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November 29, 2003

Sioux football advances to NCAA Semifinals

Jim Dahl

A little scouting/fact-finding as the Sioux prepare for NCAA semifinal play:

• The UND Fighting Sioux have emerged from the NCAA regionals victorious for the 4th time since 1993 (and 4th time in school history!)
• The Sioux have faced Northern Alabama only once before; in the 1994 semifinals the Lions handily defeated the Sioux, 35-7, in Florence, Alabama.
• Northern Alabama (13-0) has defeated Southern Arkansas, 48-24, and Carson-Newman, 41-9, to advance to the playoffs.
• 2003 marked UNA's first ever perfect season in the Gulf South Conference, while UND put together a perfect season in the North Central Conference for the first time since 1975.
• The Sioux and Lions have faced no common opponents this season
• Despite their storied history, no current Lions players have previously had a taste of the post-season. Northern Alabama finished just 4-7 last season and has not been to the playoffs since 1997
• UNA's current coach is also new to the playoffs; Mark Hudspeth is in just his 2nd season as head coach, having previously been an offensive coordinator at the US Naval Academy.
• The Lions have a storied NCAA playoff history, boasting the highest playoff winning percentage (.760, 19-6 to date) of any D-II school; they have appeared in the playoffs 9 times
• The Lions have the NCAA record with three consecutive national championships in 1993, 1994, and 1995
• North Alabama has not played a football game indoors since 1977, when they defeated East Tennessee State, 37-21.
• The Sioux are 9-1 in home playoff games all-time and 5-0 in the Alerus Center (built in 2001)
• UNA has not played on artificial turf since a 1994 loss to Youngstown State, 14-17.