Bulldog defense stops Crookston 13-9 for 3-0 UMD start
DULUTH – UMD football coach Bob Nielson had registered concern that his team was too dependent on big plays to win in its first two games. That concern had a different look Saturday night, when the offense not only didn’t make many big plays, it didn’t make many plays at all.
Fortunately for the Bulldogs, their defense rose up for some huge plays, and Ricky Fritz converted two of them into third-quarter touchdowns to provide 3,642 fans at Griggs Field with a 13-9 victory over an aroused Minnesota-Crookston outfit. The victory gives UMD a 3-0 start for the first time since 1986, when the ‘Dogs won their first five games and ran up a 6-0-2 start.
More important, the victory gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 start in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
“Our defensive staff and our defensive players did a great job,” said Nielson. “They were well-prepared and made some things happen that gave us the chance to win the game. We need some more guys on offense to step up and play as well, but give Crookston credit. They did a great job defending us. This may not have been as exciting as our first two games, but it’s a big win, and Crookston has a team that is going to win some games in this league.”
Minnesota-Crookston in this case had to play with senior Ryan Zimmer making his first start at quarterback, because starter Justin Schreiber was out with mononucleosis.
“Ryan is a transfer from Brainerd Community College,” said Crookston coach Scott Oliver. “He backed up last year, and was beaten out by Schreiber this year, so this was his first start. It took him a while to get going, but then he did all right.”
Zimmer ended up 10-of-27 for 125 yards. UMD’s Fritz wasn’t much more effective, going 12-of-29 for 149 yards, but he had those two touchdown passes. Crookston had a 17-14 edge in first downs on the Bulldogs and a 196-139 edge in rushing yards.
“We played well, and we played well last week against North Dakota, too,” said Oliver. “I think we’re a much better team than last year, but until we win a couple, it doesn’t mean much. You can’t win with just field goals.”
The Golden Eagles got three field goals and superb kicking all night from Louie Sylvester, but the reason they didn’t win Saturday was because UMD’s big-play defense came through, repeatedly, never allowing a Golden Eagle to cross the UMD goal line.
After upending North Central Conference stalwarts Minnesota State-Mankato and St. Cloud State with an eye-popping array of spectacular plays, the Bulldogs may have figured on an easy time against Crookston. After stressing the need for a consistent ground attack in practice all week, the Bulldogs had little to show for it at halftime: 67 yards rushing on 21 attempts, no big plays, and no points. As in zero. Nothing.
Crookston running back Oscar Hernandez had 25 carries for 103 yards in the game, and 11 carries for 52 yards at halftime, when the Golden Eagles outrushed the ‘Dogs with 81 yards on 17 tries and built a 6-0 lead on a pair of Sylvester field goals late in the second quarter.
The scoring started when Zimmer, who had overthrown his receivers by a considerable margin on four of his first five passes in the game, zeroed in to hit Mike Olsonawski for 21 yards, and sent Hernandez around right end for 24 yards. Hernandez cracked to the 3, but then the Bulldog defense stiffened, and Sylvester’s kick made it 3-0 from 21 yards. On their next possession, Zimmer kept on a rollout left and gained 16 yards to the UMD 18, but Crookston couldn’t get to the end zone, and Sylvester connected again, this time from 37 yards, for the 6-0 halftime lead.
It took big defensive plays to get the ‘Dogs untracked in the third quarter. Hernandez fumbled and Chris Markas caught the ball and returned it to the Crookston 10. It was suggested to Markas that he looked like a running back on his 37-yard return to the 9. “Yeah, right,” he said. “I had nothing but green in front of me.”
On first down, Fritz rolled right and passed to Steve Battaglia in the end zone. UMD went up 7-6 on the extra point, but there was even a bit of drama on it, as Nick Boland, a junior linebacker who came from Rochester Community College, was put into action because freshman placekicker Chad Gerlach was out with a leg injury, and delivered a successful line drive kick.
Jerrard Reed’s explosive return on the ensuing kickoff put Minnesota-Crookston in excellent position, but on first down from the 47, Zimmer threw something of a wounded duck up the right sideline, and UMD’s Nathan Daigle intercepted it at the 22 for another big defensive play.
Fritz passed to freshman Tim Battaglia for 12 yards on third and 2, and Erik Conner battled his way up the middle for 12 yards, and Fritz scrambled around right end for 8 more. On first down at the 34, Fritz unloaded, high and long up the right sideline, and kick-return ace Erik Hanson sprinted under it for a picturesque catch in the end zone.
“Ricky led me perfectly,” said Hanson. “At halftime, coach told us just to relax and execute in the second half.”
