Box Score MINOT, N.D.  – Minot State University football's two main nemeses were back at it Saturday.

The Beavers have struggled with turnovers and slow starts in its previous two losses and Minot State again struggled with both.

Winona State opened up a 28-0 lead and capitalized on five Minot State turnovers en route to a 49-14 win over the Beavers in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football Saturday spoiling MISU's Homecoming 2013 celebration in front of 3,036 fans at Herb Parker Stadium.

Minot State (1-3 overall, 1-3 NSIC) finished with nine fumbles, turning it over four times with three coming inside the red zone.

"It's just inexcusable for us to turn the ball over like we did today," said MISU head coach Paul Rudolph. "We need to address things on both sides of the ball and get ready to go next weekend."

It was a poorly executed game all around as the Beavers finished with four turnovers all on fumbles, while the Warriors (2-2, 2-2) fumbled three times – losing two – and threw two interceptions. Both teams missed a field goal as MISU's Dalton Houghton (R-Fr., LB, Lethbridge, Alberta) blocked WSU's only attempt and the two teams combined 31 penalties and 298 yards.

Winona State rolled up a total of 558 yards, including 339 rushing yards. The tone was set early for the Warriors as they scored on just the second play from scrimmage, an 82-yard run by Chichi Ojika. Ojika finished with 242 yards rushing on 18 carries and two TDs.

"We knew coming in they were a tough team and they could run. We just didn't execute on defense," Rudolph said. "Offensively, we were able to move the ball through the air fairly well, but we just can't keep putting the ball on the ground."

WSU scored three times in the first quarter and went up 28-0 on an 84-yard TD catch by Tony Mueller before Minot State got on the board. Porter Sturm (So., WR, Roy, Mont.) hauled in a 17-yard TD from Zac Cunha (So., QB, Rocklin, Calif.) with 3:21 to play in the half. After an Ojika TD run early in the second half, Cunha found tight end Kwajo Bonsu (Jr., Chino Hills, Calf.) for a 20-yard TD with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter.

"It wasn't really about getting in a rhythm; we just made too many errors," said Cunha. "It's hard to win when you put the ball on the ground like we did."

But that was a close as MISU would get as WSU tacked on two more scores after the Bonsu TD.

The Beavers toughest stretch of the game came late in the first quarter and early in the second as they fumbled five times on four straight possessions, losing the ball three times and turning it over on downs once.

Cunha ended up throwing the ball 52 times, a career high, going 28-for-52 for 309 yards and two TDs. Jarvis Mustipher (R-Fr., RB, Melbourne, Fla.) had his first career 100-yard rushing game, gaining 113 yards on 16 carries. Sturm finished with 91 yards on five catches and Wayne Peters (Sr., WR, Carson, Calif.) added nine catches for 75 yards to pace the offense.

MISU's defense was led by Cooper Helm (So., DB, Wenatchee, Wash.) who had two interceptions and Chad Marshall (Sr., LB, Hazen, N.D.) who had six tackles. Uepati Fatilua (Sr., LB, Vallejo, Calif.), Jeff Buchert (Sr., DB, Plainfield, Conn.) and Cameron Stone (Jr., LB, Great Falls, Mont.) each finished with forced fumbles.

Minot State is back on the road next week at rival University of Mary with a 2:30 p.m., kickoff at the Bismarck Community Bowl.