BEMIDJI, Minn. — Bemidji State University Football lost to (RV) Wayne State College 45-13 on Saturday. Bemidji State finished with 290 yards of offense, including 211 passing, but committed three turnovers and went 2-for-11 on third down.
Wayne State finished with 457 yards, including 271 on the ground, and recorded 23 first downs while Bemidji State added 79 rushing yards. BSU generated its scoring through the passing game, including
Zavery Guerra's 68-yard touchdown reception in a one-play drive featuring
Mack Molander's pass and another scoring drive that included a 41-yard pass by
Connor Carver. The Beavers also lost two fumbles, threw one interception and went 2-for-11 on third down, while the Wildcats went 6-for-13 on third down and did not turn the ball over.
Bemidji State answered Wayne State's opening touchdown late in the first quarter when
Mack Molander found
Zavery Guerra for a 68-yard score, and
Kyle Nadler's extra point tied the game at 7-7. Earlier in the sequence, the defense gave the offense the ball back at its own 32 by stopping Wayne State on fourth down after Bemidji State had turned it over on downs. The quarter ended tied 7-7.
BSU was held scoreless in the second quarter as WSC scored three touchdowns and a field goal, and the quarter ended with BSU trailing 31-7. The Beavers' main response came on a late drive from its 25 to the WSC 23, with Molander completing passes to
Kaleb Miller,
Tyree Lockett and
Antonio Brown before the series ended on downs at the 29.
Ray Saffold and
Nah'Shawn Keith shared a 10-yard sack on Wayne State's final possession, but the Wildcats added a 49-yard field goal with 28 seconds left.
The Beavers opened the third quarter with a 75-yard touchdown drive, highlighted by
Connor Carver's 41-yard completion to Lockett and capped by
Mack Molander's 4-yard touchdown pass to Brown that made it 31-13. The Wildcats answered with a 13-play, 77-yard touchdown drive, and Bemidji State's next possession lost four yards before a punt. The quarter ended with WSC ahead 38-13.
BSU was hurt by two lost fumbles in the fourth quarter, including a muffed punt that gave WSC the ball at the BSU 5 before a touchdown made it 45-13. BSU's longest drive of the quarter covered 53 yards, with Molander converting a fourth down to Carver and adding a 19-yard run before the possession ended on downs at the WSC 11. A later fumble after Bemidji State started at the Wayne State 40 ended its final possession, and WSC closed out the 45-13 final.
Molander completed 14 of 28 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns and added 23 rushing yards. Guerra caught two passes for a team-high 74 yards and one touchdown. Brown rushed for 27 yards and added two receptions for 16 yards and a touchdown.
L'Shawn Taylor and
Yanis Kasende matched the team lead with eight tackles.
Bemidji State is 2-5 overall and 2-4 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. Wayne State is 6-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Up next, BSU travels to Jamestown, N.D., to face University of Jamestown on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. following this coming week's bye break.
