right side that says "Listen to UMD Football."

(That image rotates with other local sports we carry, but it all routes to the same webpage, which is this one.)

Tap that link, and it'll take you to our stream menu. Find the UMD game, tap the "Watch/Listen Live" icon, and you're good to go. We tested this new toy on an iPhone and an Android phone, and it worked just fine.

Random Rabble: August 12

Those who live around the Duluth area know why I haven't been around much. It hasn't been because I don't enjoy throwing up the occasional blog about nothing significant.

Been exceptionally busy with the real job, but hopefully things are back to normal on this day. It'll allow me to get back into my normal late-summer routine, preparing for the fall and winter sports season.

UMD football is first up. I'm looking forward to getting up to campus next week for Media Day as we start to get a lay of the land. New coach in Curt Wiese, a good dude and a guy I think we in the media will all like from a standpoint of access and information. New quarterback to "replace" Chase Vogler, one of the more understated guys to come through this program in a long time. I never doubted for a second that Isaac Odim was appreciated when he was playing at UMD. I'm not entirely sure Vogler was appreciated as much as he should have been.

For evidence, look at what he did for the offense in the playoff loss to Missouri Western. 379 total yards, including 184 on the ground. Yeah, Austin Sikorski was a beast running that day, but Vogler almost singlehandedly kept UMD in the game, especially when Western was threatening a blowout early.

Sikorski is back, as is Aaron Roth and most of the offensive line. The defense was practically disastrous at times, especially in the St. Cloud and Western losses. That said, John Steger is a hell of a coach, and nearly everyone is back there as well.

If that's not enough local football, a St. Scholastica team that returns a ton of talent is picked to win the UMAC in the preseason league coaches' poll. The Saints started slowly last year as they broke in a new starting quarterback (Tyler Harper) and tried to find an offensive identity. A 7-1 UMAC record put CSS in a three-way tie for first, one that was broken by a blind draw conducted over the internet; and CSS won the draw for the league's automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.

The Saints have a slew of starters back, including Harper and running backs Jake Jensen and Chris Gassert. However, the receiving corps took a hit, including the graduation of Nick Thiry, and the defensive line lost a lot of talent.

I'm excited to see what Wisconsin does in its first year under Gary Andersen. Longtime blog readers will know that I was never really a fan of Bret Bielema. I just didn't trust him in big games or close games, and his record -- especially last year -- would seem to support my trust issues. Andersen last worked at Utah State, hardly a powerhouse, but he built a winner there after years of mediocre or worse football.

Job No. 1: Find a quarterback. Usually, I'd put my chips in on the guy the new coach recruited, but it doesn't sound like junior college transfer Tanner McEvoy is throwing well early on. He's the best athlete of the bunch, but senior Curt Phillips and sophomore Joel Stave are both probably better options for the passing game, at least in the early going. How quickly the quarterback race comes together will determine Wisconsin's BCS hopes.

Speaking of the B1G, Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune had a must-read feature on Minnesota coach Jerry Kill in Sunday's paper.

Now, at the dawn of a new season, Kill has come to a pivotal juncture in his eight-year quest to gain control of his seizures. The Gophers need to keep improving, and he needs to prove he can stay healthy.

Knowing the stakes, he found a new doctor, changed medication plans, honed his diet, exercised and adopted a whole new outlook — embracing the word epilepsy instead of shunning it.

“Believe me, there’s nobody who’s trying to do the right thing more than I am because I love coaching the game of football,” Kill said. “And I want to make sure I never have a situation, ever, during a game again.”

Experts say about 70 percent of the people with epilepsy can become seizure-free with the right medication. Kill insists he’s making progress.

We learn that stress and a lack of sleep can make the body less resistant to these seizures. The point? Kill's chosen profession -- football coach -- practically invites his body to continue to have these problems. It means that everything else he does has to be done almost perfectly. He has to make sure he gets enough rest, relaxes as much as possible, and he can't let his guard down.

When Kill seized at halftime of that game against Michigan State last season -- his fifth documented seizure since taking the UMTC job -- people began to talk about the need for the university to move on. Kill himself says in this article that he understands he can't miss entire halves of games when he's the head coach.

Kill is a good coach, and I've heard very good things about him away from the field, too. There is no reason to do anything here but wish for the best for him and his family. He wants to coach, so hopefully his body allows him to continue doing so.

Random Rabble: Election Day

Get out and vote. Seriously. You probably don't need me to remind you, but there it is, anyway.

You'll notice that I haven't spent much time dissecting the issues on this blog. I figure you're here to read about sports -- chiefly UMD hockey -- so you don't need me polluting the feed with my views on things. I do enough of that on Twitter, and if you follow me there (thanks, by the way), you can probably figure out how I'm voting on the two major amendment issues in Minnesota, as well as the presidential race. That'll be all of that.

