Despite opening its 2006 season with a 23-7 loss to the University of Minnesota Duluth, Bemidji State found plenty of bright spots on the defensive side of the ball.

Defensive linemen Zach Stafford (Fergus Falls, Minn.) and Seth Iverson (Hatton, N.D.) contained the Bulldogs’ front line and rushing attack with constant pressure and spearheaded a BSU defense that held Minnesota Duluth to just 84 yards rushing on 34 carries.

“We knew we could shut them down on the run and force them to pass, and that’s what we did,” Iverson said.

Iverson, a junior, notched his first two sacks of the season in the first half against a pass-happy UMD offense. Bulldog quarterback Ted Schalfke threw the ball 29 times in the first half, with 20 completions for 128 yards.

Stafford, also a junior, spent his share of time in the UMD backfield with 1.5 tackles for loss, including 0.5 sacks, and also recovered a second-half fumble.

“They are bigger, faster, and stronger and we knew that coming into the game,” Stafford said. “We knew that it started with us up front and that we would need to give our secondary some help.”

Bemidji State’s defense contained the Bulldogs offense in the first half, after UMD had marched down the field on the game's opening drive in 12 plays that covered 72 yards. An interception on Duluth’s next possession and Iverson’s two sacks helped BSU keep the game in a 7-7 deadlock at the half.

“The fact that our guys were able to perform so well in the first half and apply the pressure that they did is just a testament to whey can do when they get their motors humming,” assistant head coach Rich Jahner said.

And their motors didn't quit in the second half, despite a couple offensive miscues by the Beavers that helped UMD break the game open with two short-field possessions and 16 unanswered points.

Iverson reached a career-high 10 tackles and had one pass defensed to go along with his two sacks, that mounted to a loss of 13 yards. Stafford finished with four tackles combined with a pass broken up, 0.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery.

“We capitalized on what we thought we could do up front. We played hard and they are a good team and we can’t take anything away from them,” Iverson said. “They just seemed to capitalize on what we forced them to do and that’s kinda how the night went for us.”