Minot State makes it no secret that its offensive identity is to be a run-first team.

Over the course of the season, the Beavers have had mixed results with their offensive strategy, with some opponents being able to slow down their ground game, while others have struggled to win the battle upfront.

Minot State’s offensive attack on the ground could not be stopped in its final road game of the season, amassing 301 yards and five touchdowns on 76 carries in a 49-28 victory at Northern State on Saturday, Nov. 8. Minot State’s 49 points were the most since scoring 56 against Sioux Falls in their season finale last year on Nov. 16.

Carson Chrisman shouldered the load, carrying the ball 34 times for 137 yards and a touchdown. Devan Daniels finished with 96 yards and two touchdowns on 19 rushing attempts and Evan Lovett found the end zone twice and added 45 yards on 17 carries.

“It’s really hard to express how proud I am of the young men in our program and our staff,” Minot State coach Ian Shields said in a press release. “There has been some real adversity that has hit us this year and we’ve been challenged along the way. Today’s win versus a quality Northern squad on the road speaks volumes as to the toughness and resiliency inside our locker room.”

The Beavers (3-7 overall, 3-6 NSIC) never trailed, jumping out to a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Lovett with 3:25 left in the first quarter, capping off an 18-play, 75-yard drive that ate up 11 minutes, 35 seconds on the clock. Minot State held the ball for 47:43 compared to just 12:17 for the Wolves.

Northern State (6-4, 5-4) answered with a touchdown of its own on its first drive of the afternoon, but the Beavers scored the final 14 points of the half to take a 21-7 lead into the locker room. The first was the result of Minot State’s lone completion in the passing game. Chrisman was on the receiving end of a pass rather than being the one to deliver it, and hauled in a 39-yard pass from Jonathan Noriega. It was the result of yet another lengthy drive that lasted 7:48.

The Beavers would add four more touchdowns in the second half – three on the ground and another on defense with Jace McDonald recovering a fumble and returning it 83 yards for a touchdown with less than a minute to play in the fourth quarter. The Beavers forced three turnovers while not yielding a turnover of their own.

Minot State was able to keep the Wolves off the field by converting on 10 of 18 third downs and was a perfect 7-for-7 on fourth down. The Beavers scored all four times they got into the red zone.

“Offensively, it was an identity-defining day,” Shields said. “That’s who we are. We dominated the day with over 43 minutes of possession and went 7-for-7 on fourth down. Zero penalties and zero turnovers as well. That’s a pretty good recipe for success.”

The Wolves were outgained 301-156 on the ground, but put up 278 yards through the air. Daniel Britt finished 14-for-16 for 224 yards and two touchdowns, while Brock Bagozzi completed three passes for 54 yards and an interception.

The Beavers close out their season at home against Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Herb Parker Stadium at 1 p.m.