BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Football team officially kicks-off its 2022 season Thursday night (Sept. 1) and will host (RV) Minnesota State University, Mankato at Chet Anderson Stadium for game one of the 2022 season. The night will feature two nationally ranked or receiving vote teams in the American Football Coaches' Association National Poll as the No. 22 Beavers square off with the (RV) Mavericks. Kick-off is slated for 6 p.m. CDT at Chet Anderson Stadium.
 
Bemidji State Notes
• Bemidji State opens its sixth full season under Head Coach Brent Bolte on Thursday in Bemidji when the Beavers face Minnesota State University, Mankato at Chet Anderson Stadium.
• Kick-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on the NSIC Network and the Beaver Radio Network.
• BSU enters the game ranked No. 22 in the AFCA Top 25 Poll and 17th in the College Football America Yearbook Poll. This is the third season in which BSU is ranked heading into the first game of the season.
• BSU returns 14 starters (10 offense, 4 defense) from last year's team that recorded the first 10-win season in program history. The Beavers secured a share of the 2021 NSIC Championship, the second title in program history, and won the NSIC North Division outright for the first time last season.
• Bolte was named the 2021 NSIC Coach of the Year for the first time in his career while offensive coordinator Karson Pike was selected as the 2021 NSIC Assistant Coach of the Year, also for the first time.
• Bemidji State is 4-1 in season openers and 5-0 in home openers under Bolte. BSU is 17-7 in season openers and home openers since 1997.
• Bolte is 42-16 in his five seasons at the helm of BSU. Thirty-one of Bolte's wins have come when scoring at least 30 points.
• BSU has beaten three ranked teams under Bolte, including a 28-24 win at No. 25 Augustana University to begin the 2021 NCAA Division II Football Tournament.
• The Beavers and Mavericks have played three times since Bolte took over in 2016. BSU's lone win under Bolte came on Sept. 10, 2016, a 45-17 road victory against the No. 6 ranked Mavericks in Mankato, Minn.
• Bolte is one win shy of tying Chet Anderson for third-most victories by a BSU head coach.
• Junior quarterback Brandon Alt will return under center after finishing fifth in the 2021 Harlon Hill Trophy voting. He became just the 20th player in NCAA DII history to throw for at least 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns. Alt set the NSIC and BSU single-season passing touchdown record with 46. He also broke program records with 4,245 passing yards and 284 completions.
• Alt was a D2CCA All-Super Region 4 Second Team and NSIC North Division All-Conference Second Team selection, along with earning NSIC Player of the Week twice.
• Alt ranked second in the nation in passing touchdowns, points responsible for and passing yards, eight in total offense, 10th in yards per completion and 16th in completions per game last season.
• Alt ranks second all-time at BSU in passing efficiency (147.3), third in career passing touchdowns (56), fifth passing yards (4,785), sixth in completions (316) and ninth in completion percentage (.538).
• Beaulieu is the third Beaver over the last three full seasons to earn multiple All-America awards. He earned selections to the AP All-America Second Team, Don Hansen All-America Honorable Mention and D2Football.com Elite 100 Squad. Beaulieu was also a selection to the 2022 Lindy's NCAA DII Preseason All-America Team.
• Beaulieu set BSU single-season receiving records with 76 receptions and 1,318 yards, and added 13 touchdowns catches which ranks third-most in BSU single-season history. He ranked third nationally in receiving yards, 10th in receiving touchdowns and 26th in receptions per game. Beaulieu was the first BSU receiver to average 100.0 receiving yards per game since 1977 and recorded BSU's first 200-yard receiving game since 2005.
• Returning in 2022 is running back Jalen Frye who missed the 2021 season due to injury. He was most recently named to the 2019 Don Hansen All-America Second Team after ranking fifth nationally with 148.6 rushing yards per game, 14th with 1,337 total rushing yards and 15th with 156.4 all-purpose yards per game, leading the NSIC in each category. Frye nearly broke the BSU single-game rushing record during the 2019 season finale, falling three yards shy with 316.
• Linebacker Zollie Kaplan comes off selections to the 2021 D2CCA All-Super Region 4 Second Team and the NSIC All-Conference First Team. He started all 13 games last season and finished with 18.5 tackles for a loss, the fourth-most in BSU single-season history. Kaplan ranked fifth in the NSIC with 8.0 sacks.
 
Minnesota State Notes
• The Mavericks are led by 12th-year head coach Todd Hoffner, who holds a 112-27 record at MSU.
• Minnesota State enters the season receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll
• MSU returns seven starters (2 offensive, 5 defensive) from 2021 where it finished the season 6-5, eighth overall in the NSIC and fifth in the NSIC South Division. The five losses are the most for the program since the 2010 season.
• The Mavericks led the NSIC with 40.1 points per game and ranked third with 22.8 points allowed per game last season.
• Wide receiver Jalen Sample finished seventh in the NSIC with 95.2 receiving yards per game last season.
 
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).
 
Nestled in Northern Minnesota's wooden region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, BSU 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).
 
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