COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY
BEMIDJI STATE (2-1, 1-1) AT MINNESOTA DULUTH (3-0, 2-0)
r What: NORTHERN SUN INTERCOLLEGIATE CONFERENCE NORTH DIVISION OPENER
R WHERE: MALOSKY STADIUM (4,500 CAPACITY, ARTIFICIAL TURF)
R WHEN: 6:05 P.M. TODAY
R NATIONAL RANKINGS: BEMIDJI ISN'T RANKED; UMD IS NO. 2 IN THE AFCA NCAA DIVISION II POLL AND NO. 1 IN THE D2FOOTBALL.COM POLL
R LIVE INTERACTIVE BLOG: WWW.DULUTHNEWSTRIBUNE.COM
R TV/WEB: MY9 (KBJR DT 6.2/KRII DT 11.9); WWW.PENNATLANTIC.COM
R RADIO: KQDS-AM 1490 (105.5 AND 106.7 FM ON THE IRON RANGE); WWW.FAN1490.COM
R SERIES: THIS WILL BE THE 50TH MEETING BETWEEN THE TEAMS, WITH UMD HOLDING A 38-10-1 ADVANTAGE, INCLUDING A 35-34 VICTORY LAST YEAR AT BEMIDJI. THE BULLDOGS HAVE WON EIGHT STRAIGHT AGAINST BEMIDJI AND HAVEN'T LOST TO THE BEAVERS IN DULUTH SINCE OCT. 10, 1941, A STRING OF 17 STRAIGHT VICTORIES.
R COACHES: JEFF TESCH IS 93-61 IN 15 SEASONS AT BEMIDJI STATE, WHERE HE IS THE BEAVERS' ALL-TIME LEADER IN WINS; BOB NIELSON IS 67-21 IN HIS EIGHTH SEASON AT UMD.
R NORTHLAND CONNECTIONS: BEMIDJI FEATURES THREE PLAYERS FROM THIS AREA: LINEBACKER RYAN OLDS OF HIBBING, WHO IS PLAYING ON SPECIAL TEAMS AND IS IN THE DEFENSIVE ROTATION AFTER REDSHIRTING LAST YEAR; AND A PAIR OF FRESHMEN REDSHIRTS IN RUNNING BACK MARCUS MIRANDA OF AURORA AND DEFENSIVE BACK SHAIN POWERS OF GRAND RAPIDS.
R ALASKAN PIPELINE: BEMIDJI HAS FIVE PLAYERS FROM ALASKA ON ITS ROSTER, INCLUDING 6-FOOT-2, 238-POUND LINEBACKER GEORGE PERCAK-DENNETT OF WASILLA, SARAH PALIN'S HOMETOWN. THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN DOESN'T HAVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL, SO UPON THE URGING OF SEVERAL BSU ALUMNI LIVING IN ALASKA, MOST OF THEM TEACHERS, BEAVERS COACH JEFF TESCH BEGAN MAKING AN ANNUAL TREK UP NORTH, PROSPECTING FOR ATHLETIC NUGGETS.
R INJURY UPDATE: BRAD FOSS, THE UMD RUNNING BACK FEATURED PROMINENTLY ON BILLBOARDS AROUND TOWN PROMOTING BULLDOG TICKET SALES, MISSED LAST WEEK'S GAME AGAINST WAYNE STATE WITH A DISLOCATED SHOULDER BUT MAY PLAY TODAY. FORMER NEWS TRIBUNE PREP FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR NATE ZUK, A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN FROM WILLOW RIVER WHO HAD FIVE TACKLES AGAINST WAYNE STATE LAST WEEK, ALONG WITH RUNNING BACK CHAZ THOMAS, ARE EXPECTED TO MISS THE REST OF THE SEASON WITH KNEE INJURIES.
R OUTLOOK: BEMIDJI IS COMING OFF A 30-14 VICTORY AT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE AS SOPHOMORE RUNNING BACK DUSTIN KROEPLIN RUSHED 18 TIMES FOR 96 YARDS AND A PAIR OF TOUCHDOWNS. ALL-CONFERENCE SENIOR QUARTERBACK DEREK EDHOLM IS ON PACE TO BECOME THE BEAVERS' ALL-TIME LEADER IN TOUCHDOWN PASSES, BUT THE OFFENSE IS STILL STRUGGLING TO FIND ITS RHYTHM. BEMIDJI HAS GOOD SIZE AND SPEED AT RECEIVER, WHICH FRUSTRATED UMD LAST SEASON, INCLUDING 5-FOOT-11 JUNIOR JODY HENNINGSON (10 RECEPTIONS, 115 YARDS) AND 6-FOOT-2 SENIOR ANDREW SCHULTZ (5-59). ... UMD IS COMING OFF A 42-10 VICTORY OVER WAYNE STATE AS SENIOR ALL-AMERICAN ISAAC ODIM RUSHED 17 TIMES FOR 170 YARDS AND FOUR TOUCHDOWNS IN THE BULLDOGS' HOME OPENER. ODIM LEADS THE NATION IN SCORING (20 PPG) AND IS EIGHTH IN RUSHING (127.7 YPG). UMD DEFENDERS DERRICK ZAPPA AND JIM KUNZ, MEANWHILE, RETURNED TWO TURNOVERS FOR TOUCHDOWNS AGAINST WAYNE, AND THE BULLDOGS NEARLY CONVERTED A THIRD. LAST WEEK'S ATTENDANCE OF 4,607 WAS THE 11TH LARGEST CROWD IN MALOSKY STADIUM'S 45-YEAR HISTORY.
JON NOWACKI, NEWS TRIBUNE
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