Box Score
MARSHALL, MINN.: Defending Northern Sun Conference champion Bemidji State University earned its 10th straight victory over Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday earning a 28-14 NSIC victory in Marshall.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for BSU and improves its record to 5-4 overall, 4-3 NSIC, while SMSU lost for the third straight game and is now 2-7 overall, 2-5 NSIC.
Bemidji State used ball control in the second half to earn the victory running 47 second half plays compared to just 25 for SMSU and also held a 22 to eight time of possession advantage in the final 30 minutes.
Despite finishing the game with just 22:57 minutes of possession time, SMSU had plenty of chances to score but finished the game just 1 for 5 inside the BSU 20-yard line.
On the game's opening possession, SMSU drove the ball from its own 39-yard line and in six plays had first down and goal from the BSU 9-yard line. The Beaver defense, which ranked No. 1 in the country last season in rush defense, held strong and forced the Mustangs to turn the ball over on downs at the 5-yard line as Mustang Zach Wysong was stopped on fourth and goal from the 3-yard line.
The SMSU defense though answered right back with a turnover as David Connors intercepted BSU quarterback Derek Edholm at the 20-yard line setting up SMSU with great field position but the drive ended with zero points as BSU forced a 44-yard field goal that was missed by SMSU's Scott Talcott.
The game remained scoreless until late in the first half when BSU jumped on the board first. After recovering an SMSU fumble at the BSU 40-yard line, the Beaver offense moved 60 yards in just eight plays capped off by a 5-yard touchdown run by James Moore to give the Beavers a 7-0 lead with 5:18 left in the half.
BSU extended the lead just moments later as SMSU's Josh Shudlick was intercepted at the SMSU 37-yard line and BSU's Jake Anderson returned it 37 yards for the score to give BSU a 14-0 lead with 4:55 left in the half.
SMSU on its next drive would move the ball to the BSU 22-yard line but the Beavers' Matt Heber forced a fumble of Paul Benesh and BSU recovered to stop the SMSU drive and give BSU a 14-point halftime lead.
In the second half, the SMSU defense twice stopped BSU on fourth down and following the second stop on fourth and nine from the SMSU 16-yard line, the Mustangs were able to capitalize with a touchdown. SMSU's Levi Bullerman sacked Edholm forcing a fumble and recovered the ball at the SMSU 23-yard line. On third and two from the SMSU 31-yard line, Shudlick scrambled and found Derek Townsend open near midfield and the sophomore wide out raced towards the endzone for his team leading fourth touchdown reception of the season to cut the BSU lead to 14-7 with 1:23 left in the quarter.
The Mustang defense then forced a three and out by the BSU offense but a penalty on the ensuing punt forced SMSU to take over at its own 12-yard line. After a rush for no gain and then a six-yard holding penalty SMSU was faced with second and 16 from its own 6-yard line. After a short pass completion and an incomplete pass, SMSU was forced to punt and Korey Roethler's punt into the wind from his own end zone went just 22 yards and BSU took over at the SMSU 30-yard line. Just two plays later Moore broke free for 19-yard touchdown run to give BSU a 21-7 lead with 12:31 left in the game.
BSU would push the lead to 28-7 with 5:41 left in the game as Anthony Schreiber, who replaced starting quarterback Edholm just four plays earlier after suffering an injury, scored from 1-yard out to give BSU a 21-point margin.
Following an SMSU drive that was stopped at the BSU 16-yard line, the SMSU defense forced a punt to give the Mustangs the ball back at the BSU 44-yard line and in four plays Shudlick capped off the scoring drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Justin VanWyk with 2:39 remaining the game. SMSU then recovered the on-side kick but after a first down reception to Van Wyk at the BSU 45-yard line, Shudlick was sacked and fumbled and the Beaver defense was able to recover and then run out the clock for the victory.
Bemidji State finished the game with 22 first downs and 335 yards of total offense. Brandon Miles led the Beaver rushing attack with 133 yards on 30 carries. Edholm completed 11 of 25 passes for 93 yards and was intercepted twice. Schrieber, the program's all-time leading receiver, caught six passes for 38 yards.
The SMSU offense finished the day with 327 yards and 14 first downs. SMSU amassed zero yards rushing on the day with Wysong leading the rush offense with 30 yards on 12 attempts. Shudlick was sacked four times for a total of 29 yards. Shudlick did complete 22 of 39 attempts for 327 yards and two touchdowns. It was his third straight 300-plus yard passing game and is the first Mustang quarterback to pass for 300 yards or more in three straight games since Shawn Dupris in 1993.
Townsend caught four passes for 127 yards while Van Wyk finished with five receptions for 41 yards to lead SMSU receivers.
The SMSU defense was paced by junior Tyler Reed with 10 tackles while also recording his second interception of the season while Nick Wagner finished with a career-high eight tackles and Jason Fernholz added a career-high seven stops.
SMSU will conclude the 2007 home season next Saturday, Nov. 3 hosting league leading Winona State at 1 p.m. The game will be the final home game for seven Mustang seniors and will also be the last game ever at Mattke Field.
