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091815 nickels mystique, game day wedding, unds run defense, rivalry special section

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Rivalry Revival Check out the special section on UND, NDSU rivalry in today’s paper. Open House Sunday 1-3 p.m.

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September 18, 2015

Dalrymple gives Odegard Rough Rider award Founder of UND aerospace school hailed as aviation pioneer. By Becky Jacobs Grand Forks Herald

A pioneer of North Dakota aviation has received the state’s highest honor. John D. Odegard, founder of the UND aerospace school that bears his name, has become the 42nd recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, Gov. Jack Dalrymple announced Thursday. “He kept aviation and UND aerospace in his own state, and

to me that says a lot,” Larry Martin, chairman of the UND Aerospace Foundation, said. “John would have no part in going anywhere other than North DaOdegard kota.” A Minot native who graduated from UND, Odegard was appointed to teach at UND’s Business College in 1966. He then launched UND’s aviation program in 1968 with another faculty member and a pair of donated

aircraft, according to a news release. The program began with 12 students. Today, the school has almost 2,000 students and it “has grown to become one of UND’s largest degree-granting colleges, one of the nation’s most widely respected aerospace education programs and a leader in atmospheric research.” Martin was one of the first students in Odegard’s aviation program and had Odegard as a teacher, graduating in 1971. He was originally at UND as a radio and television major, but when he

heard about the aviation program, he had to check it out, he said. Martin met with Odegard, who gave him a tour of the department and showed him a polaroid of a green and white Cessna 150 the department owned. Martin was hooked. “(Odegard’s) enthusiasm and charisma was overwhelming,” Martin said. “I said, ‘Sign me up.’ ” During his 32 years as an aerospace educator, Odegard earned recognition from the aviation industry. In 1982, he chaired the University Aviation Association’s Airway Science committee and di-

The Nickel’s mystique After years of thievery, the Nickel Trophy remains hidden

By Wade Rupard

ball teams meet at the Fargodome on Saturday, something will be noticeably absent from the festivities. The Nickel Trophy, awarded annually to the winner in the series starting in 1938, will not make the trek south to Fargo since UND has retired its Fighting Sioux nickname. Instead, it will remain hidden away under maximum security just as it has since UND won its rights following a 28-21 victory in the rivalry’s last meeting in 2003. UND Athletics Director Brian Faison said since the rivals have only scheduled two meetings — one Saturday and another in 2019 in Fargo — there’s no need for a new traveling trophy. “From the context of the game, you have to have a series, then it makes a little more sense,” Faison said. The Nickel has been highly guarded since that UND victory in 2003, but unlike many keepsakess, world this one isn’t stored for all the w to see. act The 75-pound trophy — an exa replica of a five-piece coin with an Indian head on one side and a bis bison den n on the other — has been hidde away for the past 12 years.. ievery hass Why? In the past, thiev part of the been just as much a p the game itself. Nickel’s lore as th U students stole In 1996, NDSU he UND Studen nt the trophy from the Union trophy case. Bison stud dents The following year, B e wearin ng attacked again, this time orms to o UND plant services unifor ayerss’ steal it from the football play he trot lounge. Then, they paraded th p phy around the country, taking phoag tos of it at the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls and other sights. more e But while those swipes were m by straightforward, the 1998 heist b ut of UND students was something ou a spy movie.

UND’s provost assured his faculty his office is making attempts to be transparent, but it appears some are not completely sold on the claims. Faculty brought up concerns about funding and the university’s budget with embattled UND Provost Thomas DiLorenzo at a DiLorenzo meeting Thursday. DiLorenzo said the top priority this year is the redesigned budget allocation system that distributes money based on concerns such as space utilization, class size and the types of courses offered. This is a change from the old system of a department getting the same dollar figure annually with little variance. “It will create a transparent and decentralized approach to budgeting that promotes outcomes valued by the university community and expressed in planning,” DiLorenzo said. About 50 people attended the meeting and some stayed behind afterward, talking together in groups and expressing frustration with DiLorenzo’s presentation and his lack of financial transparency in the past. Promotion, tenure and evaluation guidelines, which have been debated for some time now, were the provost’s second priority. The search for a new graduate school dean was third. “I hope you’re seeing this as a dialogue, at least as a way to get started,” DiLorenzo said.

THE

ber 19 m e t p e att, S

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Lexie a

NICKEL: See Page A5

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University faculty air concerns to provost Grand Forks Herald

When the UND and NDSU foot-

(701) 780-1215

AWARD: See Page A5

By Anna Burleson

Grand Forks Herald

To get your Herald:

rected development of the Federal Aviation Administration’s fouryear degree, which was designed to prepare technical managers for an increasingly complex National Airspace System. UND Aerospace was the first school to implement the curriculum and serves as a model nationwide, according to the release. The Department of Aviation was reorganized to become the Center for Aerospace Sciences, with Odegard as its director. Two years later, it became a college and Odegard was its dean.

A rivalry wedding

Couple plans wedding on game day and seats guests accordingly. StoryonPageA5.

