The University of Minnesota Duluth football team will return to James S. Malosky Stadium Saturday to host Minot State University in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference duel. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m.
BULLDOGS TACKLE CANCER: Saturday will also double as UMD’s Tackle Cancer game. Fans can head to randyshavercancerfund.org for more information.
TAKING AME(S): DaShaun Ames is currently tied for the most receiving TDs in the NSIC (8), and is averaging the third most yards per catch (20.8) and yards per game (83.3). Ames also has the third most total yards at 583.
It’s been three years since a UMD wide receiver had more touchdowns over an entire season than junior wide receiver Ames currently owns through only seven games.
Ames has eight TDs — including one in each of his past four games — the most touchdowns by a WR since Armani Carmickle had 11 — over 12 games over the 2021 season. Through his first seven games that year, Carmickle actually had less TDs than Ames currently has through seven games with seven touchdowns compared to Ames eight.
Ames has been a top target so far this season, with 28 receptions for 583 yards for a 20.8 yards per catch average.
With an average 4.0 receptions a game, Ames has already more than doubled his career season-high for receiving TDs (three in 2023), and his total single-season career high for touchdowns set last season (5). Ames has 1,237 yards so far over his career, which has included just 27 games for a 45.8 yards per game average.
NO RUSH HERE: UMD continues to lead the NSIC with the fewest rushing yards given up a game with just 63.0 and are allowing just 2.0 yards per attempt, another league low. The Bulldogs have also allowed the second fewest TD on the ground with just six through seven games.
UMD also leads the league with a league-best 27 sacks, and ranks second in yardage with 160.
Ironically, the Bulldogs own the NSIC’s least effective red zone defense, allowing opponents 15-of-16 attempts for 93.8 conversion rate against.
THE MATCHUP: The Bulldog own a 11-game unbeaten streak against MSU heading into Saturday’s game, having defeated the Beavers in all 11 of the games the two programs have ever played in against each other.
In those previous 11 matchups, UMD has been dominant over the MSU, offensively averaging 44.6 points a game. Defensively, the Bulldogs have allowed the Beavers more than a single touchdown only twice, and have completely shutout MSU on three occasions. In fact, the Beavers are averaging just 6.18 points per game against the Bulldogs all-time.
In their last head-to-head battle last season in Minot, N.D., on Oct. 21, UMD defeated MSU 42-7.
Led by the dual rushing threat of a three-touchdown effort from running back Jaylen McKnight and a two TD showing from quarterback Kyle Walljasper, UMD notched three touchdowns from the ground before half and had hammered out all five before the end of the third quarter. UMD’s defense did the rest, holding the Beavers to just 93 total yards on offense, including just 38 on the rush.. In fact, MSU’s lone touchdown wasn’t generated from its offense – and UMD never allowed the Beavers in the red zone all game.
McKnight ran in both of UMD’s touchdowns in the first quarter, the first a 1-yd run to the left with 8:05 remaining, coupled with a Curtis Cox point after attempt, to give the Bulldogs an 7-0 lead.
After the Beavers returned the ensuing kick 100 yards to draw even, McKnight struck again less than four minutes later. He then ran his second TD of the afternoon from nine yards out at 4:20 to retake the lead for UMD.
McKnight wasn’t done – and he ran for the lone points by either team in the second quarter, a monster 21-yd rip that put the Bulldogs up on the Beavers 21-7 with 2:18 left in the half.
Waljasper ran another touchdown in for the Bulldogs at 10:38 of the third quarter, a 2-yard effort to give UMD a 28-7 lead. The then redshirt sophomore quarterback did it again in the same frame less than four minutes later, a 45-yd run that registered as his third longest TD of the season, to extend UMD’s choke-hold on the scoreboard to 35-7.
The Bulldog defense, which made the day almost insufferable for the Beavers, put the perfect wrap on UMD’s scoring spree with a touchdown of their own. After Drew Hennessy forced a fumble, redshirt senior DL Brian Konz returned it 57 yards to the end zone to make it a 42-7 game with 10:53 left in the game – the first fumble recovery for a TD for UMD since the 2018 season.
