DULUTH, Minn. -Northern State heads out to face tenth-ranked Minnesota-Duluth Saturday in a key Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division match-up.
Setting the Stage:
• Northern State secured its first winning season since 2005 with a win over Minnesota, Crookston last weekend. That win kept the Wolves into a three-way tie for the North Division lead, setting up a key showdown this weekend with co-leader and tenth-ranked Minnesota-Duluth with at least a share of the Division title on the line.
Last Meeting:
• Northern State stayed with the seventh-ranked Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs for the vast majority of the first half, but a late second-quarter touchdown pass from UMD's Chase Vogler to Zach Zweifel with just eight seconds remaining on the clock stretched the Bulldog lead from three to ten and a shutout defensive effort in the second half gave the Bulldogs a 37-6 victory in last year's meeting in Duluth.
About the Bulldogs:
• Minnesota-Duluth have won the Division II title twice in the last four years and enter this weekend's match-up ranked tenth in the nation. UMD saw its perfect season ended on a Week 5 loss to St. Cloud State, a team the Wolves ralled to beat in Week 8. The Bulldogs have been perfect since, however, and at 9-1 overall and 5-1 in the North, are looking to secure a spot in the NCAA playoffs with a win on Saturday. UMD is ranked sixth in the Central Region rankings (top six move on to post-season play) behind senior quarterback Chase Vogler.
Last Week:
• NSU racked up 50+ points for the second week in a row en-route to a 52-20 win over Minnesota, Crookston to seal the Wolves' first winning season since 2005.
Jared Jacobson threw for 210 yards and ran for three touchdowns, while redshirt fresman
Terrelle Walker ran for 148 yards and two scores in his first career start.
The series:
• UMD leads the all-time series 17-12, including the last four meetings since the Bulldogs returned to the NSIC.
Time & Temp:
• Overcast with snow and rain, then rain in the afternoon. Fog early. High of 43F. Windy. Winds from the ENE at 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 40 mph. Chance of precipitation 60%.
About the NSIC:
• The NSIC has expanded once more in 2012 with the addition of Sioux Falls and Minot State as full-fledged members in the now 16-team league. The institutions are the fifth and sixth additional members since the league expanded from 10 to 14 in 2008.
