MINOT, N.D. – They celebrated, and now it's back to work for the Beavers against a two-time national champion.

The Minot State football team closes out its home slate this weekend at First Western Bank Field at Herb Parker Stadium hosting the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs on a day filled with special events, including Senior Day.

Kick-off is scheduled for 1 p.m., with tailgating beginning at 11 a.m. in the MSU Dome parking lot. The day is also the Prairie Warrior Bowl and all active and retired military, and their families, get in free.

Adding to the special events, all YMCA youth football players get in free wearing their jersey, and their teams will be recognized at halftime. And at the tailgate area, Minot restaurants will be featured as part of "Buckshot's Best Bites" competition as tailgaters will get to sample plenty of free food and vote for a winner, who will be announced at halftime.

But for the Beaver football team itself, the day is about building off of last weekend's 17-10 victory over Concordia, St. Paul.

"It was great, it was an emotional win," Minot State head coach Ian Shields said. "It was good to get that victory, it was probably our best game of the season as far as playing complimentary football.

"Our kids kept believing, they kept fighting, they kept competing, and that's what we've been preaching since day one, whether you like the last play or not, you've got to clear it and get on to the next one.

"I thought it was our most mature football game we've played," Shields added.

Rushing for 258 yards on offense, the Beavers (1-6 overall, 1-6 NSIC) also played stout defense allowing just 179 total yards to the Golden Bears while coming up with 3 sacks and 2 turnovers.

Continuing that kind of play on both sides of the ball will be key against the Bulldogs (6-1, 5-1), but it won't be easy.

The Bulldogs come in with the No. 1 rated defense in the NSIC in scoring, rushing, and passing. Minnesota Duluth allows just 15.3 points per game, 84.1 rushing yards per game, and 182.4 passing yards per game – all No. 1 in the conference.

"This is a physical football team, this is probably the most physical football team we've played," Shields said of the Bulldogs defense.

Senior linebacker Drew Hennessey leads the UMD defense, and the NSIC, with 7 sacks, and has added in 20 tackles, while defensive back Tim Pokornowski, a graduate student, shares the NSIC lead with 3 interceptions and has 26 tackles.

Senior linebacker Andrew Klopp leads the team with 29 tackles.

While the Beavers look to break through the NSIC's No. 1 defense, they also will be challenged by one of the league's best multi-faceted offensive weapons in redshirt-sophomore quarterback Kyle Walljasper. Walljasper is No. 2 in the NSIC in rushing averaging 98.9 yards per game with 11 rushing touchdowns, and No. 10 in passing completing 71-of-124 passes for 948 yards and 15 TDs tosses.

"We know it's an uphill fight, but it's a good opportunity for us to go compete and to play at home," Shields said.

And an opportunity to say thank you to a group of seniors who will be making their final run out onto the turf at First Western Bank Field at Herb Parker Stadium as Minot State will honor Lafayette Bade, Steven Brown, Marshaun Campbell, Philip Green, Ben Hardy, Sean Hoover, Johnathan Leon, Knylen Miller-Levi, Joemah Norman, Aden Scott, Tim Steins, John Subiono, and Aaron Wood, along with former players and student assistant coaches Ian Gilbert and Isaiah Southwick.