UMD hockey returns from its off week to play at Nebraska Omaha this weekend. Games are 7pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday, due to Creighton basketball occupying the Century Link Center Omaha on Friday night.

(I've heard good things about the atmosphere in that building for hoops, so I'm going to try to go to that game and check it out for myself.)

As for UMD, this will be the first road trip in WCHA play, which means a number of healthy players will be left at home. These are never easy decisions for the coaching staff, but they're usually more troublesome this early in the season. Without having asked, I'd expect the lineup to greatly resemble what was on the ice for the Saturday night draw against Wisconsin. Yes, there was a blown lead and a lost point in that game, but I thought the team played very well and did many more good things than bad.

The UMD volleyball team plays Concordia-St. Paul Tuesday night in St. Paul. UMD has won eight straight since dropping a match to Augustana in five sets last month. Concordia has won 12 straight since UMD beat the Golden Bears in Duluth in late September. In addition, CSP hasn't lost a set at home in 13 straight matches. Incredible run.

There are tremendous implications to this match, even though it's non-conference (the match in Duluth was an NSIC match, but this one does not count in the league standings ... instead, the coaches have agreed to play each other twice this season, and I'd say it's a hell of a good move). UMD could sweep a season series from the five-time national champs, something that would only help in the all-important Central Region rankings. The Bulldogs are fifth in the rankings that came out last week, while Concordia was in first. The top eight teams make the NCAAs, and there really isn't any reason to think UMD won't make it, no matter what happens Tuesday. But the Bulldogs could do wonderful things for their seeding with a victory.

Speaking of rankings, the UMD football team is perilously close to not making the Division II playoffs. A win last Saturday over Mary -- along with a loss by Emporia State -- lifted UMD back into the top six of Super Region Three. That's huge, since six teams will make the playoffs when the field is announced Sunday. The 9-1 Bulldogs can virtually cement their spot in the tournament with a win over Northern State (6-4) Saturday. UMD hasn't missed the playoffs since 2007, and I doubt this team plans on changing that trend. Once the playoffs begin, a two-time national champion with the amount of experience the Bulldogs sport becomes dangerous no matter its seed.

Random Rabble: September 6

Football is front and center, and my NFL division predictions -- tweeted Wednesday -- will be published later.

In the meantime, other happenings this weekend include St. Scholastica taking on Eureka in the UMAC conference opener. The Saints won last year in Illinois 48-7, holding Eureka quarterback Sam Durley to a scant 169 yards passing.

That could be troublesome this time around. Durley set an NCAA record with 736 yards passing in a 62-55 win over Knox last week. That's a great story by itself -- it was No. 2 on SportsCenter's Top 10 that night -- but even better is what wide receiver Jordan Kindred did. The basketball player decided to try football, and his first game was a doozy. Kindred caught 13 passes for 235 yards ... in his first game of organized football.

Seriously.

Might want to cover him, CSS.

UMD hosts Winona State Saturday for the 2012 Malosky Stadium opener. The Bulldogs will pay tribute to retired equipment manager Scott "Honey Bear" Hanna at halftime. It will be UMD's first home game since the offseason death of former coach Jim Malosky.

On the field, expect a stiff test for the Bulldog defense. UMD allowed over 300 passing yards to SW Minnesota State last week, and struggled to generate pass rush and force turnovers. Winona hosted Minnesota-Crookston last week, winning 58-6 and outgaining the Golden Eagles 468-188. UMC's only score came on a pick-six.

With old-and-new-again coordinator John Steger, I expect UMD's defense to be pretty formidable before it's all said and done. But for UMD to be highly effective in this 3-4 scheme, they need players making big plays. That means sacking the quarterback, forcing fumbles, and getting interceptions. The Bulldogs had none of that last week, it needs to change, and there's no reason to think it won't change.

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

Isaac Odim to San Diego; Other Notes

Greetings ... wanted to throw up a quick blog with the news on Isaac Odim, a former All-American running back for the UMD Bulldogs.

Odim has agreed to a free-agent deal with the NFL's San Diego Chargers. After going undrafted in April, he -- along with a slew of other undrafted prospects who found NFL jobs today -- had to sweat out this seemingly never-ending lockout before signing their deals.

Going undrafted in any sport is hardly a disaster. In many cases, prospects like Odim are better off not being drafted late, because they can hand-pick the fit that is best for them, rather than being stuck on a roster or in a system that might not be a good fit for the talent or the personality.

In Odim's case, there might be an argument that he put himself in the best situation possible.

The Chargers were led in the ground game by Mike Tolbert, rookie Ryan Mathews, and diminutive veteran Darren Sproles last season. Tolbert and Sproles are free agents, and the Chargers drafted Connecticut star Jordan Todman this April.

