Bemidji State rolls past Concordia-St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Sea Foam Stadium) -- A cohesive effort helped the Bemidji State University football team to a 42-14 win over Concordia University-St. Paul on Saturday at Sea Foam Stadium in St. Paul, Minn. The Beavers, now 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division, were led by 506 offensive yards and three takeaways from the “Gang Green” defense.

Sophomore quarterback Brandon Alt put together his fourth 300-yard passing game of the season, totaling 354 yards with three touchdowns and a 58-completion percent. All three of Alt’s touchdowns came from at least 50 yards out, including two 75-yard catch and run scores by senior wide receiver Malik Williams.

Junior wide receiver Dhel Duncan-Busby led the receivers with four receptions for 63 yards while Williams brought in three receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Brendan Beaulieu caught three passes for 70 yards and a 51-yard touchdown.

Bemidji State’s defense limited Concordia-St. Paul to 230 offensive yards and recorded three takeaways.

Freshman Colton Herman brought in BSU’s first takeaway of the game on an interception, while junior defensive back Jake West returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown. Senior linebacker Gabe Ames led the defensive unit with seven tackles, 3.0 tackles for a loss of 17 yards and one fumble recovery.

The Beavers forced the Golden Bears to punt on their first drive of the game, which included a third-down sack by junior edge rusher Zollie Kaplan. BSU gave the ball back on its second offensive play, an interception to set up CSP at the BSU 40-yardline. Concordia-St. Paul scored the first touchdown of the game on a double pass for 40 yards.

Alt threw the first of his three touchdowns midway through the first quarter, finding Beaulieu in the middle of the field on his way to a 51-yard catch and run score. The throw completed a sixplay, 87-yard drive to tie the game, 7-7. Bemidji State continued to click offensively with a 74-yard drive early in the second quarter, capped by the first of two rushing touchdowns by freshman quarterback Sam McGath.

Bemidji State held Concordia-St. Paul without a first down in the second quarter, helping extend its lead before halftime. The CSP offense gave away a fumble late in the first half to set up McGath’s second rushing touchdown, this time from one yard out to put BSU ahead, 21-7.

Just two plays out of halftime, Alt and Williams made their first of two 75yard touchdown connections. Williams caught the ball near mid-field before spinning away from a tackle and giving BSU a 28-7 lead. After CSP brought the game back to within two scores on a 71yard rushing touchdown, Alt and Williams connected again from 75 yards. Williams was set up for a screen near the sideline, back-stepped to avoid a defender and ran up the sideline for a 3514 lead.

Bemidji State forced Concordia-St. Paul to a turnover on downs and a punt before West solidified the BSU win with his interception returned for a touchdown. The pick-six gave the Beavers a 42-14 lead and went down as the third-longest interception return in BSU history.

The BSU rushing attack combined for 152 yards on the ground, led by sophomore running back Sage Booker with 88 yards on 22 carries. Sophomore back Makaio Harn tallied 64 rushing yards on 13 attempts with a long of 24 yards.

Senior defensive back Hameed Oyedele followed Ames in tackles with six, with 0.5 tackle for a loss. Kaplan and fellow edge rusher Colbey Wadsworth tallied five tackles, including 2.0 sacks for a loss of 22 yards for Kaplan. Bemidji State returns home Saturday, Oct. 16 to renew the Battle Axe Rivalry against Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Q: Kirk Cousins recently tossed his 100th touchdown pass in a Vikings uniform. What other Vikings QBs have hit the century mark in TD tosses?

A: Well, we all know Tarkenton is No. 1, and most might have guessed Tommy Kramer at No. 2. But is it Brad Johnson, Wade Wilson, Warren Moon or Daunte Culpepper at No. 3? Drum roll...it’s Culpepper, who had 135 TD throws in 81 games. Tarkenton had 239 in 177 games and TK had 159 in 128 games.

Q: Two quarterbacks in Vikings history have a QB rating over 100. Who are they, and who is No. 1 and who is No. 2?

A: Hint-hint...they both wore No. 8. Kirk Cousins is the top rated QB in franchise history with a rating of 103.8. The other... Sam Bradford, who during his short stint under center notched a QB rating of 101.1.

For good measure, Tarkenton comes in at 80.1, TK at 72.9 and Culpepper at 91.5. See adjoining chart for career QBs and their ratings. And remember, the game has changed dramatically to a pass-first scheme the past 20 years. And maybe Chris Kluwe should have been a QB.

Q: Which Vikings QB, who has started at least 12 games, has the highest winning percentage in franchise history?

A: If we gave you the initials G.F, would you get it?

It’s not Case Keenum, who went 12-4, or Brett Favre, who went 18-13, or Fran The Man who went 70-32.

It was none other than the man, myth, legend himself, Gus Frerotte. In 13 games Frerotte went 10-3 for a winning percentage of .769. The second winningest QB...it’s a tie between Keenum and Jeff Goerge who both went 9-3.

Rosemount Youth Football honors players with Pat Tillman Award

The Rosemount High School football program created The Pat Tillman Award in 2005 to honor the player that most exemplifies the willingness to serve, is unselfish, is humble, helps others, does not seek recognition and leads by example.

This award, voted on by teammates, represents the the player that the team feels meets this criteria.

Former NFL football Player Pat Tillman demonstrated these characteristics in how he lived his life before being tragically killed in Afghanistan. He was known for being a leader by example and going out of his way to help others. People that described him said he was always very humble about any accomplishments that came his way.

In 2015 the youth program awarded the Pat tillman Award to players who exemplified the above qualities.

Pat Tillman Award winners

Rosemount Youth Football

Carsten Van Proosdy

Hunter Fossum

Sawyer Ganser

Sawyer Felten

Shane Hall

Colton Broback

Joseph Anderson

Brooks Hall

Daly Wente

Bennett Greenson

Michael Daniels

Finn Macken

Max Meger

Caleb Lindsay

Ben Jezusko

Jacob Ayoub

Warren Robertson

Brady Struble