TODAY, WE PLAY.
The University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team will take a break from Great West Conference action to host first time opponent Lamar. The Sioux and the Cardinals are slated to kickoff at Noon on Saturday, Oct. 30 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D.
The game has been tagged as both Hall of Fame and the Pink Ribbon Bowl. During the day, UND will recognize newly inducted members of the Hall of Fame -Ed Belfour (hockey), Tiffany Pudenz-Mannausau (women's basketball) and the 1997 NCAA DII national champion Fighting Sioux women's basketball team. The Fighting Sioux will also wrap up their two-month long Sioux Strong Campaign - a fund-raiser created to promote the awareness of breast cancer and to raise money to both educate and help those in need to afford mammograms.
HALL OF FAME
On the morning of Saturday, Oct. 30 the University of North Dakota will induct two individuals and one team into the UND Letterwinners Athletics Hall of Fame.
Ed Belfour (hockey, 1986-87) and Tiffany Pudenz-Mannausau (basketball, 1994-98) will be inducted as individuals, while Pudenz-Mannausau's 1997 NCAA Division II championship women's basketball team will be inducted in the team category.
Additionally, former Sioux baseball player and current Sacred Heart High School (East Grand Forks, Minn.) Athletics Director/Softball Coach Mike Marek will receive the Tom Clifford Award, while the late David Rubin and his wife, Doreen, will receive the Honorary Letterwinner Award.
PINK RIBBON BOWL
As part of the 2010 Sioux Strong campaign, Saturday's game has been designated as the Pink Ribbon Bowl. All individuals attending Saturday's are encouraged to wear their pink Sioux Strong t-shirts. The t-shirts are free with a $10 donation to Altru Cancer Center and are available at the UND Memorial Union, Altru Cancer Center, and the Alerus Center ticket office Monday - Friday during normal business hours. Shirts can also be found at various community and UND athletics events.
Following the Pink Ribbon Bowl, the UND men's hockey team will host Denver in the Pink Ribbon Faceoff. Puck drops at 7 p.m. at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Dedicated to raising funds and helping spread awareness for breast cancer research in the greater Grand Forks area and beyond, the 2010 Sioux Strong campaign was launched in September with a goal to raise over $20,000.
With the generous support of the UND faculty and staff, the student-athletes, local businesses, Sioux fans from around the country, and the Greater Grand Forks Community members, that goal has been reached.
During halftime of Saturday's game, the University of North Dakota would like to recognize all of those in attendance who have survived their battle with breast cancer. If you would like to take part in the on field recognition, please make your way to the main lobby eight minutes prior to halftime.
Along with the recognition, UND will also announce the estimated 2010 Sioux Strong campaign total.
The University of North Dakota and Fighting Sioux athletics would like to thank everyone who has helped make Sioux Strong 2010 a success.
Altru Cancer Center has been designated to receive all funds raised as the Fighting Sioux recognize October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
LIVE FROM GRAND FORKS
All UND football games can be heard on 96.1FM ("TheFox") in Grand Forks and on stations across the Fighting Sioux Radio Network. Dan Hammer calls the play-by-play with former Grand Forks Central High School football coach Mike Berg as his color analyst. Sean Johnson will serve as the sideline reporter for all away games and Bruce Nelson will step in for home games.
Links to live audio, a live audio/video web cast, live stats, and a live chat will also be available on FightingSioux.com.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will serve as the series opener between North Dakota and Lamar.
ON THIS DAY IN FIGHTING SIOUX HISTORY
On Oct. 30, 1897, under the direction of head coach Professor Melvin A Brannon, North Dakota captured its first victory of the season with a 39-0 shutout against North Dakota State in Fargo. That win marked the second shutout for UND against the Bison and it was the sixth victory for the four-year-old UND football program. Later that year, the same UND squad shutout the NDSU once again. This time it was a 20-0 win at Memorial Stadium.
Since that day, the Fighting Sioux have gone a combined 11-3-1 when playing on the 303rd day of the year. The Sioux are 6-1-1 at home and 5-2 on the road.
Through 15 games played on the 30th of October, UND has out-scored its foes 26-8. Over half of its victories have been won by shutout, including a pair over North Dakota State.
