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Oct. 16—One-hundred and seventy-eight total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 14 pass breakups, 3.5 sacks and four interceptions.
That’s the kind of production that the Bemidji State football team had to replace in the offseason at the linebacker position.
The program lost a triumvirate of seniors — Max Buduris, Spencer Wehr and Cole Sorby — to graduation at the end of the 2023 season, each of whom tallied more than 50 total tackles in their final campaigns.
Buduris and Wehr were especially productive, notching NSIC All-Conference First Team Defense nods last year.
Heading into the 2024 season, it was unclear how the Beavers’ depth pieces were going to perform playing a much more featured role on the defense.
So far, redshirt junior and Bemidji High School alumnus Colton Hinrichs and senior Jacob Drietz have done a solid job ensuring no major drop-off in production from BSU’s linebacker core.
“It’s been a pleasant surprise,” defensive coordinator Joe Ford said. “So far, they’ve had some really good games. I think of open-field tackles, huge in the Sioux Falls game for Colton. And if he doesn’t make that play, that thing goes for 50 yards a few times. Drietz has been really good in the middle, really solid. And it has been a nice little surprise to have those guys produce like they have.”
Hinrichs currently has a team-high 37 total sacks, as well as two tackles for loss. He has 1.5 sacks and one interception. Drietz has 27 total tackles and a forced fumble under his belt.
Before the bye week, Bemidji State lost to Northern State 14-13, thanks to a failed two-point conversion with four seconds left in the fourth quarter. However, essentially the only reason BSU even had a shot to win at the end was a play from a linebacker.
Trailing 14-7 with less than four minutes on the clock, Hinrichs picked off a pass at the Beavers’…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/key-offseason-departures-beavers-linebackers-023200384.html
Author : The Bemidji Pioneer, Minn.
Publish date : 2024-10-17 02:32:00
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