Defense does indeed win championships and for the University of Minnesota Duluth that meant claiming the biggest title NCAA Division II football has to offer.

The Bulldogs, buoyed by a defensive unit which has been nothing short of stifling all year long, put a huge exclamation mark on a season for the ages by holding off No. 3 Northwest Missouri State University 21-14 in the NCAA II championship at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala. With the historic victory, UMD finishes the year a perfect 15-0 — one of only three NCAA II schools to ever reach that mark.

“All I can say is ‘wow,’” said UMD head coach Bob Nielson, whose club completed the greatest one-year turnaround (they were 4-6 one year ago) since the NCAA II began keeping that statistic in 1996. “The kind of win we had today really speaks to the character of our football team. They never give up and are always supportive of one another, no matter what the circumstances. Today’s game is simply a great ending to a great, great year.”

For the 14th time in 15 games this season, No. 6 UMD got on the scoreboard first when senior wide receiver Tony Doherty hauled in a 38-yard touchdown catch from senior All-American quarterback Ted Schalfke with 14 seconds remaining in the opening half. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 14-0 midway though the third quarter on a Schalfke-to-Isaac Odim scoring strike from five yards out before Odim made it 21-0 a liitle more than a minute into the fourth quarter by plowing ahead for his school-record 30th overall touchdown on the year.

Northwest Missouri added a pair of scores in the last eight minutes of regulation – a 44-yard interception return by Aldwin Foster-Rettig and a one-yard touchdown reception by Ralphael Robinson to pull to within seven. But, on the ensuing kickoff following Robinson’s touchdown, Northwest Missouri State attempted an onside kick which was smothered by Bulldog senior Luke Schalekamp sealing UMD’s first NCAA II championship in any sport.

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–Courtesy of UMD Athletics