Kearney, Neb. - The 4th-ranked Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs ran for 287 yards and five touchdowns and held Nebraska-Kearney to 158 yards in a 42-7 win in the 2nd round of the NCAA Division II playoffs Saturday in Duluth.

The defending national champions, UMD (11-1) will host Grand Valley State (Mich.) next weekend in one national quarterfinal game. The Lopers end the year at 11-2.

Duluth took the opening kickoff and drove 58 yards in six plays to strike first. The drive was capped by a six-yard run from junior running back Isaac Odim, who finished the day with 102 yards and three TD's on 17 carries. The Harlon Hill candidate also had three catches for 26 yards.

UMD then took advantage of two short fields to go up 21-0 midway through the 2nd quarter. A Noah Paul interception gave Duluth the ball at the Loper 13-yard line; Odim put the final touches on a two play drive with a 13-yard scamper.

UNK did stop Odim on a 4th and one inside Loper territory but, after a fake punt play failed to pick up the first down, Duluth was back in business. A 32-yard drive ended on 3rd down when freshman QB Chase Vogler (13 of 19 for 134 yards; five carries for 34 yards) ran nine yards for a score.

On the day, Duluth was 6 of 12 3rd down and 2 of 3 on 4th downs. One of those 4th down conversions came with only 28 seconds left on the half as Vogler found a streaking D.J. Winfield for a 32-yard pitch and catch that made it 28-0.

That play capped a 10 play, 54-yard drive. In the 1st half, UNK ran just 19 offensive plays, compared to 40 for the Bulldogs.

In the 2nd half, UMD scored touchdowns on its first two possessions. The scoring plays were a 20-yard run by Odim and a nine-yard run from backup running back Brad Foss (18 carries, 103 yards).

UNK finished the day's scoring when sophomore Rustin Dring (Kearney) got lose and ran 36 yards for a score at the 6:24 mark of the 4th quarter. The run not only helped Dring back Mike Miller's single season rushing record of 1,600 yards but kept the Lopers streak of games without being shutout alive.

Dring finishes the year with 1,648 rushing yards; UNK now has gone 119 games (1992) – one of the longest active streaks in Division II – without being blanked.

Duluth, among the national leaders in total offense and defense, finished with 428 yards. Before today, only Wayne State's Mario Melvin had rushed for 100 yards against the Lopers. UNK had 130 of its yards on the ground, led by Dring (89 yards on 15 carries).

Also for the Lopers, senior safety Jake Mandelko had a game-high 15 stops with Central City junior Chris Senkbile making 11 and senior safety Pat Ackerman having 10.

In 2010, UNK will have to replace its starting secondary (two corners & two safeties), kicker/punter Jordan Alegria and three starting offensive linemen.

2009 Loper Seniors
Pat Ackerman (S, Holdrege)
Jordan Alegria (K/P, North Platte)
Darrell Bostick (ILB, Killeen, Texas)
Kyle Davison (LT, Kearney)
Jack Hiett (C, Arvada, Colo.)
Brennan Johnson (P, Big Springs)
Matt Goldestein (RG, Gretna)
Jake McGlade (C/OG, Omaha)
Jake Mandelko (S, Lexington)
Mike Neal (CB, Bretwood, Calif.)
Eric Scheele (ILB, Utica)
Ozzie Smith (CB, Bellevue)
Owen Stubbs (S, Kearney)