Eleven seniors went out in style Saturday at Chet Anderson Stadium as the Bemidji State University football team defeated University of Minnesota, Crookston 45-3. The game closed the 2010 season and the careers for the senior class that will go down as one of the most winningest in Beaver football history.
“The guys did a lot for the program,” said head coach Jeff Tesch. “We’re going to miss them in the locker room, the things they did in the community and just that camaraderie. They’re just a great group of kids.”
Snow flakes started to fall in the fourth quarter and when senior quarterback Derek Edholm (Anoka, Minn.) took his final snap and took a knee to run out the remaining seconds of his career, tears of joy and sadness also fell from the faces of the seniors that had put their heart and soul in the green and white over the past five seasons. The seniors that have endured five years at Bemidji State went 36-20, which includes a 2006 NSIC Championship when they served as redshirts.
“It really hasn’t sank in yet,” said senior wide receiver Adam Berg. “It fells good to finish off strong and we came out today and got a nice victory. It feels like yesterday I was a redshirt freshman, coming in being a boy among men. It goes by so fast and I wish I could start over and do it all again.”
With the win the Beavers retain the ‘Hubcap’, a traveling trophy between the two teams that started in 2004. BSU is now 7-0 in ‘Hubcap’ games and 17-1 all-time against UMC.
In the game against Minnesota, Crookston, the Beavers only needed three plays to score their first touchdown. After a 34 yard return by senior Aaron Roland (S, Wahpeton, N.D.), BSU was set-up at the UMC 49. Three rushes later by senior running back Steven Battle (Grand Forks, N.D.), the Beavers had six on the board and Battle had his first touchdown in the green and white.
The Golden Eagles responded with a 12 play 64-yard drive that resulted in a 25-yard field goal. BSU then took the ensuing kick-off and drove 64 yards in four plays, ending with a 16-yard pass from Edholm to sophomore Dustin Kroeplin (RB, Withee, Wis.). The score through the air was the first of its kind for Kroeplin in 2010, giving him 10 total touchdowns this season.
The first two drives only took 1:22 and 2:08 off the clock, respectively. There was no scoring in the second quarter and the scoreboard read 14-3 at the half.
UMC received the ball to start the third quarter, but right when it started to get something going, senior Andrew Eagan (LB, Sauk Village, Ill.) stepped into the passing lane and picked-off the Golden Eagle quarterback and took it to the end zone for a 40-yard score. In his final game in the green and white he finds the end zone for the first time in his career, snagging his third career interception.
The Beavers would roll through the rest of the second half, scoring on their next five possessions. BSU easily moved the ball down the field, getting more scoring from the senior class, as Edholm would throw and run for touchdowns and Battle would find the end zone one more time. Edholm finished his career with 57 touchdown passes, holding the BSU all-time record in the category, as well as, passing yardage, passing attempts, passing completions, and total offensive yardage. His 69 total touchdowns was just five short of Eddie Acosta (1999-03).
Senior wide receiver Andrew Schultz (Grand Forks, Minn.) led the team in receiving yardage for the last time. He tallied 49 yards on five catches, finishing his career with 1,272 receiving yards and 117 receptions. His receptions mark finished eighth on the BSU charts. He added 21 yards on two punt returns, adding to his career total that stands fourth on BSU’s career charts (402 yards).
Eagan tied for the team-high in tackles with eight, including a half tackle for loss and one break-up. Senior Rob Wills (DE, Roseville, Minn.) had four tackles, including a half tackle for loss. He finished his career with 31 tackles for loss, finishing 10th, 15.5 sacks, finishing 10th and totaled 127 yards from tackles for loss, which was also 10th. Senior defensive end Jordan Lardinois (New Franken, Wis.) had three tackles, including one for loss that knocked back the Golden Eagle offense two yards. Roland returned two kick-offs, totaling 58 yards, while making two tackles. Senior Jasmine Watkins (S, Louisville, Ky.) started and had five tackles, three solo. Senior Anthony Ragsdale (S, Bremerton, Wash.) had three tackles, all solo.
Edholm posted 152 yards passing and 13 yards rushing for three touchdowns. Battle finished with his first 100-plus yard game at BSU, gaining 117 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Senior Chris Parrish (OL, Grand Forks, N.D.) started the game, his seventh straight, holding up his part of the line that helped BSU total 480 yards of offense, including 328 on the ground. Berg (Cambridge, Minn.) nearly caught a touchdown in the first half with the ball just landing out of his reach.