Even though Big Sky Conference play was still a week away, North Dakota faced a must-win in its home opener.
UND entered 2016 with lofty expectations on the heels of last year’s 7-4 record. North Dakota won three straight games down the stretch but missed the playoffs due to a three-game losing streak that included a loss to cellar-dwelling Idaho State. Still, the core for a strong run returned, including All-America running back John Santiago and junior quarterback Keaton Studsrud.
North Dakota’s season began with a surprising 13-9 loss at Stony Brook. The Seawolves blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown with less than two minutes to play. The loss gained more ground with SBU’s 42-14 win over No. 2 Richmond on Saturday.
North Dakota fell to 0-2 with a 27-26 loss at FBS Bowling Green. The Fighting Hawks drove 65 yards in nine plays, capped by Studsrud’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Stetson Carr with 13 seconds to play to cut the lead to one. UND elected to go for two, Studsrud fired to Carr again, but the pass was dropped and North Dakota fell to 0-2.
In the Fighting Hawks’ home opener against South Dakota, UND faced what essentially amounted to a must-win game despite the fact the calendar still reads September. An 0-3 start would’ve meant UND would have to win at least seven Big Sky games to avoid even get into the position it faced a season ago.
Instead, North Dakota won in thrilling fashion. South Dakota scored 24 second-quarter points to take a 27-14 lead into halftime, then extended the
UND running back John Santiago (22)/by Brooks Nuanez
lead to 34-14 on Trevor Bouma’s four-yard touchdown run with 10 minutes, 25 seconds left in the third quarter. Then North Dakota began its rally in the 51st Potato Bowl.
UND scored 20 unanswered points as a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown by junior cornerback Deion Harris knotted the game 34-34 with 3:28 remaining in regulation.
In overtime, Santiago and South Dakota’s Shamar Jackson traded 25-yard touchdowns to push the game into double-OT. South Dakota, fresh off a 52-49 double overtime win over Weber State the week before, set up a 37-yard field goal from Miles Bergner to begin the second extra frame. North Dakota answered as Studsrud scored on a one-yard run to give UND its first win of the season and its 30th straight win in a home opener.
“Our guys stuck with it and came away with a positive result,” Schweigert said in a UND press release. “I was proud of the resolve we showed.
“We had a stretch their in the second quarter that was not how we want to play football and they came out and really put us in a hole with that opening drive after halftime, but we found a way to make some plays down the stretch and do just enough to get it into overtime.”
North Dakota visits Montana State for the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams on Saturday. MSU’s Homecoming game doubles as the third straight home game for the Bobcats.
QUICK HITS
Location: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Nickname: Fighting Hawks
Founded: 1883. Founded on a strong liberal arts foundation, the school is still one of the top public research institutions in the country.
Enrollment: The school had 15,143 students and an endowment of $230.5 million.
Stadium: Alerus Center. Opened in 2001, the $80 million indoor arena seats 21,000. Last year, UND averaged 8,318 fans during five home games. The attendance at UND’s home opener against South Dakota last week was 11,477.
THE TEAM (0-0 in Big Sky, 1-2 overall)
UND head coach Bubba Schweigert/by Brooks Nuanez
The Coach: Bubba Schweigert. After 10 years away, the longtime UND assistant returned to Grand Forks before the 2014 season. Schweigert coached at UND from 1989 to 2003, including serving as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Division II national championship season. The UND alum served as Southern Illinois’s defensive coordinator for six years leading up to 2014, his first as a head coach. As he enters his third year navigating the Big Sky, Schweigert is 17-17 overall, 10-11 in Big Sky play.
THE OFFENSE
John Santiago, running back, 5-9, 180, sophomore — In 2015, The St. Francis, Minnesota product earned second-team All-America honors and co-Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors by becoming the first true freshman to lead the league in rushing. The unanimous first-team All-Big Sky selection rushed for 100 yards in nine of UND’s 11 games and has rushed for 100 yards in 11 of the first 14 starts in his career. He set UND’s single-season rushing record with 1,459 yards and his 2,159 all-purpose yards — Santiago also returns kicks — were third in the FCS. He scored 16 touchdowns, the most in the league. Santiago rushed for a season-high 230 yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard score in UND’s 44-38 win over Montana State in Grand Forks last season.
“When I look at North Dakota, I see a ball control team and John Santiago is as advertised,” Montana State head coach Jeff Choate said on Monday.
Santiago rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown in UND’s loss to Bowling Green. He caught a seven-yard touchdown during UND’s rally against South Dakota State and rushed 22 times for 140 yards and a touchdown in overtime to help North Dakota to its first win.
