Bemidji State returns home to host Winona State for Homecoming
The Bemidji State University football team will attempt to return to its Homecoming tradition of jumping Lake Bemidji following a victory on Homecoming Saturday afternoon. After being denied the tradition for the first time in eight seasons last year, the Beavers return home to host Winona State University Sept. 17 for Homecoming festivities.
The Beavers (0-2) and Warriors (2-0) will meet each other for the first time since 2019 and will kick-off Saturday at 2 p.m., from Chet Anderson Stadium.
Bemidji State kicks-off week three of the college football season by hosting Winona State for Homecoming Saturday, Sept. 17. Kick-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on the NSIC Network and the Beaver Radio Network.
Neither team enters the weekend ranked or receiving votes in either the AFCA or d2football.com national polls. Bemidji State opened the 2022 season ranked No. 22 in the AFCA poll.
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 29-47-1 all-time against the Warriors with Winona State on a three-game winning streak.
Bolte is 0-2 against the Warriors in his five seasons at the helm of BSU with Winona State winning the last meeting 27-14 on Oct. 19, 2019 in Bemidji.
Bolte is one win shy of tying Chet Anderson for third-most victories by a BSU head coach with 43 coaching victories.
Junior quarterback Brandon Alt leads all of Division II with 751 passing yards this season. His 375.5 passing yards per game average also leads the nation while his 55.9 completion percentage ranks fifth in the conference.
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. He is a reigning D2CCA All-Super Region 4 Second Team and NSIC North Division All-Conference Second Team selection.
Alt ranks second all-time at BSU in passing efficiency (147.3), career passing touchdowns (62), passing yards (5,536), third in completions (373) and ninth in completion percentage (.538).
Senior Brendan Beaulieu leads the NSIC and is ninth in Division II with 255 receiving yards this season. He is coming off a career-high 12 receptions at No. 19 Augustana and totaled a season-high 167 yards.
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.
Beaulieu ranks fourth in BSU record books with 150 career receptions, third in receiving yards (2,476), sixth in receiving touchdowns (21) and second with nine games with 100 or more receiving yards.
Bemidji State is led on defense by Colton Herman and Stephan Hoffman who have each totaled 13 tackles. Hoffman leads the team with 2.5 tackles for loss while Hoffman, Max Buduris and Marco Cavallaro each lead the team with one sack.
Herman and Princeten Harris each lead the Beavers with one interception while the duo have each totaled three pass break-ups.