Town works to curb misconduct Fort Collins, Colo., shares accountability measures with Grand Forks leaders. By Korrie Wenzel

Grand Forks Herald

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Colorado State University and the city of Fort Collins have taken a unified approach to curbing misbehavior among this community’s 30,000 college students. The message? Be accountable and a good representative of the school even when off campus, and when it comes time to let off steam, party smart.

inside

“The students are held acby the university and the city, countable for their off-campus which allows unique access to behavior,” said Emily Allen, issues. She rides along with poliaison between CSU and lice officers, goes door-to-door the city. “We are sending this talking with residents, helps message loud and clear. ... We craft and implement citywide really have an opportunity to initiatives and has access to shape students into good compolice records. munity members, no matter According to Allen, univerwhat community they end up sity-city issues in Fort Collins in.” are typical: noisy parties, Allen gave an hour-long nuisance complaints, alcohol/ presentation on this city’s drugs, housing and parking. As “town-gown” initiatives to the she listed the issues, members 18 Grand Forks residents who of her audience chuckled, are here to gather information acknowledging that those ison Fort Collins’ innovative sues are generally identical in approach to community deGrand Forks. velopment and governance. COLORADO: See Page A5 Allen’s salary is shared equally

Accent: C1 Calendar: A2 Classified: C5

Comics: D6 Editorial: A4 Movie Times: C4

Year: 136 Issue: 078 Copyright: 2015 Newsstand price:

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AWARD/

Continued from Page A1 He also led efforts to develop the SPECTRUM ab initio airline pilot training program, which emerged as an industry standard for commercial pilot training around the globe. Other achievements that occurred at the school under his leadership included research aimed at modernizing the nation’s aging weather radar surveillance system and implementing the nation’s first multi-disciplinary space studies program. Odegard has received a long list of honors, including the FAA’s Excellence in Aviation Award and being inducted into the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame. The school was renamed in Odegard’s honor in 1998 after he lost his battle to cancer. “John’s memory is still very much alive here at UND,” Bruce Smith, dean of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, said in a statement. “His legacy as a leader and a consummate pilot continues to make a lasting impression on all of us.” The family said in a statement they are honored by the designation. “The family is absolutely thrilled,” Odegard’s wife, Diane, told the Herald. “To be here in Grand Forks all these years and see everything that has happened at the Odegard school over the years, it’s a thrilling, thrilling experience.” Stephanie LaDue,

Odegard’s daughter, said she feels “completely overjoyed” and knows her dad would be “so thrilled if he were here to actually accept the award.” “He would probably be the most excited of all of us,” LaDue said. “His excitement was always geared toward the university. He just loved to teach and lead and see these kids succeed.” The Rough Rider Award “recognizes present or former North Dakotans who have been influenced by this state in achieving national recognition in their fields of endeavor,” according to the governor’s website. It the state’s highest honor available to North Dakotans. As a recipient, Odegard will gain the honorary rank of colonel. Dalrymple will present Odegard’s family with the award Oct. 15 in Grand Forks, and Odegard’s portrait will hang in the state Capitol building in Bismarck with the other recipients. “(Odegard’s) vision and determination to see his dreams come true paved the way for North Dakota to become a worldwide leader in aerospace sciences, including aviation, space studies, atmospheric science and unmanned aircraft systems,” Dalrymple said in the statement. “His impressive achievements have brought global prestige and recognition to UND and our state, and his pioneering spirit will continue to impact generations of North Dakotans.” Herald reporter John Hageman contributed to this report.

FROM PAGE ONE/REGION NICKEL/

Continued from Page A1 The students posed as NDSU engineering students to get the blueprints of the NDSU Memorial Union, bluffing their way through the offices of the president, vice president and the physical plant, which shared a building with the campus police. The blueprints told them everything they needed to know — the location of the ventilation ducts, the infrared beams, motion detectors and video cameras. They took three reconnaissance missions to the NDSU Memorial Union to learn escape routes and talk with janitors about their work habits. The plan was set for the weekend Garth Brooks was in town for a concert so they could blend in with a large crowd and because police would be busy with crowd control. So on the night of the heist, one student hid in the air ducts as four other lookouts took their spots outside with $10,000 worth of radio equipment. When “The Director” made his call, they opened a side door for his buddy holding the hacksaws that cut the trophy free of a brace. The trophy was then lifted,

Continued from Page A1

Among the initiatives put in place in Fort Collins are: n More patrols by officers during the six weeks and the last six weeks of the school year. n Increased protection against students who participate in riots, which Allen said is more of a statewide issue. Now, students who are convicted of rioting are banned from all state colleges and universities. n Increased fines for party hosts. Allen said the previous fine of $100 was not a real deterrent. Now, fines can reach $1,000 or more, and hosts face criminal misdemeanor charges. n A campaign called Party Smart, which encourages students to pre-register their planned parties and give notice to their neighbors. For those who have registered, they are allowed a 20-minute window to shut down their party if a complaint is lodged against them. n Since 2009, more than 3,000 parties have been registered, and of those, 97 percent have received no citations or warnings. n A program called Ram Ride, a student-run program in which volunteers give rides to those in need. Motor pool cars are used, and those needing a ride can even pay for it through their bar tab. n And Allen said her office often resorts to a tactic that hits students where it hurts: Parents are notified when a student has run afoul of city or campus laws. She said it’s all part of the process of setting standards and

still a university student,” she said. “And guess what — we’re going to loop your parents into it. We are sending this message loud and clear.” That message is relayed through various means, she said, including on freebies given to students and even on the large video boards at CSU athletic events. Mostly, Allen said she conducts outreach programs, working to build relationships between police, students, faculty and even residents in the neighborhoods near campus. “It has helped so much,” she said. “You can’t communicate enough, but also, you can’t partner enough.” Peter Johnson, UND’s executive associate vice president for university relations, said there are “town-gown” efforts in place in Grand Forks but there has been talk of even more collaboration. “The key for us is to define strategies and go toward implementing them,” he said. Johnson said that, at present, there are “a lot of things (already) in place, but we need to continue to look at community-UND partnerships.” In Grand Forks, there is no position similar to the one held by Allen in Fort Collins, but Johnson noted that there are somewhat comparable relationships. For example, Johnson serves as a liaison for UND to work within the community. Wenzel is the Grand Forks Herald publisher. Contact him at (701) 780-1103 or kwenzel@ gfherald.com.

