2003 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team

American college football season August 2023 February 2026 2003 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football North Central Conference NCC 7 12–2 7–0 Dale Lennon 5th Chris Mussman 5th Bubba Schweigert 7th Digger Anderson Weston Dressler Danny Gagner Jeff Glas Tony Hermes Chris Kuper Ryan Manke Alerus Center NCC champion NCAA Division II First Round L 3–10 vs. Grand Valley State The 2003 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team represented the University of North Dakota (UND) in the 2003 NCAA Division II football season. In Dale Lennon's fifth year as head coach, the team compiled a record of 12–2 overall and won the North Central Conference (NCC) title with a 7–0 mark. North Dakota was led on offense by two quarterbacks in Jon Bowenkamp and Joe Wilson, running back Adam Roland, and receivers Dan Grossman and Team-Voted MVP Willis Stattelman. Co-captain Digger Anderson was the leading tackler on defense. North Dakota lost to Grand Valley State in the final of the NCAA Division II Football Championship, a reverse of the 2001 result. Schedule September 6 w y 2003 Minnesota–Crookston Golden Eagles Minnesota–Crookston Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND 59–0 Bakken Ryan UND belts Crookston in final game of series https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101132500/the-bismarck-tribune/ May 8, 2022 The Bismarck Tribune September 7, 2003 4D Newspapers.com September 13 l y y 2003 Mesa State Mavericks Mesa State Ralph Stocker Stadium Grand Junction, CO 24–31 OT Reed Greg Redemption https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101133403/the-daily-sentinel/ May 8, 2022 Grand Junction Daily Sentinel September 14, 2003 1D Newspapers.com September 20 w y 2003 Newberry Wolves Newberry Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND 42–23 Bakken Ryan No luck for Newberry thanks to UND's Lueck https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101133879/the-bismarck-tribune/ May 8, 2022 The Bismarck Tribune September 21, 2003 4D Newspapers.com September 27 w y 2003 Augustana (South Dakota) Vikings Augustana (SD) Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND 13–3 North Dakota tops Augustana https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101134334/argus-leader/ May 8, 2022 Argus-Leader September 28, 2003 5C Newspapers.com October 4 w 2003 St. Cloud State Huskies St. Cloud State Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND 29–28 Fenton Tom Huskies melt down, 29-28 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101453075/st-cloud-times/ May 8, 2022 St. Cloud Times October 5, 2003 1D Newspapers.com October 11 w y 2003 South Dakota State Jackrabbits South Dakota State Coughlin–Alumni Stadium Brookings, SD 25–24 Solari Chris North Dakota rallies to beat Jacks https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101453510/argus-leader/ May 8, 2022 Argus-Leader October 12, 2003 1C Newspapers.com October 18 w North Dakota State Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND Nickel Trophy 28–21 OT 12,267 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86498324/another-wild-win-for-sioux/ The Bismarck Tribune Bakken Ryan Another wild win for Sioux October 19, 2003 May 8, 2022 1D Newspapers.com October 25 w y 2003 Minnesota State Mavericks Minnesota State Blakeslee Stadium Mankato, MN 41–25 UND cruises to win https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101467340/the-bismarck-tribune/ May 8, 2022 The Bismarck Tribune Associated Press October 26, 2003 3D Newspapers.com November 1 w 2003 Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks Nebraska–Omaha Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND 38–35 North Dakota hits late field goal to beat UNO, clinch tie for title https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101467545/lincoln-journal-star/ May 8, 2022 Lincoln Journal Star Associated Press November 2, 2003 5F Newspapers.com November 8 w y 2003 South Dakota Coyotes South Dakota DakotaDome Vermillion, SD Sitting Bull Trophy 37–3 Garry Mick USD drops 4th straight as UND clinches crown https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101467823/argus-leader/ May 8, 2022 Argus-Leader November 9, 2003 1C Newspapers.com November 22 w y 2003 Pittsburg State Gorillas Pittsburg State Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND NCAA Division II First Round 24–14 7,160 Kolpack Dave Turnovers help UND beat Pittsburg State https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101468060/the-bismarck-tribune/ May 8, 2022 The Bismarck Tribune Associated Press November 23, 2003 1D Newspapers.com November 29 w y 2003 Winona State Warriors Winona State Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND NCAA Division II Quarterfinal 36–29 Stauffer Ian Sioux overtake Warriors in final minute https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101468399/the-winona-daily-news/ May 8, 2022 Winona Daily News November 30, 2003 1B Newspapers.com December 6 w y 2003 North Alabama Lions North Alabama Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND NCAA Division II Semifinal 29–22 9,652 Bakken Ryan Special day for Sioux https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101468767/the-bismarck-tribune/ May 8, 2022 The Bismarck Tribune December 7, 2003 1D Newspapers.com December 13 l y y 7 Grand Valley State 4 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL NCAA Division II Championship Game 3–10 7,236 Johnson Bob Sioux run out of miracles https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101469290/the-bismarck-tribune/ May 8, 2022 