Bulldogs QB Grossman epitomizes ‘next man up’ mentality

DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) - The ‘next man up’ mentality gets thrown around a lot in football. For UMD, it was the difference in defeating Mary 27-12 this past weekend.

With the Bulldogs turning to backup quarterback Riley Grossman, the junior delivered — leading UMD to 27 second-half points, including a 50-yard touchdown pass.

The win extends UMD’s win streak to three games as the Bulldogs push toward the postseason.

Grossman said he feels the team has found its swagger.

“We played with some swagger in the second half that we didn’t necessarily have in the first half. Maybe some laziness in the first half, but in the second half we just decided — we realized what we had in front of us. If we’re going to lose, we’re out of the playoffs. Pressure makes diamonds.”

“There’s 30 or 40 guys that probably haven’t seen a snap of football hadn’t seen a snap this year, but when their number is called they’re going to be ready to go,” head coach Curt Wiese said. “We proved weekend that guys that are ready to do that impact your entire season, Riley Grossman is one of those guys that had a chance to be able to do that last week.”

The Bulldogs will look to defeat winless Jamestown on Saturday to extend their win streak to four games.

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