Logan Werlinger, Grand Forks Herald

Randy Magill, CFO for athletics at UND, holds up the Nickel Trophy on Thursday at the new UND High Performance Center in Grand Forks. placed in a duffel bag and taken 75 miles north. “My dream since I was 6 years old was to steal the Nickel Trophy,” one of those six students told the Herald in 1998 after the heist. So it’s with good reason the Nickel’s location has been one of the most closely guarded secrets in town. The only time the trophy has made a public appearance since that UND victory in 2003 was in 2008 during UND’s 125th anniversary celebration, when it was paraded around the state. But as for where it’s been since then, those in the know won’t tell.

Randy Magill, the CFO of athletics for UND, took the trophy out of hiding for a Herald photographer Thursday morning. As for whether or not the Nickel has a permanent home, Magill was shy. “Kind of yes and kind of no,” he said with a smile. The trophy has a history of being tucked away in a number of odd locations. It was once removed from former football coach Dale Lennon’s garage for a photo shoot, hidden underneath a pile of bikes. Chris Mussman, another past UND football coach, also was said to have kept the Nickel in his home

A5

until his son bragged about it too much and it had to be removed. After that, the athletics department hid it away in every nook and cranny of Memorial Stadium. As for its most recent hiding spot, and whether the Nickel resides on campus or off, Faison wouldn’t budge. “It depends … and I’m not trying to be coy with you,” Faison said. Because of the two schools’ history with pranks, NDSU beefed up security this week, with the school hiring a private security guard to watch over its iconic bison statue. UND, however, has not had extra security on campus. And with the trophy so well guarded for years, why would they? Eventually, Faison said, the Nickel Trophy possibly could be displayed for all the world to see. But for now, it remains in hiding. “That won’t be my call,” Faison said. “We might want to keep it in a secure environment just based on the history with both schools. Beyond that, I don’t know if it’s going to be in a place where it’s shared with everyone. We’ll have to see.” Herald staff writer Tom Miller contributed to this article. Call Rupard at (701) 7801122; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1122; or send email to wrupard@ gfherald.com.

Game day wedding accommodates the rivalry UND, NDSU families celebrating on game day.

students accountCOLORADO/ holding able. “Even off-campus, you are

www.GrandForksHerald.com

By John Hageman Grand Forks Herald

Wedding guests are typically seated based on their relationship with the bride or the groom, but one local wedding will add a new twist to that tradition Saturday. Matt Bonzer and Lexie Nims plan to seat guests based on their allegiance to the UND or North Dakota State University football team, a nod to the unfortunate scheduling conflict that landed their wedding on the same day as the first game between the two rivals in 12

PROVOST/

Continued from Page A1

The issues One faculty member said the campus community should be involved in setting priorities, and another said getting the financial support for teaching and research endeavors has been extremely difficult. DiLorenzo noted the university’s budget shortfall and said while a concrete dollar figure wouldn’t be available for about a week, most of the deficit is due to a legislatively mandated tuition increase cap. When some in the audience asked about previous funding issues to their departments, DiLorenzo said it had been because those dollars came from one-time funding. DiLorenzo, who began working at UND in 2013, was one of several administra-

years. Bonzer and Nims both have degrees from UND and Bonzer’s parents are supporters of UND athletics, but Nims’ family members are NDSU fans. “It makes sense to at least have a little fun with the idea,” Bonzer said. The snafu began more than a year ago when Bonzer and Nims were scheduling their wedding. One date, Sept. 19, seemed like a good one because they both like the fall and it fell between harvest seasons, which would help Nims’ farming family. Bonzer added that it’s easier for him to get away from work at Bonzer’s Sandwich Pub when there isn’t a UND athletics event in town.

“There was this date, Sept. 19, and UND didn’t have a game scheduled, nor did NDSU have a game scheduled,” he said. Bonzer even had an expert consulting him: Herald sportswriter Tom Miller, who happens to be his best man. At the time, Miller thought it was unlikely UND and NDSU would play that day, Bonzer said, so they planned for Sept. 19. It was only some time and significant monetary investment later, and after NDSU’s athletic director left for another job, did they learn of their mistake. Miller happened to be in a taxi in Las Vegas with the couple when he heard the news that UND

and NDSU had scheduled a game on their wedding day. “They were pretty cool about it,” Miller said. Indeed, the couple seems to be taking it in stride, as are their guests. “I actually did get some crap from some close family friends who are also really big Bison fans who said, ‘Oh we’re not going to come to your wedding, we’re going to the game instead,’ ” Nims said. “And their wives are usually hitting them on the shoulder saying, ‘We’ll be there.’ ” Call Hageman at (701) 7801244, (800) 477-6572 ext. 1244 or send email to jhageman@ gfherald.com.

tors, including President Robert Kelley, who were named in a vote of no-confidence introduced by the Student Senate in April that was ultimately tabled. DiLorenzo also received poor marks for transparency in a May survey of 359 faculty, with 75 percent responding they found him “not at all” or “not very” transparent. In July, 21 faculty from a variety of departments sent North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott a letter calling for DiLorenzo’s dismissal, though Hagerott took no action. DiLorenzo received a vote of no-confidence at his last job as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, according to Herald archives. “I think for a while, my goals have been rather ambitious, and it’s time to pull that back a little bit,” said DiLorenzo.

