BISMARCK, N.D. – For the second consecutive season the Bemidji State University Football team can call themselves champions after defeating University of Mary Saturday afternoon and winning the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division title and earned a share of the overall NSIC Conference Championship.
 
The Beavers (9-2, 6-0 NSIC North) earned a 51-14 victory over the Marauders (2-9) to win its program-record ninth consecutive game and its fifth nine-win season in program history. Three of those seasons have been under the leadership of head coach Brent Bolte.
 
The NSIC North title is the Beavers the fourth overall for BSU and the overall conference championship is the seventh in program history.
 
The win essentially solidifies a spot in the NCAA Division II Football Championship next weekend with the potential of hosting the program's first playoff game.
 
Bemidji State scored 27 of its 51 points in the game in the first quarter and used that quick start to deflate the Marauders in frigid temperatures in Bismarck, N.D. The Beavers totaled 417 yards on offense with 174 yards coming on the ground with three touchdowns and 243 through the air and four touchdowns.
 
The Beavers' "Gang-Green" defense held the Marauders to 240 yards on offense including just 34 on the ground, a season low for the Beavers' defense.
 
Junior quarterback Brandon Alt continued his air-raid season and threw for 243 yards and four touchdowns and is now tied with Jordan Hein (2014-17) for the most touchdown passes in program history with 89.
 
On the ground, Bemidji State was led by junior Sage Booker who rushed for 114 yards on 14 attempts and scored one touchdown. Three different Beaver running backs scored touchdowns in the game with Jalen Frye and Jarrett Gronski adding a rushing touchdown each.
 
Senior Brendan Beaulieu was Alt's favorite receiver on the day and caught five passes for 128 yards and a season high three touchdowns. He is the first BSU receiver to catch three touchdown passes in a game since he also caught three touchdowns in last year's meeting against the Marauders on Nov. 13, 2021.
 
Beaulieu and Joey Baron were the only receivers with multiple catches in the game as Alt threw completions to seven different receivers.
 
The Mary offensive line had no solution for BSU senior Zollie Kaplan who totaled four tackles for loss and three sacks in the game. This is the second time this season he has recorded three sacks in a game and was just 0.5 sacks away from tying BSU's single game record. He now has 12.0 sacks on the season which is third most in Division II and 23.5 on his career for second in program history.
 
Colton Herman paced the defense with six tackles while Kaplan, Colbey Wadsworth and Jarrett Klein each had five.
 
Bemidji State now finishes the regular season 9-2 after starting the season with back-to-back losses. The Beavers now await their fate in the NCAA DII Football selection show set to air on NCAA.com on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 4:30 p.m. CT.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State football program, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeaversFB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and follow them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversFB).
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and women's hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
 
--bsu—