MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University senior wide receiver Johnny Lester (Miami, Fla.) touched the ball just seven times Saturday.

He accounted for 207 yards and a touchdown in those seven touches.

Lester returned a kick 71 yards for a touchdown and had 106 yards receiving to lead Minot State to a 42-10 win over Mayville State in the Dakota Athletic Conference opener for both team Saturday at Herb Parker Stadium.

“We got the ball moving and made some plays,” Lester said. “I thought we ran the ball well and the line blocked pretty well. We just have to limit the turnovers.”

Three turnovers – two interceptions and a fumble – was the only negative on an otherwise solid afternoon for Minot State. The Beavers outgained Mayville 486-121 overall, had a 324-99 advantage in the passing a game and a 162-22 margin in the running game.

“There were a few positive things, I guess,” said MSU head coach Paul Rudolph, “but I am someone who likes to be perfect and I don't know if we were close to perfect.”

Still, the Beavers accomplished most of their goals as they had three back rush for more than 50 yards, but quarterback threw for better than 100 yards and the Beavers limited the Comets to only six first downs.

“I thought the defense really got after them,” Rudolph said. “You could use the word 'dominate' other than the big pass.”

Mayville got 52 of its 121 yards of total offense on one long pass as quarterback Tanner Carpenter hit Taylor Elsenheimer down the middle of the field to inside the MSU 10 on the Comets only touchdown scoring drive early in the third quarter.

The Beavers got out of the gates quickly as they took the opening drive 51 yards on nine plays to go up 7-0 on quarterback Layvester James' (Sr., Miami, Fla.) 2-yard run. MSU had a 9-play, 70-yard drive capped by Nico Youngren (RB, So., Gig Harbour, Wash.) on a 12-yard run early in the second quarter.

Youngren scored again on a 5-yard scamper with 9:35 to play in the first half. The touchdown was set up by three big plays by the Beavers. First, Mayville's field goal attempt was blocked by Minot's Brian Sorensen (LB, So., Hazen, N.D.), giving the Beavers the ball on their own 9. Minot then went from its own 9 to the Comets' 5 in two plays – both long catches by Lester.

But Lester wasn't close to done.

After a Mayville 43-yard field goal by Tyler Yamanouchi, Lester made one of the best kick returns in his storied history. He got the ball on the 29 after it deflected off the hands of an up back, raced to his left, stopped at the 50, cut back to the right, then back to the left before a final cut at the Mayville 29 to go the distance. It was his eighth special team's return for a touchdown in his career and his fifth kickoff return. He is now just two kick returns for a score away from tying the national NAIA record of seven.

“I thought Zack (Robinson, DL, Jr., Redmond, Wash.) was going to get it, but when he missed it, I just picked it up and found a crease,” Lester said. “I got a couple good blocks down the field. I think the guys have fun making blocks for me and its fun for me to see them get those.”

“We were just standing on the sideline and said 'how do you stop that.' He stopped a couple times, changed direction a couple times,” Rudolph said. “The guys believe in him. You know what made the play for me is you had eight guys trailing the play and they were all red jerseys.”

The Beavers also got some solid playing time by second and third string guys. Redshirt freshman Nate Christianson (WR, Havre, Mont.) caught five passes for 75 yards. Redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Torgerson (QB, Colstrip, Mont.) was 5 of 8 passing for 112 yards and threw his first collegiate touchdown, hitting Blake Eggl (So., RB, Minot, N.D.) for a 44-yard swing pass. And redshirt freshman Logan Jones (RB, Lethbridge, Alberta) barreled his way to 54 yards rushing on eight carries.

Along with his blocked field goal, Sorensen led the Beavers with seven tackles and a sack. Redshirt freshman Chad Marshall (LB, Hazen, N.D.) got his first collegiate interception to go along with four tackles for the Beavers defense.

MSU (1-0 DAC, 1-2 overall) are again at home celebrating homecoming next week as they play host to Valley City State at 1:30 p.m.