Mavericks win by two points in home opener
The game of football is played in three phases: offense, defense and special teams. Big plays and standout players on all three aspects of the ball are what win games.
In the No.13 Mavericks home opener, the defense blocked two extra-point attempts, on offense Treshawn Watson tallied three touchdowns and on special teams, 6,874 fans watched as Matthew Jaeger nailed a walk-off field goal straight through the uprights to secure the Mavs a 31-29 win against the No.25 Bemidji State Beavers Saturday.
Two points was the difference maker for the Mavericks and without those two blocked extra point attempts, the game would’ve been forced into overtime. But the defense prevailed and the Beavers simply ran out of time.
The Mavs now move to 2-0 while the Beavers fall to 1-1. MSU was tested the first two weeks of the season with two nationally ranked teams. Coach Todd Hoffner says what got them through both games was resilience.
“We have resiliency,” Hoffner said. “Bemidji had the lead numerous times but our resiliency put us on top.”
The third-highest-attended game in Blakeslee Stadium history started off scoreless in the first quarter. In the second, BSU managed to get a 32-yard field goal from Joey Prondzinski and a pair of touchdown passes from Sam McGath to Brice Peters from 69 and two yards out. Senior Maven Kretche and junior Caleb Paulus blocked BSU’s extra point attempts.
The Mavericks held on keeping the score close before half with a breakout 36-yard touchdown from Tony Anger and a six-yard touchdown pass from Hayden Ekern to start the scoring frenzy for Watson.
“We have confidence,” Watson said. “We go out there every time thinking we are going to make that connection.”
After the half, MSU took the lead on another Ekern to Watson connection. Ekern hit Watson on a 33-yard touchdown to take the lead 21-15.
The rest of the quarter remained scoreless and in the fourth, BSU clawed back with another Peters touchdown catch.
The Mavs answered right back with a three-play, 67-yard drive capped off by Watsons last touchdown as he broke loose from two defenders streaking up field as Ekern hit him right in the sweet spot 50-yards out allowing him to run free straight into the endzone.
The Beavers found the endzone one last time but it wasn’t enough as Jaeger stayed cool, calm and collected in his game winning field goal saying, “I just thought of it as any other kick.”
Watsons performance won him NSIC Offensive Player of the Week honors making him the second Maverick to win the award this season. His counterpart, Ekern won the honor last week for his efforts against Northwest Missouri State.
“We are going to celebrate this win for the next 24 hours because these two past weeks have been gigantic,” Hoffner said.
The season continues on the road for the Mavericks as they take on Wayne State Saturday at 6 p.m. at Cunningham Field.
Photo caption: The home opener between the Minnesota State Mavericks and the Bemidji State Beavers was the third-largest-attendend game in Blakeslee Stadium history. (Matt Miller/The Reporter).
Write to luke.jackson.2@mnsu.edu