Beavers host NSIC South contender Warriors Saturday at Chet Anderson
The Bemidji State University football team returns home to host Winona State University Saturday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. after coming off yet another late-game comeback. The Beavers (5-1 overall) look to extend their win streak to three games as they and the Warriors (4-2 overall) meet for the 77th time in the series history at Chet Anderson Stadium in Bemidji, Minn.
Winona State leads the all-time series against Bemidji State, 45-30-1. BSU has won three of the last seven meetings, including back-to-back victories in 2009 and 2013. The Warriors won the most recent meeting, 30-20, in Winona, Minn., to open the 2017 season.
The series first began Oct. 1, 1932 in Winona, a 12-0 win by the Warriors.
Bemidji State found itself in a similar situation for the second straight week after a comeback win at Southwest Minnesota State University, 25-24, last week. The Beavers rallied with 25 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, capped by a 27-yard touchdown with 10 seconds remaining in the game. It was the second straight game the Beavers drove at least 61 yards on their final drive of the game to score the game-winning touchdown.
The “Gang Green” defense forced the SMSU offense to a three-and-out midway through the fourth quarter before forcing a turnover on downs to set up the offense’s game-winning drive with 1:38 to play.
Junior quarterback Emmett Enright and junior wide receiver Malik Williams connected for their second straight game-winning touchdown on a 27-yard strike with 10 seconds to play. Enright went 26-of-43 passing with 318 yards, including 16 completions during BSU’s four consecutive touchdown-scoring drives to finish the game. Enright is the first Beaver to attempt at least 40 passes and throw for at least 300 yards since Jordan Hein in 2017.
Williams was one half of BSU’s two-headed monster in the receiving game while finishing with 11 catches for 113 yards. Williams’ 11 catches, the most by a receiver in the NSIC last week, were the most for a BSU receiver since Christian Lunde in 2015.
Sophomore wide receiver Brendan Beaulieu added 110 receiving yards on eight catches with two total touchdowns. Williams and Beaulieu are the first BSU duo to total over 100 yards receiving in a game since Blake Holder and Christian Lunde in 2017.
Winona State came away with a 49-3 Homecoming win last week against Minot State University. The win moves WSU to 4-2 overall heading into the third week of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference interdivisional play.