Undefeated USF hosts Minnesota Duluth: 'We know the stakes are getting higher'
USF’s 2022 campaign is off to exactly the kind of start sixth year coach Jon Anderson envisioned before the season. Not only are they 3-0, they’ve won games pretty much according to the script they had planned back in August.
A more balanced offense. A dominant defensive line. Reliable special teams. A deep rotation on both sides of the ball.
And perhaps most importantly, a fast start to the season.
USF has scored the most points in the NSIC and given up the second-fewest. They’re No. 1 in total offense and No. 3 in total defense. They average a whopping 6.6 yards per play on offense – best in the league – and their opponents have averaged 4.0 yards per play, the lowest in the league.
“I think you envision what you think your team could be and push them to achieve that,” said Anderson, whose team went 8-3 last year but narrowly missed a playoff berth. “There’s a lot of season left but we like what we see so far. We’re playing sound, complimentary football between our offense, defense and special teams. We wanted to make it a priority to get off on the right foot and the guys have done well with it. We’re playing a lot of mistake-free football and we need to continue to do that.”
If there’s a caveat, it’s this: the combined record of USF’s first three opponents is 1-8. It’s going to get tougher going forward, starting with this Saturday’s home tilt with Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs have won eight games or more every year since 2008, and won nine games last year to earn the NSIC North Division title and their fourth playoff berth under coach Curt Wiese, who took over for two-time national championship winner Bob Nielson in 2013.
As dominant as Duluth has been in the North, the Cougars have had their number. They walloped the Bulldogs 34-3 in their last meeting, and have beaten them in three of four meetings since USF joined the NSIC.
And waiting for USF next week is 13th-ranked arch-rival Augustana.
“We know the stakes are getting higher but we’re only focused on the game that’s on our schedule this week,” Anderson said. “Obviously Duluth has been a successful team for a long time and we have, too. Our guys know what to expect. We expect them to prepare and practice accordingly.”
This year’s Bulldogs are off to a 2-1 start, with home wins over Southwest Minnesota State and Upper Iowa and a road loss at MSU-Mankato.
Duluth ranks first in the NSIC in total defense (231.7), having excelled at slowing the passing game while being slightly more susceptible to (but still strong against) the run.
The Cougars are the top rushing team in the league with 258 yards per game on the ground behind Thuro Reisdorfer and Landon Freeman, while Duluth checks in at third in the league in rushing with over 217 yards per game, led by Wade Sullivan and Kyle Walljasper. And USF counters with the NSIC’s number one rushing defense, allowing fewer than 30 yards per game on the ground. That number is aided by USF's league-leading 15 sacks - six of which are by Zach Durfee.
UMD Quarterback Logan Graetz threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener, but has struggled in his last two outings.
“They look very strong up front on the offensive line, like they always do,” Anderson said of the Bulldogs. “And they have the same chaotic defense they always have – a lot of movement and different looks than what we see week in and week out. That takes time to prepare for. It’ll be a challenge, for sure.”
MINNESOTA DULUTH (2-1) AT SIOUX FALLS (3-0)
WHEN/WHERE: 1 p.m. Saturday at Bob Young Field
TV/ONLINE: NSIC Network
RADIO: KWSN-FM 98.1/AM 1230
COACHES: UMD – Curt Wiese (10th year, 82-19); USF – Jon Anderson (6th year, 35-14)
SERIES: USF leads 3-1
LAST TIME: USF won 34-3 in 2019
LAST WEEK: UMD beat Upper Iowa 28-6; USF beat Concordia-St. Paul 44-23
RANKINGS: USF is receiving votes in the Division II Top 25 poll
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Undefeated University Sioux Falls of hosts Minnesota Duluth
