Host Bemidji State kept its Division II football playoff hopes alive by rallying for a 17-10 victory over NSIC-leading Augustana 17-10 on Saturday.
Area college football roundup: Bemidji State keeps Division II playoff hopes alive by beating NSIC champion Augustana
The NCAA Division II and III playoff fields will be revealed Sunday, and the Beavers are hoping for an invite.
Sam McGath scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 4½ minutes to play as the Beavers (8-3, 7-3) moved into a three-way tie for second place in the NSIC.
Despite the loss, the Vikings (8-3, 8-2) finished on top of the NSIC. Minnesota State Mankato could have moved into a tie at the top, but it lost to Minnesota Duluth on Saturday.
Augustana, which trailed 7-3 at halftime, took a 10-7 lead late in the third quarter on a 3-yard TD run by Isaiah Huber.
The Beavers tied the score early in the fourth quarter on a 47-yard field goal by Connor Mantelli.
Following the go-ahead touchdown, the Vikings drove to the Beavers 23-yard line before their drive stalled on downs with 28 seconds remaining.
In the final Division II Super Region Four rankings, Augustana was No. 2 (behind Colorado State Pueblo), Mankato was No. 3, Bemidji State No. 7 and Sioux Falls No. 8.
Seven teams from each of four regions make the 28-team D-II playoff field. The D-II (and D-III) playoff fields will be announced on Sunday.
Minnesota Duluth 30, Minnesota State Mankato 16: Kyle Walljasper passed for 177 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 77 yards as the host Bulldogs outgained the Mavericks 376-213. UMD fell behind 7-0 but limited the Mavericks to 29 rushing yards, their second lowest output of the season.
Minot State 56, Winona State 23: Evan Lovett rushed for 255 yards and four TDs as the host Beavers ran past the Warriors. The Beavers, who led 35-0 at halftime, rushed for 399 yards. Cole Stenstrom passed for 199 yards and a TD for the Warriors.
Sioux Falls 41, Southwest Minnesota State 14: Camden Dean passed for 123 yards and two TDs and ran for 100 yards and a score to lead the host Cougars past the Mustangs. Carlson Tann added 105 rushing yards and a TD for the Cougars.
Minnesota State Moorhead 52, Mary 3: Jack Strand passed for 240 yards and five touchdowns as the Dragons rolled in Bismarck, N.D.
Wayne State (Neb.) 21, Concordia (St. Paul) 0: Akeem Knox rushed for 162 yards and a TD and the Wildcats limited the visiting Golden Bears to nine first downs.
FCS
Butler 36, St. Thomas 20: Nick Howard rushed for 97 yards and three touchdowns and threw a TD pass and the Bulldogs pulled away from the Tommies after halftime in Indianapolis.
Tak Tateoka passed for 214 yards and a TD and Hope Adebayo rushed for 61 yards for the Tommies, who trailed 13-7 at halftime but committed five turnovers (four interceptions and a lost fumble).
South Dakota 42, North Dakota 36: Aidan Bouman threw three touchdown passes, Charles Pierre Jr. and Travis Theis each ran for more than 100 yards and a score and the Coyotes outlasted the host Fighting Hawks.
Theis, who had 130 yards on 16 carries, scored on an 8-yard run early in the fourth quarter to make it 35-21. Pierre, who had 173 yards on 15 carries, scored on a 76-yard touchdown to give the Coyotes a 42-21 lead with 9:35 to play. UND scored twice in the final six minutes.
North Dakota State 59, Missouri State 21: Cam Miller threw four touchdown passes and Barika Kpeenu rushed for 169 yards and two TDs as the top-ranked Bison rolled past the No. 14 Bears in Fargo, N.D. Kpeenu’s 52-yard TD run in the game’s first two minutes opened a 21-point first quarter for the Bison, who won their 10th game in a row.
South Dakota State 41, Southern Illinois 10: Amar Johnson rushed for 157 yards and two TDs to lead the No. 3 Jackrabbits past the visiting Salukis. South Dakota State rushed for 288 yards and outgained Southern Illinois 503-233.
Division III
Concordia (Moorhead) 17, Gustavus Adolphus 13: Owen Miller caught a 25-yard TD pass from Cooper Mattern with 1:54 left to lift the Cobbers past the host Gusties. The pass capped a seven-play, 66-yard drive, coming after Gustavus had taken a 13-10 lead on an 80-yard TD pass from George Sandven to Caden Kleinschmidt with 4:12 to play.
St. Scholastica 44, Macalester 41 (OT): Jacob Andrews kicked a 43-yard field goal in overtime to lift the host Saints past the Scots, who scored 15 points in the final five minutes to force the extra session. Nick Schlender rushed for 242 yards and two TDs for the Saints, Macalester’s Jack Scully passed for 302 yards and four TDs.
Carleton 21, Hamline 9: Jack Curtis pass for 316 yards and two TDs to pace the Knights past the Pipers in Northfield, Minn. Durham Welch kicked three field goals for the Pipers.
St. Olaf 41, Augsburg 26: Bryon Sauvy rushed for 196 yards and two touchdowns and Theo Doran also scored two TDs as the host Oles beat the Auggies.
Minnesota-Morris 41, Martin Luther 7: Izayah Boss rushed for 136 yards and two TDs and Bryson Drake ran for 96 yards and two TDs to lead the host Cougars past the Knights.
Northwestern (St. Paul) 33, Westminster 21: Caden Cantrell threw for 327 yards and four TDs to direct the Eagles to a victory in Fulton, Mo.
Carson Beck silenced his critics by throwing for two touchdowns and running for another on a raucous Saturday night between the hedges, leading No. 11 Georgia to a 31-17 victory over No. 6 Tennessee that gave a huge boost to the Bulldogs' College Football Playoff hopes.