UND Football Embracing Difficult 2019 Schedule

The Fighting Hawks face six preseason Top 25 teams

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — It’s the final season for North Dakota football before the team moves into the Missouri Valley Confernce. In 2019, the Fighting Hawks play an eleven-game schedule.

The big game circled on most North-Dakotans calendars comes in week two when UND travels to Fargo to take on topped-ranked North Dakota State.

But the Bison aren’t the only powerhouse opponent UND is gearing up for.

There are six other programs on the schedule that are ranked in the preseason Top 25, and four of those come in the first six weeks.

The Hawks see these big tests as a way to make a name for themselves.

“We got a challenging game every week,” head coach, Bubba Schweigert said. “But there is one way to look at those games and that is a great opportunity to build a resume to be one of the 24 teams because that is really what you want at the end of the year. You want to be in the tournament and get a shot at advancing.”

“It’s definitely an opportunity,” senior defensive back Evan Holm said. “You want to play good teams, you don’t want to play bad teams. You want to play good teams so you can show that you’re the best. If you are playing the best teams than you can get ranked higher, you can go further. You want to be challenged.”