It was bound to happen, eventually with scholarship limits set, eventually the rest of the Northern Sun would eventually catch up to Minnesota Duluth, Augustana, St. Cloud State, and Minnesota State Mankato.

As week four opens, there is only one unbeaten team in the Northern Sun, it's not Augie (winless at 0-3), it's not Minnesota Duluth (winning streak snapped at 31 games), it's not Minnesota State Mankato, nor is it St. Cloud State... it's Bemidji State, that's right, it's one of those programs that has come all the way up in the Northern Sun, from the conference's transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.

It's the same Bemidji State University who has struggled to win the one game to turn the corner, but things look a little different for this year's Beaver squad, we'll talk about that a little later, but things may be starting to even out across the Northern Sun, as far as the compeititve balance between the four schools that joined the league in 2008 and the rest of the league goes.

That is going to set the stage for a very interesting week four. So let's get started.


Minnesota Duluth (2-1) at Bemidji State (3-0)
Last Year: 44-21, Minnesota Duluth

There isn't a single game that surprised me more last week than Wayne State beating Minnesota Duluth. Things weren't as bad for the Bulldogs offensively as the stats would indicate, as the stats would indicate, but still how Wayne State who gave up 518 yards on the ground to Nebraska-Kearney, and 262 yards on the ground to Minnesota Crookston found a way to stop the Bulldogs surprises me more than anything else.

Yes, I know the conditions were less than ideal, yes I know the Bulldogs had a big meeting coming up with Bemidji State, and maybe things like that showed to be the great equalizer, but through two weeks Wayne State hadn't been able to stop anyone, then they pitch a shutout against the number one team in the country.

Well if the Bulldogs thought it was tough against the Wildcats last week, this week they are playing the top defense in the Northern Sun, Bemidji State.

Before we break this one down though, let's turn the clock back to 2009...

The last time Duluth was in Bemidji, fans will remember the Beavers were an extra point away, from tying the game in the final seconds against the Bulldogs. At the time, the Beavers were very much alive for at least a Mineral Water Bowl appearence maybe even a shot at the playoffs. On the final play from scrimmage Derek Edholm struck with a 32-yard touchdown pass to pull the Beavers within a point at 35-34, but the extra point was no good and the Beavers fell.

That was then, and this is now...

The Beavers are for real! Last week, their defense shutdown an explosive Southwest offense, and proved they could stop the run, and still not get beat in the pass at the same time. How? They have the Northern Sun's best secondary, and while they do commit to stopping the run with the front seven, sometimes eight, their corners, Larry Miller and Cory Hrdlicka and safeties Dusty Sluezewicz and Brody Scheff are All Conference caliber players.

That group is really a big key to the Bemidji defense, not that the rest of the unit isn't terrific, because it is, but that group flys around with terrific athleticism and instincts and have the ability to close off opposing passing attacks. They don't get beat deep, they make tackles, and yes, they find ways to create turnovers. And by that group closing off the pass the way they do, that allows the Beavers to commit to stopping the run and getting after the quarterback up front.

Bemidji's defense comes into the game giving up the fewest points, they come into the game with a plus four turnover margin, which is top in the conference, and they give up the fewest yards on the ground.

It's that defensive unit that will make things miserable for Chace Vogler and company offensively.

Hey I am as shocked as anyone that Duluth fell to Wayne State, but I am drinking the Green Kool-Aide, I expect Gang Green to shut down the Bulldogs, and the Bulldogs to have another streak, a losing streak.

Extra Point: Don't expect a lot of points in this one, Bemidji is giving up just 12.3 points a game, while Minnesota Duluth is giving up just 13.7.


Wayne State (2-1) at Northern State (1-2)
Last Year: 44-20, Wildcats

So after a big upset over Minnesota Duluth, the Wayne State Wildcats are receiving votes in the D2 Top 25 polls this week. Not surprising, but I am not buying in on it.

The Wildcats have to prove it to me, and that is going to take time, I still go back to a team that gave up nearly 800-yards on the ground in the first two weeks of the season. A road win this week over Northern, won't do much to prove it to me either, but I don't think that will be as easy as many people think they are.

This is a major trap game, for a Wildcat team that I think still has a ways to go. Afterall, their big upset win last week only occurred because of a blocked punt that the speedy Kevin Paulsen picked up and raced 36-yards for a touchdown on.

A wise old coach once told me, things are never either as good or as bad as you think they are. His point was that the moment a team starts believing they are good, is the moment that they make themselves vulnerable. The challenge for the Wildcats this week is to stay hungry as if they lost the game to the Bulldogs last week, and I'm not sure they can do it.

Norhtern is a hungry program. They are 1-2, off of back to back 2-win seasons. They are in their second year under Coach Dosch and they are a program that after a season opening win against Southwest wants to show that they have made improvements. What could be better than beating a team who could just took down the number one team in the country?

Two stats that will tell this game, the first, if Northern can run the ball for 180-200 yards they will be in great position to win the game. The second deals with turnovers, Nick Wanner was picked off three times last week, well Wayne has a +4 turnover margin, so obviously Wanner and the Wolves will have to do better than they did last week as one of those interceptions resulted in a quick strike Concordia touchdown right before the half. Think that was costly in a five point loss to the Bears last week.

If that wasn't this was, Northern had the ball 1st and 10 from the Concordia 17 yard line late in the game, when after a completed pass the Wolves were called for a costly holding penalty, a penalty they never recovered from.

That said, this is a chance for both teams to make a statement about where they stand in the Northern Sun, and I am actually going to take the Wolves to run the ball with success and protect it, in a victory over Wayne State.

Extra Point: The last time Northern beat Wayne State was in 2005.


Upper Iowa (2-1) at Winona State (2-1)
Last Year: 42-14, Winona State

Five second half turnovers propelled the Winona State Warriors over who many thought was becomming the best team in the Northern Sun last week, St. Cloud State.

Four fumbles and one interception thwarted several St. Cloud drives on Saturday, and allowed the Warriors to rattle off 17 second half points, and come from a 16-12 half time deficit to a 29-16 victory over St. Cloud last week.

Rayon Simmonds rushed for 150-yards and a couple of touchdowns, and also Bryan Bradshaw threw for 199-yards while completing 19 of 24 passes. With all of those turnovers that was all the Warriors needed.

Upper Iowa this year also comes in at 2-1, and appear to be a much improved team. Like we said, two weeks ago, the Peacocks outgained Minnesota Duluth in their loss to the Bulldogs, well last week they were able to show off that offense a little bit more, slashing the Moorhead defense to the tune of 551 yards.

Peacock running back Chris Smith had a nice encore performance rushing for 158-yards and two touchdowns, while picking up the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week Award. He led a Peacock offense that scored touchdowns the first two times it had the ball.

It is going to be a different ball game this week though for Smith and Upper Iowa, the Winona Defense will make it a lot harder for them to run the ball, and Upper Iowa is going to have to continue to improve on defense. It will be made tougher because every game is virtually a playoff game for a Warrior program that is hungry for a chance at the playoffs. With one loss already, and the way the NSIC did against other conference's in the Region this year, I am thinking two losses may not get it done.

I don't see an upset in the works in Winona this week, I will take the Warriors to beat the Peacocks.

Extra Point: Last year when these two teams played it was a 28-point explosion by Winona State that was the difference between the Warriors and the then winless Peacocks.

Three games down, four to go, there will be more to discuss tomorrow.