Beaver Football returns to Bemidji for Homecoming versus No. 22 Vikings

One of the nation’s best Homecoming traditions is at stake as Bemidji State University football takes on No. 22 Augustana University at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 at Chet Anderson Stadium.

Augustana leads the all-time series, 7-3. Bemidji State won the most recent matchup, 21-20, on Oct. 5, 2019. The Beavers beat the Vikings on a two-point conversion with five seconds remaining for their 10th straight Homecoming victory. BSU has faced AU just once on Homecoming since the Lake Jump tradition began in 1993. The Beavers’ game against the Vikings on Saturday is just the second time in that 29-year span to face the same opponent in back-to-back Homecomings. BSU previously beat Northern State University on Homecoming in 2007 and 2008.

The Vikings lead the series in Bemidji, Minn., 3-2, taking its three wins consecutively between 1988 and 2015.

The series first began on Sept. 23, 1961, a 22-6 win by Augustana in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Bemidji State was handed its first loss of the 2021 season by No. 19 Minnesota State University, Mankato, 45-24, on Saturday, Sept. 18 in Mankato, Minn. BSU fell for the sixth straight time against a ranked opponent and snapped a five-game overall winning streak that dated back to the 2019 season. Saturday’s game remained a one-score difference through the first three quarters, as both teams traded points over the first nine scores of the game. Minnesota State scored the final 21 points of the game while Bemidji State’s defense allowed 540 total yards.

Sophomore quarterback Brandon Alt threw for a program single-game record 61 attempts against the NSIC’s ninth-ranked passing defense. Alt completed 25 passes for 261 yards to go along with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has averaged 41 pass attempts per game this season.

Junior wide receiver Brendan Beaulieu led the receiving unit with seven catches for 80 yards, followed by freshman Bubba Peters with four catches for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Makaio Harn recorded 95 yards on the ground on 11 carries.

Peters now has five touchdown catches over the last two games, the most by a Beaver over a two-game span since at least 1999. He is also the first BSU freshman to do so in program history.

Senior defensive tackle Josh Wleh and sophomore defensive back Keontay Shorter led the defense with seven tackles each, while Wleh recorded his first sack of the season. BSU totaled 6.0 tackles for a loss and 2.0 sacks but allowed the MSU offense to 288 rushing yards.

Kicker Mason Hoffer remained perfect from the field on field goal and extra point attempts this season, now with three field goals and eight extra points. He remains one of 12 kickers in the nation with a perfect field goal percentage. Hoffer also averaged 36.6 yards on eight punts, totaling 293 yards with a long of 62 yards against the Mavericks.

Bemidji State will now face ranked opponents in back-to-back weeks for the first time since Oct. 26-Nov. 2, 2013 against No. 7 Minnesota Duluth and No. 21 St. Cloud State.

Bemidji State’s passing offense is ranked among the best in the nation, led by Alt who ranks third among NCAA Division II with 340.0 passing yards per game. He also ranks 5th in passing touchdowns, 7th in total offense per game and 13th in completions per game.

Beaulieu ranks 20th in the nation in receiving yards per game and 33rd in receptions per game, while Peters ranks sixth in the nation and leads the NSIC with five receiving touchdowns.

Bemidji State’s fourth down defense ranks 24th in the country while its third down offense ranks 33rd.