MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University has a flair for the dramatic.

The Beavers needed a goal line stand with less than two minutes remaining on the clock to earn their first win of the season.

The stand helped produced a 20-14 win over Black Hills State University in NCAA Division II football Saturday afternoon at Herb Parker Stadium.

Minot State (1-5) looked to be on its way to the win as they defense held with just over three minutes remaining in the contest. But a crucial turnover – which has haunted the Beavers all season – gave BHSU the ball at the MSU 37 with 2:14 to play.

The Yellow Jackets (1-4) moved the ball to the Beavers 7 to set up a first-and-goal with just over a minute to play. BHSU's Drew Nielsen pushed it to the MSU 1 on first-and-goal as the clock ticked under a minute.

But from there, MSU's defense stood tall.

Minot's Josh Zimmer (So., DL, Great Falls, Mont.) stuffed Ward Anderson's quarterback sneak on second-and-goal from the MSU 1. On third down, it was Chad Marshall (So., LB, Hazen, N.D.) and Luke Artz (So., DL, Bottineau, N.D.) stopping Nielsen shy of the goal. Finally, on fourth down Levi Freidt (R-Fr., DB, Minot, N.D.) and Zimmer knifed through the left side and finished of Nielsen's final attempt to preserve the win.

“I can't say enough about them,” said MSU head coach Paul Rudolph about his defense. “I can't use the word dominating because we didn't completely stop them after a couple turnovers, but they were about as dominating as you can get.”

While Rudolph thought a couple times about what MSU might have to do if the Yellow Jackets scored, he didn't think it was a sure thing either.

“I hadn't given up the points, I'm not going to do that,” he said. “We talked about what might happen on a two-point conversion during one of the late timeouts, but I didn't give them the points.”

The MSU defense gave up just 209 yards of total offense and allowed just one good scoring drive by the Yellow Jackets. BHSU received generous short fields due to muffed punt returns by the Beavers. The first set up a Nielsen two-yard run capping a 4-play, 20 yard drive in the second quarter. The second was another Nielsen run – an 18-yarder on the only play after another miscue by MSU in the punt return game – in the second quarter.

But those two short drives, coupled with a 37-yard field goal by Devin Rounds just before half gave the Yellow Jackets a 16-7 halftime lead.

But it was all MSU in the second half.

The Beavers scored twice in the third quarter, once on MSU's first rushing touchdown of the season by a running back – a 5-yard run by Tyson Schatz (Sr., RB, Minot, N.D.) and the second on a QB sneak by C.J. Evans (R-Fr., QB, Havre, Mont.). Evans had his best game in a Beavers' uniform, finishing with 200 yards on 12 of 14 passing, threw a touchdown to Nate Christianson (So., WR, Havre, Mont.) in the second quarter and rushed for 19 yards on 11 carries.

MSU rotated Evans and Bryce Jorgenson (R-Fr., QB, West Fargo, N.D.) and Rudolph was overall pleased with the duo.

“The fact of the matter is they didn't turn the ball over so it was better than the first five games,” he said. “I like the way they both communicated. We have two redshirt freshmen who we really didn't allow them to learn the offense. They have had to learn by baptism by fire, so to speak. We still didn't run the ball very well in the first half and they did some things to bail us out.”

MSU did run the ball much better in the second half as Schatz finished with a season high 117 yards on 23 carries. MSU rushed for 158 yards as a team and finished with 376 total yards.

“We ran it a little better in the third,” said Rudolph. “We got some things rolling and finally got a little attitude. It was sure nice to score some point in the third and make a game of it.”

The defense nearly forced as many three-and-outs (4) as it allowed first downs in the second half and held BHSU to just 2 yards in the third quarter and 62 in the second half.

MSU's defense was paced by junior Laron Peoples (DB, Pontiac, Mich.) who finished with seven solo tackles and two pass break ups. Marshall added four solo and 6.5 overall, while Blair Dinsdale (Sr., LB, Brandon, Manitoba) added five solo and an assist.

The Beavers have a bye week this coming Saturday and will head to South Dakota Mines the following Saturday.