MINOT, N.D. – It is beginning to feel like Groundhog Day for Minot State University head football coach Paul Rudolph.

The Beavers continue to make too many mistakes to win football games.

This time it was three interceptions and a fumble that did in the Beavers as MSU fell 38-23 to the University of Sioux Falls Saturday during Homecoming 2011 at Herb Parker Stadium.

What made this version of the same old, same old was a play here or there and Minot State is right in the ball game. MSU held a 425-302 advantage in total offense, finished with 21 total first downs, held the Cougars to just 106 yards passing and looked to be every bit into the game.

The Beavers (0-5) marched down the field on their first possession, moving the ball to the USF 15 on a 15-play drive with a mix of passes and runs, but had to settle for a field goal. Instead of taking a 3-0 lead, the Cougars' Angelo Pree blocked Nick Phillips (Fr., LaCenter, Wash.) 32-yard field goal attempt.

Minot State did take a 3-0 lead later in the quarter after a Levi Freidt (R-Fr., DB, Minot, N.D.) interception and return to the Minot 45. MSU marched to the USF 18 on a big 39-yard pass from Bryce Jorgenson (R-Fr., QB, West Fargo, N.D.) to Jabari Taylor (Sr., WR, Hollywood, Fla.). Phillips hit the 35-yarder for the 3-0 lead.

But the wheels were just about to fall off.

MSU forced a punt on the next USF possession, but the turnover bug bit in a big way. Cougars' Robert Virgil stepped in front of a Jorgenson pass and returned it 18 yards for the score and a 7-3 lead.

Four plays later, MSU fumbled at its own 32 and the Cougars took advantage as Carrington Hanna found Spencer Sailors for a 12-yard TD to make it 14-3. USF (1-3) went up 17-3 on a solid drive capped by a Braden Wieking 33-yard field goal with 6:13 to play in the half. Sioux Falls polished off the half with a Hanna QB sneak from the 1 with just 25 seconds to play.

Minot State made matters worse just after the half as the Beavers allowed a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Michael Hicks and again an interception set up a short Hanna TD to make it 38-3 midway through the third quarter.

But – to Minot State's credit – the Beavers did not go away. Instead, MSU got two CJ Evans (R-Fr., QB, Havre, Mont.) to Taylor scores sandwiched around a 1-yard sneak by Evans, his first career rushing touchdown, to make things interesting.

It could have gotten a whole lot more interesting as MSU looked to have recovered an onside kick after the second Taylor TD grab with 3:04 to play, but the Beavers were ruled to have touched the ball before it traveled 10-yards.

Hanna only passed for 80 yards on four completions, but had 68 yards rushing for USF. Jordan Taylor finished with 85 yards rushing.

The Beavers uses multiple quarterbacks as Evans went 11-for-15 with 179 yards passing the two scores. Jorgenson was 12-27, 158 yards, but two picks and Andrew Torgerson (So., QB, Colstrip, Mont.) had an interception on his only attempt after the ball went through the hands of his intended receiver. Senior Zac Rudolph (WR, Sauk Rapids, Minn.) caught eight passes for 94 yards, while Nate Christianson (So., WR, Havre, Mont.) and Taylor hauled in four catches each for 79 and 72 yards respectively.

MSU finishes off the regular season home schedule next week with a 5 p.m. game with Black Hills State at Herb Parker Stadium.

– GO BEAVERS –