Hanson celebrated, briefly, after the touchdown, and was promptly penalized for it. That put the extra point try out of reach, and Fritz’s 2-point pass went through Steve Battaglia’s fingertips in the end zone, leaving the score 13-6.
The Golden Eagles had an opportunity to catch up when Sylvester punted to the UMD 2, late in the third quarter, and Craig Lockett recovered a fumble by Fritz at the Bulldog 9. On first and goal, Hernandez gained 4, but a pair of incomplete passes brought in Sylvester, who connected from 22 yards for his third field goal of the night to close it to 13-9.
The whole fourth quarter was left up to the Bulldog defense, with Kevin Westbrock’s sack of Zimmer stopping one drive and forcing a 40-yard field goal that Sylvester hooked wide left. Running back Semaj Frazier-Billings gained 26 yards on a run later, but after the Golden Eagles got another first and goal from the 9, Frazier-Billings was hammered at the line of scrimmage, and UMD’s Shaun Fisher recovered his fumble.
“They were pumped up to come in here and upset us,” said senior defensive end Dan Schilling. “We had to find it within ourselves, and we came up with some big plays at the end.”
On Crookston’s final threat, Schilling sacked Zimmer with 1:50 remaining, leaving Crookston’s only hope a desperation fourth-down pass attempt by Zimmer, which was intercepted by Westbrock. That gave the Bulldogs the ball with 1:32 left, and Conner ran three times, getting a final first down that ended the game.
Bulldog defense stops Crookston 13-9 for 3-0 UMD start
DULUTH – UMD football coach Bob Nielson had registered concern that his team was too dependent on big plays to win in its first two games. That concern had a different look Saturday night, when the offense not only didn’t make many big plays, it didn’t make many plays at all.
Fortunately for the Bulldogs, their defense rose up for some huge plays, and Ricky Fritz converted two of them into third-quarter touchdowns to provide 3,642 fans at Griggs Field with a 13-9 victory over an aroused Minnesota-Crookston outfit. The victory gives UMD a 3-0 start for the first time since 1986, when the ‘Dogs won their first five games and ran up a 6-0-2 start.
More important, the victory gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 start in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
“Our defensive staff and our defensive players did a great job,” said Nielson. “They were well-prepared and made some things happen that gave us the chance to win the game. We need some more guys on offense to step up and play as well, but give Crookston credit. They did a great job defending us. This may not have been as exciting as our first two games, but it’s a big win, and Crookston has a team that is going to win some games in this league.”
Minnesota-Crookston in this case had to play with senior Ryan Zimmer making his first start at quarterback, because starter Justin Schreiber was out with mononucleosis.
“Ryan is a transfer from Brainerd Community College,” said Crookston coach Scott Oliver. “He backed up last year, and was beaten out by Schreiber this year, so this was his first start. It took him a while to get going, but then he did all right.”
Zimmer ended up 10-of-27 for 125 yards. UMD’s Fritz wasn’t much more effective, going 12-of-29 for 149 yards, but he had those two touchdown passes. Crookston had a 17-14 edge in first downs on the Bulldogs and a 196-139 edge in rushing yards.
“We played well, and we played well last week against North Dakota, too,” said Oliver. “I think we’re a much better team than last year, but until we win a couple, it doesn’t mean much. You can’t win with just field goals.”
The Golden Eagles got three field goals and superb kicking all night from Louie Sylvester, but the reason they didn’t win Saturday was because UMD’s big-play defense came through, repeatedly, never allowing a Golden Eagle to cross the UMD goal line.
After upending North Central Conference stalwarts Minnesota State-Mankato and St. Cloud State with an eye-popping array of spectacular plays, the Bulldogs may have figured on an easy time against Crookston. After stressing the need for a consistent ground attack in practice all week, the Bulldogs had little to show for it at halftime: 67 yards rushing on 21 attempts, no big plays, and no points. As in zero. Nothing.
Crookston running back Oscar Hernandez had 25 carries for 103 yards in the game, and 11 carries for 52 yards at halftime, when the Golden Eagles outrushed the ‘Dogs with 81 yards on 17 tries and built a 6-0 lead on a pair of Sylvester field goals late in the second quarter.
The scoring started when Zimmer, who had overthrown his receivers by a considerable margin on four of his first five passes in the game, zeroed in to hit Mike Olsonawski for 21 yards, and sent Hernandez around right end for 24 yards. Hernandez cracked to the 3, but then the Bulldog defense stiffened, and Sylvester’s kick made it 3-0 from 21 yards. On their next possession, Zimmer kept on a rollout left and gained 16 yards to the UMD 18, but Crookston couldn’t get to the end zone, and Sylvester connected again, this time from 37 yards, for the 6-0 halftime lead.
