DATE: September 30, 2006
Johnathan Hawks’ 100-yard kickoff return touchdown lifts Beavers to first 3-0 conference start since 1959

ABERDEEN, S.D. (Swisher Field) - For the first time since 1959, the Bemidji State University football program is 3-0 in conference play.

The Beavers capped a wild fourth quarter by blocking a 35-yard Northern State field goal attempt with 56 seconds to play to secure a thrilling 25-22 come-from-behind victory.

After BSU tied the game at 15 early in the fourth quarter and then grabbed an 18-15 lead on a career-long 39-yard field goal by Michael McDonald (Muskegon, Mich.), the Wolves assembled a 74-yard touchdown drive to recapture a late lead. Northern State quarterback Jimmie Griffin completed four consecutive passes, culminating with a 27-yard strike to Turner Johnson which helped the hosts grab a 22-18 lead with 4:20 to play in regulation.

But on the ensuing kickoff, BSU senior wide receiver Johnathan Hawks (Gainesville, Ga.) became the first Beaver in nearly six years to retun a kickoff for a touchdown, tying an NCAA record with a 100-yard runback, and McDonald’s point after helped the Beavers regain the lead, 25-22.

Bemidji State’s kickoff pinned the Wolves at their own 13-yard line with 3:51 to play in regulation, but Griffin led Northern State into position to tie. He completed five passes for 75 yards on the drive, including a 30-yard hookup with Wade Ginsbach on a 4th and 7 play, but was sacked to leave the Wolves with a 4th and 16 at the BSU 18-yard line. Kyle Schierholt lined up from 35 yards out in an attempt to tie the score for the Wolves, but the field goal try was blocked by Tiger Ellison (Columbus, Ohio).

BSU quarterback Cory Wardrope (Chugiak, Alaska), who came on in relief of Josh Williams (Downey, Calif) on BSU’s first drive of the fourth quarter, took a knee on three consecutive plays following the block to run out the clock on BSU’s fourth consecutive victory.

The wild finish helped Bemidji State seal just its third 3-0 start to a conference season in school history, and the first at BSU since 1959 - the same team which captured BSU’s last conference championship. BSU opened Northern Intercollegiate Conference play with a 3-0 record in 1941 en route to a third-place league finish, and the 1959’s 3-0 mark led to the fourth of BSU’s four all-time conference titles.

The back-and-forth fourth quarter was in stark contrast to a first half which was completely dominated by the Bemidji State defense.

The Beavers ended the first Northern State drive of the day with a nine-yard sack of Griffin in the end zone for a safety, the first of six three-and-out drives for the Wolves in the first half. On its eight first-half drives, Northern State yielded the safety, punted five times, threw an interception to end its only sustained march of the half, and ran out the clock on a two-play drive heading into the locker room.

The Wolves generated just 22 yards of offense on 30 snaps in the first half, and Griffin was held to just 6-of-20 passing for 26 yards and an interception.

BSU picked up its only offensive score of the first half in the final minute of the second quarter, helping it take a 9-0 lead into the locker room. Williams started BSU at its own 20-yard line following a Northern State punt, then completed 4-of-5 passes for 50 yards and added seven yards rushing to drive the Beavers downfield. He found Dan Nagengast (Plymouth, Minn.) from 16 yards out for Nagengast’s first career touchdown reception.

Northern State fought back with nine unanswered points in the third quarter to tie the game. BSU’s Matt Heber (Mundelein, Ill.) intercepted Griffin on the opening possession of the third quarter, and three Eurice Watson (Dayton, Ohio) rushes left the Beavers with a second and goal at the six-yard line. Williams was intercepted by Una Latu, who returned the oskie 95 yards for a touchdown to put the Wolves on the board. Schierholt’s extra point attempt missed, and NSU pulled within 9-6.

The Wolves again took advantage of a Williams turnover to pull even. Rushing to convert on a 3rd and 2 play, Williams fumbled and the loose ball was recovered by Northern State’s Lance York. Griffin drove the Wolves 59 yards in 12 plays, but after three incomplete passes on first and goal Northern State settled for a 23-yard field goal from Schierholt to tie the game at 9-9 with 5:07 to play in the third.

Northern State grabbed its first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter, when Griffin connected with Turner Johnson from 22 yards out to cap an eight-play, 47-yard drive which began late in the third quarter. Schierholt’s point after was blocked, leaving the Wolves ahead by six at 15-9.

BSU switched quarterbacks to start the fourth quarter, bringing in the redshirt freshman Wardrope after a 69-yard kickoff return by Hawks left the Beavers opening at the Northern State 27-yard line. Wardrope found Nagengast from six yards out, but McDonald’s point after was blocked to leave the score tied at 15.

After a Wolf three-and-out, McDonald connected for a career-long 39-yard field goal to cap a nine-play drive, giving BSU its 18-15 lead and setting the stage for the wild exchange over the game’s final 6:25.

For the contest, Northern State was held to zero net yards rushing on 19 attempts, marking the fifth time in five games this season and seventh time in its last eight games dating back to the end of the 2005 season BSU has held its opponent under 100 yards rushing. The zero net yards yielded is the lowest total by a BSU defense in the Jeff Tesch era and marks the third consecutive week the Beavers have held their opponent to 15 or fewer net rushing yards.

The Bemidji State defense, which entered the day ranked No. 5 in NCAA Division II in rushing defense, has yielded a total of 28 yards rushing on 76 carries in its last three games combined - an average of 0.37 yards per rush.

Bemidji State and Northern State combined for just 47 points, the lowest point total in a BSU/Northern State game since 1998, but continued the history of thrilling finishes between the rivals. The last seven meetings between BSU and Northern State have been decided by a total of 33 points, and today’s victory marks the fourth time since 1997 the Beavers have beaten the Wolves by three points or less.

BSU improved to 13-16-1 all-time against Northern State , 6-10 in games played in Aberdeen, and has won each of the last two meetings in the series and six of the last seven.

The victory improved Bemidji State to 4-1 overall, its third consecutive 4-1 start to a season and the fifth in 11 seasons under Tesch, and 3-0 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Northern State slid to 2-3 overall with a 1-2 mark against NSIC opposition. The Beavers are back in action Saturday, Oct. 4 for its annual Homecoming contest. BSU will host the University of Mary at Chet Anderson Stadium in a contest scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. Central time kickoff.

NOTES: BSU is off to a 4-1 start for the 15th time in 81 seasons of intercollegiate football competition... Johnathan Hawks’ kickoff return for touchdown was the first by a Bemidji State player since Jason Leden had a 97-yard touchdown return against Minn.-Crookston on Nov. 4, 2000... The 100-yard return ties an NCAA record, held by many players... Bemidji State’s field goal block in the fourth quarter was its first since 2004 and was the 14th blocked field goal and 44th total blocked kicked by the Beavers under Jeff Tesch... BSU posted its 20th come-from-behind victory in the Jeff Tesch era; it is the fourth time since 2000 BSU has come from behind to defeat Northern State (also: 2000, 2001, 2003)... Michael McDonald’s blocked point-after-touchdown in the fourth quarter marked his first PAT miss of the season and snapped a streak of 21 consecutive successful attempts dating back to Oct. 29, 2005... The 47 total points scored in the game marked the lowest point total for a BSU/Northern State matchup since a 34-6 Northern State win on Oct. 17, 1998... BSU’s 25 points scored marked its lowest total against Northern State since a 45-17 Wolf victory on Sept. 25, 1999...

--beavers--