MINNEAPOLIS—Bethel University's football team suffered a heart-breaking loss at Augsburg College Saturday afternoon. The Royals (5-5, 4-4 MIAC) led 42-28 with 13:46 remaining in the game, but three unanswered touchdowns by the Auggies (5-5, 4-4 MIAC) in the fourth quarter proved to be too much for BU in the 42-49 setback.
 
The two teams were knotted at 28-28 after 30 minutes of play and despite the Royals holding Augsburg scoreless in the third, Augsburg scored 21 points in the fourth quarter.
 
Marshall Klitzke gave Bethel a huge boost in their opening drive, as he took the first carry 70 yards for a touchdown. Trailing 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, BU posted back-to-back touchdowns to go ahead 21-14. The first score was a Josh Werness carry from one-yard out, which completed a 14-play, 62-yard drive. The second was a game-changing interception by Jesse Moeckly at the Augsburg 34-yard-line that he took back to the Auggie the end zone.
 
Augsburg scored quickly to even the game at 21-apiece, but the Royals fired immediately back with a seven-play, 74-yard drive that was capped off with a 22-yard touchdown grab by Jackson Canfield. The Auggies managed to even the game at the half, however, on a three-yard touchdown run with 0:00 remaining on the clock.
 
Josh Werness scored his second touchdown of the day in the Royals' first drive of the second half to help BU go ahead 35-28 and Gunnar Bloom put BU up by two scores when he hauled in Andrew Dzurik's 27-yard pass with 13:46 left in the final frame.

But the ball bounced Augsburg's way from then on. The Auggies trimmed Bethel's lead to eight when stringing together a seven-play, 75-yard drive. Then with the score 42-34 Augsburg converted an on-side kick attempt and scored three plays later, which knotted the game at 42-42. The Royals then fumbled on their very first play of the ensuing possession, which gave the Auggies back the ball with 9:41 remaining in the game.
 
Despite Augsburg scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 4:19 remaining in the game, Bethel still had an opportunity to score in the final minute of the game. The Royals went 16 plays and 60 yards, but were stalled on 4th-and-1 from the Augsburg 14-yard line with 27 ticks remaining in the game.
 
BU amassed 434 yards of offense throughout the day, including 280 through the air and 154 on the ground. Andrew Dzurik completed 24-of-33 passes to four different wide receivers, which included his two touchdown throws to Gunnar Bloom and Jackson Canfield. Bloom finished the game with 10 catches and 93 yards, while Canfield hauled in five passes for 90 yards. Drew Neuville caught seven passes for 59 yards.
 
Marshall Klitzke finished his career with 150 yards on 25 carries, averaging 6.0 yards per carry throughout the day. Klitzke's 150-yard day put in him over 3,000 career rushing yards and 1,000 yards this season. As a result, he moved into Bethel's Top 5 rushers all-time.
 
Sophomore Zach Eenhuis led BU's defense with 12 tackles, while senior Matt Mehlhorn wrapped up nine tackles and broke up two passes. Jesse Moeckly's pick-six in the first half was Bethel's only forced turnover of the day.