29

Advertisement

Bemidji St.
BSU

1-1 , 0-1

31

Winner

Minnesota St.
MSU

2-0 , 1-0

Advertisement

Bemidji St.
BSU

1-1 , 0-1

29

Advertisement

31

Minnesota St.
MSU

2-0 , 1-0

Winner

Score By Quarters

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	F
BSU Bemidji St.	0	15	0	14	29
MSU Minnesota St.	0	14	7	10	31

Game Recap: Football | 9/7/2024 9:55:00 PM

MANKATO, Minn. — It came down to the final play of the game Saturday evening, but a 31-yard field goal from junior Matthew Jaeger proved to be the difference as #13 Minnesota State bested #25 Bemidji State 31-29.

With the win, MSU improved to 2-0 on the season, including a 1-0 NSIC record. With the loss, BSU dropped to 1-1, including a 0-1 conference record. An attendance of 6,874 was the third-largest attendance in Blakeslee Stadium history and the largest for a home opener.

A scoreless first quarter gave way to an eventful second as the Beavers carried a 15-14 lead into halftime. BSU managed three scores, including 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.

MSU’s two scores of the second quarter came via a 36-yard touchdown run by senior Tony Anger and a six-yard touchdown pass from senior Hayden Ekern to junior TreShawn Watson.

The Mavericks took the lead late in the third quarter as a 13-play drive by the Mavericks was capped off with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Ekern to Watson to put MSU up 21-15 with 2:33 to go in the third.

Both teams combined for three more touchdowns in the third quarter as BSU held a 29-28 lead with 1:55 to go in the game. Peters caught his third touchdown pass from McGath with 8:09 to go, only to see the Mavericks answer right back with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Ekern to Watson with 7:32 left in the game. Trailing 28-22, BSU drove 77 yards in nine plays to reclaim the lead at 29-28 with a one-yard touchdown run by McGath with 1:55 to go.

Starting on their own 28, the Mavericks drove 58 yards down field in nine plays to the BSU 14 with 13 seconds left. After a pair of incomplete passes brought the clock down to :04, the Mavericks sent in Jaeger to attempt the 31-yard field goal. Bemidji State tried to ice Jaeger with a timeout but he was unfazed and his 31-yard kick split the uprights to give the Mavericks the 31-29 win as time expired.

Ekern finished his night completing 20-of-37 passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns. Watson posted his first three-touchdown game as a Maverick as he hauled in three touchdown passes, to go along with 107 receiving yards. Junior Jeremiah Howard caught five passes for 70 yards also, while senior Gabe Hagen caught six passes for 69 yards.

Anger led the Maverick rushing attack with 60 yards and a touchdown.

Junior Karson Dunn led the Maverick defense with nine tackles, including two for a loss and one sack. Senior Antonio Alzheimer added eight tackles as well, while senior Joey Goettl, senior Khai West and sophomore Jamal Spiyee each notched six tackles.

Minnesota State continues its season on Saturday, Sept. 14, as it travels to Wayne, Neb., to take on the Wayne State Wildcats. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Bob Cunningham Field.

CNN
 — 

A former Minnesota state trooper allegedly responsible for a car crash that killed an 18-year-old cheerleader is no longer employed by the Minnesota State Patrol, according to the agency.

Shane Roper, 32, faces multiple felony charges related to the May 18 accident that claimed Olivia Flores’ life and injured others.

In August, the former state trooper pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges, including second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide, CNN previously reported.

A review of Roper’s disciplinary record found he was involved in four prior crashes while driving his Minnesota State Patrol squad car “either due to inattentive driving or excessive speed,” according to the criminal complaint.

Roper was placed on paid leave after the May accident, according to Minnesota State Patrol Chief Col. Christina Bogojevic.

“Shane Roper’s last day of employment at Department of Public Safety/Minnesota State Patrol was on Tuesday, September 3,” Lt. Mike Lee told CNN on Saturday.

CNN has requested Roper’s personnel data regarding discipline, to clarify whether he was terminated.

Olivia, a captain on the cheerleading team at Owatonna High School, was a cherished daughter, sister and teammate whose loss has been felt widely throughout her community.

“She should’ve been able to walk across the stage,” Carlos Flores, Olivia’s father, told KTTC, wearing a handmade bracelet with small beads that read “LLO,” which stands for “Long Live Olivia.” “Because of you, (Roper) we planned a funeral instead of her graduation party.”

“Because of your choice, I don’t get to dance with my daughter at her wedding.”

Owatonna Huskies cheerleaders held multiple events, including a dinner and silent auction, to honor their teammate and raise funds for the Flores family.

“It is with broken hearts we have to say goodbye to our Olivia,” Owatonna Huskies Cheerleading said in a Facebook post. “She was such an amazing cheerleader, friend and person. She touched many lives and our lives will forever be changed from her brightening them.”

A GoFundMe was set up to support the Flores family as they navigate their loss.

CNN’s Alaa Elassar and Sara Smart contributed to this story.

To get an event in the Outdoors calendar, contact Brad Dokken at (701) 780-1148, (800) 477-6572 ext. 1148 or by email at

bdokken@gfherald.com

. Deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesdays.

• Oct. 12: 14th Annual Chili Bowl Walleye Tournament, Lake of the Woods and Rainy River at Border View Lodge, 3409 MN-172, Baudette, Minnesota. Entry fee $300 per boat, with a tournament limit of 75 two-person teams. Prime rib dinner and rules meeting the night before the tournament. Info: borderviewlodge.com, info@borderviewlodge.com or (800) 776-3474.

