BSU Football Drops to 0-4 on Year After Loss to #9 Augustana

There’s no two ways about it—it’s a been a rough start to the season for Bemidji State football. The Beavers were 0-3 for the first time since 2015 after dropping their home opener to Sioux Falls on September 13.

Head Coach Brent Bolte said they could not have started that game any worse, allowing the Cougars to return on the opening kickoff for touchdown. This past Saturday, Bemidji State needed a better start if they wanted any chance against 9th-ranked Augustana at home.

But the Beavers fell 42-14, dropping to 0-4 on the year. That’s the first time it’s happened since 1996 when they started 0-6 under Jeff Tesch, then a first-year head coach.

“I thought there was some good things, especially on offense as the game went on,” reflected Bolte after the game. “I think [redshirt freshman quarterback] Bart McAninch brought a spark, and I thought he competed, that the guys trusted him, so he’ll get an opportunity this week to lead the group, and we just got to have some leadership back there. You know, I think the quarterback play, it’s been erratic to say the least. So it starts there. I don’t think any of those guys are not trying. I think they may be pressing too much to be perfect, you know what I mean?”

He continued, “And then we got to just do basic stuff. I watched it a lot on the iPad already. It’s just a misfit here, a guy out of position. And that’s how you give up big plays on defense. So right now, this young group is just guys executing their job day in and day out. And that’s what we’re going to get back to, and that’s all I know, so that’s what we’re going to continue to fight with.”

The postseason is out of the question for BSU at this point, a tough pill to swallow for a team coming off their best finish in program history just a year ago with a trip to the NCAA quarterfinals. But this Saturday, they may have a chance to get that first win when they travel to Minot State for the Battle of the Beavers.