In all, UMD recorded 398 total yards of offense – 291 yards of which came from the Bulldogs ground game. UMD was 3-of-4 on its own efforts in the red zone, while Cox was a perfect 6-of-6 on extra points in the game.
McKnight and Walljasper both went over 100 rushing yards on the day, the first UMD duo to do that in a single game in five years. McKnight ran for a season and career-best 109 yards and now has four TDs on the season, while Walljasper had a game-high 113.
The Bulldog defense recorded two sacks on the afternoon – one by Hennessy and one by Brady Herbst. Overall, Brad Dati led UMD with five tackles, including three solo efforts, while four other players had four tackles in the game – Andrew Klopp, Alex Sylvester, Herbst and Beffert. Ty’Rese Gibson also picked his second interception of the season off, and coupled it with a 25 yard return.
LAST TIME OUT: On the road in Sioux Falls, S.D. last Saturday afternoon, UMD fell to the University of Sioux Falls 24-21 at Bob Young Field.
The Cougars got on the scoreboard first, kicking a successful 27-yard field goal after forcing UMD to punt on the afternoon’s opening possession. A sack for loss from Andrew Klopp helped the defense as both teams forced four consecutive drives to end in a punt.
UMD’s offense broke the stalemate in the second quarter, tacking on the first touchdown of the afternoon with a 21- yard rush from Alex Riley with 5:48 left in the frame. The Cougars responded, however. with a touchdown of their own on the next drive to collect a 10-7 lead as both teams headed back to the locker rooms for the halftime intermission.
The UMD offense brought the bag out in the second half, pulling out a pitch back play to set up a 56-yard passing touchdown from redshirt sophomore QB Jacob Eggert to Jimmy Durocher on the Bulldogs’ first possession. But again, USF had no trouble responding, and scored on its next drive to move back into the 17-14 lead at 8:37 of the third quarter
A 19-yard touchdown from Eggert to DaShaun Ames – his eighth of the season – capped off the opening drive for the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter, allowing UMD to retake a 21-17 lead with just over 14 minutes left to go. USF countered once again, scoring on its next drive to take back the lead, and eventual final 24-21 score.
Despite forcing the Cougars to punt with just under a minute left, UMD was intercepted on its final two possessions of the game and was unable to regain the advantage before time expired.
Eggert made his first career start for UMD, and went 20-of-35 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Riley led the Bulldogs rushing attack with 85 yards and one touchdown, while Ames made his presence felt in the passing game, recording six receptions for 63 yards and one touchdown. Durocher added five catches for 134 yards and one score.
Tyrone McCoy led the Bulldog defense with three tackles and one interception. Klopp added four tackles, 1.0 TFL, and one sack, while Matt Weerts added three tackles, 2.0 TFL, and one sack in the loss.
NOTES ON THE SIOUX FALLS GAME: The Bulldogs are now 3-6 all time against USF — the lone NSIC opponent that the Bulldogs all-time record against is upside down. In a series that only started in 2013, and in four trips to Cougars home turf, the Bulldogs are still a winless 0-4.
—Quarterback Jacob Eggert made his first career start for an injured Kyle Walljapser, breaking a streak of Walljasper under center to start a game that began on Oct. 15, 2022. Walljasper had started in 21-straight games for UMD.
—Eggert put up a season-tying high 35 passing attempts against the Cougars (Walljasper put up 35 back on Oct. 6 against Augustana).
—Tyrone McCoy’s interception against USF was UMD’s eighth of the season.
—For a third straight game, UMD’s opponent was perfect in the red zone, going 4-of-4 for 24 points. Over those last three-games, the Bulldogs opponents are 10-of-10 inside the red zone and have scored 62 points.
Over that same span, UMD is 6-of-9 for 38 points.
WRONG SIDE OF A STREAK: The Bulldogs three-straight losses is the first for the program since the 2007 season when UMD twice lost three-games in a row.
The Bulldogs, who have also not lost four games in a season since 2007, have lost those three of their four games by three or less points.
