GRAND FORKS, N.D.-- It's a brisk 58 degrees over the noon hour Wednesday on the campus of the University of North Dakota. Football weather. Only 29 days remain until this edition of the UND Fighting Hawks take the field in competition at the Alerus Center. The team has returned for the start of fall camp, already running through the yearly checklist of to-dos before a season can start: sports medicine document paperwork, physicals and positional meetings among them. Thursday, they'll hit the practice field for the first time this fall set to get back to prominence after last season's injury-riddled campaign that derailed their final season in the Big Sky Conference. 

This year, a new task is at hand as UND will operate as a Division I FCS Independent, without league affiliation. North Dakota won't compete for a conference title, but is still very much a factor on the national scene as it will vie for an at-large bid for the NCAA FCS Playoffs this November. Still playing a "Big Sky schedule", the Fighting Hawks will have eight former conference foes on the docket this season that will count for league games for their opponents only. Each game holds even more importance as North Dakota aims to return to the playoff field with its aim to put 2017 in the rearview and climb back into that 24-team tournament at season's end. 

The beginning of that crusade begins in earnest Thursday with a 9:00 a.m. first official practice, one of more than two dozen leading up to the first game against Mississippi Valley State on Aug., 30. 

Fifth-year head coach Bubba Schweigert and his staff (fully intact from last season) will preside over a roster that is dripping with talent, albeit with holes to fill. Look no further than the offensive backfield, where you'll find preseason all-America standout and three-time All-Big Sky honoree John Santiago. All he did was lead the FCS in all-purpose yardage last season (1,780) and continue to etch his name all over the UND record book. Fellow senior Brady Oliveira is back to compose that lethal one-two punch along with junior James Johannesson helping formulate one of the best backfields in the country. 

Who will deliver the ball to these guys and step in for three-year departing starter Keaton Studsrud at quarterback? That question is up for debate during this fall camp with an all-out quarterback competition, led by the trio of redshirt freshman Brock Boltmann and juniors Nate Ketteringham and Andrew Zimmerman. The winner of that position battle will inherit a wealth of returners to protect in front of him with four players with starting experience. Junior Patric Rooney, sophomore Ryan Tobin and sophomore Noah Mortel all started last season and add in senior Grant Aplin, who has 13 career starts on the interior line penciled in as the starter at right guard.

Finding a familiar target won't be an issue, either, with a majority of the returning production generated by junior wide receivers Noah Wanzek and Travis Toivonen. Wanzek led the Fighting Hawks in all the major receiving categories in 2017, hauling in 52 passes for 648 yards and five touchdowns, while Toivonen added 30 receptions for 408 yards and three total TDs. Senior Luke Fiedler and junior Alex Cloyd man the tight end spots with more receptions up for grabs from sophomore wideout Izzy Adeoti and tight end Hunter Pinke. Add in the mix Luke Stanley, who will look to get back to form following an injury that wiped out his 2017 season. 

That's a recurring theme for this team -- recovering from injury. The defense was decimated by injury last season, starting with losing preseason all-America defensive back Deion Harris before fall camp even started. He's back for his senior year, building on an impressive resume that included a Big Sky-leading five interceptions and an FCS-pacing three returned for scores in 2016. Evan Holm joins him in the defensive secondary, having all but four games taken from him due to injury a year ago. Donnell Rodgers was injured in week two and returns to a linebacking corps that gained tons of seasoning due to depleted numbers. Tanner Palmborg earned All-Big Sky accolades and finished fourth on the team with 43 tackles while junior Jade Lawrence and sophomore Jaxson Turner also return to the starting group. They are met up front with a defensive line that is anchored by senior nose tackle Tank Harris, a two-time all-league performer. 

Special teams coach Shawn Kostich will go from having one of the most experienced specialist groups in the country during the 2017 season to one of the least experienced in 2018. Kostich will have the fall camp to groom newcomers to replace placekicker Reid Taubenheim (four-year starter; 60 career FGs made), long snapper Jacob Holmen (four-year starter) and punter Austin Dussold (two-year starter) with a trio of freshmen. Redshirt freshman Brady Leach assumes the placekicking chores and both Ross Hinders (long snapper) and Cade Peterson (punter) aim to jump right into starting spots as true freshmen.

How the pieces fall into place will be a day-by-day process. Anticipation meets reality this week and the start of another football season at UND. FightingHawks.com will have frequent updates from fall camp, starting with Thursday's premiere. 

2108 UND Fall Camp schedule
Thursday, August 2 (helmets/shorts)
9:00 am    Practice #1

Friday, August 3 (helmets/shorts)
9:00 am    Practice #2

Saturday, August 4 (half pads)
9:00 am    Practice #3

Sunday, August 5 (half pads)
9:00 am    Practice #4

Monday, August 6
11:30 am    Media Day luncheon (Alerus)
1:30 pm    Head shots/Green screen (Hyslop)

Tuesday, August 7 (Full pads)
9:00 am    Practice #5 

Wednesday, August 8 (full pads)
9:00 am    Practice #6

Thursday, August 9 (full pads)
9:00 am    Practice #7    

Friday, August 10 (full pads)
9:00 am    Practice #8

Sunday, August 12 (full pads)
9:00 am    Practice #9

Monday, August 13 (full pads)
9:00 am    Practice #10

Tuesday, August 14 (full pads)
2:30 pm    Practice #11

Wednesday, August 15 (full pads/live scrimmage)
9:00 am    Practice #12

Friday, August 17 (full pads)
9:00 am    Practice #13

Saturday, August 18 (full pads)
9:00 am    Practice #14

Sunday, August 19 (full pads)
9:00 am    Practice #15

Monday, August 20 (full pads)
9:00 am    Practice #16

Wednesday, August 22 (full pads)
3:35 pm    Practice #17

Thursday, August 23 (full pads)
3:35 pm    Practice #18
5:30 pm    Youth Clinic
7:00 pm    Fan Fest

Friday, August 24 (full pads) 
3:35 pm    Practice #19

Saturday, August 25 (full pads)
3:35 pm    Practice #20

Sunday, August 26 (full pads)
3:35 pm     Practice #21

Monday, August 27 (full pads)
3:35 pm     Practice #22

Tuesday, August 28 (full pads)
3:35 pm     Practice #23

Wednesday, August 29 (full pads)
3:35 pm     Practice #24

Thursday, August 30
6:30 pm     vs. Mississippi Valley State