NOTING THE FIGHTING SIOUX
North Dakota is on the three-game Great West Conference skid after falling on the wrong side of a 22-21 decision last Saturday at No. 23/21 Cal Poly. The Fighting Sioux came back from a 13-0 deficit with three straight touchdowns to take a 21-13 lead. The Mustangs returned with nine unanswered points to hold off the Sioux.
North Dakota is in its third year of transition towards NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) status ... UND returns 2009 Great West Conference Rookie of the Year Mitch Sutton (So., RB, Plover, Wis.), along with first team all-conference Ryan Kasowski (Sr., LB, Grand Forks, N.D.), second teamers Ty Boyle (Sr., DL, International Falls, Minn.) and Dominique Hawkins (Jr., CB, Plymouth, Minn.), and honorable mention Kris Ankenbauer (Jr., DB, Murphy, Texas) and Ross Brenneman (So., DL, Omaha, Neb.) ... UND has tallied a winning record in the past seven-straight seasons and has turned in a winning record in 19 of the last 20 years.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
Last Saturday, senior quarterback Jake Landry (Grand Forks, N.D.) rattled off 222 yards on 17 passes, including a 47-yard touchdown toss to redshirt freshman Greg Hardin (Bellevue, Neb.). Landry has totaled 1,328 yards (110-for-178) so far this season and has launched 11 scoring passes. He currently sits at No. 10 all-time in career pass completions (305) and career passing yards (3,538). He is just eight completions from surpassing Corey Colehour (1964-66) and 513 yards from surpassing Chris Bellmore (2003-06). Landry also sits just shy of the career pass attempts, and career touchdown pass top 10 lists ... UND's leading rusher, Josh Murray (Pepin, Wis.), 48 yards on eight attempts against Cal Poly to bring his season total to 527 yards. He is averaging 6.4 yards per carry and 75.3 yards per game ... True freshman Jake Miller (Bismarck, N.D.) is tied with Murray with a team-high three rushing touchdowns ... On the receiving end, Hardin leads the team with 661 yards on 33 receptions, including 11 touchdowns. He now ranks fifth among four others with nine single-season touchdowns.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
Led by junior linebacker Dan Hendrickson (Minot, N.D.), the Fighting Sioux have racked up 511 tackles this season, including 338 solo stops and 18 quarterback sacks ... Last Saturday, Hendrickson notched a career-high 10 tackles (eight unassisted). His 2009 season high was four total tackles and three solo stops ... Leading the way to SACK CITY for UND are a pair of Sioux named "Ross". Ross Cochran (Sr. LB, Kenosha, Wis.) and Ross Brenneman (Jr., DL, Omaha, Neb.) have tallied 3.5 quarterback sack apiece. Not far behind are Ryan Kasowski (Sr., LB, Grand Forks, N.D.) and Damon Andrews (RFr., DB, West Concord, Minn.), who each have two sacks ... Against the Mustangs, senior strong safety Joel Schwenzfeier nabbed his second interception of the season. The Hallock, Minn., native in one pick away from reaching UND's all-time career top 10 list ... The Sioux defense has held opponents in 40 of 108 (.370) 3rd-down conversions and 10 of 17 (.590) 4th-down conversions. UND is allowing just four yards per rush and 7.2 yards per pass.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
With a perfect 24-for-24 performance on PAT and four field goals, redshirt freshman kicker Zeb Miller (Ankeny, Iowa) ranks second on the team with 36 points. Miller is averaging 64.3 yards per kick off and has registered a trio of touchbacks ... Junior Dominique Hawkins (Plymouth, Minn.) leads the team on kickoff return with 309 yards on 13 returns. He is averaging 23.8 yards per return ... Punter Brett Cameron (Winnipeg, Manitoba) is averaging 39.6 yards per punt. He has dropped 12 punts inside the 20 yard line and five have gone over 50 yards. He booted a season-long 65-yard punt last weekend at Cal Poly ... Junior Josh Murray (RB, Pepin, Wis.) leads the team on punt return. He has totaled 105 yards on six returns, including a 60-yard return. Murray is averaging 17.5 yards per return.
