BEMIDJI, Minn.  – Head coach Brian Bergstrom and the 2023 Winona State University football team will look to take the momentum of an impressive week two win at home on the road on Saturday, Sept. 16, when the Warriors travel to Bemidji State University for a week three matchup with the Beavers. 

Winona State is coming off one their most dominant performances of the Bergstrom era, having beaten Concordia University, St. Paul 33-8 in week two at home Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium. WSU used a pick-six in the opening minute of play by Griffin Wiegel and a record-tying day by placekicker Jacob Scott to pull away from CSP. Wiegel and Scott earned the NSIC Player of the Week honor on defense and special teams, respectively. 
 
Excellence in special teams play in general was on display last Saturday, as WSU blocked a Golden Bears punt, had quarterback Cole Stenstrom place a pooch punt inside the CSP one-yard line and racked up a perfect record on PAT's.  The WSU defense was also dialed in, with Wiegel and his Warrior teammates shutting down the Concordia St. Paul attack. 

Saturday's WSU – BSU matchup will be the third meeting between the two schools in the past two seasons. BSU has swept those meetings, both of which were played at Chet Armstrong Stadium in Bemidji, Minn. but the Warriors and Beavers have been dead-even in their last 10 matchups, with both programs owning five wins apiece. Winona State has a 47-31-1 advantage all-time over Bemidji State. BSU is currently ranked #10 in the AFCA DII poll and No. 7 in the D2Football.com poll. 

Cole Stenstrom has led the Winona State offense in 2023, going 31-of-62 for four touchdowns. The Arden Hills, Minn. product has racked up 343 passing yards so far and has found a favorite target in Kaleb Skelly, who has two TD catches and a team-leading eight receptions. Cayden Holcomb is a close second in the receiving corps stat compilation, collecting 84 receiving yards on five catches. Dakota Matthees and Keaton Arendt both have touchdown grabs as well. 

The running back-by-committee approach served Winona State well in week two against the Golden Bears. Josh Buri (46), Cair'ron Hendred (44), Ty Gavin (42), and Noah Carlson (41) all saw significant snaps, accrued forty yards or more and kept the CSP defense guessing in week two. Overall on the year, Ty Gavin leads WSU in attempts (21), Noah Carlson is tops in total yards (65) and Cair'ron Hendred has the lone WSU rushing TD. 
 
Winona State is known for tough defense and the WSU tough defense is known for it's linebacking corps. All-America Clay Schueffner leads WSU in total tackles with 21 so far and has 13 solo stops to his credit in 2023. Schueffner is tops in the NSIC so far this year in terms of tackles, solo stops, and average tackles per game (10.5). One cannot ignore the Warrior secondary in 2023 however, as safeties Tristan Root and Griffin Wiegel are tied for second in total tackles (11) and both players have factored heavily in Warrior success so far. Root moonlights as the Winona State punter, having hit 11 kicks this year, with an average of 41.09 per boot. The Winona State defensive line was quietly effective in week two, with Joseph Demro accounting for the only Warrior sack to date but the unit has helped account for six QB hurries in 2023. 

The Warrior faithful will follow Jacob Scott on Saturday to see if he can stretch his 45-yard plus kicking streak to three games.  Scott connected from 45-yards in week one versus Saginaw Valley State and tied his personal best with a 48-yarder against Concordia St. Paul, one of four makes on the day. 
 

Winona State – Bemidji State Notables

• Saturday's contest is the third meeting between the two schools in the past two seasons. 
• Winona State is ranked first in the NSIC in most passing defensive categories, including passing yards conceded per game (105.5), yards allowed (211) and completions allowed (19). 
• On the ground, WSU is giving up the most rushing yards per game (257.5), and total rushing yards allowed (515).
• WSU and BSU have played 79 times. WSU owns a 47-31-1 record against the Beavers. 
• In 2022, WSU was the only team on BSU's schedule to hold the Beavers scoreless in the first half. The Warriors shut out BSU in the first two quarters of their NCAA First Round game. 
• Winona State and Bemidji State will compete in a single-division NSIC football season in 2023. The league scrapped the two-division alignment with the departure of Upper Iowa.
• Kickoff temperature for the 2022 NCAA First Round matchup last year was 3 degrees. Saturday's forecast calls for a high of 69 degrees. 

That's a Stat!
Winona State's Griffin Wiegel had two game-turning interceptions last Saturday, both of which ended in the end zone. First, Wiegel took a pick-six 37 yards for the game's opening score. Then, in the second quarter, Wiegel intercepted a would-be touchdown throw in the shadows of his own goalpost, denying CSP a TD pass of their own. Wiegel took the touchback and WSU 

That's a stat, too!
With Upper Iowa leaving the NSIC this fall, the 2023 season marks the first year since 2011 that teams have the potential for a bye week. Winona State filled their week 1 bye with Saginaw Valley State, giving WSU a full, 11-game schedule.  Bemdji State will have a bye in week 6 and will finish the 2023 regular season slate having played 10 games, compared to 11 for the Warriors. 
 
The Nuts & Bolts of the Beavers

Head coach: Brent Bolte, sixth year, 52-19 overall

Top BSU offensive performers: Ali Mohamed, 171 total yards, 3 TD's. Dhel Duncan-Busby, 9 catches, 138 yards, 2 TD, Brandon Alt, 34-of-57, 4 TD, 1 INT. 

Top BSU defensive performers: Isaiah Johnson, 11 tackles, all solo. Marcus Hansen, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4.5 tackles for loss, Jarrett Klein, 7 tackles, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble. 

Top BSU special teams performers: Marko Jovisic, 4-for-5 FG's, longest FG made of 29 yards. Elliot Lowney, 7 punts, 38.43 per punt average. 
 
Last Season:  Bemidji State had one of the best runs of any NSIC team, as the Beavers went two-rounds deep in the NCAA Division II postseason, including a first-round win over Winona State. BSU was the NSIC North Division champion. 

BSU defensive notables: The Beavers are giving up 12th most passing yards per game in the league (289.5), are tied for the league lead in interceptions (4), and have conceded the 12th most total yards (579). 
 
BSU offensive notables: The Beavers are third in the NSIC in points-per-game (41.5), fourth in TD's (10), seventh in average passing yards per game (225.5) and tied for seventh in passing attempts (61).

Location, Location, Location: Chet Anderson Stadium,  Synthetic Turf, Capacity 3,500. Kickoff set for 2 p.m. 

For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.

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About Winona State University Athletics: 

The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.  

Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.