College football preview: Concordia-St. Paul at UMD

By Jon Nowacki

September 28, 2018 at 10:20 PM

National rankings: Concordia-St. Paul isn't ranked; UMD is No. 8 in the American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II rankings and No. 12 by D2Football.com.

Series: UMD holds a 9-3 lead. The Bulldogs have won six straight, including the last meeting, a 52-49 shootout win in St. Paul as the teams combined for nearly 1,100 yards of offense.

Coaches: Shannon Currier is 38-32 in seven years at Concordia (2000-03 and 2016-present). The second stint has been a struggle, going 2-9 both years, but this year's Golden Bears appear improved. Curt Wiese is 56-11 in six seasons at UMD.

Outlook: Concordia is coming off a 29-7 home victory over Wayne State as senior quarterback Dom McKinzy threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Shaq Johnson paced the rushing attack with 12 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown, while McKinzy added 10 carries for 43 yards. Marcus Gustaveson, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound junior, caught four passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, while M.J. Williams, a 6-1, 180-pound junior, added six catches for 79 yards and another score. "Offensively they have a very explosive quarterback and some weapons on the perimeter that could create mismatch problems for us," UMD coach Curt Wiese said. ... UMD is coming off a 26-19 double-overtime victory over Bemidji State as the Bulldogs scored four plays into the second overtime on a 2-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Wade Sullivan. Bemidji State took over and moved backwards, with the game ending on a quarterback sack by UMD's Dre Greer and Nate Pearson. UMD finished with six sacks and held a Beavers' offense that came in averaging an NSIC-best 341.3 rushing yards per game to just 46. The victory wasn't without cost, however, as senior captain Jason Balts suffered a lower-leg injury. Balts, who led UMD with 57 catches for 1,003 yards last season, isn't listed on this week's two-deeps, with redshirt freshman John Ross Linscheid starting alongside senior Nate Ricci and sophomore Johnny McCormick.

By Jon Nowacki

Jon Nowacki joined the News Tribune in August 1998 as a sports reporter. He grew up in Stephen, Minnesota, in the northwest corner of the state, where he was actively involved in school and sports and was a proud member of the Tigers’ 1992 state championship nine-man football team.

After graduating in 1993, Nowacki majored in print journalism at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, serving as editor of the college paper, “The Aquin,” and graduating with honors in December 1997. He worked with the Associated Press during the “tobacco trial” of 1998, leading to the industry’s historic $206 billion settlement, before moving to Duluth.

Nowacki started as a prep reporter for the News Tribune before moving onto the college ranks, with an emphasis on Minnesota Duluth football, including coverage of the Bulldogs’ NCAA Division II championships in 2008 and 2010.

Nowacki continues to focus on college sports while filling in as a backup on preps, especially at tournament time. He covers the Duluth Huskies baseball team and auto racing in the summer. When time allows, he also writes an offbeat and lighthearted food column entitled “The Taco Stand,” a reference to the “Taco Jon” nickname given to him by his older brother when he was a teenager that stuck with him through college. He has a teenage daughter, Emma.

Nowacki can be reached at jnowacki@duluthnews.com or (218) 380-7027. Follow him on Twitter @TacoJon1.