NCAA Division II Championship preview

The Bulldogs have proven that their ground game is perfectly suited for December football in Duluth. Now they will attempt to run in warmer weather against an opponent that is the first unranked (American Football Coaches Association) team to reach the Division II title game. Delta State, 8-3 in the regular season, defeated unranked North Alabama (47-24), No. 5 Albany State (28-7) and No. 18 Shepherd (29-17) to reach the title game. The Mississippi school plays in the Gulf South Conference, which has won nine Division II football championships, the most of any league. Delta State has improved throughout the season, in part because a half-dozen transfers have blended with returnees over time. Senior defensive back Garrett Williams, getting his first chance at extended playing time, led the Statesmen with 115 tackles and eight interceptions and earned Associated Press Little All-America third-team honors. Delta State quarterback Micah Davis is the first player in school history to surpass 4,000 yards of total offense in a season. Davis has completed 312 of 482 passes for 3,854 yards and 31 TDs. Delta State also boasts a 1,000-yard rusher in Trevar Deed (1,101 yards on 201 carries). UMD, seeking its second national title in three years, is built on a ground-oriented offense that has averaged 278.4 yards rushing a game, ranking it fourth nationally. The Bulldogs are also tough defensively, allowing only 12.4 points a game, the best in D-II.

The senior is a major reason UMD's running game didn't miss a beat when All-America Isaac Odim was lost for the year midway through the season because of a knee injury. Foss has rushed for 1,089 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards a carry.

The senior led UMD with nine tackles in last week's semifinal victory over defending champion Northwest Missouri State. Fechtelkotter, a 220-pound inside linebacker, also has a team-high 91 tackles this season.