The Bismarck Tribune Associated Press December 14, 2003 1D Newspapers.com 2003 M Football Schedule https://fightinghawks.com/sports/football/schedule/2003 University of North Dakota Athletics December 23, 2022 Game summaries Minnesota–Crookston In the season opener against the Minnesota–Crookston Eagles the Sioux dominated. They scored forty-two second-quarter points and six players scored as they won fifty-nine to nothing. At Mesa State The Sioux stumbled at Mesa St. The Mavs took an early twenty-one–to–seven lead and took that led into halftime. UND fought back and got within seventeen to twenty-four. Finally with eighteen seconds left Adam Roland ran through for a one-yard touchdown to send the game to overtime. However, the Sioux could not score in overtime as they lost thirty-one to twenty-four. Newberry In the third game of the season the Sioux tore apart the Newberry Indians. UND dominated early and often and the Indians could not stop the Sioux and took a forty-two–to–nine fourth quarter lead. The Indians did score two touchdowns to make it respectable as the Sioux won forty-two to twenty-three. Augustana (SD) In the 2003 homecoming game UND battled the Augustana Vikings. In the first quarter Travis Lueck returned a blocked punt fifty-one yards to give the Sioux a six-to-nothing lead. After Augustana made it six to three in the fourth quarter the Sioux put it away as Dan Grossman scored on a thirty-six-yard pass from Jon Bowenkamp and UND won thirteen to three. St. Cloud State The next week against the St. Cloud State Huskies UND came out flatter than water. St. Cloud took a twenty-eight–to–three halftime lead. At halftime UND coach Dale Lennon switched quarterbacks putting in sixth-year senior Joe Wilson. The first play of the second half Brandon Strouth threw a sixty-one-yard pass to Willis Stattelman on a halfback pass. Willis Stattelman scored two more fourth quarter touchdowns and got within twenty-eight to twenty-six. As time ran out the Sioux had one chance as kicker Jeff Glas attempted a fifty-two yard field goal. The kick went through, giving the Sioux the improbable win. At South Dakota State When UND went to South Dakota St., the Sioux faced similar difficulties falling, behind twenty-one to three at halftime. At halftime Dale Lennon undid the previous week's quarterback switch, putting Jon Bowenkamp back in. With six minutes left Bowenkamp found Jesse Ahlers in the end zone to make it twenty-four to seventeen. Then with two seconds left Bowenkamp found Ahlers in the end zone again for a ten-yard touchdown. The Sioux chose to go for the win. Bowenkamp went back to pass and fired the ball in the end zone, the ball was tipped and Willis Stattelman sprawled out to catch the ball and give UND the win. North Dakota State The next week UND went to play the NDSU Bison, their instate rival in the final Nickel Trophy game as the Bison were going up to Division I-AA. With under ten minutes left in the fourth quarter Travis Lueck caught his second touchdown of over fifty yards to give UND a twenty-one–to–seven lead. NDSU would then come back and tie the game with ten seconds left in regulation. In overtime after a Caleb Johnson touchdown NDSU had to score and had a third down and one when Digger Anderson made a key stop and then made a fourth down stop to give the win to the Sioux. At Minnesota State–Mankato The next week at Mankato the Sioux ran away from the Mavs as Aaron Schwenzfeier ran for one hundred forty-three yards and Travis Lueck had one hundred thirty-five yards receiving in the forty-one to twenty-five win. Nebraska–Omaha In this game UND would blow a thirty-five to twenty-one lead. After UNO tied the game at thirty-five UND got the ball with two minutes left. Travis Lueck followed the ball early in the drive and the Mavs went for a field goal attempt. The kick was shanked though giving UND a final chance. The Sioux were led down the field by Jon Bowenkamp and finished off as Jeff Glas kicked a game winning forty-eight-yard field goal. At South Dakota In the season finale UND ran away from the Coyotes led by Roland's ninety-eight yards rushing and Jesse Ahlers one hundred forty-three receiving yards as UND won thirty-seven to three. Pittsburg State In the playoff opener UND shut down the Gorillas. Adam Roland ran for one hundred sixty-eight yards and Dan Grossman scored a touchdown from Joe Wilson as UND won twenty-four to fourteen. Winona State In the quarterfinals the Sioux dominated the second quarter against the Warriors taking a twenty-eight–to–seven lead. The Warriors came back though and took a twenty-nine to twenty-eight fourth quarter lead. With twenty-four second left Adam Roland punched in a one-yard touchdown that was set up by several Willis Stattelman catches. The win sent UND to the Semi finals. North Alabama The Sioux shut down the Lions no huddle offense at home as the Lions could not here in the Alerus Center. UND jumped to a nineteen-to-three halftime lead. North Alabama came back but the Sioux won twenty-nine to twenty-two victory. Grand Valley State The season came down to the 2001 national championship game rematch as the Grand Valley St. Lakers took on the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. UND could not do anything and Jeff Glas missed three field goals. Down ten to three, the Sioux had one final chance near the goal line. Jon Bowenkamp was looking for Stattlemen in the end zone but the pass was picked off and Grand Valley finished off the repeat. References North Dakota Category:North Dakota Fighting Hawks football seasons Category:North Central Conference football champion seasons North Dakota Fighting Sioux football