There is competition for playing time, but Odim walks into a situation where he can open eyes and earn playing time if he has a good camp. For an undrafted player, that's usually the best you can hope for.

******

Also on the undrafted free agent front, former Gophers quarterback Adam Weber signed with the Denver Broncos, and three former Wisconsin offensive stars found homes. Quarterback Scott Tolzien joins Odim in San Diego, running back John Clay is heading to Pittsburgh (where they like big, bruising backs), and wide receiver/kick returner David Gilreath latched on with the Colts.

Clay and Odim both did outstanding jobs finding places where their talents would be used properly, assuming they can make the cut.

******

UMD's national championship celebration continues this weekend, as the team and alumni gather at Amsoil Arena Friday night. As part of Alumni Weekend, the players and staff will receive their national championship rings. Alumni are gathering for a dinner at the arena prior to the ring ceremony.

There is an annual alumni golf outing scheduled for Saturday, so we're all hoping for good weather.

One of the perks of my job is access to events like this, and I am immeasurably excited about the chance to hang out with the team and alumni Friday. For many of us, it could be the last chance for a while to get the gang together. Seniors Kyle Schmidt and Chad Huttel will soon be leaving for overseas professional hockey gigs, and others will be going their separate ways.

Minnesota-Crookston Optimistic About One Sport, At Least

There's no question that the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference has a few weaker programs involved in it.

When you look at the football layout of the league, there are programs like UMD, Augustana, St. Cloud State, Minnesota State, and Winona State. These five are pretty consistently competitive in Division II, having shown the ability to hold their own -- or win -- in key non-conference games against top programs, as well as in the Division II playoffs.

Unfortunately, the NSIC isn't full of these types of programs for football. There are also programs like Minnesota State-Moorhead, Northern State, and Minnesota-Crookston, which struggle mightily to compete at a high level. Or a mediocre level.

For Minnesota-Crookston, it's not just football that struggles. Men's basketball went 3-19 in the NSIC. The women were a more respectable 10-12. Volleyball finished 0-28. Softball went 8-30 (2-22 in the NSIC). Soccer went 2-13-3 (2-11-1 in the NSIC).

Oh, and there's baseball.

The Eagles' baseball team finished 0-39.

Man, you thought the Twins sucked.

Crookston's baseball team featured nine true freshmen among just 15 players. Coach Chris Vito spoke to Michael Rand of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and he flashed a wonderfully positive attitude, considering what he and his players just went through.

"For starters, we had a pretty special group of kids. They were pretty tight-knit," he said when asked how the team was able to keep plugging away as the losses mounted. "The biggest thing we did is try to stay focused on what we're trying to accomplish.

... "To a 'T,' when I talked to the kids after the year, the recurring theme was, 'Now I know what to expect next year,'" Vito said.

Crookston's team batting average was .190. Opponents hit .402. UMC was outscored 495-79 on the season, an average score of 12.7-2.

Give Vito credit. He touts his young players' progress, knowing he has reinforcements -- a roster of at least 25 for next year -- on the way, and his upbeat attitude is certainly a positive.

For UMC, success in athletics comes in small doses, but hopefully the school can make more of a commitment to being competitive in the NSIC across the board. It might not come easily in football, but the ability of a program like Mary -- which has struggled in football since joining the NSIC -- to compete in other sports shows it can be done.

UMD, St. Scholastica Softball Qualify for NCAA Tournaments

The spring sports seasons for local college and high school programs have started to wind down, which means it's tournament time.

While you'd think the Northland wouldn't be known for producing competitive baseball and softball programs (given the challenges provided by our oft-crappy climate), area schools have done quite well in recent years, especially in softball.

This spring has been no exception. St. Scholastica won their 15th straight UMAC baseball title and the right to host the league postseason championship, and UMD went on a late run to nab a spot in the NSIC Tournament. Both of those events take place this weekend.

Meanwhile, college softball has moved into national tournament play. Two of the three Twin Ports college teams qualified for national tournaments.

In Division II, UMD was selected to the 64-team field as an at-large entry. The Bulldogs are part of a four-team regional that will be played in Sioux Falls and hosted by NSIC rival Augustana. UMD (31-15) will play Colorado School of Mines in their opening game Thursday afternoon. Augustana won the NSIC regular-season and playoff titles, and they will play Regis (Colorado) in the other opening-round game. The double-elimination tournament runs through the weekend, with the winner moving on to a best-of-three Super Regional series the following weekend.

The NCAA Division II World Series starts May 26 in Salem, Va.

