BSU Football Falls Just Short vs. Minnesota State in NCAA Quarterfinals

Any time you get rivals Bemidji State and Minnesota State on the gridiron, there’s a solid chance for some drama.

The past three times the Beavers and Mavericks have squared off, the game was decided by three points or less, the last two on the final play, and Saturday’s NCAA Quarterfinal was no different. It had everything you could ask for in a playoff game – turnovers, momentum changes, lead changes, big plays, a big crowd, and late heroics.

The Beavers were making their first quarterfinal appearance in program history with a spot in the Final Four on the line. It was a great atmosphere with a crowd of around 7,000, many of them BSU fans.

In the fourth quarter, MSU would take the lead 27-23 and tried running out the clock. The Beavers had a chance, but with a pass broken up it was heartbreak for the team, as they came up just four yards short of what has been the most improbable of postseason runs.

BSU ultimately fell to Minnesota State 27-23. After the game, the Beavers gave their final thoughts on what made this season and this team so special.

“Felt like we had a team that was built to the playoffs,” said Head Coach Brent Bolte. “We’re proud to say about, grind the axe and play physical and get nasty when we have to, that’s our M.O. Our backs were against the wall and we leaned on, just the values within the program.”

“It just shows me how relentless we are and how physical we can be,” said senior DB and captain Jamel Stone. “You know, it was going in the huddles and things like that. You know, we all asking ourselves, how bad do you want? It’s truly been a blessing to put on his jersey, put on his pads for these boys. And I just wish it went our way, too.”

“We knew what we were capable of and we put ourselves in positions to go,” added senior RB Jarrett Gronski. “And when we did it again today, we put ourselves in a position to go in. The game just didn’t fall for us, but I mean, the fight on each and every single one of these guys on a team is second to none. And we’re never going to quit. This team’s never going to quit. The Beavers are not going to quit.”