MINOT, N.D. - Sophomore quarterback Derek Edholm (So., Anoka, Minn.) led the Bemidji State football team on a three-minute, 55-second, 56-yard drive to snatch the lead from hosting Minot State with 3:24 left to post a 27-24 victory in the 2008 season-opener Thursday at Herb Parker Stadium in Minot, N.D.

After trailing by as many as 12 points, 24-12, with four minutes to go in the third quarter, Edholm orchestrated a pair of fourth quarter drives that led to 15 unanswered points by the Beavers.

Entering the game with just 13 career completions, Edholm accurately piled up 32 on 44 attempts for 307 yards--marking the first time BSU quarterback has passed for more than 300 yards since Nathan Sannes recorded 308 versus Winona State Oct. 8, 2005.

Although he sprinkled passes to six different receivers on the evening, senior George Kadlec (Sr., WR, Chicago, Ill) was on the receiving end of a career-high 10, which included a pair of touchdown catches. Kadlec was on the receiving end of a three-yard route that put the Beavers up in the waning moments of the game and after Edholm found Andrew Schultz (So., WR, Grand Forks, N.D.) to complete a two-point conversion, BSU would extend its lead to 27-24.

The late rally helped BSU recover from early special team woes and stretch its winning streak over Minot State to six in the teams’ annual ‘Beaver Bash.’

Minot State came out early to set the tone for the game. MSU struck at the midpoint of the first quarter when Nick Banks broke from the pack to scamper 46 yards to cap a two-play, 55-yard drive with touchdown to go up 7-0.

Bemidji State responded at the 12:09 mark of the second quarter when Brandon Miles (So., RB, Kenai, Alaska) plunged into the end zone from three yards out, but a failed Paul Potemra (So., K/P, Poolesville, Md.) extra-point attempt left the Beaver trailing by a point, 7-6.

BSU took its first lead of the game, 12-7, when Edholm found Kadlec streaking down the sideline from 36 yards out just five minutes into the second quarter, but the lead would last only four minutes as MSU’s shifty Johnny Lester, who accounted for 180 yards in returns, fielded a Potemra punt and returned it 73 yards for a touchdown to put MSU up 14-12 heading into the halftime break.

Lester would find the end zone to conclude a 84-yard run on the opening kick of the second half to stretch the MSU lead to 21-12 and swing all momentum in favor of the hosts. But the Minot State attack would sputter out in the second half accumulating just 108 yards offense.

The MSU Beavers would add a 37-yard field goal off the foot of Nik Levnaich late in the third, but Bemidji State would score 15 unanswered points to sneak out with a win. Miles posted a two-yard TD run in addition to Kadlec’s three-yard reception in the game’s final minutes.

The BSU defense, which was led by Jake Anderson (Jr., LB, Karlstad, Minn.) who posted eight tackles (2.5 TFL), a sack and an interception, forced three interceptions and a fumble recovery. Josh Karch (Sr., LB, Moorhead, Minn.) added a career-best 12 stops.

The Beavers, 1-0, move to 8-5 in season-openers under Tesch and improve to 10-1 all-time versus MSU.

BSU opens Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play versus Minnesota State University, Mankato Sept. 6 in the team’s home opener. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Chet Anderson Stadium.

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