For the first time this year, the UMAC postseason title included an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, and St. Scholastica won that crown at home over the weekend, beating Northwestern 6-4. The Saints (28-13) were placed in an eight-team regional in Eau Claire that starts Thursday and runs through either Sunday or Monday. CSS will play Luther (Iowa) in the opening round. That tournament is also double-elimination, with the winner moving into the NCAA Division III World Series that starts May 20, also in Salem.

UMD has experienced an extremely successful year in sports, with two national championships (football, men's hockey), as well as seeing the volleyball and women's hockey teams make the NCAA Tournament. It's great to see the softball program following that blueprint. Coach Jen Banford has led UMD to the NCAAs in three of her six years at the helm, marking three of the school's five NCAA appearances in history.

This is CSS' second trip to the NCAAs, having made it as an at-large entry in 2006.

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.

More UMD Football Honors

Another week, another honor for the UMD football team.

Actually, rumor has it the NSIC wanted to give an award to a UMD player last week, but the membership wasn't happy with the prospects of rewarding a player who didn't actually play in a game that week.

Alas, the Bulldogs are back to dominating the league's weekly honors after a 62-13 thrashing of Upper Iowa.

Senior running back Isaac Odim and junior wide receiver/return specialist D.J. Winfield have both been bestowed with Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Week honors for their spirited performances in the University of Minnesota Duluth's 62-13 victory at Upper Iowa University.

Odim, a two-time All-American from Rochester, Minn., claimed the league's Offensive Player of the Week award by rushing for 163 yards and five touchdowns (one score shy of the Bulldog single-game record) on just 15 carries with all but one of those yards coming in the first half. He scored on runs of 42, 24, 13, eight and four yards en route to surpassing the 100-yard run barrier for the 23rd time in 30 lifetime games with the Bulldogs.

Winfield, who like Odim has been chosen to the All-NSIC first team in each of the past two seasons, brought back a second-quarter kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown and concluded the day with three returns for 163 yards. The Mountain Iron, Minn., product also added another 15 yards on three punt returns while landing the NSIC's Special Teams Player of the Week citation. In addition, Winfield caught three passes for 126 yards, including an 86-yard scoring strike from sophomore quarterback Chase Vogler, and, in the process, became the fourth Bulldog to ever accumulate more than 2,000 receiving yards in a career.

• • •

For the second straight week, the University of Minnesota Duluth finds itself occupying the No. 2 spot in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll and this Saturday night will host another club which cracked the Top 20 in Wayne State College.

The Bulldogs, who are fresh off a 62-13 thrashing of Upper Iowa University, and the No. 18 Wildcats, a 68-6 victor over the University of Minnesota Crookston last Saturday, are both off to 2-0 overall starts heading into the Sept. 18 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference showdown at James S. Malosky Stadium. UMD is a perfect 9-0 lifetime against Wayne State, but the two clubs have not squared off since the 2003 season.

Grand Valley State University remained the AFCA II poll's No. 1 choice for the second week in a row, picking up 23 of a possible 26 first-place votes with others going to UMD (one) and the University of North Alabama (two).

Grand Valley got lucky Saturday, scoring in the final seconds to beat Hillsdale. But lucky is still going to count as a win, so the Lakers maintain the top spot in the rankings. UMD's strength of schedule should get a boost from playing Wayne State, Winona State, and Minnesota State this season, so there's still a good shot UMD will end up seeded ahead of Grand Valley State come playoff time.

But we're a long way away from that.

The Wayne State game should be fun. WSC wants to prove they're a contender, and they already have an impressive road win over Nebraska-Kearney. Now they get a chance to really show they belong by taking down the big dog of the NSIC.

We invite you to Buffalo Wild Wings in Duluth Friday for our Coach's Show, which will be broadcast on The Fan 1490 at noon.

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'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.

UMD Receives More Division II Honors

The UMD Bulldogs continue to rake in preseason honors in Division II. The Bulldogs are just a few days away from their season opener, and D2Football.com has released their preseason All-Americans.

Two UMD stars made the cut. Here is the information from UMD:

The last of the major preseason football honors were announced today -- the 2010 season kicks off in just a few days, after all -- with the unveiling of the D2Football.com Preseason All-America Team. Among those on the 25-member first team were University of Minnesota Duluth senior running back Isaac Odim and senior inside linebacker Robbie Aurich, who were named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, earlier this month. Odim, the school's all-time rushing and scoring leader, was a second team pick one year ago.

The two-time defending NSIC champioon Bulldogs checked in at No. 6 in the D2Football.com Top 25 Preseason Poll, which was also released today and will take on No. 5 Central Washington University in their 2010 season opener this Saturday in Ellensburg, Wash.

You can hear Saturday's game with Chris Nettleton on The Fan 1490 and at www.fan1490.com.

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 ...)