The UND football coaching staff has done everything it could this season to avoid a quarterback controversy between sophomores Joe Mollberg and Ryan Bartels.
Schweigert was set on preventing a revolving door that existed in 2013 when neither of the two took full control of the job during the 3-8 season.
Even after UND fell hard 38-0 at Missouri State in Week 3, Schweigert said Mollberg was his guy during his weekly Monday press conference.
But as hard as the staff has tried to eliminate any controversy, the quarterback questions are back.
Bartels made sure of that Saturday during UND’s 24-16 win over Portland State at the Alerus Center.
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After Mollberg went out with an injury late in the first quarter, Bartels engineered an impressive second-half comeback. UND trailed 13-3 at halftime.
Bartels threw for a touchdown (8-yard pass to tight end Zach Adler) and ran for another (1-yard goal line plunge). It was the first time all season in which UND’s offense has scored twice in one game.
That’s a remarkable statistic, considering UND has found a way to get three wins with that inept of an offense.
So in Bartels’ only half of work this season, he led the team to two offensive touchdowns for the first time all year.
UND has a bye this weekend, and we still aren’t sure about the status of Mollberg’s injury. Also, Mollberg was playing well against PSU before he left. He was 7-for-8 passing for 61 yards before he suffered the injury against the Vikings.
But Bartels definitely played well enough to make Schweigert and offensive coordinator Paul Rudolph at least pause and rethink the quarterback position.
Not only did Bartels move UND’s offense consistently, but he did it with a patchwork supporting cast.
UND’s wide receiving corps was missing starters R.J. McGill and Dev Ferguson. The backfield was without its top two in Adam Shaugabay and Cedric Simmons.
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UND will try to get back to .500 in Cedar City, Utah, in two weeks against Southern Utah.
In the end, UND might stick with Mollberg, but Bartels has at least made it a tough decision again.