NOTING THE CARDINALS
Kendall Houston rushed for a career-high 164 yards, and Lawson McGlon kicked four field goals as South Alabama defeated Lamar University 26-0 before a crowd of 16,150 in Provost Umphrey Stadium on Oct. 16 ... It was South Alabama's third shutout of the season, and it was Lamar's first loss by shutout since a 21-0 defeat by Arkansas State during the 1985 season.
The 2010 marks the first time the Lamar University football team has played since the finale of the 1989 season, a 22-17 home victory over NcNeese State. Ironically, Lamar's first game of the season was against that same opponent, however the outcome was the same. The Cardinals lost a close 30-27 battle on Sept. 4.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
Leading the Cardinal offense is Andre Bevil, who has recorded 1,812 yards on 140-for-255 completions, including a 73-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Powdrill. Bevil has tossed 13 touchdown passes, five each to J.J. Hayes and Marcus Jackson ... Hayes stands as Lamar's top receiver with 372 yards on 31 catches. He is averaging 12 yards per catch and 74.4 yards per game ... On the ground, Octavious Logan leads all rushers with 170 yards on 36 attempts. He is averaging 4.4 yards per carry and 22.6 yards per game ... Close on the heals of Logan is Cody Hussey with 154 yards on 41 attempts. Hussey is averaging 3.8 yards per carry and 25.7 yards per game.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
Asim Hicks leads the Cardinal defense with 63 tackles (46 unassisted). He has also recorded three sacks, one forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a blocked kick ... Tim Hayter leads the team with a pair of interceptions ... Garrett Jordan has forced a team-high five fumbles and Jacody Coleman has recovered a pair of loose balls ... As a team, Lamar has 457 tackles (324 unassisted), nine sacks, four interceptions, and six blocked kicks.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
Justin Stout is 4-for-7 on field goals and 10-for-11 on PAT to rank third on the team in scoring with 22 points. His longest field goal thus far was a 47-yard boot ... On kickoff, Stout is averaging 55.3 yards per kick ... On kickoff return, Octavious Logan leads the team with 530 yards on 22 returns, including a 74-yard run. He is averaging 24.1 yards per return ... Kollin Kahler is averaging 39.8 yards per punt. He has totaled 1,590 yards on 40 kicks, including a season-long 57-yard punt. Kahler has dropped 11 punt inside of the 20 yard line and five have gone over 50 yards ... On punt return, Josh Powdrill leads the team with 80 yards on seven returns. He is averaging 11.4 yards per punt return.
LAMAR HEAD COACH RAY WOODARD
Ray Woodard is a huge man -- 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, to be exact -- who has taken on a huge challenge -- that of reviving Lamar University's football program. Woodard's challenge is to return to Lamar, to Beaumont and to Southeast Texas the excitement that accompanies a competitive collegiate football team.
Woodard has gotten off to a good start in two years on campus, assembling a staff of experienced and enthusiastic coaches. Their efforts have helped Lamar sign its first two recruiting classes since 1989, the final season of Cardinal football.
Woodard was named the eighth football coach at Lamar University by President James Simmons and Athletics Director Billy Tubbs on June 19, 2008.
Woodard came to Lamar after three seasons at Navarro College - the first two as defensive coordinator and the final season as head coach. His 2007 squad went 9-3 and advanced to the conference playoffs for the first time in six seasons.
Navarro defeated defending national champion Blinn College on consecutive weeks before rolling past Kilgore - the SWJCFC regular-season champion - on the road 54-28 to earn the school's first bowl bid since the 1990s.
Navarro claimed a 24-21 win over Georgia Military in the Pilgrim's Pride Bowl to finish the year ranked fourth in the NJCAA national poll. For his efforts, Woodard was named the SWJCFC Coach of the Year.
Navarro ranked third nationally in total offense (444.6 yards per game), fourth in rushing offense (250.5 ypg) and 16th in passing offense (194.2 ypg), while scoring a school-record 428 points for an average of 35.7 per game in 2007.
Click the PDF link above to view the entire game notes release.
- Go Sioux -