It took big defensive plays to get the ‘Dogs untracked in the third quarter. Hernandez fumbled and Chris Markas caught the ball and returned it to the Crookston 10. It was suggested to Markas that he looked like a running back on his 37-yard return to the 9. “Yeah, right,” he said. “I had nothing but green in front of me.”
On first down, Fritz rolled right and passed to Steve Battaglia in the end zone. UMD went up 7-6 on the extra point, but there was even a bit of drama on it, as Nick Boland, a junior linebacker who came from Rochester Community College, was put into action because freshman placekicker Chad Gerlach was out with a leg injury, and delivered a successful line drive kick.
Jerrard Reed’s explosive return on the ensuing kickoff put Minnesota-Crookston in excellent position, but on first down from the 47, Zimmer threw something of a wounded duck up the right sideline, and UMD’s Nathan Daigle intercepted it at the 22 for another big defensive play.
Fritz passed to freshman Tim Battaglia for 12 yards on third and 2, and Erik Conner battled his way up the middle for 12 yards, and Fritz scrambled around right end for 8 more. On first down at the 34, Fritz unloaded, high and long up the right sideline, and kick-return ace Erik Hanson sprinted under it for a picturesque catch in the end zone.
“Ricky led me perfectly,” said Hanson. “At halftime, coach told us just to relax and execute in the second half.”
Hanson celebrated, briefly, after the touchdown, and was promptly penalized for it. That put the extra point try out of reach, and Fritz’s 2-point pass went through Steve Battaglia’s fingertips in the end zone, leaving the score 13-6.
The Golden Eagles had an opportunity to catch up when Sylvester punted to the UMD 2, late in the third quarter, and Craig Lockett recovered a fumble by Fritz at the Bulldog 9. On first and goal, Hernandez gained 4, but a pair of incomplete passes brought in Sylvester, who connected from 22 yards for his third field goal of the night to close it to 13-9.
The whole fourth quarter was left up to the Bulldog defense, with Kevin Westbrock’s sack of Zimmer stopping one drive and forcing a 40-yard field goal that Sylvester hooked wide left. Running back Semaj Frazier-Billings gained 26 yards on a run later, but after the Golden Eagles got another first and goal from the 9, Frazier-Billings was hammered at the line of scrimmage, and UMD’s Shaun Fisher recovered his fumble.
“They were pumped up to come in here and upset us,” said senior defensive end Dan Schilling. “We had to find it within ourselves, and we came up with some big plays at the end.”
On Crookston’s final threat, Schilling sacked Zimmer with 1:50 remaining, leaving Crookston’s only hope a desperation fourth-down pass attempt by Zimmer, which was intercepted by Westbrock. That gave the Bulldogs the ball with 1:32 left, and Conner ran three times, getting a final first down that ended the game.
Lightning runbacks give UMD 36-29 victory over St. Cloud
DULUTH, MINN.—The forecast called for a possible thunderstorm at Saturday night’s UMD football game. Turns out there was no thunder, and no rain. But a lot of lightning. And the Bulldogs used it to good advantage to escape from Griggs Field with a 36-29 victory over St. Cloud State.
One bolt of lightning was freshman Cash Langeness, who electrified the big crowd of 4,074 with a 90-yard touchdown return with the game’s opening kickoff. But if that one was a surprise, flash-forward to the last two minutes, right after St. Cloud State had rallied from deficits of 21-6 and 28-16 to take a 29-28 lead with 2:02 remaining.
The final lightning bolt was coming, but certainly unexpected, but senior speedster Erik Hanson juggled the ensuing kickoff, turned around and caught it at the 10, with his back to the 90 yards between him and St. Cloud State’s end zone. No problem. Hanson spun around and took off, cutting right to get outside, and sprinting all the way to a 90-yard touchdown that snatched victory for UMD.
Langeness, a red-shirt freshman, was back there with the closest view of Hanson’s launch. “After they scored, I thought if they kicked it deep, we’d run it back,” said Langeness, exhibiting far more confidence than anyone in the stands. “Then the kick bounced up off Erik’s helmet.”
Still, there was time — and critical blocking — that left plenty of time for one last lightning strike.
“The disappointing thing about the game is that we had chances to put it away and didn’t,” said coach Bob Nielson. “But we’ve talked about players coming up with big plays, and Eric Hanson gave an example of a senior stepping up to make a big play that won the game.
“I was just talking to Bud Grant, and he said how many times it happens that you see a kickoff muffed and it turns into a big runback, because the defense sees the muff and thinks nothing is going to happen.”
Grant, the former Vikings coaching legend, was at Griggs to watch his grandson, sophomore UMD quarterback Ricky Fritz.
