Oct. 24, 1998

It was a record-setting day in Duluth as the Wolves overwhelmed Minnesota-Duluth 34-7 to stay in the conference race and effectively leave the Bulldogs in the dust with two conference losses.

The 27-point victory was by far the largest win margin for the Wolves in the teams' series. Previously, a 10-point win at Duluth in 1988 was NSU's greatest margin over the Bulldogs.

Behind a punishing offensive line, sophomore running back Tyrone Morgan racked up a school-record 272 yards on the ground. Previously, the single-game rushing record was held by former NSU football great and current NSU athletic director Jim Kretchman, who ran for 242 yards against South Dakota Tech in 1952. Morgan's effort on 34 carries (just four shy of tying Lee Wilson's mark for most rushing attempts in a game) was the most ever allowed by a Bulldog defense. The Wichita Falls, Texas, native also scored four touchdowns on the day. As if that weren't enough for a day's work, Morgan also had a 78-yard kickoff return!

Defensively, NSU again came up big, as they have every week on the Wolves four-game winning streak. If not for a special teams fumble on the opening kickoff that resulted in a 30-yard drive and score by UMD, NSU's defense may have scored a shutout. The Bulldogs were held to 103 yards on the ground and 115 through the air. Junior middle linebacker Naki Angilau (Kearnes, Utah) continues to have a big season, as he again led the Wolves with five unassisted and six assisted tackles. He also recovered a fumble forced by senior end Jim Miller (St. Cloud, Minn.). Senior safety Nate Giesen (Wright, Wyo.) recorded his fourth interception of the season.

Meanwhile, the Wolves' aerial attack didn't have to surface, as NSU's coaching staff adhered to the addage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," by continuing to run the ball until they were stopped. That never happened, and NSU quarterback Tom Ramerth (Minneapolis, Minn.) ended the day with just seven passing attempts and one completion. As a team, the Wolves rushed 52 times for 347 yards (6.7 yards per carry).

Next week is the last chance fans will have to catch NSU in a home game as the Wolves take on Southwest State at Swisher Field in Aberdeen. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m. The Mustangs hold one of the conference's best defenses in terms of rushing yards and points allowed, while the Wolves have the conference's top rusher in Morgan and an offense proving more potent every week.