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Grand Forks Herald
5 things you might've missed in UND's 62-26 win over St. Thomas
- Story byGrand Forks Herald
- 5 things you might've missed in UND's 62-26 win over St. Thomas
Sep. 5—GRAND FORKS — The UND football program breezed through a second non-conference matchup to open the 2026 season on Saturday afternoon with a 62-26 win over St. Thomas.
Here are five things you might've missed during the game.
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UND has now won seven straight Potato Bowl matchups. The Hawks have now scored 50-plus points in three consecutive Potato Bowls.
"I think you want to put an exclamation point on the week, right?" Hawks head coach Eric Schmidt said. "The potato farmers here, the harvest, the festival, since the 60's around here. We do a great job of celebrating that commodity in our community.
"I think anytime you start to see the alums come back, all the way back to the 60's ... we had guys back from the 50's. They start talking about Potato Bowl, and it's essentially a second homecoming. I'm just so thankful for how much they include the football team. Means a lot to our guys to be able to have the opportunity to be able to be a partner."
Schmidt said UND's dietician Jen Haugen utilizes local potatoes throughout the year.
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"I don't know how many people know this; the Northland Potato Growers Association — it's not just this week," Schmidt said. "We have a great partnership with them. (Haugen) has been able to to make some relationships with them, and they help feed our guys throughout the entire year. I think genetically, you look at our players out there; they look the part how they're supposed to look. And there's a lot of people, a lot of helpers and supporters that make that happen, and we're really really grateful for them."
UND nickel Jonnie Wiltshire, who had an interception in the season opener, was a difference-maker in Game 2, as well.
Wiltshire had a team-high six tackles, a sack and 2.0 tackles for loss. He also had a key pass break-up on third down early in the game.
Wiltshire, who's seeking a fifth season of eligibility, is expected to be able to play through next weekend before his hearing in court.
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After the game, Schmidt spoke about Wiltshire and defensive back Avery Scott, who's also seeking an extra year and was beat on a deep ball in the second half.
"We've got to get Avery going," Schmidt said. "He's a good player. At the start of last year, it was the same thing. Then as the season went on, his competitiveness is really next level. When he's locked in, he and Jonnie are guys who compete and just have passion for football. They bring energy to our sidelines."
UND will travel to Portland State next weekend with a mostly healthy roster.
Before the season started, the Hawks lost star edge Lance Rucker to an injury that is expected to last at least another month.
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Through the first two weeks, though, UND has remained mostly healthy.
Starting corner Ben Kamara sat out against the Tommies, although Schmidt said he was injured during practice on Thursday with an upper-body ailment and isn't expected to miss much time.
UND tight end Haydn Stay left the St. Thomas game early. Schmidt said he doesn't know the extent of Stay's injuries yet, but they aren't expected to be long term.
UND wide receiver Caleb Goodloe, who had more than 100 yards receiving against Long Island, was quiet against St. Thomas. He had two catches for 6 yards.
Schmidt said Goodloe was dealing with a lower-body injury suffered against Long Island.
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UND was sharp in the red zone, finishing eight of nine trips inside the 20 — all with touchdowns.
The only trip to the red zone without points came on a snap from the 20 when Jerry Kaminski's pass attempt was snared out of mid-air by St. Thomas linebacker Malachi Boadi-Aboagye, who picked it off right as Kaminski delivered the ball.
Through two weeks, UND is 13-for-16 (81.25 percent) in the red zone. UND was 53-for-67 (79.1 percent) last season.
"Jerry is really tough down there," Schmidt said. "Anytime, you can just run the football down there, it's disheartening. You get in those tight spaces, you know you're going to play a lot more man coverage. You're going to put a lot more guys in the box. I just think Jerry is getting us in the right play. When they load the box, we were able to get into some sprint-out stuff and get in some rub stuff and man beaters when they're in zone.
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"We were able to drop the plow and give the ball to (Griffin Broderick) and Colton (Brunell) and Chuck (Langama). Pound away on guys. Jerry's got such a good understanding of what we're trying to do on offense. He sees it through the lens that we see it. That's where he's grown tremendously."
Kaminski connected with nine different receivers against the Tommies. Four different receivers caught touchdowns.
"There were some underrated plays out there," Schmidt said. "One that comes to mind is Cam Weir catches the ball, and he makes a guy miss, then outruns an angle to be able to get a first down. Those are huge plays."
Deng Deng led the receivers with four catches for 82 yards, while Korey Tai had six for 61. Nathan Hromadka had one for 23, while Weir had two for 19.
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"Jerry does a better job now of getting his feet set, getting the ball out to those guys in a hurry, so that the ball-defender relationship is still a big cushion when those guys get the ball," Schmidt said. "A lot of times, if you don't get it out there fast enough, you're not giving those guys a chance."
Schmidt said, like Langama, Hromadka is just scratching the surface with his potential.
"He can be a really dangerous guy, a weapon in all parts of the field and especially in the red area," Schmidt said.
