MOORHEAD, Minn. – Bemidji State built a 17-0 halftime lead on its way to a 45-14 win over Minnesota State University Moorhead in football action Saturday at Scheels Field in Moorhead, Minn.
 
MSUM finished the season 5-6 overall and 3-4 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division while Bemidji State improved to 8-3 overall and 6-1 in the north. As a result of the win, Bemidji State regained the Axe Trophy after MSUM had won it in 2016.
 
Freshman quarterback Jakup Sinani was 10-of-19 passing for 154 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Sophomore Hayden Swartz had four catches for 97 yards and a score while senior receiver Daniel Grande hauled in a touchdown. Sophomore running back Herman Gray rushed for 46 yards.
 
Junior linebacker Carter Thiel led the Dragon defense with 11 tackles, while sophomore cornerback Deiondre Taylor had nine, including 2.5 for loss. Senior defensive end Drew Lingle, sophomore defensive linemen Miles Baggett and Matthew Domek and redshirt freshman defensive end Jordan Magnuson each had a sack.
 
MSUM's offense managed just 11 first downs and 218 yards of total offense in the game. The Dragons finished with 57 rushing yards on 37 attempts and surrendered 10 sacks.
 
"Give Bemidji credit they played a phenomenal game on defense," MSUM head coach Steve Laqua said. "They brought pressure and we didn't handle the blitz and twists really well."
 
Bemidji State had 450 yards of total offense.
 
"They executed better than we did," Laqua said.
 
The Dragons were held off of the scoreboard in the first half and turned the ball over twice on interceptions. They trailed 17-0 at halftime.
 
Bemidji State pushed the lead to 24-0 in the third quarter. Sinani connected with Swartz for a 71-yard touchdown to bring MSUM within 24-7, but that was as close as the Dragons could get.
 
Grande hauled in a 22-yard score from Sinani in the fourth to wrap up the Dragons' scoring.
 
It was the final football game for 14 Dragon seniors: quarterback Demetrius Carr, receiver Hunter Braaten, receiver Damon Gibson, Grande, linebacker Abe Roehrich, Lingle, defensive lineman Jake Busse, kicker Ruan Albuquerque, defensive lineman Julian Turner, linebacker William Beiseker, long snapper Tyler Eidsness and defensive back J.P. Mortenson. That group was honored prior to the game.
 
"They were great role models within our program," Laqua said. "They took a chance coming to an unproven program. They elevated it to a higher level than it was when they came in."
 
Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Despite the loss today, the Dragons have won 18 games over the past three seasons. This is the first time this has happened since the 1995 Dragons went 6-3-1, the '96 squad went 7-3, and the '97 outfit went 5-5 for a three-year record of 18-11-1.