Bemidji State makes strong opening statement with dominant blowout of NSU

Aug. 31—BEMIDJI — The Bemidji State football team thought it would come into the 2023 season with a target on its back.

That target is only going to grow after the Beavers' opening act. Facing Northern State on Thursday at Chet Anderson Stadium, BSU poured on 36 points in the first half, taking over the matchup with a dominant early display and cruising to a 49-13 win.

"We're looking to make a deep run in the playoffs again," said senior linebacker Spencer Wehr, who snagged one of Bemidji State's four interceptions. "That's always the endgame. Hopefully, we can make it to the national championship and win that, bring that home to Bemidji. ... The depth that we have is, I think, unmatched in the conference and even the country. So I'm very excited to see what we can do for the rest of the season."

The victory marked the 53rd of head coach Brent Bolte's career, tying him with H.J. Erickson for second all-time at BSU.

Bemidji State (1-0) piled up three touchdowns in the first quarter, highlighted by Ali Mohamed's 54-yard rushing score. The Minot State transfer, a new addition to the Beavers' formidable depth chart, navigated traffic up the middle of the field and found a lane to the end zone on his second touch as a member of the Beavers.

"I didn't know that was going to happen," Mohamed said. "But I trusted the guys up front, (they) made a hole and made it easy for me (to) just run through it."

Seventh-year

quarterback Brandon Alt

was up to his usual hijinks, tossing three touchdowns, two of which went to senior wide receiver

Dhel Duncan-Busby.

On Bemidji State's first offensive play from scrimmage, Alt set the tone with a 43-yard pass to junior receiver Jake Hill, bringing the Beavers into plus territory with an immediate lightning strike.

"That was kind of a statement," Alt said. "It was a 'we're better than you' statement."

Not to be outdone, Mohamed came back in the second quarter and scored on a similar play, bursting through the middle of the field once again to house the ball from 47 yards out.

"You see why he's a Harlon Hill candidate," Bolte said. "We haven't had a kid that has that top-end gear for a long time. And so it was fun to see him explode a couple of big runs, and it makes our offense certainly much more difficult to defend."

The defending part didn't come with much difficulty for the Beavers either. Despite rotating in a potpourri of second- and third-team players, BSU allowed only one fourth-down, scramble-drill touchdown during a second half it led by at least 30 points throughout.

With their starters playing in the first quarter, Bemidji State forced three-and-outs on three of the first four Northern State drives.

"In prior years, we were one- to two-deep," Wehr said of BSU's defense. "The coaches were trying to keep them on (the field for) the whole game. But now, we can keep fresh legs. Northern, they're running their ones the whole game, and we have our twos and threes in that can (deliver) the same effectiveness as the ones. (We were) keeping fresh legs, and it showed."

Based on early returns, the Beavers seem to possess a complete arsenal of athletes all over the field. It was only the first game, but it felt like the potential opening salvo for a special season in Bemidji.

Bemidji State 49, Northern State 13

NSU 6 0 7 0 — 13

BSU 21 15 7 6 — 49

First quarter — BSU TD, McGath 1-yard run (Jovisic PAT), 7-0 BSU; BSU TD, Mohamed 54-yard run (Jovisic PAT), 14-0 BSU; NSU TD, Ingram 59-yard catch from Vespo (James PAT no good), 14-6 BSU; BSU TD, Duncan-Busby 35-yard catch from Alt (Jovisic PAT), 21-6 BSU.

Second quarter — BSU TD, Duncan-Busby 15-yard catch from Alt (2-pt. conversion no good), 27-6 BSU; BSU SAF, Hoffman and Hansen sack, 29-6 BSU; BSU TD, Mohamed 47-yard run (Jovisic PAT), 36-6 BSU.

Third quarter — BSU TD, Booker 5-yard catch from Alt (Jovisic PAT), 43-6 BSU; NSU TD, Ingram 7-yard catch from Hackel (James PAT), 43-13 BSU.

Fourth quarter — BSU FG, Jovisic 28-yard kick, 46-13 BSU; BSU FG, Jovisic 25-yard kick, 49-13 BSU.