After back-to-back losses, UND football will try to get back on track against Western Illinois
Oct. 6—GRAND FORKS — Losing to the preseason Mountain West Conference favorites and the preseason FCS national championship favorites on the road in back-to-back weeks isn't damning of the UND football program.
But some of the struggles, miscues and missed opportunities have left a sour taste in the mouths of Fighting Hawks' players, coaches and fans.
UND captain Ted Mullin, a respected voice in the program, says this week has been about accountability.
The Hawks will try to get back on track on Saturday at 1 p.m. in a homecoming matchup with winless Western Illinois at the Alerus Center.
"I think we're a mature football team and understand what we did Saturday wasn't our best," Mullin said. "We can't change that now. What we can change is the effort we put toward our preparation and film. Focus on the details. We talk a lot about accountability. We found improving on that leads to better results on Saturdays. Saturdays are a culmination of what you've done throughout the week and before. The only thing that matters now is the next meeting and the next film session. That's what we've tried to do this week."
In the last two weeks, UND's defense has given up 42 points in both games and the offense has only had one play of longer than 22 yards.
Against the Jackrabbits, UND gave up 7.2 yards per carry.
It's not an easy two-game stretch to flush from memory.
"We come in on Sundays and make corrections," Mullin said. "It lingers and stings. If losing doesn't hurt, what are you playing for? I think we take that attitude toward how we approach things coming off a loss ... there's zero room for complacency. There's an attitude that we're better than that. I think the guys have a good understanding of that. You can only play the next game better."
Mullin agrees with UND coach Bubba Schweigert's postgame assessment of the Hawks against the Jacks. He said defense is about energy and execution — and energy wasn't the issue.
"It just comes down to little techniques — are your hands in the right spot or are you in the right gap?" Mullin said. "Against teams like South Dakota State, you need great execution. That's what we've really worked to address this week. We know we can go out and make plays. We're looking forward to this opportunity Saturday."
Western Illinois enters the weekend riding a 17-game losing streak dating back to the 2021 season.
The Leathernecks have been a pass-heavy team in recent years. They have the worst-ranked rushing offense in the country and give up more sacks than anyone in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Still, UND knows there's a matter of respect every team in the league deserves.
"We need to come out early; we can't get started going after halftime when teams are already in their groove," UND safety Malachi Buckner said. "Come ready to play. I feel like we have been starting sluggish.
"Coming in Sunday, we had weights and we talked. We need to improve what we do personally, whether it's line, linebackers or defensive backs. We need to do our job better. We need to come out faster, so we can attack them instead of being the one being attacked."
When: 1 p.m., Saturday.
Where: Alerus Center.
TV: Midco Sports.
Radio: 96.1 FM
Streaming: ESPN-Plus
Records: UND 2-2, WIU 0-4
