Live Stats
Live Video
MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The Minnesota State University Moorhead football team will square off with Bemidji State in the "Battle for the Axe" on Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m. in Bemidji, Minn.

Dragon fans can listen to the game on 106.9 the Eagle, with Steve d'Eustachio and Larry Scott on the call.  

Saturday's game at Chet Anderson Stadium will be the 79th in the long-standing rivalry, with MSUM holding a 43-32-3 advantage. Bemidji State has won 11 of the last 12 meetings overall, with the Dragons' lone win during that stretch coming in 2008 in Moorhead.

Previous five meetings:
2011: Bemidji State 35, MSU Moorhead 10 (in Bemidji, Minn.)
2010: Bemidji State 14, MSU Moorhead 6 (in Moorhead, Minn.)
2009: Bemidji State 38, MSU Moorhead 13 (in Bemidji, Minn.)
2008: MSU Moorhead 27, Bemidji State 7 (in Moorhead, Minn.)
2007: Bemidji State 27, MSU Moorhead 3 (in Bemidji, Minn.)

MSUM (1-8) is coming off of a 31-10 home loss to Minot State, while Bemidji State (5-4) recorded a 37-20 win at St. Cloud State last week.

Game notes can be found below, while links to live stats and live video can be found at the links above.

About MSUM
MSUM couldn't overcome four turnovers and seven penalties in a 31-10 loss to Minot State. The Dragons trailed 10-3 at halftime and were within 17-10 in the third quarter before the Beavers scored 14 unanswered points to earn the win. Sophomore running back Brandon Schell ran for 49 yards and a touchdown on just eight carries for the Dragons, while quarterback Jake Hodge was 15-of-22 passing for 132 yards. On defense, sophomore linebacker Nick Seedorff had 14 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery, while freshman safety Shea DeJong had 10 tackles and a forced fumble.

Hodge has thrown for 1,268  yards and six touchdowns this season, while freshman Adam Jiskra has 34 catches for 530 yards and four touchdowns. Schell leads the ground game with 314 yards and two touchdowns. MSUM scores 13.6 points per game and rushes for 71.8 yards per game, while throwing for 171.3 yards per contest.

On defense, DeJong leads the way with 100 tackles and two interceptions. Seedorff has 81 tackles and two interceptions, while senior linebacker Tyler Brody has 70 tackles. MSUM allows 36.2 points per game and 203.6 yards rushing per contest, along with 223.4 yards passing.

Steve Laqua is in his second season as the MSUM head coach with a record of 3-17 at the school.

About Bemidji State
Bemidji State is 5-4 overall and shares the NSIC North Division lead with Northern State and Minnesota-Duluth. The Beavers earned a 37-20 road win at St. Cloud State last week. In that game, Bemidji State built a 23-13 halftime lead and pulled away with two second-half touchdowns to the 17-point win. Quarterback Lance Rongstad rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns while throwing for 226 yards and a touchdown.

Rongstad is having an outstanding all-around season for Bemidji State, rushing for 380 yards and six touchdowns while throwing for 1,687 yards and 12 scores.Senior  Dustin Kroeplin leads the ground game with 425 yards and three scores, but has missed the past two games with an injury. Justin Lee has 39 catches for 612 yards and three touchdowns. Bemidji State is scoring 20.1 points per game. The Beavers rush for 153.7 yards per game and throw for 197.9 yards per contest.

Bemidji allows 20.1 points per game on defense. The Beaver defense allows just 108.1 yards per contest on the ground and 207.2 yards per game through the air. Cory Crosby leads the Bemidji defense with 83 tackles, while Jason Bromm has 69.

MSUM graduate Jeff Tesch is in his 17th season as Bemidji's head coach with a record of 111-71 at the school.

Freshman Impact
Seven true freshmen start for the MSUM offense, including Hodge,  offensive linemen Bennen Bierman, Troy Peterson and Jake Antolak and receivers Tyler Rivard, Garrett Shelley and Jiskra. Bierman and Peterson anchor the left side of the line, while Antolak has assumed the center duties. Medhaug, also a true freshman, made the first start of his career at running back against Crookston, while a redshirt freshman, Wade Youngblom, starts at tight end.

Jiskra and Rivard each have 34 and 28 catches, respectively, to lead the offense. Hodge has thrown for 1,268 yards and six touchdowns.  Shelley had a career-high five catches against Minot State to push his total to 19 for the year.

On defense, three true freshmen start, including DeJong, who leads the team and the NSIC with 100 tackles, and safety Nico Caramella. Sheldon Jones, also a true freshman, starts at cornerback and is fourth on the team with tackles and leads the team with two forced fumbles. He also has moved to the top of the depth chart as a kick returner.

Shea's Standing
Only a true freshman, DeJong is second in the NSIC at 100 tackles and is 12th in all of Division II at 11.11 tackles per game. DeJong trails Upper Iowa's Ethan Douglas by just one for the league lead.

Seedorff's Rise
Nick Seedorff has established himself as one of the top linebackers in the NSIC. He ranks eighth in the league at 9.0 tackles per game and is tied for seventh at 81 tackles overall. His 60 assisted tackles lead the conference.  In all of Division II, he is ranked tied for 68th with 9.0 tackles per contest.

Tough Road
MSUM's road schedule has been difficult this season -- and that may be an understatement. The Dragons have played four road games, three against teams now ranked in the AFCA Division II Top 25 -- Minnesota State, Mankato, Sioux Falls and Minnesota-Duluth.

Happy Returns
The Dragon special teams and defense got into the touchdown act during the Upper Iowa game, and did the same against UMC. Against Upper Iowa, sophomore Lomumba Ismail blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown by senior Barik Williams, while freshman Chris Lee picked off a deflected pass and ran it back 92 yards for a score. Against UMC, Jones ran an interception back for a score, while Brody recovered a fumble off of a bad punt snap for a touchdown.

Block Party
MSUM has blocked three punts and a field goal this year, led by Ismail. He recorded blocked punts in back-to-back games, including the one that led to the touchdown against Upper Iowa. Ismail also blocked a punt against Sioux Falls in Week 2. Ismail also blocked a field goal against Minot State.
Senior Uchenna Ogbonnaya, in his first year of football, blocked a punt against Minnesota-Crookston.

Century Mark
Medhaug became the first Dragon running back to surpass the century mark this season when he rushed for 124 yards and a score.  He became the Dragons' first 100-yard rusher since Eboni Luscious-West ran for 103 yards against Minnesota-Crookston a year ago.