Well, I didn’t have that exact outcome on my bingo card for this weekend.
There was real hype and belief that Saturday’s showdown between No. 4 Minnesota State and Bemidji State was going to be, well, in the words of Jim Ross, a good old fashioned slobber knocker.
To an extent, it was exactly that. But the Mavericks jumped to a 17-0 lead and squashed all hopes of a comeback in the second half with an impressive 30-13 win over Bemidji State. It was MSU’s home opener, and the home crowd was left with so many reasons to smile walking back to their cars.
Of course, I have thoughts on this game. Per usual, I have three.
This wasn’t what I thought it would be
Before kick-off I was chatting with one of the photographers on the sideline. We shared score predictions. I told him mine — Mavericks win 31-27.
I talked to sources I have at Michigan Tech, the same team which nearly let a 31-14 lead slip away at the hand of the Beavers in Week 0. A Michigan Tech team which ranked No. 20 entering the weekend.
Yeah, I had high expectations for this one. I had a really strong feeling that the Mavericks were going to be pushed to the wire for the first time this season.
Whoops, I was wrong. And I ain’t even mad.
I didn’t see the Mavericks scoring 17-straight points to open the game. I also didn’t see the Mavericks holding the Beavers to 2.1 yards per carry. I didn’t see the Mavericks clearing 200 yards rushing as greatly as they did with 278 yards on the ground Saturday.
Yeah, this game didn’t go how I thought it would. It went better.
The MSU defense continues to clamp down in vicious fashion in the second half. The offensive line clearly proved that not reaching 200 rushing yards against Colorado Mesa was a mixture of first-game blues and a bit of a fluke.
We’re three weeks into the season. Bemidji State was set to be the first big test for the Mavericks this season. While not a perfect score, they pass with flying colors.
Why you little…
Saturday was the first day I watched Bemidji State and former Mankato West quarterback Bart McAninch play football. He finished 10 of 22 for 159 yards and added another 27 yards rushing and a score on the ground.
Yes, the Mavericks bottled him up pretty nicely in the second half. He was sacked four times.
But how would I sum up my honest thoughts of McAninch from someone on the opposing side? Well, I can sum it up in one word — annoying, especially in the second quarter.
It felt like I was back in my college apartment playing Madden against my roommate Hunter. Whenever I needed a stop on 3rd and 5 he got six yards. Whenever I needed a big stop on the goalline he found the end zone.
Both of the Beavers’ touchdown drives gave me that familiar feeling. The annoying feeling that’s equally as frustrating on the other end.
I’ll tip my cap to McAninch. It’s his first year at the helm of the offense, but he’s nowhere near to being a final product or reaching his ceiling.
Infectious belief
When I began observing MSU back in August I had a feeling something good was brewing. After talking to coaches and people within the program I got a strong hunch that heavy outside expectations were going to be placed on this program.
I also knew that the town was going to absolutely enjoy MSU football this season. But I didn’t expect it to be instantaneous.
The attendance number for Saturday’s game was 6,911. It’s the fifth largest attendance number in program history. It’s the largest number ever for a MSU home opener.
The previous record for a home opener was 6,387 in 2015 against Minnesota Duluth. This was back when Teddy Bridgewater was the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings and Adam Thielen was a year away from breaking out.
But how do the Mavericks see that large of an attendance number?
“It was interesting,” senior defensive back Amaun Williams said. “Everybody is excited to see us play, excited to see the work we were doing in this off season, excited to see all the things we can do and we will do (this season). It’s very, very emotional.”
There’s no doubt there’s excitement surrounding this program. It’s only fitting that the excitement exists, because this team is capable of more than we’ve seen and/or realized yet.
Mitch Vosburg is a multi-time award-winning sportswriter and photographer who proudly serves as sports editor for The Free Press. He can be reached at mvosburg@mankatofreepress.com. Follow him on X (@realmitchvburg) and on Instagram (@themantheycallmitch).