The UND football team had its media day on August 24th, where coaches gave statements on their opinions of the team’s standing as college football moves out of fall camp and into its regular season. Last season, the Fighting Hawks finished 7-5 (5-3 MVFC) and ended their season with a loss in the first round of the FCS Playoffs to Weber State, 38-31. Head coach Bubba Schweigert, entering his 10th season at UND, spoke briefly about elevating the program this year. Schweigert said that this has been a theme from the coaching staff since winter workouts began, through spring ball, and into fall camp. The North Dakota native and UND alma mater stated that he feels there is “something different” about his team this year and is excited to get the season rolling. 

Joel Schwenzfeier has been an assistant coach at UND for 11 years and is entering his first season as UND’s defensive coordinator. During his time at the podium, Schwenzfeier chose to touch on the two main points of emphasis he has had for his defense in its fall camp. First, is the elimination of explosive plays. The first year DC stated that he believed giving up explosive plays killed the Hawks last year and is looking to change that in 2023. Secondly, coach Schwenzfeier has focused on generating big plays from a defensive perspective. This can be forcing fumbles, getting to the quarterback, and creating interceptions. Schwenzenfeier said that these points of emphasis have been stressed through simulating what he calls, “High-Pressure Situations.” These can be goal-to-go, third downs, and other crucial points of a football game. Schwenzfeier believes that the 2023 Fighting Hawks have “great leaders,” mentioning defensive back CJ Siegel (5th) and linebacker Ted Mullin (Gr.). 

Danny Freund is entering his 13th season at UND and will be offensive coordinator of the Fighting Hawks for the 5th season in 2023. Freund began by touching on his thoughts after this season’s fall camp. First, Freund believes that the 2023 Fighting Hawks are an “unselfish group” and have displayed this by showing a team-first mentality. The UND alum believes that this is a player-led team, and that the guys have done an excellent job developing trust in one another. Freund wants to see this continue moving forward as the season progresses. Freund also shared some of his thoughts on the roster this season. The OC feels comfortable about having Tommy Schuster (Sr.) returning as a multi-year starter. Schuster, hailing from Macomb, Michigan, completed 68.8% of his throws last season, ranking 8th in the FCS. Freund spoke about attempting to replace running back Tyler Hoosman, who is currently fighting for a spot on the Los Angeles Chargers. He believes this will be done not by one player, but by committee. UND football fans have previously known Quincy Vaughn (Sr.) as a goal-to-go and short-yardage quarterback. This spring, the Ontario native ditched the red practice jersey and suited up as a tight end to make as big of an impact for his team that he can. When asked about how he felt making the positional switch, Vaughn replied, “I was very excited, despite what I’m used to with my background playing quarterback, it provided me with a new challenge. Being a natural competitor, it inspired me to push myself to learn something new and excel at it.” Vaughn also noted that he is excited for the future of the UND program and to help contribute to the team this fall. 

Shawn Kostich, special teams coordinator, explained that there have been position competitions across the ST unit, and that he views this as a positive for the Hawks. Kostich believes that having multiple guys that can impact games in the third facet is a weapon that the staff plans to use. Kostich stated that this camp has been a “fun challenge of getting young guys familiar with the unfamiliar.”  

The Fighting Hawks are returning five 2022 FCS All-Conference players. WR Bo Belquist (Sr.), OL Donny Ventrelli (5th), DL Ben McNaboe (Sr.), and DB CJ Siegel earned 2nd Team honors last season, and QB Tommy Schuster was named as an Honorable Mention. UND opens the regular season on Saturday, September 2nd at the Alerus Center against the Drake Bulldogs, the first of six home games for the Hawks in 2023. Tickets are free to UND students through the “Green and White” account found on fightinghawks.com. 

Garrett Webber is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].