By Kristin Farris BSU Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

BEMIDJI, Minn. — Bemidji State University Football defeated Southwest Minnesota
State University, 38-0, on Saturday. Bemidji State held Southwest Minnesota State to
57 total yards and an 0-for-14 mark on third down.

Bemidji State turned an early defensive takeaway into points when Nah’Shawn Keith
sacked Macloud Crowton and recovered the fumble, and Jayden Washington scored from
15 yards out on the next play for a 7-0 lead at 13:28. The defense kept Southwest
Minnesota State behind the sticks with tackles for loss by Dominick Battle III, Joey
Funderburk, Carter Drake-Metzger and Frankie McAninch, then Cameron Steele
intercepted Crowton at the Bemidji St. 40 midway through the quarter. Bart McAninch
followed with a 44-yard completion to Hudson Omoke and an 11-yard throw to Kaleb
Miller before finding Omoke for a 6-yard touchdown, with Kyle Nadler’s second extra
point making it 14-0 at 3:45. Bemidji State closed the quarter with another stop
after a long kickoff return and moved into Southwest Minnesota State territory on
its final possession, finishing the first quarter ahead 14-0.

In the second quarter, Bemidji State scored twice and kept Southwest Minnesota State
off the board, closing the quarter with a 28-0 lead. Earlier, Bart McAninch opened
the quarter with a 41-yard completion to Tyree Lockett to the SMSU 2, then scored on
a 1-yard run at 13:51 before Nadler’s kick made it 21-0. The defense forced punts on
all four Mustang possessions in the quarter and recorded four sacks, including
pressure from Jason Eagle Jr., Tavon Rice, Keith and Funderburk. The Beavers also
put together a 53-yard drive from its own 40 to the Mustang 7 behind completions to
Trey Borchers, Lockett and Lucas Peterson, but turned it over on downs with 4:50
left. After another defensive stop gave Bemidji St. the ball at the SMSU 44, Antonio
Brown carried on all four plays of the drive and finished it with a 12-yard
touchdown before Nadler’s second extra point set the quarter-ending score.

The only points of the third quarter came on Bemidji State’s 13-play, 81-yard drive
that ended with Nadler’s 21-yard field goal at :41, making it 31-0. Earlier, Isaiah
Tisdle helped move the opening possession with repeated gains on the ground, and
Bart McAninch hit Zavery Guerra for 12 yards on third down before the drive stalled
near midfield. The defense kept SMSU from building momentum, with Funderburk
recording a 7-yard sack and Mike Watkins and Steele breaking up third-down passes on
separate stops. Mack Molander later led the long scoring march, completing four
passes to Miller for 58 yards on the drive, including a 37-yard gain to the SMSU
9-yard line. Ben Watson recovered a muffed kickoff after the field goal, but BSU.
gave the ball back on an interception and carried a 31-0 lead into the fourth
quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Bemidji St. scored the only points with a 13-play, 67-yard
drive that took 6:41 off the clock and ended when Molander hit Jack Carlson for a
5-yard touchdown before Nadler’s kick made it 38-0. Earlier, the defense ended the
Mustangs’ opening possession when Frankie McAninch broke up a fourth-down pass at
the Beaver 33. Bemidji State converted key downs on the scoring march, including
Molander’s 14-yard completion to Cedric Wall on third down and his 21-yard
completion to Trey Borchers on fourth down, while Tisdle added repeated gains on the
ground. After the touchdown, Deshaun Sager intercepted a pass at the SMSU 48, and
BSU later added defensive stops from Kaine Larocque, Ryan Carroll and Elijah Hagen
as the game finished as a 38-0 win.

Bart McAninch completed 13 of 20 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown and also
rushed for a score. Keith recorded six tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a
fumble recovery. Lockett finished with three receptions for 77 yards. Omoke caught
two passes for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Bemidji State is now 1-1 overall and 1-0 in NSIC play. Southwest Minnesota State is
also 1-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Up next, Bemidji State travels to
Mankato, Minn., to face Minnesota State University, Mankato on Saturday, Sept. 12,
at 2 p.m.