MIDLAND, Texas – For the third straight season, the No. 21/15 Bemidji State University Football team has advanced to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. The Beavers will travel to the Lone Star State for the second straight year playing at No. 12/10 Texas-Permian Basin this Saturday afternoon with a 1 p.m. kickoff at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland, Texas.
Bemidji State (8-2, 8-2 NSIC) entered the final week of the regular season in a three-way tie for first in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference standings along with Augustana and Minnesota State. Augustana defeated Bemidji State, 38-19 and then Minnesota Duluth upset Minnesota State to (33-21) to leave the Vikings as the outright NSIC champions.
The Beavers had won four straight since the three-point loss to Minnesota State at the end of September, picking up big wins against Wayne State and Minnesota Duluth on the road, along with home wins against Concordia-St. Paul and MSU Moorhead.
Last year, BSU traveled to the Lone Star State to face Angelo State out of the Lone Star Conference in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs with the Rams claiming the 33-7 victory.
Bemidji State passed for 372 yards and rushed for just 57 yards at Augustana. The defense limited the Vikings to 294 yards and only 106 through the air. Brandon Alt completed 26-51 for 356 yards and three touchdowns. Dhel Duncan-Busby caught five passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. Brice Peters added four catches for 28 yards and had a pair of touchdowns.
Cole Sorby led the defense with seven tackles, five solo. Marco Cavallaro added six tackles, three solo. Stephen Hoffman collected two tackles for loss, a sack and five total tackles. Marcus Hansen added a sack, along with four tackles. Hansen leads the NSIC in both tackles for loss (17.5) and sacks (10). He ranks seventh nationally in sacks and 11th nationally in tackles for loss. Hansen was recently named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year.
BSU leads the NSIC in third down conversion percentage on defense (.307), blocked punts (5), first downs allowed on defense (167), team passing efficiency on defense (104.13), and teams sacks (3.20). The Beavers rank in the top 30 nationally in third down conversion percentage on defense (23rd), blocked punts (3rd), 10th in fewest penalties (50), first downs allowed on defense (30th), 16th in kickoff return yards allowed (16.06), 22nd in passes intercepted on defense (15), 13th in passing offense per game (276.2), 28th in red zone defense (.688), 24th in sacks allowed per game (1.10), 29th in scoring defense (18.3), 21st in tackles for loss allowed per game (4.70), team passing efficiency on defense (20th), team sacks per game (10th), 23rd in team tackles for loss per game (7.6), 28th in total offensive yards per game (422.5), and 27th in winning percentage (.800).
Individually, Alt ranks in the top 30 nationally in several categories including 11th in passing yards per game (260.9), 17th in completions per game (19.4), 20th in passing yards (2,609), 34th in passing yards per completion (13.45), 35th in points responsible for per game (14.6) and 36th in points responsible for (146). Duncan-Busby is 14th nationally in receiving touchdowns (10). Hansen leads the NSIC and is seventh nationally in sacks per game (1.0), leads the NSIC and is 10th nationally in forced fumbles per game (0.30) and leads the NSIC and is 11th nationally in tackles for loss per game (1.8). Jacob Drietz added another blocked punt this past week and is now tied for the NSIC lead and tied for 13th nationally in blocked punts (2). De’vonta’ Roberts leads the NSIC and is 23rd nationally in kickoff return yards per game (24.6).
Alt eclipsed 11,000 career passing yards at Augustana. He enters the game this week with 11,258 career passing yards. Over the past 36 games, Alt has thrown for 108 touchdowns and has 118 for his career.
The defense has 32 sacks and 15 interceptions on the season. The defense recorded three sacks against CSP to snap a streak of two games without one. On the season, the Beavers have at least four sacks in five games. BSU is coming off an impressive six sack performance against MSU Moorhead just a few weeks ago. The defense did tally two interceptions to record multiple INT for the sixth game this year against the Dragons. After Caleb Young returned an interception for a touchdown against Wayne State, Buduris added one against Concordia-St. Paul. BSU has returned 15 interceptions for 302 yards this season.
Alt has completed 194-329 for 2,609 yards and 24 touchdowns to just six interceptions. Sam McGath has completed 12-21 for 153 yards and three touchdowns.
On the ground, Sage Booker and Ali Mohamed are now tied for the team lead in rushing yards with both accumulating 454. Booker has 78 carries for his 454 yards and five touchdowns, while Mohamed has 93 carries for 454 yards and a team-best seven touchdowns. Jayden Washington, Jarrett Gronski and McGath all have two rushing touchdowns this season. Washington has 64 attempts for 244 yards, Gronski with 53 carries for 187 yards and McGath with 17 attempts for 109 yards.
Duncan-Busby is coming off a big game at the Vikings and now has 44 receptions for 712 yards and 10 touchdowns. Jake Hill has 34 receptions for 433 yards and two touchdowns. Brice Peters has 27 catches for 361 yards and six touchdowns. Joey Baron has three touchdowns on 32 catches for 256 yards. Booker and Mike Wandmaker have added two receiving touchdowns apiece.
