SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — The No. 19 Augustana football team held off the Bemidji State Beavers, 30-29, in the home opener Saturday inside Kirkeby-Over Stadium. Augustana is now 2-0 in 2022 while Bemidji State, who entered the season ranked inside the top-20, falls to 0-2.
After Bemidji State scored to make it a 30-23 game with 3:37 remaining, the Beavers caught a bit of luck with a fumble recovery on the ensuing Augustana drive to gain field position at the Vikings’ 21-yard line. Bemidji State then scored with 1:20 remaining in the game on a Sam McGath rush up the middle to pull within one point.
On the two-point conversion attempt, quarterback Brandon Alt looked across the middle of the end zone for Brendan Beaulieu but Seth Baker was there to break up the pass, preserving the lead.
Augustana recovered the onside kick and promptly ran out the clock for the 30-29 win.
After forcing a 3-and-out to open the game, Augustana started its first drive of the game from its own 29-yard line. It took three plays for AU to find the end zone. After a first down, Jarod Epperson rushed for 45 yards then Casey Bauman hit Jack Fisher for 26 yards for the early 6-0 score.
On Bemidji State’s second drive of the game, Grayson Diepenbrock had a strip sack of Alt that saw Myles Taylor recover for Augustana at the Bemidji State 12-yard line.
Ben Limburg connected on a 28-yard field goal, his first of the season, to give AU a 9-0 lead less than three minutes into the contest.
A mostly quiet second quarter saw the first score of the quarter come on a Maximo Rodriguez field goal for Bemidji State.
Thomas Scholten then took over at quarterback for an injured Bauman and led the Vikings on an 8-play, 81-yard drive to push the score to 16-3 entering intermission. The touchdown, his first career touchdown pass, went to Fisher who corralled his second touchdown of the game.
Bemidji State scored its first touchdown of the game on a rush by McGath for three yards to complete an 11-play, 67-yard drive on its first drive of the second half. With the failed point-after attempt, the score stood at 16-9.
After trading possessions, Bemidji State took over on its own 21-yard line, but that didn’t last long as Alt was picked off by Peyton Buckley who then went 21-yards into the end zone for the pick-six. With Limburg’s point-after, Augustana led 23-9 late in the third quarter.
The Beavers answered back in the closing seconds of the third quarter with a 20-yard touchdown from Alt to Mike Wandmaker as the two teams entered the final period with Augustana leading 23-16.
Scholten, showing no signs that Saturday was his first extended action at the college level, found Devon Jones open for a 53-yard touchdown to give Augustana the 30-16 lead with 14:11 remaining.
Bemidji State then found an offensive rhythm it hadn’t had all game and reeled off 13-straight points, first a 22-yard touchdown pass from Alt to Beaulieu, then McGath’s touchdown for the 30-29 score.
Scholten tossed for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 16-of-27 pass attempts with two touchdowns. Epperson rattled off 85 yards rushing while David Addo added 70 yards.
Fisher totaled 73 yards on four receptions along with his two touchdowns while Jones had 68 yards on six receptions and the touchdown. From the tight end position, Mitchell Goodbary had two receptions for 59 yards.
Defensively, Diepenbrock had a pair of sacks, both resulting in fumbles while he added a quarterback hurry. Seth Baker joined Buckley in the interception club. T.J. Liggett led the defense with nine tackles as Eli Weber added eight tackles with a solo tackle for loss.
Bemidji State did squeak past AU in total offense at 437-393 while Alt helped with a 384-yard performance passing. The Vikings’ defense held Bemidji State to just 40 yards rushing.
Augustana was much more balanced offensively with 232 passing yards and 161 on the ground.
With the win, Augustana remains atop the NSIC standings at 2-0 and travels to MSU Moorhead on Saturday for a noon kickoff.
