ST. PAUL, Minn. - This Saturday, Concordia (0-5 NSIC, 0-0 North) turns the page to NSIC North Division play for the rest of the 2022 season, starting with a 2 p.m. kickoff at Chet Anderson Stadium against Bemidji State (3-2 NSIC, 1-0 North).

The Golden Bears faced four teams from the NSIC South who were able to produce 4-1 records along with the league's lone remaining unbeaten team, 5-0 Sioux Falls. It's only fitting that CSP opens NSIC North play against the only two teams from the division to produce winning records through five weeks, Bemidji State (3-2, 1-0 North) on the road before returning home next Saturday against Minnesota Duluth (3-2, 1-0 North).

WEATHER OUTLOOK
Saturday in Bemidji features an expected high of 59 degrees, a 10-15 WNW wind and generally sunny skies despite a few afternoon clouds. The stadium is on the lake, so spectators should expect a cool breeze on gameday.

WATCH ONLINE – NSIC NETWORK
All Golden Bear NSIC football games will be available to watch online, free of charge, powered by the NSIC Network, and supported by BlueFrame Technology.
 
Visit nsicnetwork.com/cspbears on a laptop or desktop computer, download the NSIC Network app on your mobile device or watch on your supported OTT provider such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Search "NSIC Network" and download the app for the league's full sport and team lineups. NSIC NETWORK FAQ
 
This weekend will also feature the call from the Beaver Radio Network, airing in the Bemidji area on 92.1 FM (Bemidji), 107.9 FM (Grand Rapids, 95.3 FM (Thief River Falls) and 94.5 FM (Baudette).
 
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Fans can download the CSP Bears fan app, free of charge and available in the App Store or on Google Play. The app contains rosters, schedules, scores, stats, news, social media and more! Customize your options to get notifications to your favorite teams, as well. Search "CSP Bears" in the app store to stay up-to-date on Golden Bear athletics.

LISTEN TO THE COACHES SHOW
The Coaches Show with Shannon Currier is back on the Twin Cities airwaves for a fourth season, once again hosted by Wally Langfellow of Minnesota Score. The show airs following the Minnesota high school football game of the week, typically on Friday evenings in the 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. hour on KYCR 1440 AM radio, available in the Twin Cities metro area.

This week's show airs live on Friday night and will feature sophomore wide receiver Jack Munsterteiger and junior running back Gayflor Flomo.

For fans who miss the show or are outside of the radio station's Twin Cities reach, the entire show is accessible via the CSP Bears Podcast, available in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play Music. It will typically be uploaded late Friday night (after the initial air time) or Saturday morning prior to the game. Search 'CSP Bears' into your favorite podcast provider!

WEEK SIX GAME CAPTAINS
CSP head coach Shannon Currier features rotating team captains each week for the fourth year in a row in 2022. Captains are selected by the coaching staff based on performance on the field and as a leader in practice, meetings and day-to-day activities.

This week's game captains are: senior defensive end Luke Dunsmoor (4x), sophomore defensive lineman Isaac Reed (1x), sophomore running back Jaylin Richardson (3x) and sophomore wide receiver Jack Munsterteiger (2x).

2ND-RANKED STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE IN DIVISION II
The Golden Bears have had a daunting first third of the season, with a combined opponent record of 24-4 through five weeks and none of Concordia's opponents have more than one loss.

The Golden Bears will open NSIC North Division play against the only two NSIC North programs with winning records: at Bemidji State (3-2) this Saturday and hosting Minnesota Duluth (3-2) next Saturday.

Entering week six, CSP holds the 2nd-toughest strength of schedule in Division II football with a past opposition winning percentage of .800 (excluding CSP games), tied with Truman State (12-3 opponent record) of the GLVC and trailing only Kentucky State of the SIAC (13-2 opponent record)

While unable to put a positive mark in the win column, the Golden Bears have remained competitive, tied with #25 Augustana (now 4-1) late in the third quarter as the Vikings were ranked as high as #11 in the nation, followed by a 14-6 road loss to Southwest Minnesota State (now 4-1) after trailing 7-6 in the fourth quarter, and in week three fell 44-23 to a Sioux Falls  squad that is now ranked #17 in the nation, but played the Cougars to a 24-23 margin after falling into a 20-0 first half deficit in a comeback attempt against a 4-0 Cougars team. Last week, CSP fell 25-15 to Minnesota State, and were tied with MSU in the third quarter.

SERIES HISTORY: BEMIDJI STATE 10, CONCORDIA 8
This Saturday marks the 19th meeting between the programs with Bemdiji State holding a slight 2-game lead in the all-time series. This will be Concordia's first trip to Chet Anderson Stadium since the 2017 season and head coach Shannon Currier's second since rejoining the program in 2016 and his third trip to BSU overall where he is 1-1 on the road against BSU in his career.

Currier's Golden Bears are 5-2 all-time against Bemidji State, going 4-0 in his first stint with the program (2000-03) while winning one of three since coming back to the sidelines in 2016.

While BSU has won three of the last four games in the series since 2015, the teams are nearly even since 2010 with BSU holding a slight 4-3 edge.

Concordia opened the series by winning five of the first seven meetings between the clubs.

The Golden Bears are 2-6 in eight trips to Bemidji St. since 1999.

LAST MEETING, 2021: BEMIDJI STATE 42, CONCORDIA 14
In a CSP homecoming game that featured six of the eight touchdowns scored from 40-plus yards, it was Bemidji State that had the upper hand with four of the long scores, including passes of 51, 75, and 75 yards along with a 96-yard interception return in the fourth quarter that iced the contest.

CSP opened the scoring early in the first on a double-pass, with wide receiver Evan Peterson connecting with wide receiver Jake Shepley for a 40-yard touchdown on a 1-play drive.