“I think we’re going to have big plays all year,” said Fritz, who completed 10 of 20 passes for 190 yards and supplied his own version of lightning with touchdown passes of 21 yards to Chris Walker and 73 yards to Erik Conner.
But now, after not beating any North Central Conference team for 10 years, the Bulldogs have beaten two in a row to open the season. After conquering Minnesota State-Mankato and St. Cloud State, the Bulldogs open the Northern Sun season against Minnesota-Crookston next Saturday at 6 p.m. at Griggs.
As luck would have it, St. Cloud State won the coin toss and elected to kick off, a move that was UMD’s first inspiration, thanks to Langeness, who is from Luck, Wis. He caught the kick at the UMD 5, zipped up the middle, then cut left and swept around the entire defensive unit and sprinted up the left sideline for a 90-yard touchdown and a startling opening score.
“I worked on kickoff returns, but didn’t get to try any last week,” said Langeness. “But coach said all week to follow the wedge, and when I caught the ball and looked up, I just saw the wedge and it opened up. Somebody knocked their kicker off his feet, and I cut it outside and was gone.”
The teams exchanged punts until senior defensive end Dan Schilling batted and caught a pass by 6-foot-6 Huskies quarterback Ryan Stelter for an interception at the St. Cloud 12. Three plays later, Conner scored from the 3, and Chad Gerlach’s second placekick made it 14-0.
UMD got another break when the Huskies marched to the UMD 35, but senior middle linebacker Jimmy Malo swatted Stelter’s fourth-and-one pass away. This time, however, the Bulldogs gave the ball right back on a fumbled snap, recovered by Eric Earle at the Bulldog 3. Stelter tried three straight swing passes before finally making it work to Andy Thyen, who ran up the left sideline for a 23-yard touchdown.
The Bulldogs were vulnerable to passes over the middle all night. Stelter wound up 15-of-27 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and when he went out with a leg injury in the third quarter, Keith Heckendorf came in and went 9-for-18 for 140 more yards and a third touchdown. And St. Cloud had a 22-11 edge in first downs, and a 450-283 edge in total yards.
But statistics didn’t seem to matter, as the Bulldogs held the 14-6 lead until halftime, then expanded it.
Malo recovered a Huskies fumble at the St. Cloud 24 and the ‘Dogs struck after two plays, on a sensational play by freshman flanker Chris Walker. The red-shirt rookie from Waukesha, Wis., raced up the right sideline, but cornerback Eric Mickelson played him perfectly, staying inside and matching him stride for stride. Fritz’s high pass was slightly underthrown, and to the left, but Walker hesitated a step, then dived behind Mickelson, catching the ball and landing in a heap in the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown.
Gerlach’s kick made it 21-6, but the Huskies were not about to concede. Stelter found Nate Lehman over the middle for a big gain, although the Bulldogs stiffened, and St. Cloud settled for Nick Orndorff’s 22-yard field goal.
At 21-9, the lead still seemed secure, but 21-16 made it decidedly insecure. With a second and 15 at their 39 a couple of series later, Stelter pitched over the middle — again. Lehman caught it — again — and promptly collided head-on with UMD safety Shawn Pomato. Both recoiled from the crash, but Pomato went down and Lehman caught his balance and took off — running up the left sideline to complete a 61-yard scoring play.
The Huskies made a bid for the lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs held, took over, and struck again. On third and nine at their own 27, Fritz let Conner do the work, pitching a short pass that became a 73-yard touchdown play.
“It’s been awhile,” said Conner, who couldn’t remember the last time he had broken off such a long run for a touchdown. “It was just a screen pass right. Everybody was patient with their blocks, and the receivers made some excellent blocks downfield. Then, it was off to the races.”
Even at 28-16, however, the Huskies refused to quit. Heckendorf burned UMD over the middle to move the Huskies downfield. On third and 13 at the 27, Ben Nelson made a diving catch of his pass into the end zone to cut the deficit to 28-23, with eight minutes remaining.
But after three and a half quarters of fireworks, the best was yet to come. Langeness made a great defensive move for an interception to stop the Huskies once, but Heckendorf came scrambling and passing back, driving 76 yards on only six plays, the sixth being a 6-yard touchdown run by Bill Stallings. The drive used up only 1:22 of the clock, and though a two-point conversion pass failed, the Huskies had vaulted to an improbable 29-28 lead.
Only 2:02 remained. But Hanson, playing the bad-hop kickoff off his helmet and all, needed only 17 seconds of it.
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
For those who want to keep up with John Gilbert's view of sports, mainly hockey with a Minnesota slant, click on the following:
Click here for sports