Through the criticism, Kelley has supported DiLorenzo. In a July 31 letter to faculty, Kelley wrote the legal claims made against DiLorenzo have been investigated and were unfounded. DiLorenzo himself said after the results of the May faculty survey he would be more communicative, and to that end he has held open office hours starting this summer and posted to his blog. DiLorenzo said at the meeting his office hours have always been utilized. “We talk about anything from questions I can answer to issues that have come up and personnel matters,” he said. “It’s been a nice way to meet a wider swath of the university.”

UND turn in a master plan in February, finding a way to use more free textbooks and opening educational resources and improve retention and graduation rates. DiLorenzo said he’s encouraged by Hagerott. “I think he’s got the pulse of higher education,” he said. DiLorenzo also said he wants to further discuss shared governance and follow up with metrics showing progress, or lack thereof, on specific issues. He also said he planned to use data to back up his claim UND does not have any “administrative bloat.” DiLorenzo already meets with deans once a week and a senate executive committee once a month and said he will continue communicating with campus. Burleson is the higher education reporter for the Grand Forks Herald. Contact her at (701) 780-1114 and follow her on Twitter @AnnagatorB.

More discussion

DiLorenzo also talked about the State Board of Higher Education’s priorities that include having

Grand Forks leaders excited to apply immersion trip themes By Korrie Wenzel Grand Forks Herald

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Two members of the Grand Forks City Council said they will return to North Dakota invigorated after hearing Fort Collins leaders discuss progress, plans and civic pride over the last three days. Jeannie Mock and Crystal Schneider both said they will rethink how the city plans and implements for the future, since these have been such common and Mock recurring themes during their visit to this northern Colorado city. “Coming on a trip like this, we hear a lot of ideas, and also a lot of energy,” said Mock. “Now, it’s not necessarily about copying what Fort Collins has, but to reimagine what we have.” They are among 18 Grand Forks residents touring Fort Collins this week. The group also includes Councilman Bret Weber, Mayor

Mike Brown and City Administrator Todd Feland. The trip has included tours and talks with numerous Fort Collins leaders and city employees. Ideas have flowed freely, but Mock and Schneider said the recurring theme — specific civic planning — is something to consider back home. Mock said she doesn’t believe Grand Forks is as detailed and expansive with its future plans, but she thinks progress has been made, even before Schneider the Fort Collins trip. She pointed to ongoing talks about local arts and land-use plans as examples. “It’s not as if we’re not planning,” she said. “But (Fort Collins) seems to plan well and then really follow through on tasks. We need to continue to plan, but then implement.” Schneider said Thursday’s discussions showed her that even “small things can have a cumula-

tive effect, even if it takes awhile.” Like Mock, she doesn’t think Grand Forks leaders are as laser-focused as their Fort Collins counterparts, “but I think it’s something we’re starting to work on. And it’s not just five- or 20-year planning, but even 100-year planning. You need to have it. “We need to keep plugging away at it.” The group had a busy schedule Thursday, touring a museum and Fort Collins’ historic downtown, along with meetWeber ing with Chamber of Commerce leaders and certain city department heads. On the downtown tour, many in the Grand Forks group raved about renovated alleys that feature unique art, brick paths and quaint shops. Schneider and Mock both like the concept, and noted that work toward that end already has begun in Grand Forks, albeit on a smaller scale. The city twice has hosted recent Alley Alive events,

where food, art and music were provided to attendees. Also Thursday, the Grand Forks contingent was told about Fort Collins’ so-called “secret sauce” — the amenities that leaders here feel truly separate the city from other towns. According to city managers in Thursday meetings, the special sauce tends to be Fort Collins’ expansive park system, its paths and trails, and the Poudre River, which starts high in the mountains Brown as a whitewater torrent but meanders relatively peacefully through city limits. The river was neglected in the past, but is a focus of contemporary renovation efforts. There are 866 acres of parkland in Fort Collins, including six large parks that feature specific themes, and another 50 neighborhood parks. The secret sauce also is a combination of other, non-natural,

beautification efforts, such as expansive ordinances that dictate how certain buildings can be constructed and renovated, as well as restrictive ordinances governing advertising signs. Even a local Taco Bell looks more like a brick doctor’s office than a fast-food joint. And the city is moving away from intrusive pole signs to signs that have the look and feel of monuments, often made of brick. “How did we Feland become what we are today? I will say that it was deliberate,” said Fort Collins Planning Manager Laurie Kadrich. “If you look back at the history of Fort Collins, you will find a history of master plans.” The Grand Forks group will leave Fort Collins today. Wenzel is the Grand Forks Herald publisher. Contact him at (701) 7801103 or kwenzel@gfherald.com.


Friday l September 18, 2015

l

Section D

Sports

Inserting a freshman quarterback into the lineup can be a risky proposition. D5

Get set for strength vs. strength UND’s run defense will be put to the test against NDSU’s rushing attack By Tom Miller

Grand Forks Herald

THE

UND (2-0) at NDSU (1-1)

When: 2:30 p.m., Saturday. Where: Fargodome. TV/radio: KVLY (GF Channel 11); UND Radio Network (96.1 FM).

