2002 BEMIDJI STATE FOOTBALL RB Eddie Acosta WR Ryan Welle Harlon Hill Trophy Candidate All-America Candidate Everybody’s All-Americans harlon hill trophy candidate RB Eddie Acosta emidji State senior running back Eddie Acosta has established himself as perhaps the finest running back in the history of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, earning 2001 pre-season and final league Offensive MVP Bawards and setting BSU single-season and career records for rushing yardage, rushing touchdowns and scoring along the way. In 2002, Acosta will attempt to become the NSIC’s all-time leader in rushing yardage and rushing touch- downs (all games) and will be a strong early-season candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy - given annually to the most outstanding player in Division II football. The Goods... • Has finished sixth or better in Division II in rushing each of the last two seasons • Bemidji State’s all-time leader in rushing yards (4,301), rushing TDs (49) and total TDs (58) • Needs 114 yards to become NSIC’s all-time leading rush- er; tied for NSIC career lead w/ 40 rushing touchdowns (NSIC games; official record) • Needs just 516 yards and eight rushing TDs to take NSIC career lead in both areas (all games; unofficial record) • Averages 130.3 yards and 1.5 TDs per game for his career; averages one TD every 14.0 carries • BSU-record 21 games with 100+ rushing yards, including 20 in his last 24 games • BSU-record five career games with 200+ rushing yards • BSU is 18-3 all-time when Acosta rushes for at least 100 yards and 14-4 when he gets 20 carries 2002 Awards and Honors • Street & Smith’s First-Team Pre-Season All-America • Lindy’s First-Team Pre-Season All-America • d2football.com Pre-Season First-Team All-Midwest Region • NSIC Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year (repeat selection) 2001 Awards and Honors • NSIC Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year • d2football.com Pre-Season Second-Team All-Midwest Region • Don Hansen’s Gazette Pre-Season Second-Team All- America • Three-time NSIC Offensive Player of the Week (9-3-2001; Co-Player, 9-10-2001; 10-23-2001) • First-Team All-NSIC; NSIC Offensive Player of the Year • Daktronics, Inc. First-Team All-Midwest Region (only NSIC player on First Team) • Don Hansen’s Football Gazette Third-Team All-America (only NSIC player on All-America team) • d2football.com Honorable Mention All-America (only NSIC player on All-America team) • Harlon Hill Trophy nominee 2002 Bemidji State Football Table of Contents 1 Table of Contents 2 BSU Football Quick Facts 2 2002 Season Outlook 6-11 Coaching Staff 6 Head Coach Jeff Tesch 8 Assistant Head Coach Rich Jahner 9 Assistant Coach Aaron Vlcko 10 Brent Bolte / Marty Costello / Darin Nix 11 Ken Traxler / Brent Miller / Ben Morie 12-26 2002 Bemidji State Beavers 12-13 Alphabetical / Numerical Rosters 13 Pre-Season Depth Chart 14-26 Student-Athlete Bios 27-30 2002 Opponents 27 Opponent SID contact information 27-30 2002 Opponents 31-44 2001 Season in Review 31-34 2001 Game Recaps 34 BSU Records Set in 2001 35-38 2001 BSU Statistics 39 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference 40 2001 NSIC Standings/All-NSIC teams 41-42 2001 NSIC Team Leaders 43-44 2001 NSIC Individual Leaders 45-59 BSU History and Records 45 The Last Time... 46 Rushing Records 47 Passing Records 48 Receiving Records 49 Total Offense Records 50 Scoring / Punting Records 51 Defensive Records (tackles/sacks) 52 Return records (interceptions/punts/kickoff returns) 53 Team Records 54 Team Year-by-Year Offensive Stats 55 BSU Award Winners 56-59 All-Time Results 59 BSU Coaching Records 60-64 Welcome to Bemidji State University 60 Welcome to Bemidji 61 Bemidji State University 62 Radio and Television Coverage of BSU Football 63 Administration and Support Staff 64 Chet Anderson Stadium 65 “Battle for the Axe” 66 BSU Traditions 67 Media Outlets Covering BSU Football 68 BSU Athletics Department Staff Directory 2002 Schedule Aug 29 at Minn. State-Mankato........................................4:30 p.m. Sep. 7 Minot State ........................................................... 1:30 p.m. Sep. 21 › at Winona State.................................................... 1:30 p.m. Sep. 28 › Wayne State (Neb.)........................................... 1:30 p.m. Oct. 5 › Northern State .................................................. 1:30 p.m. Oct. 12 › at Concordia-St. Paul .......................................... 1:30 p.m. Oct. 19 › Southwest State................................................. 1:30 p.m. Oct. 26 › at MSU-Moorhead............................................... 1:30 p.m. Nov. 2 › at UM-Duluth ...................................................... 1:00 p.m. Nov. 9 › UM-Morris ......................................................... 