Bemidji State has a chance to win the NSIC North with a 6-5 record. Has that ever happened before?
· Yahoo Sports
Nov. 4—BEMIDJI — Sitting at 2-5 coming out of the bye, it would've appeared to many fans that the Bemidji State football team had nothing to play for but their pride in the last four games of the season.
But the Beavers have their eyes on one thing: winning the NSIC North division.
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Yes, despite the now 4-5 record, BSU still has a path to win the North.
Divisions in the NSIC are won by the team that has the best divisional record. While teams with the best record usually come out on top, it is possible for a mid-level team to have the best divisional record and win it outright — or at least share it, since there are no tiebreakers for division titles.
It's only possible if the team in question gets hot enough at the right time. That's exactly what the Beavers have done so far.
Out of the bye, they sat with a 1-1 divisional record, smack dab in the middle of the pack. Their last four games were all scheduled against divisional foes: Jamestown, Minnesota State Moorhead, Minnesota Duluth and U-Mary.
With wins against the Jimmies and the Dragons, the Beavers are now 3-1 in the North, tied for first with Northern State and Minnesota Duluth. Those teams have much better overall records (UMD 7-2 and NSU 6-3) than the Beavers, who are 4-5. And yet here they are, still in the conversation.
The Wolves are favored to win their last two games against Minot State and Jamestown. If they do, they'll finish with a 5-1 divisional record.
That leaves this Saturday's matchup between BSU and UMD at Chet Anderson Stadium as the crucial game for both teams' chances.
If the Beavers win against the Bulldogs and U-Mary in the season finale, they'll win at least a share of the divisional championship with a 6-5 record. That in and of itself is an impressive feat. But how often — if ever — has a NSIC team won a division with a record so close to .500?
The NSIC has had North and South divisions since 2008, with a brief two-season hiatus in 2023 and 2024 due to an uneven number of teams in the conference. In that time, the average record for a NSIC division winner is 10-2.
If BSU runs the table, it'd win the division with a 6-5 record. Since 2008, only one team has done the same — 2015 Northern State, who got all of its six wins in the North.
The Wolves started out that year 0-4. Once divisional play started, they went on a six-game winning streak, skyrocketing to the top of the North.
Entering the season finale with a 6-0 divisional record, they had a chance to win the North outright. The only team they had to beat? Bemidji State, which won the matchup convincingly 41-24. BSU, UMD and NSU all had 6-1 records in the division, sharing the title between the three of them.
It is the only division title Northern State has won. It proved that it's possible to win a division with a 6-5 record. So can Bemidji State repeat history?
In order to have a chance at the division title, the Beavers will have to go through Minnesota Duluth this Saturday. Unfortunately for them, UMD is playing its best football as of late.
The Bulldogs enter Chet Anderson Stadium on a four-game winning streak, thanks in large part to their standout defense. This season, they've given up 15.33 points per game — second in the conference only behind Minnesota State. During their winning streak, they've never given up more than 12 points, an impressive run.
Their run defense in particular has stood out. They've given up 93.2 rushing yards per game, also second in the conference. Their best performance arguably came three weeks ago against Northern State's Hank Kraft, the leading rusher in the NSIC. UMD limited Kraft to eight carries and just 12 yards on the ground, his only game under 100 yards all season.
Minnesota Duluth hasn't faced a dual-threat quarterback like Connor Carver, however. Carver is ever-dangerous on the ground, ranking fifth in the conference in rushing yards (773).
But ever since he was handed the starting QB position, he's been showcasing his arm, throwing for 512 yards and seven touchdowns against Jamestown and MSU Moorhead. The Beavers may have to lean on that arm on Saturday, since UMD is only ranked sixth in the NSIC in passing defense, allowing 185.1 passing yards per game.
Its defense isn't full of ball-hawks either, recording five interceptions on the season, tied for 10th in the conference. But the Bulldogs do get to the quarterback, averaging three sacks per game, second in the NSIC.
Offensively, UMD has been leaning on sophomore quarterback Riley Grossman, who has been its starter ever since it came out of the bye. He's thrown for 374 yards and two touchdowns in two career starts.
Where the Bulldogs really shine offensively is their running game, led by the one-two punch of Derrick Johnson and Alex Riley. Johnson, a transfer from South Dakota State, has rushed for 662 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games. Riley, meanwhile, has run for 413 yards and four touchdowns in nine games.