The UND football team’s rush defense is statistically one of the best in the FCS. North Dakota State, meanwhile, has the 11th ranked run offense at 267 yards per game, an impressive figure for a mostly balanced attack. It will be strength on strength when the two collide at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the Fargodome. “They’ll challenge us,” UND coach Bubba Schweigert said. “They’ll be the best opponent at running the football we’ve seen so far. They run with the quarterback and that’s adding

another dimension. The challenge for us: Are we going to fight, scratch and claw to limit their rushing yards.”

No. 3 nationally

UND’s run defense is tops in the Big Sky and third nationally through two games, surrendering only 33.5 yards per game. Wyoming and Drake combined to net just 67 rushing yards against UND. Only McNeese State (12.0 ypg) and Stony Brook (27.0 ypg) are allowing fewer yards per game, but both of those teams have only played once in 2015. “I know how good they are on defense,” NDSU coach

Chris Klieman said. “I know how physical they are on defense. I know Bubba does a great job and Schmidty (defensive coordinator Eric Schmidt) does a great job. Even watching Southern (Illinois) when I was at Northern Iowa playing them. “They are so sound defensively that they create so many issues because they have such a great blitz package. Their guys know their defense, and they’re playing at a really high level defensively.”

Big Bison threat NDSU running back STRENGTHS: See Page D5

Solving UND’s 3-4 is the task for Bison FARGO — The last time

we publically saw Marlan “Hawk” Haakenson in the sporting world was in the late ’80s and early ’90s when as the Bismarck mayor he was leading the

Jeff Kolpack

Forum News Service

Virgil Hill parade into a boxing ring. Those were the days when Virg’s popularity was at its peak and if you’re looking to boost your political ratings, that wasn’t a bad place to be. THE 3-4: See Page D5

BOYS TENNIS: Grand Forks Red River keeps in-town streak against Grand Forks Central intact

Eric Hylden, Grand Forks Herald

Following stinging streak-crusher earlier in the week, Riders get

back on their feet

That’s crazy. I wasn’t even

Sweep of Central allows

Roughriders to gain top seed

alive when that happened.

We’re trying to keep alive a streak that started when hardly any of us were born, that started with a lot of people I’ve never heard of or met. Andrew Godon, Red River senior on the unbeaten streak against Central that has reached 18 years.

in regional.

Story l Greg DeVillers

T

wo days after Grand Forks Red River’s streak of 211 consecutive wins in boys tennis duals was snapped, the Roughrid-

ers extended another streak. Red River blanked Grand Forks Central 9-0 on Thursday. That marked the 27th consecutive dual win for the Riders in the intracity boys high school tennis rivalry. The last time Central beat Red River was 3-2 in the 1997 state championship. That also is the last time Red River didn’t win the state title. Playing first doubles on that 1997 Central team was seventh grader Max Weisser, who is the

current Knights coach. Coaching Central was current Red River coach Greg LaDouceur. Only one member of Red River’s lineup Thursday, Ryan Kenyon, was born at that time. “That’s crazy,’’ Red River first singles player Andrew Godon said. “I wasn’t even alive when that happened. We’re trying to keep alive a streak that started when hardly any of us were born, that started with a lot of people I’ve never

Grand Forks Red River’s Ryan Kenyon watches his shot during Thursday’s doubles match with partner Danny Pierce against Grand Forks Central’s Christian Wedin and Andrew Manske at the Register Courts.

BOUNCE BACK: See Page D2

GREATER GRAND FORKS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Prep Football

Grand Forks Central will stay the course Friday In a short season, big changes

are difficult. By Greg DeVillers Grand Forks Herald

After Grand Forks Central was shut out for the second straight game last Friday and dropped to 0-3, Knights football coach Bill Lorenz talked about

going back to the drawing board. As the Knights prepare for their 3 p.m. game Saturday at Devils Lake, however, Lorenz acknowledges that, in the short football season, the midway point is no time for wholesale changes. “The kids you have are who you have,’’ Lorenz said. “You can’t go out recruiting a new team. For us, it’s on the shoulders of the coaches. We have

to adapt to the kids.’’ That’s why the Knights used a shotgun formation on offense last season, with four receivers and one running back, to take advantage of the throwing ability of quarterback Kaleb Binstock. Binstock graduated last spring, so the Knights adapted. This season Central has gone to a run-oriented wing-T formation with three running

backs and one wide receiver as the primary offense. The offseason and the preseason were spent learning the wing-T. “We thought it would be better suited for this team, that our best talent was at running back, and we wanted to simplify things for our inexperienced linemen in a different GGF GAMES: See Page D5

Check GrandForksHerald.com for all of the scores as they come in


FOOTBALL

Grand Forks Herald, Friday, September 18, 2015

www.GrandForksHerald.com

Minnesota vikings

Angry Vikes vow to take out frustrations on Detroit

By Chris Tomasson St. Paul Pioneer Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Everson Griffen is mad, and he’s planning to take it out on Detroit. The defensive end was infuriated with how his Minnesota Vikings played in a 20-3 loss in Monday’s night’s opener at San Francisco. They were especially bad on defense, giving up 395 yards, including 230 on the ground. Next up for Minnesota is Sunday’s home opener against Detroit at TCF Bank Stadium. Griffen vowed there won’t be a repeat performance. “I feel that we’re going to beat them because we’re going to be ready,” Griffen said this week. “And we took it personal. This is a personal game coming up. We’re going out there to make a statement ... We’re going to go out there and beat Detroit. So, I’m very angry right now, as you can see, because we prepared way too hard (for the 49ers game), and we’re going to go out there and get them.” Griffen wasn’t the only player

predicting the Vikings would take their frustrations out on the Lions. “I’m more than confident going into this next home game against Detroit and getting a win,” said tackle Matt Kalil. The Vikings were confident entering Monday’s opener but were embarrassed on national television. On offense, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater misfired, running back Adrian Peterson rushed for a meager 31 yards on 10 carries and the offensive line gave up five sacks. On defense, the Vikings missed numerous tackles, many on running back Carlos Hyde, who rushed for 168 yards. “It wasn’t at all like us,” said cornerback Captain Munnerlyn. “I don’t know what it was, but that team that played Monday night, it wasn’t us.” Nevertheless, the standings show the Vikings are 0-1. They were the NFL’s only team that didn’t score a touchdown in the first week of the regular season. Monday’s debacle came 50 days after the team began training camp.

