BSU Football Goes Sky High in 2nd Round of Playoffs for 1st Meeting with Western Colorado

BSU football is back in the second round of the NCAA playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, and similar to their last three appearances, Bemidji State will be playing a team they have never played before.

This time it’s against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference runner-up Western Colorado, who earned the 2-seed in Super Region 4 and are currently ranked 10th in the country.

The Beavers have never made it past the second round of the playoffs, and they’ll have their work cut out for them against the Mountaineers if they plan to make history this upcoming weekend.

“They’re really well coached in my opinion,” said Head Coach Brent Bolte. “They do a lot of things that we preach here: team [first], physical defense. I think they do a really good job controlling the clock. Their quarterback’s really good. He’s had a heck of a year, 25 touchdowns, six [interceptions]. He’s a runner, dual threat guy. So [they’re] just a really good football team, which you can expect when you get a chance to go to the Elite Eight and are sitting in the Sweet 16.”

“It’s a tough task, but I think what really sticks out with them is that their defense is really good,” Bolte continued. “I think they’re probably the more aggressive team. Coach [Todd] Auer, the D-coordinator, has done a really good job and you have to prepare for everything. They’re going to bring it and be really aggressive.”

BSU practiced in the cold and snow this week to help prepare for some of the conditions they might see versus the Mountaineers on Saturday, but one part of the environment they couldn’t replicate is the altitude. Western Colorado is located on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains in the town of Gunnison, which sits at roughly 7,700 feet, making it the highest elevation that any college football team plays at in the nation.

“The trainers have helped us, let us know what we need to do to kind of get ready for that elevation, but I think it’s something we’re going to have to get used to fast when we get there,” acknowledged senior quarterback and captain Sam McGath. “Going Thursday will help us getting acclimated to it and having a practice on Friday will help. I feel like we’re going to get winded pretty quick, but just – a lot of mental toughness will have to be had to get through that.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be that big of a factor,” countered senior defensive lineman Marco Cavallaro. “I mean, obviously it’s a very high elevation. I think it’s something we’re going to get used to. I’m glad we going out on Thursday, too, so [it’ll] give us another day to get acclimated to it. I think obviously I think that first drive we’ll be a little winded, but I think we’ll handle it well.”

How high is high altitude? For a comparison, Bemidji sits at between 1,300-1,400 feet above sea level, which is considered low altitude, where the air is made up of about 20% oxygen. Gunnison, CO sits just under 8,000 feet, which is considered high altitude. There, the percentage of oxygen in the air is about 15.5%, meaning every breath you take contains about 25% less oxygen.

So, what does all that mean? You can run faster, jump higher, and the ball will travel farther at a high-altitude elevation, but it will also cause a higher level of fatigue, quicker dehydration, and suppress your appetite.

The game is Saturday, November 30th with kickoff at 2 PM. It will be streamed on ESPN+, or you can listen on the Beaver Radio Network at FM 92.1.