BEMIDJI – Spring games typically have a certain connotation for football fans.
They represent the gradual ramp-up to the regular season, the showcase of all the work a team has put in during spring practices.
They also, ideally, are supposed to be warm, sunny and glorious days for football. Mother Nature didn’t get the memo on Saturday at Chet Anderson Stadium, as the Bemidji State football team soldiered on through its annual Green and White spring showcase.
Temperatures hovered around freezing, and a semi-frozen drizzle fell onto the turf. But the Beavers persevered, capping a productive spring session with a 36-26 win for the offense, which wore the white jerseys.
“We had a good spring,” BSU head coach Brent Bolte said. “First off, no major injuries. So we're pretty happy that all of our guys are going to be back in the fall. But the offense is probably a little ahead of (the defense) just in terms of they've been pretty healthy, got a lot of guys back. I thought our defense played well today, just gave up a couple drives.
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“But the nice thing is the (first-team defense), I don't think they gave up a scoring drive, so that was good from our perspective. But overall, really happy. We have a high level of execution going on on both sides. When we get healthy and these other 10-15 guys that have been out this last spring get back, we're going to have a pretty darn good football team.”
With a number of defensive all-conference selections held out of the game, the offense found success in an idiosyncratic scoring format. Points were distributed for everything under the sun, including first downs by the offense, penalties, drill wins and even a long-snapping competition.
One of the day’s standouts was fifth-year running back Ali Mohamed, who joined BSU this spring after transferring in from Minot State. Mohamed was an exceptional performer during his four-year career with Minot’s Beavers, making the Don Hansen Division II All-America Team in 2021 and finishing as a semifinalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the top college football player in NCAA Division II.
Mohamed showcased his unique combination of power and speed for Bemidji State’s fans on Saturday. He first burst around the edge for a touchdown during an 11-on-11 team period, then later powered through traffic in the middle of the field for tough yards.
“You get what you get (with Mohamed),” Bolte said. “He’s a big, physical kid. He's going to, like you saw today, run through tackles. No. 1, awesome human. I mean, he is a great fit for our culture here at BSU, and we’re excited to have him. He’s a really good addition for us.”
That magnetic culture attracted Mohamed strongly to Bemidji State, and he has designs on putting his own powerful spin on the Beavers’ rushing attack.
“This program is filled with champions,” Mohamed said. “These dudes are very invested in football, and they want to prove themselves. Every time we played them (at Minot State), it was just like, ‘Dang, we play Bemidji today. They're going to bring it, so if they bring it, we’ve got to bring it with (them).’ If you don't bring it, then these guys are going to bring it to you.”
He’s thrilled to be on BSU’s side now. Lining up alongside seventh-year starting quarterback Brandon Alt, he plans to give Bemidji State everything he has left in the tank for his fifth and final collegiate season.
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“We're chasing something. We're chasing a ring,” Mohamed said. “That's one of the things we talked about with a bunch of these guys. We want to take it one game at a time, but at the end of the day, we're chasing one thing, and that's a (championship).
“BSU has an offense (that I felt) I could bring my specialty (to) and actually help them out to become one of the top dogs in the nation. They're already a top dog in the nation, so if I just add myself into it, we’ll become unstoppable.”
Coming off two consecutive playoff appearances – the first two in school history – the Beavers start the 2023 season against Northern State at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31, at the Chet.
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