Bulldogs keep hometown fans on edge of their seats

It took all 60 minutes of football for the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs to win their second national championship on Saturday.

A viewing party at Clyde Iron Restaurant in Lincoln Park seemed like a winner from the start.

Close to 400 people filled the restaurant's second floor, by owner Alex Giuliani's estimate, to cheer on the Bulldogs in a late-morning game, the outcome of which was in doubt until David Nadeau's field goal gave UMD the 20-17 win with no time left.

The game, projected on a giant screen, kept the UMD contingent in suspense throughout -- cheers and high-fives followed by groans. It couldn't have been scripted better for Giuliani, whose servers were squeezing in extra seating into the first quarter and scrambled to keep up with orders. It delighted Lisa Pratt, who organized the event for the UMD Alumni Association.

"We wanted to keep them here," she joked moments after Nadeau's game-winner.

Earlier, with UMD off to a slow start, Pratt admitted to being "slightly" worried about the outcome.

"I have a lot of confidence in our team, but anything can happen in football," Pratt said.

But she already was happy with the viewing party.

"We just wanted to find a venue where we could put up a big screen and welcome a lot of people," Pratt said. "And a lot of folks are really interested in Clyde Iron. Some hadn't been here. It was sort of a draw, and Alex was extremely welcoming."

Several former UMD players were among the spectators, including former Duluth Police Chief Scott Lyons and his son Jack Lyons, a student in the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth campus. Both played on the offensive line for UMD, about 30 years apart.

Scott Lyons, who was team captain and played for coach Jim Malosky in the early 1970s, said there was more community support back them. "We had more local players," he said. "You know, it's a little different now. But this is great."

Seated a couple of tables away, Eric Kaiser, a retired Duluth schools administrator who played at the same time as Lyons, noted one big difference in today's teams:

"They're a lot bigger," Kaiser said, then added: "I'm excited about this team (because) they do a lot of running, like we used to do. But I think the game is more technical now."

Mike Johnson, 55, who was seated toward the back of the room, played defensive end on Malosky-coached teams in the late '70s. Malosky began a tradition that continues to this day, Johnson said.

"Coach Malosky instilled a lot of characteristics in people throughout the years -- integrity and hard work," Johnson said.

Still, football might never be the top dog in Duluth.

"Unfortunately from a football player's standpoint, this is a hockey town," Kaiser said.

Johnson agreed -- to a point.

"You know kids (in Duluth) are born with skates, I think," Johnson said during the first half. "Hockey's a long tradition here as well, but I think if they win the championship again today, I think you're going to see a long continued interest in football in Duluth."

1,045 miles away at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala., the game had hit a lull, at least from a UMD perspective. During the second and third quarters, not much happened to favor the Bulldogs. But a Brad Foss touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter brought the crowd to its feet with an explosion of cheers.

Everyone in the Clyde Iron crowd was on the proverbial edges of their seats the rest of the way. A blocked field goal try by Delta State brought the loudest cheers, but a penalty gave the Statesmen another chance. A field goal tied the game and added to the tension.

After several more nerve-wracking twists and turns, it was up to Nadeau, and nearly everyone was on their feet. Nadeau calmly made his kick, and Clyde Iron erupted in cheers, hugs and raised arms.

At least for the moment, Duluth was a football town.