GRAND FORKS -- Northwestern State had one final chance for a win. The Demons needed to recover an on-side-kick attempt with a minute remaining. The Sioux hands team was on the field.
The football headed directly to Sioux quarterback Jake Landry, who caught the squib kick and took a lick from a Northwestern State player. The Sioux then ran out the clock for a 27-20 win last week in Natchitoches, La.
"When we watched that on film, we thought, 'Gee, that's our quarterback out there and he's getting smoked on an onside kick,' " Sioux linebacker Ryan Kasowski said. "But we put our best players on the field in that situation."
UND's special teams aren't reserved for players who don't see the field on a regular basis. And that includes Landry, the rocket-armed quarterback who happens to have perhaps the surest hands on the team.
"Our philosophy is that we'll put our best players on the field, no matter what," UND coach Chris Mussman said. "Obviously, we're going to try and protect Jake as much as possible. At the time, that was the most important play of the game. We trust Jake in that situation."
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Special teams dominated UND's win at Northwestern State.
It wasn't a typical 27-20 win.
UND's first victory of the season, aided by solid special teams play, included:
r Running back Mitch Sutton blocking a punt near the Northwestern goal line that re-sulted in a safety.
r Starting safety Kris Ankenbauer recovering a fumbled Northwestern punt return that set up a Sioux field goal.
r A 50-yard field goal by Brandon Hellevang, who has connected on all three of his at-tempts this season, including a 52-yarder against Texas Tech. He's also averaging 41.8 yards on 13 punt attempts.
r Hellevang's pooch punt that pinned Northwestern at its own 2-yard line with just over a minute to play. Hellevang lined up for a 53-yard field goal attempt but instead took the snap from center and punted.
r Broc Bellmore's blocked extra-point attempt after Northwestern's first touchdown, a play that left UND with a 9-6 lead.
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When has UND's special teams affected the outcome of a game that much?
"Not since my playing days," said Mussman, a former Iowa State player who graduated in 1991.
The last time UND, which travels to Stephen F. Austin on Saturday for its third straight road game, used a pooch punt was in 2001 against North Dakota State, added Mussman.
UND's emphasis on special teams play is obvious at every Sioux practice. The periods UND practices kickoffs, punt returns, punt formations and the like are the most noticed sessions of the afternoon.
That's because UND assistant coach Josh Kotelnicki, who coaches the special teams, has the undivided attention Sioux players during special teams practice.
"Coach Kotelnicki is out there running around screaming," said Kasowski, who is on most of the Sioux special teams. "When it comes to special teams, he takes a lot of pride in them. That rubs off on us. We take a lot of pride in it, too."
Mussman said special teams are on par with the offense and defense.
"If you can't start for us on special teams, how can you start for us on offense and de-fense?" Mussman said.
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