NMU Fall to Minnesota-Duluth in Richardson’s First Game
DULUTH, Minn. The Northern Michigan University men’s football team fell 47-10 to the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs out of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), in its season opener in Duluth, Minnesota on Thursday night.
The Bulldogs took it to the Wildcats early, as they led 20-0 after the first quarter. NMU would cut the deficit in half early in the second quarter, thanks to a Michael Karlen field goal and a Mariano Valenti 17-yard touchdown pass to Sam Peiffer.
However, after that Peiffer touchdown, UMD would go on to hold the Wildcats scoreless the rest of the game. As the Bulldogs scored 27 unanswered points to win by 37.
The star of the night was undoubtedly UMD Quarterback Kyle Walljasper. The redshirt sophomore out of Fond du Lac, WI, scored 5 total touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing) and rushed for 155 yards.
As for Walljasper’s counterpart, Northern Michigan QB Mariano Valenti he completed 20/29 passes for 141 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
This was the first game for the Wildcats under first year Head Coach Shane Richardson, who was hired as the 23rd head football coach at Northern in December of 2022.
The Wildcats will return home for their home opener against Lake Erie College on Saturday, September 9th at 1 p.m. at the Superior Dome.