Week eight of the NSIC football schedule closed out Saturday with the final regular scheduled road outing for Wayne State College.
From Chet Anderson Stadium in Bemidji, Minnesota, WSC visited BSU.
After starting with a 7-0 lead, Wayne State College gave up 27 straight points in the first half. The host Beavers held onto the 37-20 victory. Both teams are now 6-3 (5-3 NSIC) as WSC dropped their second straight.
Junior defensive back Marzion Cosby recorded a 19-yard pick six with 8:56 to play in the first quarter to give WSC the early 7-0 lead.
BSU answered on a 12-yard rushing touchdown by redshirt sophomore running back Jayden Washington (3:10 remaining in first quarter).
The game was tied at 7-7 after the first quarter.
Redshirt junior place kicker Connor Mantelli knocked through a 26-yard field goal with 12:05 left in the second quarter to go up 10-7. BSU added two more touchdowns from senior Sam McGath to senior wide receiver Brice Peters (10-yards/9:37 left) and redshirt wide out junior Dre Griffin (41-yards/3:08 remaining) to go up 24-7.
The Beavers scored once more in the first half thanks to a 25-yard field goal from Mantelli (12 seconds until half) to go up 27-7 at the break.
Bemidji State built their largest lead of the game thanks to a 32-yard Mantelli field goal with 9:46 remaining in the third quarter to lead 30-7.
WSC would score on back-to-back series. Senior Nick Bohn found senior tight end Trey Miller from eight-yards (7:00 left in third) followed by a 30-yard connection with redshirt sophomore Kendrick Watkins-Hogue (2:14 remaining). Following a failed two-point conversion, Bemidji State led 30-20.
The lone fourth quarter score favored BSU on a two-yard run from junior running back Justin Incaprera (9:24 left in game).
Final favored Bemidji State University winning 37-20 over Wayne State College.
Bohn finished 20-40 for 183 yards and two touchdowns while being sacked twice and rushing the ball seven times for minus six yards. Sophomore running back Latravious Boyd led the rushing attack with 27 net yards on five carries.
Watkins-Hogue recorded eight catches for 82 yards and a score; senior wide receiver Ashten Schmaderer followed with seven receptions for 57 yards as senior wide out Jadon Johnson added three catches for 21 yards.
Senior linebacker Alex Schall finished with eight tackles (two solo) followed by sophomore linebacker Clyde Hinton (five solo) and senior Dexter Larsen (one solo) both with seven tackles.
Tackles for loss were tallied by sophomore defensive lineman Carter Sitzman (six total/two solo), senior linebacker Tyler LeClair (five total/three solo) and junior defensive lineman Trent Rasmussen (four total/two solo) all with one as Rasmussen had a half TFL with Larsen.
Cosby tacked on two solo stops with his pick six.
Wayne State College recorded 60 plays for 225 yards (183 passing/42 rushing) while Bemidji State finished with 478 yards on 78 plays (248 passing/230 rushing). Both teams went 6-15 on third downs as WSC was 1-3 on fourth down compared to BSU going 1-2.
The Beavers won the battle of time of possession, 37:04 – 22:56.
The Wayne State College football team will next host Northern State on Saturday, Nov. 9 at noon.
