Nah'Shawn Keith, Bemidji State defense dominate SMSU in first shutout since 2024
· Yahoo Sports
Sep. 5—BEMIDJI — Before the Bemidji State football team's game against Southwest Minnesota State, Nah'Shawn Keith and the rest of the BSU seniors were honored for Senior Day.
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After the game, Keith was celebrated even more for his performance.
The defensive lineman led the Beavers in tackles (six), sacks (2.5) and recovered a fumble. He was one of the many reasons why SMSU had more plays (27) than yards (-3) in the first half.
Even when substitutions flooded the field in the fourth quarter, the BSU defense continued to be dominant in a 38-0 win at Chet Anderson Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It's the first shutout since 2024, which also came against SMSU.
Keith missed a majority of the 2025 season due to a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL). He could've called it a career, but he decided to come back for one last season.
To have such an all-around performance on Senior Day was extra sweet after sitting on the shelf, he said.
"That felt really good, especially coming off of my injury last year," Keith added. "(I was) just sharpening my skills from last week coming into this week. Coming out with a couple of sacks, that felt really good."
"He's kind of an equalist of the defensive line — they play off of him," head coach Brent Bolte said of Keith. "He's a good football player and showed it today."
The shutout was a continuation of the defensive momentum the team found in the latter half of its season opener against Michigan Tech. BSU held the Huskies to just 74 yards of offense and eight points in the second half, allowing the Beavers to attempt a comeback in the 31-29 loss.
Bolte credited a simplified approach for the defense's success on Saturday.
"I think our kids settled in and executed the game plan, which was pretty simplistic for what we were trying to do approach-wise," he said. "They played really well, honestly, through the first three quarters. Even when the backups got in, they did a nice job. It's always nice on Senior Day when you get everybody out on the field, all the backups and a lot of freshmen."
The tone of the game was set within the first two minutes. Defensive end Kaden Cook strip-sacked SMSU quarterback Macloud Crowton, and in a mad scramble for the ball, it was Keith who ended up recovering it.
"We were on a blitz at that point, so I come around, and I just see the ball," Keith said. Everybody's diving on each other, but nobody's diving on the ball. So I see the ball rolling out, and I just have to jump on that.
"I wish I could have scooped and scored, but we recovered the ball first."
The fumble set up a 16-yard rushing touchdown from senior Jayden Washington on the first play from scrimmage. He was one of five different Beavers to reach the end zone on Saturday.
After using quarterbacks Bart McAninch, Connor Carver and Mack Molander against Michigan Tech, McAninch took a majority of the snaps on Saturday. He went 13-for-20 with 191 passing yards, including a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown.
"He made some good plays," Bolte said. "I thought the only issue we had was in the beginning of the third quarter when we bogged down going against the wind. We just didn't execute as an entire offense. That's not on Bart, but I think you see him maturing every single day, leading the group and leading the team."
McAninch's long-ball has proven to be a secret weapon for the BSU offense. He completed two 44-yard throws to Hudson Omoke in the first quarter and Tyree Lockett in the second quarter, both setting up Beaver touchdowns.
Molander came in for wildcat-style plays in the first half, taking over late in the third quarter with BSU up 28-0. He finished the day 7-for-11 with 98 passing yards and a touchdown. Freshman Louis Bucksa also received playing time in the fourth quarter.
Noticeably absent was Carver, who plays multiple roles in the offense. The goal this week, according to Bolte, was to give McAninch more time as the No. 1 QB, so Carver's number wasn't called.
There doesn't appear to be any concern with the captain, however, as he was dressed in full pads on the sidelines.
"I'm sure he's chomping at the bit," Bolte said. "Probably not thrilled that he wasn't out there, but at the end of the day, we need to get Bart locked in and ready to go. When Carver's time is called, trust me, he'll be ready to go."
BSU was on the wrong side of blowouts last season, particularly in their first two home games against Sioux Falls and Augustana. While Keith was nursing his season-ending injury, he remembered how he and his teammates felt as the Panthers scored 56 points and the Vikings put up 42 points against Bemidji State.
To put a goose egg on the scoreboard against a conference opponent a year later was a needed boost of confidence for the defense.
"Being on the sideline, I'm a team guy, but it hurts not being out there helping the team, doing the most that I can," Keith said. "So that really feels good to come out here and get a win."
Bemidji State 38, Southwest Minnesota State 0
SMSU 0 0 0 0 — 0
BSU 14 14 3 7 — 38
First quarter: BSU TD, Washington 16-yard rush (Nadler PAT) 7-0 BSU; BSU TD, Omoke 5-yard catch from McAninch (Nadler PAT) 14-0 BSU.
Second quarter: BSU TD, McAninch 1-yard rush (Nadler PAT) 21-0 BSU; BSU TD, Brown 17-yard rush (Nadler PAT) 28-0 BSU.
Third quarter: BSU FG, Nadler 29-yard kick, 31-0 BSU.
Fourth quarter: BSU TD, Carlson 5-yard catch from Molander (Nadler PAT) 38-0 BSU.
Penalties: SWMS 4; BSU 9.