BEMIDJI, Minn. – Coming off a second straight Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division title and NSIC Championship, the Bemidji State University Football team released their 2023 schedule as announced by Head Coach Brent Bolte.
The Beavers won 10 games last year for the second straight season that also featured another lengthy winning streak. Bemidji State capped the regular season in 2022 winning nine-straight games and stretched it to 10 following the NCAA Playoff win over Winona State. The win over Winona State was a first for the 96-year history of the program that the Beavers won a home playoff game. It was a seven-game winning streak for BSU during the 2021 campaign to end the regular season and reached eight-straight with the playoff win at Augustana. That playoff win was the first in program history.
Bemidji State begins the 2023 year against Northern State at home on Aug. 31 with a 6 p.m. kickoff on Thursday which will also be Veterans/First Responders Day. The Beavers claimed the 24-14 victory last year in Bemidji and have won seven-straight in the series. The last win for Northern State was in 2014 in Bemidji by a score of 48-41. BSU has gone 12-1 over the last 13 meetings in the series played in Bemidji. In last year's game, the Beavers shut down the Wolves through three quarters and were ahead 24-0 entering the fourth. Brandon Alt and Brendan Beaulieu connected for a pair of touchdowns in the win.
The start of September will see the first road game of the season when BSU will play at Southwest Minnesota State on Sep. 9 with a 5 p.m. kickoff in Marshall. Bemidji State rolled to the 34-15 road victory last year and have won the past four meetings in the series. BSU has dominated the series since 1998 going 17-1 during that time and have gone 8-1 in Marshall over that time. The Beavers were ahead 10-0 at the half in last year's meeting and took a 34-7 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Alt threw for four touchdowns with Dhel Duncan-Busby and Joey Baron catching two receiving scores each. The defense held the Mustangs to 239 yards, while adding a pair of sacks and an interception.
Week three of the season arrives on Sep. 16 when the Beavers host Winona State for a 2 p.m. kickoff that will also be the Shrine Game. These two teams saw each other twice last year with BSU winning the first meeting in Bemidji by a score of 34-24 and then rolling to the 31-7 second meeting in Bemidji in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs. Winona State controlled the series from 1995 until 2005 winning nine-straight. Since the Beavers' win in 2006, the teams have split the past 10 meetings. During the most recent meeting in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs, it was a defensive battle as the game was scoreless at halftime. BSU then exploded for 24 points in the third quarter to pull away. The defense collected five sacks and forced two turnovers, with Zollie Kaplan coming away with three tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Alt threw for four touchdowns, with Beaulieu catching all four.
Week four will feature a road trip to face the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., on Sep. 23 starting at 2 p.m. The Beavers rolled to the 51-14 road win last year and have won eight-straight in the series. BSU has won the last five meetings in Bismarck. Bemidji State held a 34-14 lead at halftime and then scored all 17 points in the second half. The defense held the Marauders to 240 yards, tallied six sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. Kaplan had another big game with four tackles for loss and three sacks, along with a forced fumble. Colton Herman led the team with six tackles and an interception. Alt tossed four touchdowns without an interception with Beaulieu catching three. Sage Booker rushed for 114 yards and a score.
Homecoming arrives on Sep. 30 when the Beavers will host Minnesota State for a 2 p.m. kickoff. The two teams battled in the season opener last year in Bemidji with the Mavericks coming away with the 37-34 victory. Minnesota State has won seven of the past eight meetings, including four-straight in Bemidji. BSU held the early 13-7 lead and after Minnesota State went ahead 30-13, the Beavers came back to take the 34-30 lead in the fourth quarter before the Mavericks scored late to claim the three-point road victory. The defense came away with two interceptions, two sacks and a forced fumble. Spencer Wehr collected 10 tackles, while Stephen Hoffman posted 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Alt threw for four touchdowns, with Booker catching two. Booker also rushed for a score on 10 carries.
