Box Score (.pdf)

The Northern State football team scored 41 first half points and hung on in the second for a 48-41 victory Saturday afternoon in the Wolves' regular season finale at Bemidji State. The win puts Northern at 8-3 overall and 6-1 in the NSIC North Division. The eight wins are the most at NSU since the Wolves went 9-2 in 1999, the final NSIC Championship season at Northern. Saturday's win is also Northern's first-ever in Bemidji.

NSU quarterback Jared Jacobson had a record-setting day in the win as he recorded six passing touchdowns on the day, giving him 71 for his career at Northern, passing the previous mark set by Jason Landmark with 67. The six touchdowns also tied the single-game record at NSU. Jacobson also recorded 439 yards of total offense in the game, giving him 10,199 yards for his career, also surpassing Landmark's record of 9,966 yards of total career offense. Jacobson now sits third all-time in the NSIC in career yardage in NSIC games only.

Jacobson also surpassed Toby Korrodi's (2003) single-season record of 3,441 yards of total offense in the win. Jacobson finishes the regular season with 3,557 yards of total offense. With his 27 completions, Jacobson also tied Eric Ellingson's (2008) record of 260 completions on the season.

Bemidji (3-8) would get on the board first Saturday after blocking an NSU punt and returning it for a score to lead 6-0 with 9:27 left in the first half. Northern quickly went to work after that, however, as Jacobson hit Nicholas Truen on a 24-yard screen pass to cap a 13-play, 80-yard drive to put Northern up 7-6, a lead it wouldn't relinquish. On the Wolves' next drive, Jacobson hit Truen again, this time on a swing pass that he took 35 yards for the score.

 On its next possession, NSU scored on a 40-yard Zachery Barber touchdown grab and Northern went up 21-6. On the ensuing kickoff, the Wolves deployed a surprise onside kick and recovered it at the 50 yard line. On the very next play, NSU ran a flea-flicker and Jacobson hit Jared Hannigan for the score and put the Wolves up 28-6. Later in the quarter, Channing Barber picked-off Ryan Shields and had an amazing 91-yard return for the score, putting the Wolves up 34-6 and seemingly well in control with 6:34 left in the half.

BSU would not go away quietly, cutting into the Northern lead with a 15-yard touchdown pass to make it 34-13. The Wolves would answer with a crucial score late in the half as they would drive 80 yards in just 32 seconds, capping the drive off with Hannigan's second receiving touchdown of the day, this one from 24-yards out with just 33 seconds left in the half. However, Bemidji responded and scored with just two seconds left to play in the quarter, and the Wolves took a 41-20 lead into the break.

The Beavers opened the second half going on a 10-play, 77-yard drive and cut the NSU lead down to 41-27. Northern's final score of the game came with 5:30 left to play as Jacobson hit Conner Doherty for a 16-yard touchdown, pushing the lead back up to 48-27. Bemidji again responded, scoring with 3:10 left to play and then again less than a minute later to make the score 48-41. After Northern recovered the ensuing onside kick, they were forced to punt, but forced BSU to call its final two timeouts, leaving the Beavers with just 18 seconds left and 55 yards to go.

Taylor Zemlicka secured the win for the Wolves with his sack of Jordan Hein on Bemidji's first play and the Beavers wouldn't get another snap off before time expired.
Jacobson finished the day going 27-for-48 with 392 yards passing but was picked-off four times. Jacobson also recorded a team-high 47 yards rushing in the contest. Hannigan ended the day with nine catches for 117 yards and two scores. Doherty caught five passes for 84 yards and Taylor Houchin and Cody Kraft each recorded four catches. In all, eight Wolves caught a pass in the win.

Devin Olson had a monster game defensively for the Wolves, recording a career-high 15 tackles, including 3.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks on the day. Zach Neer and Zemlicka each added seven tackles in the victory. Zemlicka and Matt Thorson also had interceptions in the game as Northern forced four BSU turnovers.

The Wolves now sit and wait to see if they receive a bid to play in the Mineral Water Bowl in December. The bowl bid goes to the highest-finishing NSIC team that doesn't make the NCAA playoffs. Right now, Northern needs Sioux Falls to jump up in the regional standings and receive a playoff berth.