BEMIDJI, Minn. — Bemidji State University Football (5-5, 5-4) defeated No. 21/17 University of Minnesota Duluth (7-3, 7-2) 44-26 on Saturday, using 21 unanswered second-quarter points to build a 31-7 lead. The Beavers ran for 209 yards, threw for 265 and held the ball for 38:50, holding opponents to just over 20 minutes of possession in the past two games.
The Beavers paired 265 passing yards with 209 rushing yards, scored three touchdowns each way and converted all four red-zone trips while holding the ball for 38:50. The Beavers also recorded two interceptions and a fumble recovery, and a 21-point unanswered run helped turn a 10-7 margin into a 31-7 advantage despite 16 penalties for 145 yards.
Koehler Kilty intercepted a Minnesota Duluth pass and returned it 52 yards to the 8, and
Connor Carver scored on the next snap to put the Beavers ahead 10-0 in the first quarter. Earlier, the Beavers opened with a 15-play, 71-yard drive that
Kyle Nadler finished with a 25-yard field goal. UMD answered late on Ryder Patterson's 67-yard touchdown run, leaving BSU ahead 10-7 at the end of the quarter.
Bemidji State scored all 21 points in the second quarter, with Carver running for a 29-yard touchdown and throwing two touchdown passes to
Lucas Peterson. Kilty forced a fumble on a kickoff return that
Kamari Debose recovered, giving the Beavers a short field before Carver found Peterson from 12 yards out. Carver later capped a 10-play, 69-yard drive with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Peterson, and the Beavers finished the quarter ahead 31-7.
Bemidji State answered Minnesota Duluth's early third-quarter surge when Carver hit Peterson for a 68-yard touchdown, putting the Beavers ahead 37-20 with 8:43 left in the quarter. The Bulldogs later scored after a Beavers interception to make it 37-26, but the Beavers closed the quarter with a drive that included Carver's 46-yard completion to
Tyree Lockett and reached the UMD 13 as time expired.
Antonio Brown scored on a 3-yard run and Nadler added the kick to put the Beavers at 44-26 with 14:13 left in the fourth quarter. The defense kept Minnesota Duluth off the board from there, with
L'Shawn Taylor intercepting a fourth-down pass and
Mike Watkins adding a 13-yard sack during a late stop. Bemidji State closed out the 44-26 win with two Carver kneel-downs in the final 1:14.
Carver completed 12 of 24 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 26 times for 98 yards and two scores. Peterson caught five passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns, setting a season high in receiving yards and a career high in receiving touchdowns, topping his previous high of two. Brown rushed 19 times for 101 yards and a touchdown, setting a season high in rushing yards. Kilty recorded five tackles, an interception with a 52-yard return and a forced fumble.
The Beavers are 5-5 overall and 5-4 in conference play and have a chance to win a portion of the NSIC North title next week. Minnesota Duluth is 7-3 overall and 7-2 in conference play. To close the season, the Beavers travels to Bismarck, N.D. to face University of Mary on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m.
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).
