MANKATO, Minn. – RV/24 Bemidji State University football ends its season with a heartbreaking 27-23 loss to RV Minnesota State University Mankato Saturday afternoon in Mankato, Minn. 
 
The Beavers started strong by ending the Mavericks' first drive of the day with an interception from Isaiah Johnson. That interception resulted in a nine-play, 53-yard drive down the field and gave kicker Connor Mantelli a 44-yard field goal to go up 3-0. The second quarter saw two scores from each team starting with a 10-yard reception between Sam McGath and Drayton Lehman with 6:28 to play in the half. MSU answered back three minutes later to make it 10-7. The Beavers were able to grab one more touchdown with 1:07 to play on a 10-yard rushing touchdown for Connor Carver. MSU matched this with a rush of their own with just 14 seconds left in the half. 
 
Carver decided that one rushing touchdown was not enough for him when the redshirt freshman ran in a 77-yard touchdown at the 8:41 mark in the third quarter. Carver's touchdown ended a four-play, 98-yard drive that lasted just over two minutes. MSU made things interesting around four minutes later by scoring on an eight-yard connection between quarterback Hayden Ekern and receiver TreShawn Watson with 4:25 to play, making the score 23-21 in favor of BSU heading into the final frame. MSU took the lead for the first time all game with 11:07 remaining in the fourth quarter and would keep that lead into the final buzzer.
 
Quarterbacks Sam McGath and Connor Carver were the dominate figures of BSU's offense against MSU with McGath grabbing 149 passing yards and an interception while Carver tallied 137 net rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. McGath added 25 rushing yards to his total offense as well. On the receiving end, Drayton Lehman led the Beavers with 55 yards on eight receptions and grabbed one touchdown. Brice Peters sat just behind him with three receptions for 46 yards. 
 
Defensively, a handful of Beavers each tallied five tackles, defensive backs Jamel Stone, Gabe Ward and Jacob Vasquez plus defensive linemen Stephen Hoffman and Marco Cavallaro. Contrary to a normal Gang Green game, the Beavers marked just two tackles for a loss of six yards with no sacks. Stephen Hoffman grabbed one tackle for a loss of five yards and Marco Cavallaro had one for a yard. Zay Johnson marked the lone interception of the evening, stopping a Maverick touchdown in the endzone and starting the Beavers' first drive of the day, a field-goal scoring drive, at the 25-yard line. 
 
Sam McGath earned some additional statistics on the special teams front against MSU, marking two punts for 78 yards and two touchbacks, with a long of 46 yards. Drayton Lehman made huge strides in the Beavers' return game, tallying a 46-yard kickoff return that set BSU up for a scoring drive, plus a punt return for 13 yards.
 
As a whole, the Beavers and Mavericks played an evenly matched game. BSU marked 22 first downs, nine passing and four from first downs. On the rushing front, there was only an eight-yard difference between the two teams with BSU at 229 yards and MSU at 237. Through the air was a similar story, Bemidji State grabbing 149 yards and Minnesota State taking 135. In the end, Bemidji State had just six additional yards on offense with 61 plays and 6.2 yards per play. 
 
Minnesota State now moves on to play in the NCAA Semifinals against Valdosta State University next Saturday. The winner of that matchup will meet the winner of the Ferris State University versus Slippery Rock University semifinal game in McKinney, Tex. on Dec. 21^st.
 
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).