BEMIDJI, Minn. – Junior running back Sam Santiago-Lloyd exploded for a career-best 231 rushing yards with a pair of touchdowns to lift Winona State University to a crucial 27-14 road win at Bemidji State University on Saturday afternoon. The Warrior defense intercepted Beaver quarterback Emmett Enright a staggering five times, and blanked the home team over two quarters, to keep WSU's postseason hopes alive and well.
Winona State improves to 5-2 with its third straight victory while sending one of the top teams in the NSIC North to matching record of 5-2. Bemidji State's only other loss this season came to then-No. 12 Minnesota Duluth.
Santiago-Lloyd's rushing effort stands as the fifth-highest total in program history as he eclipsed 200 yards on the ground for just the 16th time in the Warrior record book. The bruising back carried the ball a career-high 39 times and averaged 5.9 yards/carry.
Defensively, Richard Azunna, Cam Gavin, Romario Gayle, Nick Pridgeon and Clay Schueffner each recorded interceptions of Enright. Gavin and Gayle both tallied their third picks of the season while Schueffner recorded a career-high 12 tackles for the Warriors.
Jake Balliu and Isaiah Hall, who returned from injury, combined for 93 total return yards, and Paul Ortiz was good on both field goal attempts while adding 280 punt yards (40 yard/average) to complete Winona State's victorious three-phase attack.
The Warriors never trailed on Saturday as Hall returned the opening kickoff 33 yards to set up Owen Burke and the WSU offense. Burke needed just three plays to cover 67 yards and immediately put the Beavers on their heels with a 47-yard touchdown strike to Tyler Anderson.
Bemidji State knotted the score late in the first quarter before Ortiz drilled a 35-yard field goal attempt early in the second frame to put the Warriors back in front. Defense reigned supreme over the remaining 14 minutes of the second quarter and well into the third before Ortiz connected on his second field goal try for a 13-7 WSU advantage.
Santiago-Lloyd crossed the goal line for the first time late in the third quarter as the Warrior lead swelled to 20-7 before the home team made it a ballgame with a nine-play 83-yard drive to open the fourth quarter which slashed the Warrior lead at 20-14.
Still leading by six, Schueffner's fourth-quarter interception halted a potential go-ahead Beaver scoring drive and set up Santiago-Lloyd's second touchdown scamper of the day to account for the final score of 27-14.
Winona State went 4-for-4 in scoring opportunities inside the red zone against the country's best red zone defense.
Despite being sacked a career-high six times, Burke completed 50 percent of his passes as Balliu led the receiving core with four catches for 54 yards.
The Warriors return home to Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium next Saturday for their final matchup with an NSIC North foe in St. Cloud State University at 1 p.m.
