The University of Mary closes its 2026 football season Saturday at 1 p.m. at the MDU Resources Community Bowl against a Bemidji State team that, according to Bemidji State Athletics, has a share of the NSIC North Division title on the line. UMary lists the game as its Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day.
What's at Stake
Bemidji State (5-5, 5-4 NSIC) is 4-1 in the North Division and, according to its Nov. 11 game preview, will play for at least a share of the division title. Northern State, also 4-1 in the division per the NSIC standings, plays Jamestown the same day. The Bemidji State release says a Beavers win combined with a Northern State loss would make Bemidji State the outright champion, and the reverse would give the title to the Wolves.
The Beavers have won three straight, including a 44-26 win over No. 21/17 Minnesota Duluth on Nov. 7, per Bemidji State Athletics.
UMary (3-7, 2-7 NSIC, 1-4 North) has lost four straight. Its last win was 21-13 over Jamestown at homecoming on Oct. 3, according to the Marauders' schedule. A win Saturday would end that skid, and the Marauders would finish 4-7.
The Series
Bemidji State leads the all-time series 14-2 and has won 11 straight meetings, according to UMary's series history page. The Marauders' two wins came 49-21 in Bismarck on Oct. 22, 2011, and 26-17 at Bemidji on Oct. 12, 2013. The streak began with a 21-20 Beavers win in Bismarck in 2014. UMary is 1-7 at home against Bemidji State. Last season's meeting went to the Beavers, 34-21, in Bemidji on Nov. 15, 2025.
Who to Watch
UMary's season statistics show quarterback Ryan Blair, a fifth-year player, completing 199 of 300 passes for 2,048 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Mandan's Karsyn Jablonski, a senior, leads the receivers with 62 catches for 903 yards and six touchdowns. Xavier Brackenridge leads the team in rushing with 436 yards and six touchdowns.
Senior linebacker Christopher Federico leads the defense with 94 tackles, 64 of them solo, and 9.5 tackles for loss. UMary's Nov. 7 release lists him fourth all-time in tackles at UMary. Legacy High graduate Vegas George, a senior, leads the team with five sacks in seven games.
Bemidji State's offense runs through Connor Carver, who has 871 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns and has thrown for 805 yards and 10 touchdowns, per the Beavers' season stats. Lucas Peterson leads their receivers with 613 yards and seven touchdowns, including a 154-yard, three-touchdown game against Duluth. Linebacker Caden Bolte leads their defense with 66 tackles.
The Beavers average 28.4 points and allow 23.5. UMary averages 18.4 and allows 30.0.
Senior Day
UMary's roster includes local seniors Jablonski (Mandan High), running back Carl Henry (Legacy High) and George. Its senior and fifth-year group also includes Federico, Blair, and fifth-year defensive back Abram Jopp, who has 65 tackles and two interceptions this season. UMary has not posted the list of players to be honored.
Next Up
- Bemidji State at UMary: Saturday, Nov. 14, 1 p.m., MDU Resources Community Bowl, Bismarck.
- Watch: UMary says all Marauders home games stream on the NSIC Network powered by Midco Sports, and links for live stats and video are on GoUMary.com/coverage.
- This is the final game of the season for both teams. Check the UMary schedule for any changes.
Sources: https://goumary.com/sports/football/schedule/2026 ; https://goumary.com/sports/football/opponent-history/bemidji-state-university/22 ; https://goumary.com/sports/football/stats/2026 ; https://goumary.com/sports/football/roster ; https://goumary.com/news/2026/11/7/football-final-marauders-road-game-of-season-ends-in-loss-to-warriors.aspx ; https://goumary.com/news/2026/11/6/football-marauders-head-to-winona-for-final-road-game-of-2026.aspx ; https://northernsun.org/standings.aspx?path=football ; https://bsubeavers.com/news/2026/11/11/football-beavers-on-the-hunt-for-nsic-north-title-close-season-against-marauders.aspx ; https://bsubeavers.com/news/2026/11/7/football-upset-at-the-chet-beavers-down-no-21-17-bulldogs-44-26.aspx ; https://bsubeavers.com/sports/football/stats/2026 ; https://bsubeavers.com/sports/football/schedule/2026
