GAME OF THE WEEK
Minnesota College Football: Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth put streaks on the line
The top two teams in the NSIC North will square off Saturday, while St. Thomas heads to South Carolina to play Presbyterian.
October 20, 2022 at 7:19PM
Minnesota Duluth at Bemidji State, 1 p.m. Saturday: Sole possession of first place in the NSIC North is on the line for the teams, each 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the division. Minnesota Duluth has won three straight, while the Beavers have a five-game winning streak. The Beavers beat the Bulldogs 42-35 last year to end an 18-game losing streak against UMD.
WEEK 8 STORY LINES
• St. Thomas travels to Clinton, S.C., for a Pioneer League matchup with Presbyterian. The Tommies (5-1 overall, 3-0 Pioneer) defeated Drake 26-17 last Saturday in St. Paul for their fifth consecutive victory. The Tommies defeated Presbyterian 54-15 last year at home. Presbyterian is 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the league. The game is on ESPN Plus at noon.
• Minnesota Morris (3-0 in conference play) and Northwestern (2-0) are on top of the UMAC standings. Minnesota Morris plays host to Martin Luther on Saturday, while Northwestern travels to Fulton, Mo., to take on Westminster.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Dayvia Gbor, DB, Minnesota Duluth: The senior from Brooklyn Center leads the NSIC with four interceptions. He has also broken up two passes and has one sack for the Bulldogs, who lead the NSIC in passing defense, allowing just 167.7 yards per game.
Jaran Roste, QB, Bethel: The senior from Alexandria, Minn., moved into second place on Bethel's career passing yardage list after passing for a career-high 423 yards in the Royals' 45-7 victory over Concordia (Moorhead) last Saturday. He has passed for 7,740 yards in his Royals career.
BY THE NUMBERS
3 Touchdowns by St. Thomas running back Gabe Abel against Drake. Abel, who was named Pioneer League Offensive Player of the Week, is the fourth freshman in the FCS to rush for three TDs in a game this season.
4 Interceptions this season — tied for 11th in Division III — by Gustavus senior safety Ezekiel Sundberg. He had two interceptions in the Gusties' 44-7 victory over Hamline last Saturday.
34 Completions (in 39 attempts) for Roste last week — the second-most completions in a game in Bethel history.
Two offensive linemen from Lakeville, Bryce Benhart and Riley Mahlman, are standouts for Big Ten rivals of Minnesota.