1:30 p.m. Nov. 16 › at UM-Crookston ................................................ 1:00 p.m. › NSIC game // All times Central // subject to change Credits The 2002 Bemidji State Football Media Guide is a production of the Bemidji State University Sports Information Office. Executive Editor Andy Bartlett, Sports Information Director Assistant Editors Chad Waller, Assistant SID Brad Folkestad, Graduate Assistant SID Al Nohner, Director, BSU News and Publications Cover Design Andy Bartlett, Sports Information Director Interior Design Andy Bartlett, Sports Information Director Photography John Swartz, BSU Photo Services Printing Eagle Printing // Bemidji, Minn. Copyright © 2002 Bemidji State University. All Rights Reserved. For additional copies of this guide, contact the BSU Sports Information Office at (218) 755-2763. BEMIDJI STATEFootball 2002 FootballBEMIDJI 2002 STATE SEASON OUTLOOK 2002 Quick Facts ased on pre-season expectations, at for the Harlon Hill Trophy. first glance one might think BSU’s Acosta, who has finished sixth or better Bemidji State University 2001 campaign ended in disappoint- in Division II in rushing yardage in each of Location: ................................... Bemidji, Minn. (15,000) Bment. Coming off the heels of a school- the last two seasons, already holds nearly Founded: .................................................................... 1919 record 9-2 season in 2000, the Beavers every BSU single-season and career rushing Enrollment: ............................................................... 4,800 entered last fall with perhaps the highest record. He enters the 2002 campaign just Conference: .....................Northern Sun Intercollegiate NSIC Members: .................... Bemidji St.; Northern St.; expectations in the program’s history as yards away from the NSIC all-time rushing Southwest St.; UM-Crookston; UM-Morris; Winona a legitimate pre-season contender for the record and is already tied for the league’s St.; UM-Duluth; Wayne St. (Neb); MSU-Moorhead; Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference all-time lead in rushing touchdowns (NSIC Concordia-St. Paul Affiliation: ...... NCAA Div. II (NCAA Div. I - Hockey) championship and perhaps BSU’s first-ever games only). Nickname: ............................................................Beavers run at the NCAA Division II Playoffs. But for the team to be successful in 2002, School Colors: .................. Green (PMS 330) and White But it was not to be. Injuries to key Bemidji State simply must toughen on Home Field: .............................Chet Anderson Stadium players at critical moments in the season defense. Even with First-Team All-NSIC Surface (capacity): ..................................Grass (5,000) President: ......................................Dr. Jon E. Quistgaard derailed BSU’s pre-season title hopes, but efforts out of departed seniors in DE Wallie Athletics Director: .....................................Dr. Rick Goeb in the end 2001 continued BSU’s recent res- Kuchinski and LB Pat Engleright, BSU fin- Athletics Trainer: ............................................ Bill Crews urrection from the Division II football ashes ished just sixth in the NSIC in total defense Athletics Trainer Phone:.......................... (218) 755-2769 Compliance Coordinator: .........................Aaron Vlcko into a program which annually has become last year - giving up more than 360 yards Athletics Secretary: ..................................Mary Herried a contender in the Northern Sun. per game. Athletics Phone: ....................................... (218) 255-2940 Now heading into head coach Jeff Tesch’s BSU’s answer? A new defensive scheme Athletics Fax: ........................................... (218) 755-3898 seventh campaign in Beaver green, BSU for 2002. BSU will scrap its traditional 4-3 finds itself in an intriguing position for scheme in favor of a 4-2-5. Sports Information Director: .........................Andy Bartlett (Kansas St. '95) 2002. The Beavers return perhaps the finest “This change in philosophy will allow us Office Phone: ........................................ (218) 755-4603 offensive player in NSIC history in senior to be much more multiple,” BSU defensive Home Phone:......................................... (218) 444-6624 running back Eddie Acosta, but are faced coordinator Rich Jahner said. “It will allow Cell:......................................................... (218) 766-2243 with the task of replacing arguably the best our defense to be much more proactive, e-mail:[email protected] Assistant Director:............ Chad Waller (Lawrence ‘00) quarterback in school history in the depart- rather than reactive, and translate into us Office Phone: ........................................