UND junior quarterback Keaton Studsrud/ by Brooks Nuanez
Keaton Studsrud, quarterback, 6-1, 195, junior — While Studsrud does not put up eye-popping statistics like some quarterbacks in the pass-happy Big Sky, he is a winner and one of the best field generals in the league. Studsrud has his redshirt pulled the final month of the season in 2014 and led UND to its first road win of the season over Northern Colorado and an upset of then-No. 22 Northern Arizona later that season.
Last fall, UND looked like a playoff team with Studsrud at the helm as the St. Louis Park, Minnesota native led the Fighting Hawks to wins over FBS Wyoming, at nationally ranked Portland State and at home over then-No. 19 Montana State. With Studsrud on the bench with a mid-season injury, UND went on a three-game slide that included a 37-31 comeback loss to Idaho State that likely cost the 7-4 squad a playoff spot.
As a sophomore, Studsrud threw for 1,262 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also rushed 75 times for 234 yards and three touchdowns, including a 107-yard, one-TD effort in the 19-17 win over Portland State. Studsrud has thrown for 510 yards and three touchdowns through three games this season. He also has a rushing touchdown.
AJ Stockwell
A.J. Stockwell, offensive tackle, 6-5, 315, junior — A good portion of Santiago’s success came from a bruising offensive line anchored by senior left guard Brandon Anderson, senior center Colton Boas and senior right guard Sean Meehan. The interior trio made up one of the most powerful in the league and helped UND average nearly 240 rushing yards per game.
All three are gone and Stockwell is the only returning starter on a unit that has been inconsistent early on. UND enters the Montana State game averaging 148 rushing yards and 318 total yards per game.
Luke Stanley, wide receiver, 6-4, 220, sophomore — UND rarely throws the ball down the field but when Studsrud does, he looks for Stanley more often than not. Stanley led UND with 26 catches for 312 yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman last season. He was the only Fighting Hawk to have at least one catch in evern game. This season, he is already halfway to his reception total; Stanley has 13 catches for 166 yards. True freshman Travis Toivonen and junior Stetson Carr are the only UND receivers with touchdown receptions this season.
THE DEFENSE
Deion Harris, cornerback, 6-3, 180, junior — Harris has a productive but inconsistent sophomore season that included 35 tackles, two interceptions and 12 pass breakups, the most PBUs by a UND player in the Division I era. But UND gave up big plays too frequently as opponents attacked the depleted secondary, particularly the second half of the season.
Outside of the first half against South Dakota, UND has been able to limit for the most part this season. Instead, it’s been Harris putting highlight reel performances. Against Bowling Green, Harris had two interceptions, including a pick he took 61 yards for a touchdown in the first half. Last week, he tied the score at 34 with a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown with 3:28 to play in regulation.
Harris has 10 tackles and two pass breakups to go with his three interceptions this season.
Cole Reyes
Cole Reyes, safety, 6-2, 215, junior — Reyes got in on the secondary scoring spree with a 33-yard pick-six in the first quarter to give UND its first lead, 7-3. Reyes has developed into one of the most athletic, physical safeties in the Big Sky.
Last season, Reyes was a second-team All-Big Sky selection after piling up 71 tackles, 50 solo tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception. Reyes, a preseason All-Big Sky selection entering the 2016 season, has 19 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two pass breakups, a safety and a defensive touchdown.
Connor O’Brien, inside linebacker, 6-1, 225, junior — Will Ratelle was one of the most menacing middle linebackers in the Big Sky the last two seasons. Ratelle nearly made the Atlanta Falcons as a fullback, a testament to his toughness and athleticism. Now the onus of leading the UND defense is on O’Brien, a starter for the final six games of 2015 next to Ratelle after Taj Rich.
As a sophomore, O’Brien piled up 61 tackles, five tackles for loss and three double-digit tackle games. In the off-season, he was named a team captain for UND. This season, he is UND’s leading tackler. He has 26 stops, including 1.5 tackles for loss and he’s forced two fumbles.
Brian LaBat, outside linebacker, 6-2, 235, senior — In UND’s 3-4 defensive scheme, LaBat is the pass rush specialist. He lines up on both sides and brings pressure off the edge, a key to North Dakota’s defensive strategy.
As a sophomore, he led UND with 12 tackles for loss, including 4.5 against Montana. Last season, Labat earned second-team All-Big Sky honors by notching 33 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks. He also took his first career interception to the house for a touchdown against Northern Colorado. This season, he leads the Fighting Hawks with 3.4 tackles for loss and he has half a sack.
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