Senior quarterack James McNear rushed for 215 yards and four touchdowns while throwing for 309 yards and two more as Concordia University (4-1, 1-0 NSIC) defeated Bemidji State (3-1, 0-1 NSIC) 55-48 in overtime in their NSIC opener on Saturday afternoon at Griffin Stadium in St. Paul, Minn.

The Bears jumped out to a 21-6 lead when McNear broke loose for a 45-yard TD run with 3:32 remaining to cap off an eight-play, 85-yard drive spanning 3:51 to put the Bears in control of the game.

But the Beavers answered with a 10-play, 72-yard drive over the next 2:23 capped off by an Alvaro Carvajal one-yard TD run to put the Beavers within reach at 21-13 going into the half.

The Concordia defense was lights out in the first half, shutting the Beaver rushing attack down to just 23 yards on 13 attempts and holding them to 2-7 on third downs.

BSU wasn't done, as they came out of halftime and scored three touchdowns in the first 2:32 off of three Concordia turnovers, needing just nine plays. They added a fourth third-quarter touchdown with 8:56 to play in the quarter to take a commanding 40-21 lead - a run of 34 consecutive points in just 7:07 of football.

But McNear stormed Concordia back, leading them on a pair of scoring drives to close out the third quarter. Junior running back Aaron Cawthorn dashed into the end zone from 11 yards out to finish off a 70-yard drive, spanning 10 plays and 1:54. Just under five minutes later, McNear fooled the BSU defense on a fourth-down pass, hitting senior Nate Harrington for a 34-yard touchdown strike, bringing the Golden Bears back to within 40-35 with a quarter remaining.

Concordia's defense continued to hold the Beavers in the fourth quarter, allowing McNear to work his comeback magic for the third time this season.

McNear scampered in from 13 yards out as Concordia reclaimed the lead 41-40 with 8:56 to play in regulation. The Bears were unable to convert the two-point conversion, but the 11-play, 85-yard drive spanning 6:07 gave CU the momentum heading down the stretch.

The CU defense shut down BSU on the ensuing drive, forcing a three and out and a punt, setting up the offense with the ball on their own 36-yard line.

McNear led the Bears on a drive lasting 4:30, and Cawthorn dove into the end zone for his second TD run of the game with 2:59 remaining and CU leading 48-40.

But the beaver offense came alive, as quarterback Nathan Sannes led BSU on an eight-play, 83-yard drive that he finished off with a one-yard QB sneak. He hit Carvajal on a screen pass to convert the two-point conversion, tying the game at 48 and forcing overtime.

The Bears started with the ball, and McNear broke loose once again, this time for 20 yards before being forced out of bounds at the four-yard line. On the next play, McNear found the end zone for the fourth time, and Brody Johnson's extra point put Concordia ahead 55-48.

Sannes, who threw for 377 yards and four touchdowns in addition to his rushing TD, took over for the Beavers at the CU 25 looking to respond. On the first play, Sannes dropped back and threw a fade pass that fell short, and Antonio Brown was there to make the interception to end the game.

McNear accounted for 524 yards of total offense (309 passing, 215 rushing) and six TDs (four rushing, two passing). He averaged 9.8 yards per carry and completed 22-40 passes while throwing just one interception. Tyrone Ruffin caught six passes for 96 yards, all in the first half, while Antwon Williams nabbed four passes for 78 yards. Harrington had 49 yards with a TD on three receptions.

Cawthorn finished with 67 rushing yards on 12 carries with a pair of touchdowns.

The Bears offense amassed 608 yards on 80 plays and outgained the Beavers, who finished the day with 458 yards of total offense. Concordia's defense held BSU to just 80 rushing yards on 27 attempts, while the rushing offense racked up 299 yards on 40 attempts.

Adrian Mitchell, Doug Cox, and Travis Johansen all led the defense with eight tackles. Johansen also had a pair of tackles for loss, and Vince Almeda and Brandon Sullivan each recorded a sack.