Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State University football team opens the 2019 slate tomorrow from Swisher Field, with kick-off is set for 6 p.m. versus North Division foe Bemidji State University. The Northern tailgate lot will open at 3 p.m. on game day. The entrance to the lot is located south of the complex off Roosevelt Street. Full tailgate and ticket information can be found at the links above.
 
Quick Hits on the Northern State Wolves
                • Northern opens the 2019 season returning eight starters on offense and five on defense, with 31 total returning on offense and 40 on defense; including all-conference performers Streit, Larson, Trautman, and Fahrman.
                • In addition, NSU welcomes 46 newcomers including a handful of freshman that have the potential to see some playing time in their true freshman campaigns.
                • The Wolves were picked tenth overall in the league and fifth in the NSIC North Division in the 2019 edition of the preseason coaches' poll.
                • Northern averaged 113.5 yards rushing, 248.9 yards passing, and 362.4 yards of total offense in 2018, playing behind a banged up offensive line.
                • NSU returns starting quarterback Hunter Trautman who passed for 2,659 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, and their top-2 receivers in Dakota Larson and Jacob Streit who combined for 1,570 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns.
                • It will be a new look for the Wolves ground attack with the addition of transfer Isaiah Cherrier and a young position group with sophomore Jackson Ness and redshirt freshmen Preston Barr, Jack Anderson, and Clayton Grueneich.
                • The Wolves will have a mix of experience on the offensive line with seniors Drew Fahrman, Remi Allison, Ben Lewis, and Kyle Trefethren working alongside 15 underclassmen.
                • The defense returns linebacker Preston Droessler and defensive back Chance Olson who finished in the top-5 statistically last season, as well as NSIC player to watch Zach Mohs on the defensive line.
                • With three kickers on staff, the Wolves will have a new primary face after the graduation of school record holder Jacob Weidrich.
                • Head coach Tom Dosch opens his tenth season with the Wolves, having gone 3-6 versus Bemidji State in his tenure.
 
Matching up with the Beavers
                • Bemidji State opens the 2019 campaign returning 13 starters from a season ago and 46 total letter winners. In addition, they welcome an incoming class of 44 student-athletes.
                • The Beavers were picked fifth overall in the NSIC and second in the North, earning one first place vote, in the 2019 preseason coaches' poll.
                • Gabe Ames returns to the field for the Beavers after leading the BSU defense in 2018 with 81 total tackles and 12.0 tackles for a loss. Ames was named the NSIC North Division Preseason Defensive Player of the Year after earned back-to-back all-conference honors in 2018 and 2017.
                • BSU averaged 216.5 yards rushing, 179.2 yards passing, and 395. 7 yards of total offense in 2018. They out-scored their opponents by 19.1 points per game.
                • The Beavers ranked in the top-5 in the league last season in scoring offense, scoring defense, kickoff returns, rushing offense, rushing defense, total offense, total defense, pass efficiency, pass efficiency defense, opponent first downs, opponent fourth down conversions, and kickoff coverage, and led the league in turnover margin, punt returns, fourth down conversions, red zone offense, and red zone defense.
                • Bemidji State is led by head coach Brent Bolte in his third season at the helm, holding a career record of 24-10 with BSU.
 
Last Match-Up
                • The Wolves and Beavers faced off in the 2018 opener, with Bemidji State grabbing the 38-17 victory.
                • Jacob Streit (15-yard pass from Hunter Trautman) and Mitch Tschakert (32-yard field goal) were the two 2019 returners to score in the game.
                • The NSU defense held BSU to just 4-of-12 on third down, however the Beavers were able to make use of their opportunities going 2-for-2 in the red zone.
                • Northern is 20-22-1 all-time versus Bemidji State, falling in the last four contests. The Wolves last defeated the Beavers in 2014 with a score of 48-41.
 
A Season Ago
                • Northern State went 4-7 overall and 3-4 in the NSIC North a season ago, while the Beavers finished the year 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the division.
 
Weather Report
                • Thursday evening calls for a high of 86 and low of 56 with winds at 10-13 mph.

Ag Bowl History
In 2015, Northern State University Athletics and InsuraCrop partnered for the first Ag Bowl to highlight the agricultural community in Northeastern South Dakota and the Aberdeen Area. The Wolves defeated MSU Moorhead 48-26 in the inaugural game back on October 10 from Swisher Field. 2016, brought a 51-35 victory over Southwest Minnesota State which was the first nationally carried game for the Wolves on ESPN3. Northern rolled to their third and fourth straight Ag Bowl victories defeating Wayne State College 23-16 in 2017 and Minot State University 42-16 in 2018. The match-up with the Beavers was aired on Midco Sports Network in conjunction with the NSIC as the MidcoSN Game of the Week. 

About InsuraCrop
With InsuraCrop's combined experience of over 40 years, they are the experts in your field. Just as experience in farming is important, having experience in crop insurance is a critical asset. Crop insurance is an ever-changing landscape. With their knowledge and personalized service, Greg Wieker and Rich Bachmeier know how to adapt to these changes and provide a plan designed with your operation in mind. By meeting with you face-to-face at your farm, they can walk you through the four types of crop insurance – Crop-Hail, Multiple Peril Crop Insurance, Livestock Risk Protection and Livestock Gross Margin – ensuring you will make the right decisions that will benefit you and your business.