BSU scored the next four touchdowns, including ending the half with a TD with 1:01 to play and opening the second half with a score to steal the momentum for a 28-7 lead with 14:20 to play.

CSP running back Lajuan Preston responded with a 71-yard touchdown run immediately after BSU's first TD of the second half to make it a 28-14 game with plenty of time to play.

But the Beavers struck again from distance, as Brandon Alt and Malik Williams connected for their second 75-yard TD of the third quarter with 8:06 to play for a 35-14 lead before the pick-six midway through the fourth.

Concordia entered the day with the 18th-ranked pass defense in the country, allowing 148.8 passing yards per game while BSU entered the contest with the seventh-ranked pass game in the nation, averaging 339.0 yards.

BSU's aerial assault won the day, as Alt completed 18-31 for 354 yards and three TDs while throwing one INT to Rhett Sheehan.

Williams had three catches for 160 yards and the two long scores while Brendan Beaulieu had 3-70 with a 51-yard TD.

Preston finished with 9-83 rushing including his long score while Mason Van Zeeland led the receivers with 5-73, with Shepley pitching in 2-43 and the long TD.

Four different players attempted passes for CSP, as starter Conner Cordts suffered a season-ending injury in the first half after completing his only attempt for 11 yards and adding 4-9 rushing. Peterson had the 40-yard TD strike and Abe Schwartz went 5-8 for 17 yards and Bryce Sievers went 9-16 for 83 yards.

Defensively, Sheehan had a team-high 10 tackles with an interception and pass breakup and Foster Conzet had nine tackles. Mel Jeudy led the defensive line with six tackles including 3.0 tackles for loss while Jake Richardson added 2.0 TFLs and a fumble recovery.

LAST WEEK: MINNESOTA STATE 25, CONCORDIA 15
The Golden Bears and Mavericks were scoreless midway through the second and locked in a 7-7 battle late in the third quarter when MSU scored 18 points in a row from the 2:03 mark of the third quarter to the 6:48 mark of the fourth to pull away.

The game flipped towards MSU when the Mavericks blocked a field goal in the red zone in the second quarter, moving 82 yards on nine plays over a 5:25 span with a TD in response, then followed that up by blocking another CSP red zone field goal on the next drive, turning a pair of red zone trips for CSP in a scoreless game into a 7-0 lead for MSU.

In the third quarter, CSP tied the game when Jaire Moore broke a run through the left side for a 32-yard touchdown.

Late in the fourth, trailing 25-7, Conner Cordts connect with Jaylin Richardson for a short 3-yard TD pass to give CSP late life.

Richardson finished the game 18-81 rushing, 3-7 receiving with a TD and added a 33-yard kickoff return to compile 121 all-purpose yards. Moore added 6-58 rushing and Cordts was 9-45 with a long of 27 as CSP rushed for 189 yards on 34 attempts against the Mavericks.

Cordts finished his passing day completing 21-45 for 178 yards and a TD without throwing an INT and was only sacked once.

He found slot receivers Jack Munsterteiger and Joey Farley five times apiece with Munsterteiger setting career-highs in receptions and yards (48) while Farley had 35 yards.

Cordts targeted 11 different options in the pass game.

CSP's defense was led by a career-high 10 tackles and a half TFL from Richard Wauer while Lucas Becker picked up a sack among his four tackles. Linebackers Carter Otto and El-Osiris Jeudy each had a forced fumble and Alex Andrade blocked a punt.

Maverick quarterback Camden Dean completed 7-16 for 100 yards and two TDs while adding 14-63 with a rushing TD while Hayden Ekern cycled in, completing 6-9 for 65 yards.

It was a team effort for MSU to compile 194 rushing yards on 42 attempts with no one out-rushing Dean.

While CSP was able to slow down the game-breaking punt returns from the Mavericks, a top-10 unit led by one of the nation's top performers Trey Vaval averaging over 27+ yards per return entering play, Vaval found a way to impact the game as he blocked both FGs. He finished with just 38 return yards (1-12 PR, 1-26 KR).

ABOUT THE BEAVERS
Coming off of the program's first 10-win season in school history, BSU struggled out of the gate, dropping their first two games before putting together a current 3-game win streak.

The offense, which has been strong all season, is coming off of its top performance with 606 yards of total offense and 59 points last week in a 59-14 win at Minot State in the first NSIC North Division game of the season. The Beavers have scored at least 29 points every week and have combined for 107 points the past two games, including a 48-22 road win at Upper Iowa two weeks ago.

BSU brings a high-powered passing game but asserts balance, as well, as one of four teams in the country to average 350-plus through the air and 100-plus on the ground, ranking fourth nationally with 485 yards of total offense per game. They are eighth in the country with a 40.8 scoring average, as well.

Junior quarterback Brandon Alt leads the NSIC, ranking fourth in DII with 1,651 passing yards while his 17 passing TDs is second in the nation. His favorite target is senior Brendan Beaulieu who is seventh in the nation with 617 receiving yards and fourth in the country with seven receiving TDs, just one shy of becoming BSU's career record holder (26).

Opposite Beaulieu is Dhel Duncan-Busby, who is second in the NSIC with five receiving TDs and fourth NSIC with 463 receiving yards.

The ground game is led by Jalen Frye, ranking sixth NSIC with 331 rushing yards (3.9 avg) while Sage Booker adds 174 yards (3.0 avg).

Zollie Kaplan leads the front line on defense with 5.0 sacks, tied for third in the NSIC while Princeton Harris leads the secondary with a pair of INTs.

Bemidji State's top tacklers are bunched together, led by Max Buduris (28) and followed by Spencer Wehr (27), Stephen Hoffman (23) and Cole Corby (23).