BSU upsets St. Thomas 25-21

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Sept. 13, 1998

By Devlyn Brooks

The Beavers football team stunned an MIAC power in BSU's home opener for the second straight season Saturday, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat St. Thomas University 25-21.

The Beavers, who have played some impressive football in their first two outings as compared to years past, improved their record to 1-1.

Trailing 21-12 in the fourth quarter, BSU started its comeback with about 13 minutes left in the game.

After a strong BSU defensive stand, the Beavers took over on downs and marched 71 yards for its third touchdown of the day. The score pulled them within two of the Tommies at 21-19.

Two drives later, it was the Beavers' special teams' turn to shine, blocking a St. Thomas punt that left BSU's offense with a first down on the Tommies' 42-yard line.

Then it was Chris Meyer time. Led by the junior tailback, the Beavers proceeded down the field in leaps -- four rushes of four, four, three and 13 yards by Meyer left BSU on the Tommies' 17. Then BSU quarterback Ben Morie hooked up with Meyer for a 16-yard pass play to St. Thomas' one.

A play later, who else but Meyer, crashed through the line for a one-yard touchdown, putting the Beavers up 24-21 and ultimately sealing the game.

"This was a game of momentum," third-year Beaver head coach Jeff Tesch said after the game. "We had big plays in the second half, but our offensive kind of sputtered in the second and third quarters."

The Beavers were the first to score in the game, taking the opening kickoff and driving to the St. Thomas one-yard line where Morie punched the ball in for six. Senior running-back-made-kicker Matt Mattson missed the extra point.

Meyer, who carried 30 times for 142 yards in the game, had a huge 37-yard run which put the Beavers deep into St. Thomas territory and set up the touchdown.

The 100-yard-plus effort was Meyer's second straight.

The Tommies, who finished 8-2 overall last year and second in the MIAC, countered however, on their very next possession, taking the kickoff and driving 73 yards in nine plays to even the score.

Tommies quarterback Greg Kaiser hooked up with wideout Mark Warder on a 46-yard bomb to even the score. St. Thomas' extra point put them ahead by one.

In the second quarter, another long pass play set up STU's second touchdown. Kaiser hit tight end Chris Chappuis, who pranced 59 yards to the BSU 11, and Kaiser then ran the ball the rest of the way on the next play.

Also in the second quarter, Kaiser hooked up with three different receivers on four passes of 11 yards or better to drive the field quickly for their third touchdown.

BSU's second TD came late in the half on a 70-yard reception by sophomore Ben Woodford from Morie on a first and 10.

Neither team could muster a sustained drive in the third with BSU giving the ball up three tiems and STU giving the ball up four.

In the fourth, BSU's offense came alive, scoring the two comeback touchdowns to wrap up the game.

"The key was that our defense came alive in the second half," Tesch said. "In the first half we had our defense on the field too long because our offense was sputtering."

In his coaching debut, STU head coach Don Roney said his team had a costly fumble and some bad penalties that hindered their chances.

"We knew (BSU) would be big and strong," he said. "They played well. They hung in there, and they came back. They made big plays."