Battle Axe Rivalry renewed for 72nd installment between BSU and MSUM

Bemidji State University football welcomes in Minnesota State University Moorhead on Oct. 16 for the Battle Axe trophy game at Chet Anderson Stadium. The clash for the second-longest traveling trophy in NCAA Division II history will begin at 1 p.m. as the road team has won the last six games in the series.

MSU Moorhead leads the all-time series, 47-36-3. The series is tied, 21-21-2, when played in Bemidji, including three straight wins by MSUM. Since the Battle Axe trophy was introduced in 1948, MSUM leads the series, 38-30-3. The series is also tied in Bemidji since the introduction of the Battle Axe trophy, 17-17-2.

Bemidji State won the most recent meeting, 28-24, in Moorhead, Minn., continuing a trend of the road team winning the last six games in the series. BSU’s last win in Bemidji against MSUM came on Nov. 3, 2012, a 35-25 decision over the Dragons.

The series first began Sept. 28, 1929, an 8-6 win by MSUM in Moorhead. The rivalry between the Beavers and the Dragons is the longest lasting in BSU history at 86 years. BSU and MSUM have played every year since 1946 and all but five years since the series began in 1929.