After Missing National Tournament, UMD Football Still Proud of 2023 Season

UMD finishes the season with a 9-2 record.

DULUTH, Minn.- The UMD football team put themselves in a strong position to make the NCAA tournament.

Unfortunately, the selection committee felt otherwise as the Bulldogs saw their season end on Sunday.

UMD snapped a two-year drought just a day earlier when they upset 9th ranked Minnesota State-Mankato 33 to 21.

Even with a loss and the same record, Minnesota State would make the tournament.

Head Coach Curt Wiese admitted it was tough to hear the news on Sunday but added the 2023 season was one he can still be proud of.

“Our goals and aspirations are always going to be in the national playoffs. The committee didn’t take us probably based on strength of schedule. But we can point fingers at whoever we want. We had two losses, we left it in somebody elses hands. We had the opportunity not to do that. When you’re 9-2 and you leave it to somebody else, you take a chance that you won’t end up in the national playoffs,” said Wiese.

Wiese also took time to thank the seniors, who will depart the program.

“You start with our captains in Marcus Glodowski, Trey Cahalan, Brad Dati, and Nate Bursch. You know those guys have meant a lot to our football program and to see those guys walk off the field on Saturday after the way they played was a lot of fun. And to see them on Sunday and Monday in the state that they were, you forget how much investment that all of us have in those program and the season like that. These guys have been playing football for 20 years and to see it come to an end on a Sunday when we didn’t know it was going to come to an end was tough,” added Wiese.

UMD finishes the season with a 9-2 record.