On defense, Buduris leads the team with 52 tackles, 39 solo, along with six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, an interception and eight passes defended. Jarrett Klein has 46 tackles, 28 solo, along with 1.5 tackles for loss, an interception, and two forced fumbles. Spencer Wehr has 43 tackles, 20 solo, five tackles for loss and two interceptions. Stephen Hoffman is right behind with 41 tackles, 17 solo, 10 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and four passes defended. Hansen has 17.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, along with 37 tackles, 25 solo, three forced fumbles and a blocked punt.
This will be the first meeting between the teams. UTPB has only had a football program since 2016 and will be making their debut in the NCAA Playoffs this weekend. The Falcons did compete in the Fun Town RV Heritage Bowl during the 2021 season falling to Oklahoma Baptist (24-21). This will be the first time UTPB has played a team from the NSIC. This is the second straight season Bemidji State will see a Lone Star Conference team in the postseason. Last year, the Beavers traveled to San Angelo, Texas to face Angelo State in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs falling short (33-7).
Texas-Permian Basin comes in red hot having won their past nine games and are 10-1 overall and went a perfect 8-0 in conference play to secure the Lone Star Conference title, their first in program history. The Falcons are also 6-0 at home this season, playing five of those home games at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland, Texas.
The high-powered offense is averaging 46 points per game and 495.1 yards per contest. UTPB has rushed for 33 scores and passed for 32 more. The defense has held teams to 17.9 points per game and 259.4 yards per contest. Dual threat quarterback Kenny Hrncir has thrown for 2,725 yards and 30 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 610 yards and eight scores. When he isn’t running or passing, Kory Harris has rushed for 843 yards and eight touchdowns, while Nemier Herod has 724 rushing yards and 11 scores. Ben Patterson has caught 29 passes for 504 yards and six touchdowns. Deon Cook has 22 receptions for 501 yards and four touchdowns, while Jeremiah Cooley leads the team with eight touchdowns, along with 23 receptions for 484 yards.
On defense, Hayden Kelly has been everywhere with 107 tackles, 64 solo, along with 12.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Jalon Rocquemore is second on the team with 51 tackles, 33 solo, along with 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. Dominique Varela leads the team with 4.5 sacks. Kamren Amao and Rocquemore each have two interceptions to lead the team. UTPB has 19.5 sacks and 14 interceptions this season.
The game will be broadcasted on the NSIC Network and on Beaver Radio Network. The live stream will be a pay to view. Tickets can be found here.
Game Notes NSIC Network Live Stats Beaver Radio Network
Bemidji State Notes
– Brent Bolte stands alone in second in program history for wins by a head coach with 60. His .741 winning percentage is the best all-time and he is second in program history for conference wins at 57
– Bemidji State had just their second home loss over the past two seasons, both against Minnesota State. Bolte is 30-9 during his time as head coach at home
– Bemidji State enters this week ranked No. 21 in the AFCA Poll and No. 15 in the D2Football.com Poll. The Beavers opened the season ranked eighth in the Lindy’s College Football Preseason Poll
– BSU leads or is tied for the NSIC lead in 5 categories following week nine
– In 81 games under Bolte, BSU has scored less than 20 points just eight times, which has occurred once both last year and this season
– Forty-seven of Bolte’s wins have come when scoring at least 30 points, which has happened in seven games this season. The 27-14 win over MSU Moorhead was the first victory when scoring under 30 points this season and first time since Nov. 5 last year against Northern State (24-14)
– Bemidji State is 14-4 on the road over the past two-plus seasons and Bolte is 30-12 away from Bemidji
– BSU has allowed 14 or less points in six of 10 games this season and has won by at least 20 points in five of the eight victories. Three times the Beavers have won by over 30 points
– This will be the first meeting between the teams. UTPB has only had a football program since 2016 and will be making their debut in the NCAA Playoffs this weekend. The Falcons did compete in the Fun Town RV Heritage Bowl during the 2021 season falling to Oklahoma Baptist (24-21). This will be the first time UTPB has played a team from the NSIC. This is the second straight season Bemidji State will see a Lone Star Conference team in the postseason. Last year, the Beavers traveled to San Angelo, Texas to face Angelo State in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs falling short (33-7).
– BSU leads the NSIC in third down conversion percentage on defense (.307), blocked punts (5), first downs allowed on defense (167), team passing efficiency on defense (104.13), and teams sacks (3.20). The Beavers rank in the top 30 nationally in third down conversion percentage on defense (23rd), blocked punts (3rd), 10th in fewest penalties (50), first downs allowed on defense (30th), 16th in kickoff return yards allowed (16.06), 22nd in passes intercepted on defense (15), 13th in passing offense per game (276.2), 28th in red zone defense (.688), 24th in sacks allowed per game (1.10), 29th in scoring defense (18.3), 21st in tackles for loss allowed per game (4.70), team passing efficiency on defense (20th), team sacks per game (10th), 23rd in team tackles for loss per game (7.6), 28th in total offensive yards per game (422.5), and 27th in winning percentage (.800).
