Scoggins: Another dramatic playoff victory for Minnesota State Mankato comes at Bemidji State’s expense

MANKATO – The Minnesota State Mankato football team gathered at halftime Saturday inside two classrooms that were separated by a sliding partition wall.

The offense met with coaches on one side, the defense on the other.

The Mavericks trailed at halftime for a third consecutive playoff game. Coach Todd Hoffner opened the partition so the entire team was together. He told his players to look each other in the eye and let their teammates know they believe in each other.

“All of a sudden,” Hoffner said, “it became a big groundswell of energy.”

The Comeback Kids went out and did their thing.

The only difference this time was that their defense, not the offense or kicker, handled the heroics.

Micah Brown batted down a pass at the goal line on fourth down with 6 seconds remaining to preserve a 27-23 victory over Bemidji State in the NCAA Division II national quarterfinals at Blakeslee Stadium.

The Mavericks’ magical, improbable, drama-filled postseason continues next Saturday in the semifinals. They will travel to Valdosta, Ga., to take on Valdosta State.

They have won three consecutive playoff games in the final seconds — two field goals at the buzzer and a defensive stand — after trailing by two scores in all three games.

“There’s always faith, trust and belief throughout the team,” quarterback Hayden Ekern said.

The Mavericks keep putting their motto to the test. They faced deficits of 10-0, 17-7 and 23-14 against their NSIC rivals from Bemidji before finally taking the lead in the fourth quarter.

In a game filled with back-and-forth swings of emotion, the biggest shift came after Bemidji State moved the ball inside the 5-yard line early in the fourth quarter.

The Beavers had unveiled a secret weapon in the postseason that helped them claim two road upsets. Their coaches designed a package that employed redshirt freshman quarterback Connor Carver as a running option.

The 6-3, 215-pound Carver is a powerful runner who had 137 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including a 77-yarder. Carver looked like he might add a third touchdown as he fought for the end zone in the fourth quarter.

The Mavericks defense swarmed and jarred the ball loose, and Lorenzo Jones scooped up the fumble and returned it 81 yards to the 16. The Mavericks turned the takeaway into a touchdown and their first lead of the game.

They had a chance to ice the game with their offense. Facing fourth-and-2 at the Bemidji 36-yard line with 64 seconds left, Hoffner called timeout to consider his options. He decided to go for it rather than punt. The Beavers stuffed Ekern for no gain on a keeper.

“We were thinking about trying to end the game right there,” Hoffner said.

Bemidji State took possession with one minute left and no timeouts. The Mavericks gifted them 15 yards with a personal foul penalty on an incomplete pass.

The Beavers moved inside the 5-yard line once again. The Mavericks held firm again and got a pass breakup on fourth down that allowed everyone on their sideline to exhale and celebrate.

Two trips to the doorstep of the end zone and zero points allowed by the Mavericks defense.

“The heart, the fire, the grit of this football team is exceptional,” Hoffner said.

The craziness of this playoff run makes sense, given the program’s five-year cycle. The Mavericks made it the national championship game in 2014 and again in 2019. And now they are one victory away from doing it again.

This run is especially gratifying because they didn’t get a bye and had to win the first two games on the road against higher seeds. They needed dramatic comebacks and last-second field goals to keep advancing.

“This team is so resilient,” Hoffner said. “They are a bunch of fighters.”

The team practices a two-minute drill at least once a week in practice. According to Hoffner, Ekern “usually has his way with the defense and the defense goes away really mad.”

On Saturday, the Mavericks leaned on their defense to save the day. They left the field tired but euphoric after a hard-fought comeback and tense finish.

The players meant it when they told each other at halftime that they believe in one another.