STORM LAKE, Iowa (October 30, 2021) - Buena Vista got a pair of touchdown catches from Armani Johnson, including the eventual game-winner from nine-yards out with 27 seconds left in regulation which lifted the Beavers to a 24-20 victory over visiting Wartburg College on Saturday afternoon.

Johnson had just eight catches on the year entering the game and finished with five catches for 34 yards and his first two touchdown grabs of the year.  He put BVU in front 14-7 with just over four minutes left in the first half when he took a screen pass and found the end-zone from 11 yards out.  His second score capped a 12-play and 78-yard drive for the only score by either team in the fourth quarter.  Senior Mason Wickett may have had the biggest play of the drive as he entered the backfield with the team facing a 4th-and-inches situation from its own 44-yardline and the clock under 3:00.  He took the hand-off and motored his way 18 yards down to the Wartburg 38.

Wartburg had one final chance with all three timeouts left and the ball at its own 38-yard line.  The Beaver defense, which put pressure into the backfield all game long, got in the face of Wartburg quarterback Jace Moore and forced him into three straight incompletions.  The Knights called time out with eight seconds left and facing a 4th-and-10 and that's when senior Reed Kruse intercepted his pass over the middle of the field as time expired which snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Orange and Black.

BVU took it to a Wartburg rush defense that came in allowing only 72 yards per contest.  The Beavers carried the ball 49 times for 192 yards and allowed just 69.  Quarterback Brandon Kyles came up big with his legs all afternoon and chalked up 84 yards on 20 carries.  He put the team in front early in the contest when he plunged ahead on a 3rd-and-1 from the Wartburg one-yard line on the opening drive of the game for his six rushing touchdown of the year.  He also completed 15-of-25 pass attempts for 217 yards and two touchdowns pulling him within 33 yards of 2,000 on the year.

Senior Eric Pacheco continues to shine and hauled in eight catches for 146 yards and needs just 77 yards over the next two games to break the program's single-season record of 1,101.  He also climbs to within 21 catches of matching the single-season record of 83.

Wartburg tied the game at 7-7 with a one-yard touchdown run with 12:51 left in the first half and again pulled even at 14-14 with 57 ticks left before intermission.  The Knights took their first lead of the game with 38 seconds left in the third quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass but had the extra-point blocked which proved to be costly after BVU took the lead late.

"Speechless….hard to describe the feeling that a great comeback win brings," says BVU head coach Grant Mollring. "The seniors and the assistant coaches have been through so much in the last four years, and I am so proud of their efforts. This group wanted to leave a mark and this win is setting us up for a great finish to the season." 

BVU held Wartburg to its second-lowest offensive output of the season with 244 yards, including 69 rushing yards which was the team's lowest since gaining only 41 during a loss at Gustavus Adolphus on September 11.  Brady McConaty had another big game, recording 12 tackles, including 1.5 sacks while Nate Pedersen added eight total tackles and a big interception.  The Beaver defense now has 14 interceptions on the year and is ranked in the top-20 nationally.

"Our defense was unbelievable again, and we had little doubt after the missed field goal that we would get one more shot. Just a great drive by our offense and what a momentum play that Mason Wickett made on 4th down to spark our crowd and sideline."

Buena Vista has now won three straight games overall and improves to 5-3 overall (4-2 A-R-C).  It has also secured its first .500 season since 2014.  The Beavers will go on the road for the final time this season when it heads to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, next Saturday, November 6, to take on Coe College.  Kick-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.