GGF GAMES/

Continued from Page D1

scheme,’’ Lorenz said. Instead of wholesale changes, Lorenz is looking to upgrade the offense by tweaking and scaling back the playbook. “You can’t switch schemes because of the time it would take in the teaching process,’’ Lorenz said. “You don’t have time to do it. “Last week we had eight basic plays with variations off them. Now we’re going to four plays with variations. We’ll try to get more reps in practice on the plays we’ll use.’’ There may be a few personnel changes. Sophomore Zach Murphy is in line to play quarterback as senior starter Ryan Erickson is doubtful as he recovers from concussion-like symptoms. And Brock Reller figures to see more time in the backfield. Reller was one of the Knights’ top backs as a sophomore last season. After initially not playing football this fall, he’s rejoined the team. Reller saw limited time last Friday against Fargo North. “Brock called me the day after our first game and said he missed football and wanted to play,’’ Lorenz said. “When he gets up to speed, he can help us on both sides of the ball. Our backs are slashers. Brock is a 215-pound bruiser.’’ The Knights will try to slow down the 1-2 offensive punch of Jacob Mertens and Bradley Davidson for the 2-1 Firebirds. Mertens passed for 1,226 yards last season. Davidson, one of the top state track sprinters in North Dakota, rushed for 303 yards against Central last season. “He runs hard and, with his speed, if he gets out in the open I don’t know if we have the speed to catch him,’’ Lorenz said. In Greater Grand Forks football games today:

West Fargo (1-2) at GF Red River (0-3), 7 p.m.

The Roughriders are trying to rebound from a 36-27 loss to Fargo South last week in which the

THE 3-4/

Continued from Page D1 More than two decades later, the Hawk resurfaced this week and like the timing of Virg’s world boxing titles, he couldn’t have picked a better week to unveil his latest fight: trying to circumvent the UND nickname process. I almost dropped my morning coffee from the chuckle. Just a coincidence the Hawk announced it on North Dakota State-North Dakota football week? He registered the trade names of four of the five nickname options with the North Dakota Secretary of State two weeks ago, but it didn’t hit the media until Monday. UND countered saying it does business as UND, not as a nickname, and therefore the Hawk’s efforts will go in vain. It’s also been a week where the 12-year drought of the rivalry has, and should be, a hot topic. If you did something heroic in this series in the last few generations, you were a story. That video of Jim Kleinsasser running away from the Bison secondary? It’s exactly as I remember it. The history lessons have been common. About the only question I’m still wondering about is the location of the Nickel. It’s in Grand Forks, somewhere, as best we can tell. Rocky vs. Roger. NDSU winning 12 straight from 198192. The fumble that ended the streak. Outdoor football. It’s been a nice refresher course, but there has been one fact generally not talked about this week. There’s a game on Saturday. This may bore the historians, but UND won 10 of the previous 13 meetings and is 4-1 in the Fargodome mainly because of these two numbers. Three. Four. Yes, one of the architects of the 3-4 defense is now the head coach in Grand Forks and you

USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco running back Carlos Hyde points to Minnesota defensive back Robert Blanton (36) before crossing the end zone for a touchdown Monday. The Vikings say they are adjusting to prevent that kind of 20-3 embarrassment again. The Vikings had played five preseason games, but they didn’t look ready. “We had a lot of obstacles, and I’m not sitting here making excuses,” Griffen said. So what were those obstacles? “I feel like we were tired a little

Bruins outscored Red River 29-3 in the fourth quarter. “We played well most of the game,’’ Riders coach Vyrn Muir said. “We told the kids (a win) was right there for us, we just had to make big plays. We had two opportunities on defense to make stops and we had two drives that we didn’t finish.’’ Muir said West Fargo has a strong running game and quarterback Creighton Pfau is a threat as a runner as well as a passer.

EGF Senior High (2-2) at Thief River Falls (2-2), 6 p.m.

Senior High has scored 20 or more points in three of its first four games. That offense will be challenged by the Prowlers defense that has held three opponents to 16 or fewer points. “They put seven or eight guys in the box and try to force you to pass,’’ Senior High coach Ryan Kasowski said. “We like to run the ball. We won’t change our game plan. But we do have faith in Trevor (Selk) and our receivers.’’ Both teams have quarterbacks coming off big games. Selk passed for 322 yards and three touchdowns last Friday in a 35-20 loss to Fergus Falls. The Prowlers’ Kade Nelson put up only nine passes in a 32-8 win against Roseau, but he completed five for 134 yards and two TDs.

Polk Co. West (4-0) at Fertile-Beltrami (1-3), 7 p.m.

