MINOT – There was a lot of fight in Jamestown Jimmies Football Saturday, but even after a big rally, it wasn’t enough for a win.
Evan Lovett rushed for his second touchdown of the day with 1:44 remaining to send Minot State into the day’s last lead and a 35-28 win over Jamestown at First Western Bank Field at Herb Parker Stadium.
UJ (1-5, 1-5 NSIC) stormed back from a 10-point deficit to take a 28-27 lead with 2:49 left. Quarterback Cole Hentges rushed for a one-yard score, followed by a go-ahead extra point by Aanon Peterson. Hentges’ touchdown came one play after he hit Ethan Hoffman for a 47-yard pass play to bring the Jimmies to the Beavers’ one yard line.
A face mask penalty by Jamestown helped the last drive along for Minot State (2-5, 2-4 NSIC). Beavers’ quarterback Carson Chrisman, who also rushed for two scores, made a big 25-yard run to the Jimmies’ 10 two plays before the go-ahead touchdown.
Three completions by Hentges, one to Gage Solano and two to Nate Burke, moved Jamestown to the Minot State 35 on their last possession. But on fourth down, Hentges just overthrew Hoffman at the MSU 12 with 45 seconds left and the Beavers then ran out the clock.
Lovett and Minot State scored first on an eight-yard run to complete the game’s opening drive, but the Jimmies scored on their first possession, which concluded with a Zach Hammett three-yard run to paydirt.
A 30-yard kickoff return by Jonathan Noriega then put the Beavers on their 40. Chrisman scored from 11 yards out to end the drive and MSU led 14-7 after one quarter.
An 85-yard scoring drive for the Jimmies was concluded by Hentges’ five-yard scoring run with 10:29 left in the half for a 14-14 tie.
Minot State led 17-14 at the half after Brandon McCary hit a 22-yard field goal.
The Beaver lead became 24-14 after Chrisman scored from three yards with 5:51 left in the third quarter.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Hammett completed another 85-yard Jamestown scoring drive with a three-yard run and the Jimmies were within 24-21.
Minot State’s triple-option offense then fashioned a nine minute, 39 second drive, only to settle for a 27-yard field goal by McCary and a 27-21 lead.
Minot State gained 429 yards of offense, including 371 on the ground, as the Beavers ran on 61 of their 64 plays. Chrisman ran 19 times for 145 yards and Lovett, while carrying 25 times for 136 yards, became Minot State’s seventh 2,000-yard career rusher.
Hentges had his third 100-yard rushing game this season for the Jimmies, carrying 25 times for 111 yards. He was 15-of-25 passing for 152 yards. Hammett rushed 16 times for 66 yards. Erastus Antsino made six catches for 30 yards. Gunnar Stephens set a career high in tackles with 12. Zach Mueller had a career-high 10 tackles and forced a fumble, which John Hulquest recovered.
After a bye week, Jamestown will play at Bemidji State on October 25. It will be the first meeting in football between the Jimmies and Beavers since 1956. Coverage will begin on October 25 at 12:30 PM on The Voice of the Jimmies, Jamestown 107.1.
| UJ | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Minot St. | 14 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 35 |
FIRST QUARTER
Minot St. – Evan Lovett 8-yard TD run 10:30 (Brandon McCary XP) – 7-0 Minot St – 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:30 – Key play: Devan Daniels 23-yard run to UJ 42
UJ – Zach Hammett 3-yard TD run 6:26 (Aanon Peterson XP) – 7-7 – 12 plays, 70 yards, 4:04 – Key plays: Cole Hentges 6-yard pass to Erastus Antsino to Minot St. 40 on 3rd & 6, Minot St unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to Minot St 18
Minot St. – Carson Chrisman 11-yard TD run 3:04 (McCary XP) – 14-7 Minot St. – 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:14 – Key play: Jonathan Noriega 30-yard kickoff return to Minot St. 40, Chrisman 18-yard pass to Johnny Bellino to UJ 18
SECOND QUARTER
UJ – Hentges 5-yard TD run 10:29 (Peterson XP) – 14-14 -11 plays, 85 yards, 4:22 – Key play: Hentges 18-yard pass to Nate Burke to Minot St. 5
Minot St. – McCary 22-yard FG 2:00 – 17-14 Minot St. – 12 plays, 70 yards, 8:29 – Key play: Daniels 5-yard run to UJ 15 on 4th & 4
THIRD QUARTER
Minot St. – Chrisman 3-yard TD run 5:51 (McCary XP) – 24-14 Minot St. – 4 plays, 42 yards, 1:59 – Key play: Chrisman 35-yard pass to Gage Cavanaugh to UJ 4
FOURTH QUARTER
UJ – Hammett 3-yard run 14:56 (Peterson XP) – 24-21 Minot St. – 16 plays, 85 yards, 5:56 – Key play: Hunter Ruzicka 9-yard run to UJ 42 on 3rd & 2, Minot St. unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to Minot St. 31
Minot St. – McCary 27-yard FG 5:11 – 27-21 Minot St. – 15 plays, 72 yards, 9:39 – Key play: Daniel 20-yard run to UJ 42
UJ – Hentges 1-yard TD run 2:49 (Peterson XP) – 28-27 UJ – 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:22 – Key plays: Hentges 8-yard run to UJ 49 on 3rd & 3, Hentges 47-yard pass to Ethan Hoffman to Minot St. 1
Minot St. – Lovett 7-yard TD run 1:44 (Lovett run) – 35-28 Minot St. – 6 plays, 72 yards, 0:56 – Key plays: UJ face mask penalty to Minot St. 48, Chrisman 25-yard run to UJ 10
Individual Statistics
RUSHING
UJ: Hentges 25-111-2 TD, Hammett 16-66-2 TD, Ruzicka 5-24, Hoffman 1-4
Minot St.: Chrisman 19-145-2 TD, Lovett 25-136-2 TD, Daniels 9-65, Sam Buckhanan 3-13, Cavanaugh 1-12, Blake Espino 2-4, TEAM 2-(-4)
PASSING
UJ: Hentges 15-25-152
Minot St.: Chrisman 3-3-58
RECEIVING
UJ: Antsino 6-30, Burke 3-34, Hoffman 2-47, Hammett 2-16, Gage Solano 1-23, Ruzicka 1-2
Minot St.: Cavanaugh 1-35, Bellino 1-18, Noriega 1-5
| UJ | Minot St. | |
| First Downs | 22 | 23 |
| Rushing | 47/205 | 61/371 |
| Passing | 152 | 58 |
| Total Yds | 357 | 429 |
| Att/Comp/Int | 15/25/0 | 3/3/0 |
| Punts/avg | 4/41.0 | 1/47.0 |
| Fumbles/lost | 0/0 | 3/1 |
| Penalties/Yds | 5/61 | 8/89 |
| Time of possession | 24:30 | 35:30 |