4 things to look out for in Bemidji State's home opener against Michigan Tech

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Aug. 23—BEMIDJI — For the third straight year, the Bemidji State football team will kick off its season against the same nonconference opponent.

BSU and Michigan Tech will start the season against each other at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27, at Chet Anderson Stadium.

The Beavers pulled off a 19-13 overtime victory when the two first faced off in 2024. It initially looked like it was going to be another close game in 2025 when BSU led 17-16 at the half, but the offense was shut out in the second half, losing 37-17. That kickstarted a rough 0-5 stretch to begin a season that ended at 4-7.

Meanwhile, Michigan Tech was the inverse of Bemidji State, going 7-4 and finishing fourth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

As the Beavers look to avenge last year's loss, here are four things to look out for between the two teams:

With questions at quarterback, Bemidji State used both Zach Romak and Connor Carver against the Huskies in 2025. With Romak used as a prototypical pocket QB, Carver was used in the wildcat formation, lighting up the Michigan Tech defense on the ground with 25- and 32-yard touchdown runs in the first half. He ended the day with 96 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

As dynamic as he was — especially in the first half — Michigan Tech QB Alex Bueno somehow topped it. He ran for 102 yards and a touchdown, including a 45-yard scramble in the first quarter.

Oh, and he also went 16 for 25 with 207 yards and two touchdowns and an interception over the air.

It was one of Bueno's best all-around performances of the season. He wasn't as dynamic on the ground the rest of the 2025 campaign, but he ended up finishing second on the team in rushing yards gained at 418.

While Bueno isn't as dynamic as Carver can be on the ground, he proved in last year's matchup that he is capable of escaping from the pocket and taking advantage of a lackadaisical defense.

Bueno, the presumed starter on Thursday, passed for over 1,500 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 10 starts last year.

While the Beavers haven't made their starter known yet, they have options at QB. They could turn to Carver full-time, but his ability to play every offensive position besides o-line may keep him in a Swiss-Army-Knife role.

The Beavers can turn to redshirt sophomore Bart McAninch, who went 4-2 as a starter in 2025. They also have Augustana transfer Mack Molander, who has been impressing coaches in practice

In 2025, the Beavers' defense averaged 33 points allowed per game, which woefully ranked 11th in the NSIC.

With the program historically built under a strong defense, it's been head coach Brent Bolte's mission to return BSU to its strong defensive roots this fall. Important returners like Caden Bolte and L'Shawn Taylor should help Bemidji State's young group progress.

Meanwhile, Michigan Tech's defense ranked third in the GLIAC last season with only 21.3 points allowed per game. Both teams are led by star linebackers that both offenses will have to worry about.

Caden Bolte is back for his final season as one of the captains. It's good news for the Bemidji State defense, since he led the team in tackles last season with 65 in just 10 games.

However, those numbers pale in comparison to MTU linebacker Chase Koch.

Koch recorded 106 tackles in his junior campaign, which was first in the GLIAC and 20th in the country. He collected five solo tackles, including a tackle for loss, in last year's matchup against the Beavers.

If his tackle numbers weren't impressive enough, he also had two interceptions, which was tied for a team high.

Koch's 2025 season launched him into the conversation as one of the most dynamic linebackers in the country. It's equally scary that he had such a dominant season as a junior. There's no doubt he'll want to start his season off on the right foot, so he'll surely be on BSU's radar come Thursday.

Bemidji State's top two receivers in 2025, Drayton Lehman and Jake Hill, both graduated, taking a big chunk of production with them. Players who previously had supporting roles now have to step up, such as Lucas Peterson, Kaleb Miller and Zavery Guerra.

Two receivers the BSU defense should keep an eye on are Ethan Champney and the versatile Nic Nora.

Champney caught three touchdowns for the Huskies and was second on the team in receiving yards with 587, but what the Beavers should always look out for is trick plays. The junior threw three passes in 2025, going 2 for 3 with two touchdowns and one interception.

Then there's Nora, the team's leader in receiving yards (605) and receiving touchdowns (five) in 2025. Nora also accounted for six rushing touchdowns and was occasionally used as the team's kick returner. He was all over the field last season, so expect him to do the same on Thursday.

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