– Individually, Alt ranks in the top 30 nationally in several categories including 11th in passing yards per game (260.9), 17th in completions per game (19.4), 20th in passing yards (2,609), 34th in passing yards per completion (13.45), 35th in points responsible for per game (14.6) and 36th in points responsible for (146). Duncan-Busby is 14th nationally in receiving touchdowns (10). Hansen leads the NSIC and is seventh nationally in sacks per game (1.0), leads the NSIC and is 10th nationally in forced fumbles per game (0.30) and leads the NSIC and is 11th nationally in tackles for loss per game (1.8). Jacob Drietz added another blocked punt this past week and is now tied for the NSIC lead and tied for 13th nationally in blocked punts (2). De’vonta’ Roberts leads the NSIC and is 23rd nationally in kickoff return yards per game (24.6).
– Bolte is 0-1 against the Lone Star Conference following the 33-7 loss at Angelo State in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs
– Bemidji State picked up their 400th program victory at Wayne State and are now at 403
– Including his time as an assistant, Bolte is 168-89 with the Beavers
– The defense didn’t allow any team to rush for over 200 yards last year and seven times held teams under 100 rushing yards. So far in 2023, the Beavers have limited five teams to under 100 rushing yards and only two teams to rush for over 200 yards. The game against CSP, the Beavers held the Golden Bears to just 64 passing yards. This past weekend against MSU Moorhead, BSU limited the Dragons to just one net rushing yard. It’s the lowest total of the season just behind the four net rushing yards by UMary
– When BSU leads at the half, they hold a 24-0 record in the last two-plus seasons. The only loss this season against Minnesota State was the only time trailing at the break. BSU was tied at half against MSU Moorhead (7-7) for the first time this season and trailed at Augustana this past weekend
– BSU has continued to dominate in the red zone to start the 2023 season. The Beavers have scored on 39 of 49 chances so far this season for 236 points. The drives have ended with 32 touchdowns and seven field goals
– On the flip side of that, the defense has allowed just 32 trips inside the 20 and 22 scores for 118 total points. UMD was just the second team to go perfect on red zone trips this season converting on 4-4 times inside the 20 for 24 points. There have been two other times a team went perfect in the red zone was Winona State going 1-1 for just three points in the third game of the season. This past weekend, Augustana went 2-2 for 14 points. BSU has forced seven turnover on downs and both an interception and fumble inside the red zone
– The defense forced four interceptions in week one, which is the most in a game since tallying four against Minnesota Crookston during the 2019 season. BSU added two more in week three, five and seven, before a three interception game in week eight. It was another multi-interception game against MSU Moorhead with two interceptions for 15 on the season to rank third in the NSIC and 22nd nationally in INT
– Six times last year Bemidji State tallied at least four sacks in a game. The high was nine against MSU Moorhead on Oct. 15, 2022. This season the defense continues to post high sack numbers. Seven times this season the Beavers have at least a sack and have 32 on the season to rank first in the NSIC and 10th nationally. It was another high sack number against MSU Moorhead this year with the Beavers posting six sacks
– For the first time in the last 33 games, Bemidji State had more rushing than passing yards against CSP, the Beavers rushed for 223 and passed for 127. Five times during the 2019 season the Beavers had more rushing than passing yards. It was a balanced attack against the Bulldogs passing for 271 yards and rushing for 212 yards. BSU threw for 372 yards and rushed for 57 against the Vikings
– Bemidji State ranked in the top-25 nationally last year in passing offense (4th), red zone defense (13th), rushing defense (22nd), sacks allowed (5th), scoring defense (25th), scoring offense (11th), team passing efficiency (10th), team passing efficiency defense (22nd), team sacks (9th) and total offense (10th)
Texas-Permian Basin Notes
– The Falcons are led by Kris McCullough who is 10-1 in his first season at Texas-Permian Basin. This will be UTPB’s first game against an NSIC school.
– UTPB was picked to finish seventh in the Lone Star Conference this season and ended up winning the conference with a perfect 8-0 league mark.
– Kenny Hrncir has thrown for 2,725 yards and 30 TD, while rushing for 610 yards and eight scores at quarterback.Nemier Herod and Kory Harris have combined for 1,567 rushing yards and 19 TD. Defensively, Hayden Kelly has 107 tackles, 12.5 TFL. The defense has 19.5 sacks and 14 interceptions.
– Last time out, UTPB claimed the LSC title with a 42-14 home win over Central Washington.
– The Falcons are averaging 46 points and alloweing 17.9. The team averages 495.1 yards per game and allows 259.4.
– UTPB is 6-0 at home this season and will be making their first NCAA Playoff appearance. The Falcons did compete in the Fun Town RV Heritage Bowl during the 2021 season falling to Oklahoma Baptist (24-21).
– Some big wins during the season for UTPB included Texas A&M-Kingsville (29-17), Angelo State (28-23) and Central Washington (42-14). They did play fellow playoff team Western Colorado in the second week of the season on the road falling short (35-27).
•UTPB has only had a football program since 2016.