Bemidji State Football Shuts Out SMSU 38-0 To Open NSIC Play

They say your biggest improvement as a team comes between your first and second games of the season. BSU football proved that to be true on Saturday when they hosted Southwest Minnesota State to open NSIC play.

After getting off to a slow start against Michigan Tech in game one, for game two, the Beavers jumped on the Mustangs immediately, ultimately shutting out SMSU 38-0.

BSU offense rushed for 163 yards and had nine different players with a reception combine for 293 yards receiving, while the defense held the Mustangs to just three rushing yards and only 57 yards of total offense. It was a huge turnaround after giving up 31 points and nearly 350 yards of offense to Michigan Tech in game one.

“If you look back to last week, the second half, we were really just playing our base football, our brand of football,” said senior DL Nah’Shawn Keith. “We carried that over to this week. We didn’t do too much with our movements, we just really played base football, and that’s what really helped us out a lot. Especially when we get them behind the sticks, we know, third downs, fourth downs—if they go for it and it’s long distance, we can pin our ears back [and] go get their quarterback.”

“It was awesome,” said sophomore QB Bart McAninch of Saturday’s win. “The defense, it gives you a lot of confidence when they get a stop every time, and we can just go do what we do, keep sticking to the game plan, and it really works well when they’re playing so well.”

Bemidji State hits the road this week to take on Minnesota State in Mankato. The Mavericks are currently ranked fourth in the coaches’ poll, and the Beavers have not beat their rivals to the south since 2016.