BEMIDJI, Minn. – Bemidji State University football dominated over Wayne State College Saturday evening, claiming a 37-20 victory on Alumni weekend. The Beavers move to 6-3 overall with a 5-3 record in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. 
 
Though WSC grabbed the first score of the game, BSU took the majority of those remaining. Wayne State marked the first seven points off a 19-yard interception return from Marzion Cosby at the 8:56 mark. The Beavers, working to get on the board in the first quarter, answered back with seven points of their own on the very next drive with 3:05 remaining. Jayden Washington ran the ball in from the 12-yard line to conclude the 11-play, 75-yard drive. Connor Mantelli added the PAT kick to make it a tie game going into the second quarter.
 
The second quarter was all Bemidji State, with BSU grabbing 20 points and stopping WSC from gaining any additional points. Mantelli kicked things off with a 26-yard field goal, ending a seven-play, 71-yard drive for the Beavers and making it 10-7. Brice Peters and Sam McGath added seven more just under three minutes later, finishing a three-play, 58-yard drive and creating more separation at 17-7. One more touchdown came at 3:08 with a 41-yard connection between McGath and Aundreus Griffin, followed by another good PAT kick from Mantelli. Mantelli would add three more points with just nine seconds left in the half on a 36-yard field goal, moving it to 27-7.
 
Wayne State bounced back after halftime, grabbing two touchdowns and forcing BSU to settle for a field goal around the halfway point. Connor Mantelli's 32-yard field goal earned added three to his points total, now sitting at 12 with three field goals and three point-after-attempt kicks. Following Mantelli's field goal and the two Wayne State touchdowns, the score sat at 30-20 in favor of the Beavers heading into the final frame. 
 
The final frame set up similarly to the second with the Beavers earning the only points in the quarter. Justin Incaprera ran the ball in from two yards out to make it 36-20 and Mantelli added one more to move the Beavers to 37. 
 
Bemidji State totaled 230 rushing yards and 248 through the air this afternoon. Additionally, the Beaver "Gang Green" defense held the Wildcats to just 42 yards on the ground over 20 attempts and marked 36 tackles for loss yards. In total, the Beaver offense marked 478 yards of total offense, and the Wildcats tallied just 225. BSU continued to be a national leader in time of possession, marking 37:04 minutes off the clock while in possession of the ball, giving WSC just 22 minutes and 56 seconds with the ball. 
 
Beaver quarterback Sam McGath went 17-32-1 with 248 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. On the ground, Jayden Washington marked 86 net yards with 19 attempts and one touchdown. Jarrett Gronski, son of legendary Beaver Football running back John Gronski who was enshrined in the BSU Hall of Fame just hours prior to the game, grabbed 68 yards with a long rush of 31. On the receiving end, Bubba Peters grabbed one touchdown with 89 yards on six receptions. Just behind him with 80 yards and a touchdown was Dre Griffin. 
 
Defensively, the Beavers were led by linebacker Jacob Drietz who marked five solo tackles, and one assisted for six total and one forced fumble. Kamron Gothard marked the best game of his career against the Wildcats, grabbing five tackles, two tackles for a loss with 15 yards, one sack for 12 yards, three pass breakups and a quarterback hurry. Marcus Hansen found himself in the Wildcats' backfield often, grabbing three tackles for a loss for 19 yards, one sack for 13, a pass breakup and four quarterback hurries. 
 
A key part to the Beavers' win was Connor Mantelli. Mantelli went three-for-three on field goals with a field-goal sequence of 26 yards, 36 yards and 32 yards. Additionally, Mantelli marked good point-after-attempt kicks on all four Beaver touchdowns. He earns the title of leading scorer for Bemidji State with 13 total points. 
 
The Beavers now look to next week and one of the longest running rivalries in NCAA Division II Football, the Battle Axe Rivalry against Minnesota State University Moorhead. The Beavers travel to Moorhead, Minn. on Nov. 9 for a noon kickoff against the Dragons. They'll then host the Augustana University Vikings Nov. 16 to close out the regular season. 
 
For more information on the Bemidji State Football program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversFB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversFB).
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).