BEMIDJI, Minn. (Chet Anderson Stadium) - Bemidji State retained the Battle Axe, the fourth-oldest traveling trophy in NCAA Division II football, for a school-record sixth consecutive season, using a 14-point fourth quarter to break open a tie game and post a 27-13 victory over the Minnesota State-Moorhead Dragons.

Minnesota State took advantage of a sloppy first half by the BSU offense and held a 6-0 lead until the final seconds of the second quarter. The Beavers and Dragons combined to net just 34 yards of offense on 14 plays during the game’s first three drives, and the first of two interceptions by BSU quarterback Nathan Sannes (Fertile, Minn.) set the Dragons up at the BSU 11-yard line on their second drive of the day.

MSU needed four plays to score, as Dennis Oswald dove in from one yard out, but Tyson Bonkoski’s extra point attempt banged off the left upright to leave the Dragons with a 6-0 lead.

From there, neither offense was able to get untracked and the 6-0 lead held until late in the second quarter. After the Dragon touchdown, BSU and MSU combined for four punts, a fumble and an interception on the game’s next six drives, with the teams averaging 3.4 yards per play. The Beavers managed a 10-play, 50-yard drive late in the first quarter, but that drive ended in the second quarter with the second intereption of Sannes.

BSU finally found some offense after a Moorhead punt set them up at their own 21-yard line with 5:02 to play in the second quarter. The Beavers assembled a 19-play, 79-yard scoring marathon, capped by a two-yard touchdown pass from Sannes to Tyler Olson (Alvarado, Minn.) with 11 seconds to play in the quarter. An extra point from Michael McDonald (Muskegon, Mich.) put BSU ahead, 7-6.

BSU used McDonald’s leg to cap two short-field drives in the third quarter, as the sophomore kicked a 22-yard field goal after a four-play, one-yard drive with 6:28 to play in the third, an da 28-yard field goal after a 32-yard drive with 4:39 to play in the third. The field goals gave BSU a 13-6 advantage.

Moorhead drew even with 4:39 to play in the third quarter with its only big play on offense of the afternoon. Eric Frost connected with Eyad Salem from 62 yards out to cap a four-play, 78-yard drive, and Bonkoski’s PAT kick drew the Dragons even at 13-13.

After the teams exchanged punts, BSU took the lead for good when Olson scored on an 11-yard pass from Sannes with 13:55 to play in the fourth quarter, capping an eight-play, 83-yard scoring drive.

The Dragons threw an interception which was returned for a touchdown and turned the ball over on downs twice on their only three drives in the fourth quarter, erasing any hope of a comeback attempt.

Jeremiah Johnson (Glidden, Iowa) helped fuel a Bemidji State defense which limited the Dragons to 197 yards of total offense. Johnson finished with eight tackles (four solo) and intercepted two passes, returning the second for a 28-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to provide insurance for the BSU victory.

Zach Christ (Buffalo, Minn.) led BSU with 12 tackles (three solo) and had a two-yard tackle-for-loss. He was one of four players in the game to record 10 or more tackles; Franklin Lewis had a game-high 13 stops for the Dragons, including four solos; and Erick Schmidt and Kirk Peterson added 12 and 11 tackles, respectively, for the visitors.

Casey Cannell had eight tackles (three solo), one-half sack, a fumble recovery, a pass breakup and a 44-yard interception return for the Dragons.

The victory improved BSU to 7-2 on the season, marking the sixth time in 10 seasons under head coach Jeff Tesch and the ninth time in the 80-year history of the program the Beavers have won seven or more games in a season. BSU also improved to 4-2 in NSIC play. MSU-Moorhead saw its season mark fall to 1-9, and are now 1-5 in the NSIC.

BSU wraps up its 2005 regular season Saturday, Nov. 5 against Wayne State in the 2005 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Metrodome Classic. Opening kickoff from the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. is slated for 5:00 p.m. Central time.

NOTES: BSU limited an opponent to less than 200 yards of total offense for the second time this season and the ninth time since 1999... Nathan Sannes has thrown a touchdown pass in 20 consecutive games, extending his own school record...

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