Football | 10/31/2018 1:39:00 PM

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The Axe is on the line this week when the Minnesota State University Moorhead football team faces Bemidji State. Kickoff is 1 p.m. on Saturday at Chet Anderson Stadium in Bemidji, Minn. The Axe traveling trophy dates back to 1948 and is the second-oldest trophy in Division II.

Both teams enter the game at 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division

Live video, stats and audio can be found at msumdragons.com.  

An MSUM win over Bemidji State would...
— give the Dragons their first 7-3 start since 1996
— give the Dragons their second seven-win season in the Steve Laqua era
— give the Dragons a 5-1 mark against NSIC North foes this season

Series History
MSUM and Bemidji State, who first met in football in 1929, will meet for an 84th time with the Dragons leading the series 46-35-3. The Dragons have won three of the last five meetings although Bemidji State rolled to a 45-14 win in 2017. The last two meetings in Bemidji have been won by the Dragons.

Previous five meetings:
2017: Bemidji State 45, MSUM 14 (in Moorhead, Minn.)
2016: MSUM 42, Bemidji State 41 (in Bemidji, Minn.)
2015: Bemidji State 42, MSUM 28 (in Moorhead)
2014: MSUM 27, Bemidji State 21 (in Bemidji)
2013: MSUM 35, Bemidji State 17 (in Moorhead)

The Head Coaches
Steve Laqua is in his eighth season as MSUM's head coach with a record of 35-51 at the school. Brent Bolte is in his third season as the BSU head coach with a record of 23-9 at the school.

About MSUM
MSUM clinched a third winning season in four years with a 51-26 rout of Minot State on Saturday. The Dragons led 24-14 at halftime and outscored the Beavers 27-12 in the second half. Bryce Meehl threw for two scores and rushed for two more to lead the Dragons.

Sophomore Zach Simons has rushed for 450 yards and 11 scores to lead the ground game. The Dragons have four backs who have carried for at least 250 yards this season. Sophomore quarterback Jakup Sinani has thrown for 1,504 yards and 11 scores while Meehl has thrown for 584 yards and four scores. Sophomore receiver Grady Bresnahan has 63 catches for 627 yards and three scores while sophomore receiver Jake Richter has 49 catches for 772 yards and eight scores. Junior receiver Zach Sweep has 31 catches for 376 yards and four scores. As a team MSUM scores 29.8 points per game and records 400 yards per game of total offense.

Senior safety Aaron Doan leads the Dragon with 66 tackles despite missing the Minot game with an injury. Senior linebacker Michael Strand has 61 tackles, including 7.5 for loss. Junior cornerback Deiondre Taylor has 53 tackles and three interceptions while sophomore defensive lineman Darius Woods-Steichen has a team-best seven sacks. As a team MSUM allows 30.7 points per game and 409.2 yards of total offense.

About Bemidji State
The Beavers improved to 6-3 with a 37-24 win over St. Cloud State on Oct. 27. The Beavers built a 30-3 lead on their way to the win and recorded four interceptions, including a pick six by John Vogeler in the first half.

Andrew Lackowski has rushed for 791 yards and nine scores for the Beavers while Jalen Frye has rushed for 512 yards and two scores. The Beavers have played three different quarterbacks; freshman Alec Ogden has thrown for 652 yards and seven scores while Jared Henning has thrown for 479 yards and five scores. Mannie Kugmeh has 31 catches for 336 yards and three scores. Bemidji State scores 36.1 points per game and records 386.9 yards per game of total offense.

The Bemidji defense allows 19.1 points and 339.2 yards per game.  The Beavers lead the NSIC in turnover ratio at +13, thanks in large part to recording 18 interceptions. Gabe Ames has 65 tackles for the Beavers while Gunner Olszewski has 63 tackles and three interceptions. Vogeler and Michael Junker each have four interceptions.

More about the Dragons
Ground Control
MSUM's ground game was in full gear during the Dragons' 51-26 win over Minot State. The Dragons set season-highs for rushing yards (269), rushing attempts (60) and rushing touchdowns (five). Junior quarterback Bryce Meehl and sophomore running back Zach Simons each had two rushing touchdowns.

Season Highs for the Offense
Not only did MSUM set season-highs for rushing yards, attempts and touchdowns, the Dragons offense also set season highs in points scored (51) and total offense (560). It is the first time MSUM has surpassed the 50-point plateau since Oct. 28, 2017. MSUM surpassed the 500-yard plateau for the second time this season, the first coming at Mary (507) in September.

NSIC Player of the Week
Junior quarterback Bryce Meehl was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 29 to become the first Dragon to receive the weekly honor this season. Meehl threw for 288 yards and two scores in the win over Minot while rushing for 55 yards and two scores.

Simons Says
Sophomore Zach Simons was recruited to MSUM as a quarterback but made the switch to running back last season and has been an important part of the MSUM ground game this season. He is 16th in the nation with 11 rushing touchdowns.  He leads the Dragons with 450 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.  Simons is tied for third in the NSIC with 11 rushing scores.

Winning Ways
With the win over Minot State, MSUM clinched its third winning season in the past four years under Head Coach Steve Laqua. It's the best stretch for Dragon football since the 1990s when the team recorded four straight winning seasons from 1993-96.

Grady's Grabs
Sophomore receiver Grady Bresnahan has climbed to into the top six of the nation in receptions per game at 7.9. He has 63 catches for 627 yards and three scores this year and is just four receptions away from recording the fifth-best receiving season (total receptions) in school history.  Jeff Tesch (1977) and Adam Jiskra (2013) each had 67 catches in a season. Bresnahan had a career-high 13 catches for 103 yards in the win over Wayne State. 

Woods-Steichen Sack Party
Sophomore Darius Woods-Steichen added another sack in the win over Minot State and now has a team-best seven on the season. Woods-Steichen's sack total is fourth-best in the NSIC this season. He leads MSUM with 9.5 tackles for loss.

National Rankings
MSUM ranks in the top 40 in several categories as a team and individually:
Team
—Sixth in the nation in the fewest passes intercepted (three)
—13th in first downs (216)
—15th in fewest penalty yards per game (46.4) and 19th in fewest penalties (48)
—The Dragons are 25th in punt return defense, allowing 4.44 yards per return
Individuals
—Sophomore receiver Grady Bresnahan is sixth in the nation at 7.9 receptions per game
—Sophomore receiver Jake Richter is 24th in the nation with eight receiving touchdowns and is 27th in receiving yards (772) and 33rd in receiving yards per game (85.8)
—Zach Simons is 16th with 11 rushing touchdowns
—Matt Schoh is 17th in fumbles recovered (2)
—Sophomore defensive tackle Darius Woods-Steichen is 35th in sacks per game at 0.78.

Well Taken Care Of
MSUM's two quarterbacks — sophomore Jakup Sinani and junior Bryce Meehl — have down a good job protecting the football this season. Sinani has started five games and has thrown for 1,334 yards and 11 scores — with just two interceptions. Meehl is 24-of-47 for 296 yards and two scores with one interception.  MSUM is sixth in the nation in fewest passes intercepted.

Week 10 Under Laqua
The Dragons are 5-2 in Week 10 games under Head Coach Steve Laqua, including a 22-16 win at Minot State in 2017.  The Dragons lost to Northern State, 42-21 in 2011 and lost at Bemidji State, 35-25 in 2012 before beating Bemidji State 35-17 in 2013.  In 2014, the Dragons beat Bemidji State, 27-21; in 2015, MSUM blanked Mary, 37-0 and in 2016, the Dragons edged Bemidji State, 42-41.