Game Day Notes (PDF)

Bethel fans are encouraged to wear royal blue when the Tommies come to Royal Stadium on Saturday.  The #10 ranked Bethel will play host to #3 ranked St. Thomas in an eagerly anticipated matchup.

Last year, St. Thomas eked out a 10-6 win over the Royals in the regular season, but Bethel avenged the loss by taking down the Tommies in the national quarterfinals 12-7 - both games at St. Thomas. This year's game has serious postseason implications for the two teams. The Tommies are undefeated thus far, have won 16 consecutive MIAC games, and 21 consecutive regular season games. The winner of this game will pull ahead in the MIAC race with only a few games remaining. The loser may be eliminated from post season play altogether, as additional conferences will now send an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs, thus making it harder for more than one team from a conference to earn a playoff berth.

Bethel and St. Thomas are both at the top of most statistical categories in the MIAC. Bethel is first in the conference in rushing offense, while St. Thomas is third - both average more than 200 yards per game. Bethel and St. Thomas are among the top two in the MIAC in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense, and total defense.

Bethel is second in the nation in 3rd down efficiency, converting better than 56% of the time. On the other hand, St. Thomas is 11th in the country in stopping opponents on 3rd down, allowing fewer than 24% to be converted.

Some key players to watch for Bethel are quarterback Josh Aakre (Sr., Dawson, Minn.) and running backs Brandon Marquardt (Fr., Champlin, Minn.) and Jesse Phenow (So., Richfield, Minn.) as they make up three of the top seven rushers in the MIAC.  In the last two weeks, Marquardt and Phenow have each received MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for their respective performances. Aakre is leading the MIAC in passing efficiency and has completed more than 64% of his passes this season. 

On defense the Royals will have to stop a strong Tommie offense. Linebacker Billy Morgan (Sr., Rosemount, Minn.) leads the MIAC in tackles per game with 11, while David Vavra (Sr., Cambridge, Minn.) has come up big for the Royals in recent weeks including two interceptions against Saint John's - one returned for a touchdown.

“Every team doesn't get to play in as big of a game as we get to this week," said Head Coach Steve Johnson. "Both teams are talented, but expect this game to be fast and physical.”

See additional notes and statistics by clicking on the Game Day Notes PDF link above. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Bethel will be providing streaming audio and video, as well as live statistics through Stretch Internet.