They’re led by a man who goes by Bubba.
They’re a little more than an hour away from the Canadian border.
They’re the reigning Big Sky Conference champions.
And yes, the North Dakota Fighting Hawks have history on their mind. North Dakota faces a Top 25-ranked FBS opponent for the first time ever Thursday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium when Utah (No. 25 in the preseason coaches’ poll) welcomes one of the premier FCS-level programs to christen the 2017 season.
“When you get to go to an FBS opponent, does that motivate our guys more? It probably does,” North Dakota coach Bubba Schweigert said, “but we don’t know really the effects of that until we get there.”
NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS <br>Coach • Bubba Schweigert (fourth season, 21-14 at ND, 42-35 overall as coach) <br>2016 • 9-3, Big Sky Conference champions <br>Returning firepower • North Dakota returns nine offensive starters from 2016, including quarterback Keaton Studsrud (2,027 yards passing, 19 total touchdowns), running backs John Santiago (983 yards, seven touchdowns) and Brady Oliveira (897 yards, 10 touchdowns). <br>Preseason respect • North Dakota ranked No. 8 in preseason FCS poll and No. 10 in preseason FCS coaches' poll
The Fighting Hawks of Grand Forks, N.D., who entered the preseason ranked No. 8 in the FCS preseason poll and No. 10 in the FCS coaches’ poll, have Utah’s full attention. For the past two weeks, Kyle Whittingham said, “It’s all been about North Dakota.”
The Utes, Whittingham said, aren’t about to get caught looking ahead to next weekend’s game at BYU. The Utes don’t want to end up as a breaking news segment on SportsCenter as the latest surprise victim to fall to an FCS program. Utah’s recent track record proves the likelihood of an epic upset is, well, grim.
Since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, Utah is 21-1 in non-conference games, and 15-0 in non-conference matchups the past four seasons. Utah’s lone non-conference loss came in 2012 when Utah State upended the Utes in Logan.
“It’s just our mentality,” Whittingham said. “We don’t ever get ahead of ourselves. I think the guys that have been in our program for several years understand that — learning to focus on what’s in front of you and nothing else. … It’s part of our culture.”
So do the Fighting Hawks have a fighter’s chance?
“We never really know how far we’ve come till we get to that first test,” Schweigert said, “and we really have a huge opportunity in front of us to be tested against a very good opponent.”
North Dakota at Utah<br>Thursday, 5:30 p.m.<br> TV • Pac-12 Network
North Dakota returns nine offensive starters from 2016, including quarterback Keaton Studsrud (2,027 yards passing, 19 total touchdowns), running backs John Santiago (983 yards, seven touchdowns) and Brady Oliveira (897 yards, 10 touchdowns). The Fighting Hawks are a throwback-style offense, Whittingham said.
While Utah is used to facing the usual aerial attacks in the Pac-12, North Dakota is the opposite: A downhill football team that employs an old-school look offensively with a fullback paving the way for the tailbacks behind him. Utah’s greatest defensive strength is stuffing the run, but the Hawks have provided more homework for the Utes’ scout team.
“It is the exception in this day-and-age of football,” Whittingham said about North Dakota‘s personnel packages.
Expect Utah to veer from the nickel defense it relies on so heavily during conference play, Whittingham said. It’ll be much more of an old-school 4-3 defense as North Dakota attempts to establish a consistent run game against Utah’s vaunted defensive front.
“They like to run the ball,” senior defensive tackle Filipo Mokofisi said. “And obviously our strength is against the run, so it’s going to be a good test.”
In a report from USA Today, North Dakota is receiving $450,000 to make the trek to face the Utes. In various interviews this week, Schweigert often called the game against Utah a test, a challenge and, most often, an opportunity for his Fighting Hawks.
“I just can’t stress that enough,” he said.
Mokofisi referenced last year’s 24-0 season-opening win over Southern Utah as proof that these FBS vs. FCS outings aren’t always a cakewalk for the heavy favorites.
“I would expect no different from these guys,” he said.
The veteran-laden North Dakota Fighting Hawks have an opportunity, their coach says. It’s up to them to show what they’re made of.
“We’ll see how we adapt,” Schweigert said.