NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Bethel University football team took care of business Saturday afternoon with another shutout, this time against the Carleton Knights in a 48-0 romp. The Royals pitched back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1976 after blanking Gustavus 31-0 last week. Not only did the Royals defense not allow any points, they also scored twelve points of their own on a pair of pick-sixes by Kyle Peach and Dawson Brown. Bethel totaled three INT's on the day while allowing the Knights just 142 yards through the air on 60 attempts and minus seven yards on the ground. Bethel freshman quarterback Jaran Roste posted another impressive performance, topping 100 yards on the ground and 100 yards through the air for the second straight game, while this time rushing for four touchdowns after three last week.   
 
The Royals set the tone for the day in their first drive after taking the opening kickoff. Bethel marched down the field in 11 plays over nearly five minutes. The 70-yard drive was capped off with an incredible 14-yard run by Roste as he broke multiple tackles along the way, then drug four Knights defenders for the last five yards into the endzone. The 6-3, 230 pounder showed off his speed at the end of the first quarter, breaking loose for a 48-yard touchdown run to cap off a seven play, 80 yard drive and make the score 14-0 after Blake Hottle converted both PAT's. Roste would not be done breaking the goal line in the first half as he added another touchdown on a QB sneak from the 1-yard line with just 1:13 to play in the second quarter. This run came after Kyle Peach had run back the first of Bethel's two interception returns for a touchdown and the two scores stretched Bethel's lead to 28-0 going into halftime.
 
The second half started out much the same way, this time with the Bethel defense stuffing the Knights and forcing one of nine Carleton punts on the day. The offense then went on a long drive of 12 plays and 75 yards, capped off by what else, but a Jaran Roste touchdown run of two yards. Late in the third quarter Brendan Whalen picked off a Carleton pass and was headed towards the endzone but ended up being tackled at the eight-yard line after a 27-yard return. Bryce Kunkle carried the ball twice to make up the final eight yards and get the touchdown to up the Royals lead to 42-0. On the first play of the Knights ensuing drive, Dawson Brown picked off a pass and this time made it all the way to the endzone, plowing a Carleton Knight near the goal line to make it 48-0. The PAT attempt by Blake Hottle was tipped and clanged off the goal post as Hottle went 6-7 on the day while also booming six punts for an average of 36.8 yards.
 
The fourth quarter saw Carleton test the Royals second string defense as the Knights marched their way deep into Bethel territory but both times the Royals came up big and stopped the Knights on downs to preserve the shutout.
 


Bethel totaled 245 yards on the ground with another 153 through the air from Roste and Jake Marsh who completed two passes for 30 yards. Roste led the Royals in rushing with 102 yards while Gideon Erhabor and Bryce Kunkle totalled 60 and 52 yards respectively.
 
The Royals (4-0) will now turn their attention to Homecoming week and a showdown with Saint John's University (4-0). The Johnnies are ranked No. 9/10 in the latest polls and are coming off a pair of shutouts of their own over Augsburg (52-0) and Carleton (59-0). The Royals and Johnnies will renew their rivalry at 1 p.m. on October 6^th at Royal Stadium on the campus of Bethel University. The matchup will be the first when both teams are unbeaten on the season since the legendary 2003 matchup between the two teams on November 8^th in Collegeville in front of 13,107 fans.