Inevitably, Beaver football was about to kick off and another season of “Sports In The Round” was about to get started. Fall was finally here.

For me, it was hard to believe how fast time flew between the end of another Bemidji State women’s hockey season to the beginning of the fall football season. It felt like summer was here and gone, well, it was thanks to a really long winter and spring, which compressed a BSU baseball season for Schultzie.

On Wednesday, September 4th, we opened up the Beaver Radio Network sports broadcast season with a jam-packed first edition of our favorite Wednesday night talk show from the Ground Round in Bemidji. Biss made sure to let us know that the “Boom Boom Shrimp” was the best new thing on the menu…and it was, I will attest to that! Our guests included the brand new BSU Athletic Director, Tracy Dill who talked about advanced ticket sales for BSU football. It is a first in Beaver football history that fans can now buy tickets in advance at the Sanford Center instead of standing in line at the Chet. Great idea! We also talked to soccer head coach Jim Stone about their upcoming season, home opener on the new turf at the Chet and their team trip to Costa Rica. I really want to go the next time they head to a soccer-playing country for pre-season play. How fun would that be? I would want to broadcast those games!

Oh, yeah, we also got to talk to the newest pro athlete to come out of BSU, Brian Leonhardt who is on the practice squad for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. I already decided that if the Vikings struggle this year, I might have to cave and buy a black and silver jersey. I really didn’t say that, or did I? All we kept saying after Schultzie, Biss & I talked to Leonhardt was how humble he is. What a great guy! BSU continues to produce top-notch student athletes and outstanding citizens.

Onto Beaver football…

I normally feel pretty lucky to make any trip covering BSU sports, but Thursday night was truly special. Coming in to the game, we knew that the Beaver offense was extremely inexperienced. BSU graduated another quality QB and a ton of talented receivers and running backs. There were three quarterbacks vying for the position held by two-sport athlete Lance Rongstad and only four returning starters to the offense. Thankfully the “Gang Green” defense had some experience and that experience paid off in the second half of tonight’s road game at ranked Winona State.

I hate to admit, but knowing how young this Beaver offense was coming into tonight’s game against a Warrior team stacked with preseason All-Americans kind of scared me. I’m sure it had the Beaver coaches a bit concerned too. It had been since 1986 that BSU had won in Winona. None of these current players were even a twinkle in their parent’s eye yet.

27-3 at the half. That’s what WSU led by over BSU. The first half of the game left a lot to be desired, but as us Beaver fans have grown accustomed to, BSU teams never give up.

The Beavers slowly chipped away at the Warriors, eventually getting inside the All-American QB John Teigland’s head and body, as the hits by the Beaver defense sent him to the sidelines early.

Gotta love the “Gang Green” Defense! I’ve always been a big fan of this BSU “D”…seriously, who isn’t? They hit harder than my Minnesota Vikings Defense, really they do!

Bemidji State really turned things around when defensive end Gary Young, the “Big Guy” as I’ll call him, intercepted a really bad pass by the WSU quarterback at the 8 yard line and ran it into the endzone to make it a 27-13. Then Connon Quinn grabbed up a bad pitch and dove in for another Beaver touchdown.

Hey, we’re back in it!

There was some real promising moments as we witnessed a couple of long throws by red-shirt freshman quarterback Ryan Shields. He was one of three QB’s to play for the Beavers in the game. Eventually, he started to look comfortable.

I would have never guessed the Beavers would have taken the Warriors into overtime. But, when things got clicking for Bemidji State, there was no stopping them. Better late than never, right?

What ended up being the game-winning touchdown for BSU was scored by a guy who had one touch last year, Jordan Noskowiak in overtime. Yes, I said overtime. At Winona State. Wow!

I think everyone there, Beaver fan or Warrior fan was in shock at the outcome.

There’s nothing better than football under the lights.

No. Wait. There’s nothing better than opening up the season, on the road, under the lights, with a win in overtime over a nationally ranked team.

Right?

GO BEAVERS!!