St. Cloud State football players couldn't stomach to watch the NCAA Division II championship game last December in Florence, Ala.
There on TV was Minnesota Duluth, the team the Huskies felt they could have defeated, marching to its second national championship in the past three years. Meanwhile, St. Cloud, which fell to the Bulldogs in overtime in the playoffs just three weeks earlier, was home.
While revenge might be on the minds of St. Cloud players going into this week's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rematch with the Bulldogs, Huskies coach Scott Underwood has a different perspective.
"I enjoyed the opportunity of watching the national championship game," Underwood said. "We've been very stout opponents during each of their championship years, and I've been pleased to see what they've done."
The respect is mutual.
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UMD coach Bob Nielson and Co. have a huge task at hand this Saturday, with the Huskies coming off a 66-13 victory over Minnesota-Crookston in which they amassed a school-record 770 yards of offense.
St. Cloud scored on every possession, and sophomore quarterback Phillip Klaphake returned from a leg injury that kept him out two weeks to throw for a career-high 342 yards --in the first half.
Saturday's winner could wind up with a top seed and first-round bye for the upcoming Division II playoffs. The loser could wind up fighting for its playoff life.
"It is one of those games where you circle it on the calendar at the start of the season because you know it's going to be a good game," Nielson said. "It's going to be a huge one for both programs."
Underwood and his players said UMD's national championships have helped bring respect to the NSIC, and while a lot of players and fans might still talk about the "what ifs" after UMD rallied to knock out the Huskies last year, Underwood isn't one of them.
"A lot of things go into winning a national championship," Underwood said. "A lot of things have to go right to get that far. Duluth has been great at doing that, but it isn't luck. It's coaching, recruiting and preparation. Those things don't happen by chance."
HAVE TEAM, WILL FOLLOW
St. Cloud State is hoping for a record crowd on Saturday as UMD comes to town.
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The Bulldogs have become accustomed to seeing larger than normal crowds as fans come out to see the hometown team try to knock off the defending national champions.
Augustana drew 5,718 fans to Kirkeby-Over Stadium in the season opener on Sept. 3 in Sioux Falls, S.D., just 349 off a record, even though school wasn't in session. UMD later played before a record 5,033 fans at Winona State.
Last week, however, UMD fans topped them all as a record 6,044 attended the Bulldogs' homecoming at Malosky Stadium.
"What a great crowd, and what a beautiful day," Nielson said after the Bulldogs' 37-6 win over Northern State. "The crowd was really into the game, and our guys really appreciate when they come out like that. When you're coming out, running across that field and the crowd is full of maroon and gold, it's a pretty impressive thing."
SIKORSKI OUT THIS WEEK
UMD freshman running back Austin Sikorski won't play against St. Cloud after injuring his left knee early in last week's game. Sikorski, who was the Bulldogs' leading rusher at the time, has carried the ball 108 times for 583 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns this season.
Freshman Brian Lucas (103-594) will be the No. 1 back, with senior Zach Hulce (42-441) and sophomore Steve Ierulli (17-87) getting extended action.
Sikorski said the complete extent of his injuries won't be known until the swelling subsides and full motion allows more tests to be done.