The Falcons traditionally are a strong defensive program. They’ll go against a Thunder offense that has blossomed in the running game. Polk County West has had two 100-yard rushers in each of its last two games — Riley Wavra in each game, Paul Gapp two weeks ago and Pelon Pruneda last Friday. “Things have been clicking with our ground game,’’ PCW coach Darrin Byklum said. “It’s been working, so we’ve stuck with it. But Devin (Evavold) is still a big part of our offense with his passing ability.’’

have to wonder what Bubba Schweigert has in mind on Saturday. The scheme was originally designed to hold down the old NDSU veer and it generally worked. How about this 2001 stat to raise the paranoia of veteran Bison fans: Harlon Hill candidate Lamar Gordon with 24 carries for 72 yards. Bubba, after a stint as head coach at Minnesota-Duluth, and Dale Lennon took their 3-4 to Southern Illinois in 2008. NDSU and the West Coast offense eventually figured it out after a couple of swings and misses, but the 3-4 will return to the dome on Saturday. The UND defensive coordinator is Eric Schmidt and if that name sounds familiar to Bison fans, it should. As a UND linebacker, he spent quite a few plays in the NDSU offensive backfield. “They do a good job of mixing it up,” said Bison quarterback Carson Wentz. “They bring pressure, they show pressure looks and back away and they do a good job of disguising and mixing up different things.” It’s made for a different week of preparation for the Bison offense. Certainly, the DaleBubba 3-4 has evolved over the years, but so has NDSU’s theory in how to attack it. Granted, personnel plays a major role, but the Bison are 6-1 against the Salukis with Lennon as head coach with the only loss in that dreadful 2009 season. As for personnel, it helps having Brock Jensen and Wentz as your quarterback. “It’s a little stressful early in the week,” Wentz said. “They present a number of different looks to account for in the run game as well. As the week progresses, a lot of things clear up and get less muddy I guess you could say.” Certainly, more clear that Hawk’s attempt at stopping the nickname process. The history lessons are all fine and dandy — and necessary — but the real show starts Saturday afternoon.

STRENGTHS/

Continued from Page D1

Chase Morlock, a Moorhead native, had a career day last week in a 41-14 win against Big Sky Conference member Weber State. Morlock accounted for 212 yards and two touchdowns. He had a career-high seven catches and 136 receiving yards. He ran eight times for 76 yards. NDSU also poses the threat at running back with King Frazier, who has 27 carries for 154 yards and two scores. Bison quarterback Carson Wentz is also a threat in the run game. That attack will be a challenge for a defense that has not allowed any first-half points during its 2-0 start to the season. UND has only given up three points through three quarters in the games against Wyoming and Drake. “It will be a challenge, no question,” Klieman said. “(UND) does a great job controlling the run and making you one-dimensional. That being said, we still have to try to run the football. We’ve got to be able to establish the run. We’re not a team that’s going to throw it 50 times and think we’re going to come out with a win. That’s just not our game plan; that’s not something that would make you successful. We’ve got to run the ball and maybe be creative with how we do it. We’ve got a great challenge ahead of us rushing the football and we’ve got to find a way to establish the run.” UND’s key to success this year has been stopping teams on third down, an Achilles heel a year ago. So far this year, teams have gone 6-for-30 on third downs for a 20-percent clip. That figure is tied for sixth-best in the FCS. “We have to play well on first down,” UND inside linebacker and captain Will Ratelle said. “If we get second-and-8 or second-and-12, things will be easier for us than if we let up 6 yards on first down. Their offensive line is good, their backs are good, everyone is good, so we just have to have good overall play to be successful.”

bit,” he said. “I don’t know. … We played at 9:30 our time. We’re not making excuses. They were a better team than us that night. We did play at a bad time, but our biggest thing is now we’ve just got to go out there and grind.”

D5

The late start meant the Vikings didn’t get back to Minnesota until 6 a.m. Tuesday. Linebacker Chad Greenway needed two words to sum up the flight home. “Somber. Miserable,” he said. At least the short week gives the Vikings less time to stew. “Obviously, there’s a ton of negativity around the way we played in the last week, and it begins a short week,” Greenway said. “There’s nothing better than making a bad game go away than playing better, so we’re hoping to make that happen.” Pro Football Focus counted 13 missed tackles for the Vikings, three by Griffen, one by Greenway. “We should all be uncomfortable with the way we played,” Greenway said. “We want to come in and get better, myself included. There are so many plays I look at and just say, ‘What the heck are you doing? I can’t play like that.’ ” Greenway agreed with coach Mike Zimmer, who says there must be multiple players on defense around the ball, and not just one. With that in mind, it might have been a lot worse for the Vikings on Monday if not for linebacker Anthony Barr. Barr was perhaps the one bright spot on defense with 12 tackles, 10 of them solo. On offense, it was hard to find any bright spots. “I was definitely too excited,” said Bridgewater.