• Sept. 10: DNR-hosted meeting to discuss elk management and where it’s headed in northwest Minnesota, 6 to 8 p.m., Northland Community and Technical College Performance Arts Theater, 1101 Highway 1 East, Thief River Falls. Info:

  dnr.state.mn.us/elk/index.html.

• Sept. 13-15: Wild Outdoor Women (WOW) fall session, Lake Metigoshe State Park, ND. For ladies at least 16 years of age or older looking to learn or refine skills related to a variety of outdoor recreational activities. Activities and topics on tap include canoeing, kayaking, fly-tying, archery, fly-fishing, TREEmendous trees, pollinators, fall birding, waterfowl basics, bike maintenance and more. Info:

  parkrec.nd.gov/events/wild-outdoor-women-wow-fall.

• Sept. 17: Grand Forks Audubon, 7 p.m., Edgewood Grand Forks, 1800 47th Ave. S. Seth Owens, an avid birdwatcher, wildlife photographer and education and outreach coordinator for Pheasants Forever North Dakota, will talk about regional grouse species. Info: Rolf Paulson, rolfpmd@yahoo.com.
• Oct. 10-12: 29th Annual Accessible Deer Hunt for Persons with Disabilities, Rydell National Wildlife Refuge, 17788 349th St SE, Erskine, Minnesota. Hunting hours for the event are from noon through the end of legal shooting hours each day. The accessible hunt is open to a maximum of 20 people of any age or disability, and applications are now available. The hunt is coordinated by Options Interstate Resource Center for Independent Living in East Grand Forks in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Applications are available by calling Options at (800) 726-3692. If applications exceed openings, participants will be selected based on severity of disability, ability to hunt in other locations other than Rydell, hunting experience as a person with a disability, and hunting experience at Rydell Refuge. If all is equal, a random drawing will take place. For more information, contact Randy Sorenson of Options at (218) 779-7408, (218) 773-6100 or (800) 726-3692.
• Oct. 13: Third annual “Walk for the Wild” event, Rydell National Wildlife Refuge. Free 5K and fundraising event will include a designated 5K route with three different paved, yet scenic trails. Either take a guided trail walk or go on your own. All 5K finishers will receive an official “Walk for the Wild Finisher” sticker. Additional activities on tap throughout the day, as well. Info: Gregg Knutsen, refuge manager, (218) 686-4329 or gregg_knutsen@fws.gov.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources webinars are free and begin at noon Wednesdays. Pre-registration is required at

mndnr.gov

. Webinars also are recorded and available online. Upcoming series topics are as follows:

• Sept. 11: Exploring Minnesota’s wildlife and aquatic management areas. Learn the history of the WMA/AMA program, the purposes of these lands and the variety of recreational opportunities they offer. Participants will also learn about the system-wide planning process currently underway to ensure consistent and holistic management of WMA and AMA lands into the future.
• Sept. 18: From seeds to canopies: collecting seeds and cones for the Minnesota State Forest Nursery. Webinar will cover seed collection techniques, tree identification tips, and the importance of this program in supporting reforestation efforts on both public and private lands.
• Sept. 25: Managing moose in Minnesota: challenges and opportunities. Learn which factors influence moose survival and productivity and what recent research has shown to be the major challenges to moose recovery in Minnesota.
• Oct. 2: Preserving the memory of your harvest. Meadow Kouffeld, Natural Resources Sciences instructor, wildlife biologist and taxidermist, talks about ways to preserve and honor your harvest. From photography and decorative tail fans to euro skulls and life size mounts, the webinar will touch on what hunters can do to make the most of their harvest from field to finished display.
• Oct. 9: Fun and easy campfire treats for fall cookouts. Naturalist Pam Welisevich from Dodge Nature Center shares some of her favorite simple and easy treats made over the fire.
• Oct. 16: Bobcats in Minnesota. Minnesota DNR wildlife staff will discuss the history of bobcats and their management in Minnesota, recent population trends and important aspects of their biology and ecology. They will also share preliminary results from an ongoing radiotelemetry study in northern Minnesota.
• Oct. 23: Late season pheasant hunting. Pheasant hunting experts will discuss where to find pheasants once the crops are out and the snow is flying and how to prepare for hunting once the weather turns colder.
• Oct. 30: Deer hunting secrets. Minnesota DNR outreach staff and lifelong deer hunters Jeff Ledermann and Kraig Kiger will share their top 10 list, plus a few extra tips, to bag a deer.
• Nov. 6: Minnesota’s redhorses. Redhorse are a fascinating group of Minnesota native fish and actually include several different species: golden, silver, greater, river, shorthead and black redhorse. Devon Oliver, Minnesota DNR fisheries scientist, will share recent research on these fascinating fish, how to identify them, and where they are found in Minnesota rivers and streams. We will also talk with Corey Geving, expert native rough fish species angler, about how to catch them as they make great table fare.
• Nov. 13: Fall birding and photography tips. Monica Bryand, executive director of the Urban Bird Collective, will share tips on photographing birds, some of her favorite birding spots for the fall migration, and the work of the UBC.
• Nov. 20: Accessible hunting and fishing stories and opportunities. Join us for a discussion with Capable Partners to hear stories about accessible hunting and fishing in Minnesota. Webinar also will share opportunities for people who have a disability to be supported in hunting and fishing in Minnesota.
• Nov. 27: What’s up with perch in Minnesota? Beth Holbrook, Minnesota DNR fisheries research scientist, has been looking into changes in Minnesota’s yellow perch populations. She will share the latest research results and what that means for perch as an important prey for big game fish and for anglers who are targeting perch. Scott Mackenthun, DNR area fisheries supervisor, will discuss how to improve your chances to catch perch through the ice this winter.