A bye week arrives on week six of the season that normally would have been Upper Iowa, but the Peacocks are leaving the NSIC to compete in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
Bemidji State will start the second half of the schedule on Oct. 14 traveling to Nebraska to face Wayne State for a 12 p.m. kickoff. The teams didn't play last year after matching up in 2021 with BSU taking the 38-28 win in Bemidji. The Beavers have won three-straight in the series. The defense collected three sacks and two forced fumbles. Colton Herman came away with eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. Alt tossed five touchdowns, with Brice Peters catching three and Bryce Duffy with the other two. Booker rushed for 76 yards.
Bemidji State returns home for week eight when Concordia-St. Paul comes to town for a 1 p.m. kickoff that will also be Youth Football Day. The Beavers dominated last year's meeting in Bemidji cruising to the 44-0 victory and have won four of the last five meetings. The defense held the Bears to just 236 total yards and forced two turnovers. Jarrett Klein and Caleb Young led the way with seven tackles apiece. Alt threw two touchdowns, with Beaulieu catching one, along with 140 receiving yards. Jalen Frye rushed for 103 yards and a score.
October will come to a close on the road at Minnesota-Duluth for a 12 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 28. The Beavers picked up the 41-16 win last year in Bemidji and have won the past two meetings. Prior to the two-game winning streak for BSU, the Bulldogs had won 18-straight in the series. After falling behind by three in the first quarter, Bemidji State scored 27 unanswered on their way to running away with the 25-point win in last year's meeting. The defense caused havoc all game with five sacks and three interceptions. Colton Herman tallied 13 tackles, while both Colbey Wadsworth and Max Buduris came away with 2.5 tackles for loss and combined for four sacks, 2.5 by Buduris. Alt threw for two touchdowns, as Duncan-Busby caught one TD and added 140 yards. Jarrett Gronski rushed for 90 yards and a pair of scores.
The final home game of the regular season will take place on Nov. 4 against Minnesota Moorhead at 1 p.m. which will also be Lions Day. The Beavers won last year's game in Moorhead by a dominating score of 46-7 and have won the past three meetings in the series. BSU moved out to a 29-0 lead on their way to the 39-point victory. The defense had a sack party tallying 10 on the day, while adding an interception and holding the Dragons to just 162 total yards. Alt passed for 311 yards and a touchdown. Jake Hill caught the TD pass, to go along with 122 receiving yards. Frye rushed for 92 yards and a trio of touchdowns.
BSU will close the regular season on Nov. 11 at Augustana starting at 1 p.m. The two teams have played some close matchups over the past few years and in the postseason. Last year, Augustana won at home, 30-29. That was a year removed from the Beavers taking the 28-24 win in Sioux Falls during the 2021 season in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs, which was the first NCAA Playoff win at the time for BSU. During last year's meeting, the Beaver defense had a sack and a forced fumble, with Hoffman tallying seven tackles and a fumble recovery. Buduris had two tackles for loss and a sack. Alt threw for 384 yards and two touchdowns, with Beaulieu catching a touchdown, along with 167 receiving yards.
Head Coach Brent Bolte enters his eighth year guiding the Beavers in 2023 having posted 52 wins in six seasons (2020 season canceled due to COVID). The Beavers have won at least seven games every season, reaching program high marks each of the past two seasons of 10 victories.
2023 Bemidji State Schedule
Aug. 31 vs. Northern State (Veterans/First Responders) 6 p.m.
Sep. 9 @ Southwest Minnesota State 5 p.m.
Sep. 16 vs. Winona State (Shrine Game) 2 p.m.
Sep. 23 @ UMary 2 p.m.
Sep. 30 vs. Minnesota State (Homecoming) 2 p.m.
Oct. 7 Bye
Oct. 14 @ Wayne State 12 p.m.
Oct. 21 vs. Concordia-St. Paul (Youth Football Day) 1 p.m.
Oct. 28 @ Minnesota-Duluth 12 p.m.
Nov. 4 vs. Minnesota Moorhead (Lions Day) 1 p.m.
Nov. 11 @ Augustana 1 p.m.