Minnesota gophers

True freshmen QBs are risky business By Marcus R. Fuller St. Paul Pioneer Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Three games into the 2011 season, the Teddy Bridgewater era began at Louisville. Showing poise in his first college game, the true freshman led his team to its first win over rival Kentucky in four years. Bridgewater quickly blossomed into a star. He left Louisville after his junior year to become a first-round NFL draft pick with the Minnesota Vikings. You know the rest. Every true freshman quarterback thrown into a major role his first year in college would love to follow Bridgewater’s path. Playing too early backfires more often than not, but that hasn’t stopped programs from starting firstyear quarterbacks. “Each situation is unique,” ESPN analyst and former Washington quarterback Brock Huard said. “But ultimately if you’ve got a young talent with massive upside, I don’t mind playing him at an early age.” Injuries have forced Minnesota coach Jerry Kill to play true freshmen before, and some fans are now clamoring for another, Demry Croft, to play because of junior starter Mitch Leidner’s inconsistency through two games. The Gophers are 1-1 entering Saturday’s game against Kent State (1-1) at TCF Bank Stadium. Leidner’s numbers aren’t worth panicking over. He is averaging 215 yards passing with three total touchdowns and no interceptions. He also led the Gophers to an overtime win at Colorado State on Saturday. But his accuracy doesn’t seem to be improving, which was a cause for concern during a 1-for-7 first quarter last week. Kill has never said Croft will play this year, but he’s enamored of his potential, even comparing the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Rockford, Ill., native’s even-keeled demeanor to that of Bridgewater. “He’s athletic. He throws it very well and gets it out of his hands quick,” Kill said this week. “Some of you have seen him. He has all the talent. He’s put a little weight on. He’s slight, but he can throw ball, no question, and he can run it — all those kinds of things. But he’s still learning.” The ideal time to play Croft would seem to be before the Big Ten season starts Oct. 3 at Northwestern. Before that, the Gophers have home games against two Mid-American Conference teams, including Ohio on Sept. 26. “It’s not easy to do, just go out there and play,” Kill said. “Things move a lot harder and faster in a game. But is he progressing, and are we giving him a lot of reps in practice? Yeah, you bet.”

Ready or not

Six Football Bowl Subdivision teams have turned to true freshman quarterbacks in the first few weeks of the 2015 season. UCLA’s Josh Rosen passed for 351 yards and three touchdowns in his debut, a victory over Virginia. Pac-12 rivals Washington (Jake Browning) and Seth Collins (Oregon State) also are starting true freshman, as is Louisville (Lamar Jackson). There are none in the Big Ten, however. Eight FBS teams had true freshman quarterbacks who threw more than 120 passes in 2014, including four teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as well as Indiana in the Big Ten. The most productive was Brad Kaaya, who passed for 3,198 yards with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions at Miami (Fla). Those numbers were awfully close to the top true freshman season in Big Ten history by Michigan’s Chad Henne, who had 2,743 yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2004. Before a knee injury ended his true freshman season last year, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson wowed the nation with 435 yards passing and a school-record six touchdowns in his first start, a win over North Carolina. Beyond their natural talent, Kaaya,

Watson, Rosen, Browning and Collins have one thing in common: they all graduated from high school early to join spring practice before their freshman season. The previous three quarterbacks to start at Minnesota — Philip Nelson, Leidner and Chris Streveler — all enrolled early, as well. “That’s almost a whole additional season,” Huard said. “There’s an immense amount of weight training. There’s an immense amount of relationships that are built. You have an enormous gap to try to overcome. “But it’s a very different circumstance when you get in early because you can start that competition in April and not in August.”

Kill plays freshman

Max Shortell picked Minnesota in part because he was promised a chance to start as a true freshman. He took reps with the first and second teams all through fall camp going into the 2011 season but didn’t expect to play in the season opener at Southern California because MarQueis Gray was the returning starter. “Sure enough, MarQueis (Gray) started cramping, and before I even knew it, I was out on the field,” Shortell said this week. “I’m a competitor, and I want to play, obviously. But if I had a chance to redshirt, and if this would be my senior year, it would be hard for me to be stopped. I couldn’t imagine having another year. I couldn’t imagine it.” Shortell cherished the experience he got at USC, throwing a late touchdown pass to nearly upset the Trojans at Memorial Stadium. It gave him confidence, but his first start was a 58-0 loss at Michigan. “We were all young,” said Shortell, who ended up transferring to Jacksonville State after his sophomore year. “We had a young (offensive line) and a young receiving corps. We struggled, obviously, to do much. Probably the most important thing is that if you’re going to play a freshman quarterback, do you have the supporting cast to facilitate good play from your quarterback and help his growth?” Last year, Streveler became the fifth Gophers player to start at quarterback in three seasons and the fourth freshman in four years. But he was a redshirt and started only so Leidner could prepar before the Big Ten season started. The last true freshman to start for Kill was Nelson in 2012. A former Minnesota Mr. Football, he took over seven games into the season at Wisconsin after injuries to Gray and Shortell. Nelson led Minnesota to two bowl games as a starter, but he didn’t develop as a passer the way coaches had hoped (under 50 percent completion in two years). The Gophers are in the same situation now with Leidner, who replaced Nelson in a loss to Syracuse in the Texas Bowl.

When Croft?

Croft satisfied the curiosity of fans wondering what the hype was for when he passed for two touchdowns in the fall camp scrimmage at Concordia-St. Paul. At Boylan Catholic last season, he ran a spread formation offense similar to the Gophers’ current offense; it was one of the reasons he was able to digest the schemes so quickly despite not enrolling early. “The offenses are very similar,” Boylan Catholic coach John Cacciatore said. “That is one of the many things that attracted Demry to University of Minnesota. We are a spread team, and Demry was the main trigger. He was our leading rusher.” Cacciatore remembers Croft taking over at quarterback in the second game of his junior year. Boylan trailed 21-0 at halftime, but Croft led his team to a 3432 comeback victory. “It was sweet,” his high school coach said. “He has gone from the No. 5 QB (at Minnesota), I think, to No. 2. That is a testament to what he brings to the table. I think the coaches see what we saw in him or he would still be the No. 5 guy.”


GRAND FORKS HERALD COLLECTORS EDITION

Friday, September 18, 2015


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