CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston football played a gritty tilt with Bemidji State University on a rain-drenched Ed Widseth Field Sat., Sept. 21 in Crookston, Minn. The Beavers ultimately won the Hubcap Trophy for the seventh-straight year with a 27-10 victory despite a great effort on the gridiron by Minnesota Crookston.

The Golden Eagles played their hearts out against a Bemidji State team that went 7-4 last season and that out-scored Minnesota Crookston 125-0 in the last two years. The Golden Eagles matched the Beavers toe-to-toe throughout Saturday's game. The Golden Eagles had 255 yards of offense compared to just 213 for the Beavers in the first half as they held a strong Bemidji State offense at bay. Saturday's tilt had echoes of a 16-14 win for the Golden Eagles over the Beavers Oct. 5, 2013 in a Mud Bowl at Ed Widseth Field. However, Minnesota Crookston threw four interceptions, including three in the red zone as the Beavers held on for the victory.

Bemidji State moves to 3-0 with Saturday's win, while Minnesota Crookston falls to 0-3. Despite the 0-3 start, the Golden Eagles are putting themselves in a strong position in most games. Minnesota Crookston is averaging 230 yards per game offensively and limiting opponents to 376 yards per game. The Golden Eagles defense is limiting opponents to 56 yards less per game than during the 2018 season.

Minnesota Crookston's defense had two sacks to add to their eight sacks on the season. The Golden Eagles are just four sacks shy of last year's total for the unit.

Minnesota Crookston was led by the aerial attack as they finished with 235 through the air on their way to 306 total yards of offense. The Golden Eagles utilized two quarterbacks in the game. Jalin Scott (Sr., QB, Houston, Texas) was 9-of-18 for 132 yards passing with one touchdown and two interceptions. Tristan Robbins (So., QB, Muskegon, Mich.) was 5-of-12 for 103 yards with two interceptions.

The top target on the game was Jonattan Mudd (Sr., WR, Gardena, Calif.) with four catches for 66 yards. Andy Groebner (So., WR, Andover, Minn.) added three catches for 59 yards. Eli Solberg (R-Fr., WR, Rogers, Minn.) had a breakout game with two catches for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Solberg collected his first touchdown of his career on a 38-yard strike from Scott.

On the ground, Scott paced the squad with nine rushes for 36 yards. Joseph Eubanks (Jr., RB, Gilbert, Ariz.) added four carries for 14 yards.

Bemidji State was led by quarterback Jared Henning, who was a threat utilizing the read option as he rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts. Henning went 10-of-20 for 124 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Jalen Frye added 26 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns. The top target through the air was Brendan Beaulieu with four grabs for 79 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Will Cross (R-Sr., LB, Turtle Lake, Wis.) led Minnesota Crookston with 13 tackles and a tackle for loss. Tysen White (Fr., DB, McFarland, Wis.) had a breakout game with 11 tackles, while Trevor Long, Jr. (R-Sr., LB, Brooklyn Park, Minn.) added nine tackles. Ben Branscom (R-Jr., DL, Woodbury, Minn.) finished with eight tackles and a sack, while Austin Steele (R-So., LB, La Crosse, Wis.) finished with seven tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack.

Osayi Onaghinor (R-Jr., DB, Sacramento, Calif.) and Johnson Fallah (R-Fr., DB, Brooklyn Park, Minn.) each added interceptions on the day.

Bemidji State looked to Alex Hoffman with eight tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, and a half sack. Gabe Ames finished with seven tackles and three sacks. Ryan Kinard, Jake West, Jaylen Jenkins and Michael Junker each had interceptions for the game.
After a defensive stop opened the game for Minnesota Crookston, the Golden Eagles marched down the field led by a 27-yard pass from Scott to Wyatt K. Shedrick, III (R-Fr., WR, Scottsdale, Ariz.). Minnesota Crookston looked poised to put points on the scoreboard but Scott's pass was intercepted by West at the nine-yard line to halt the opportunity.

Bemidji State responded as they went 91 yards on nine plays culminating in a 24-yard pass from Henning to Beaulieu to put the Beavers ahead 7-0.

The Golden Eagles looked to counter as they again marched down the field led by a 15-yard run by Scott, and a 19-yard pass from Scott to Groebner. However, Scott was intercepted by Kinard at the Bemidji State 12 as the chance was squashed.
The Beavers again got points off the turnover as they marched 57 yards in six plays ending with a 11-yard touchdown run by Henning to extend the lead to 14-0.

Minnesota Crookston put together a strong drive to open the second quarter guided by Robbins as they got the ball down to the Bemidji State 18 led by a 26-yard pass to Coy, and a 10-yard rush by Eubanks. The Beavers kept the Golden Eagles out of the end zone, but Jared McLemore (So., K, Lucas, Texas) capitalized on the drive with a 34-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14-3.

Minnesota Crookston cut into the lead further as Scott found Solberg streaking down the middle of the field for a 38-yard touchdown pass as the lead was sliced to 14-10.

The Golden Eagles got the ball back on the ensuing drive as Henning's pass was intercepted by Fallah to stop Bemidji State's drive.

Minnesota Crookston looked to drive late and they did just that. The Golden Eagles got the ball down to the Bemidji State seven guided by a 31-yard pass from Robbins to Groebner, and a 13-yard completion to Groebner. However, Robbins' pass was intercepted on second and goal at the two-yard line by Junker to halt the opportunity and keep the score at 14-10 Bemidji State.

Minnesota Crookston's Onaghinor intercepted Emmett Enright's last second heave to end the second quarter as the Golden Eagles went into the break trailing just 14-10.

 Neither did much early on in the third quarter until Bemidji State was able to score on a three-yard rush by Frye with 1:31 left in the stanza to push the lead to 20-10.

Minnesota Crookston looked to have a touchdown early in the fourth quarter as Eubanks broke out on the edge on an option run, but a Golden Eagle holding penalty would push the Golden Eagles back and force a punt.

The Beavers put a stamp on the win as they went 55 yards on 11 plays ending with Frye's second touchdown rush of the game to widen the gap to 27-10.

Bemidji State would hang on for the 27-10 win as they held on to the Hubcap Trophy.

Minnesota Crookston returns to the gridiron for their Homecoming tilt Sat., Sept. 28 against Minot State University at 12 p.m. from Ed Widseth Field.