KARE 11 TV Coverage | Sights & Sounds from Week 1

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. –The Bethel University Royals opened up the 2019 season with an extremely impressive 42-10 win over Simpson College. Bethel scored 28 unanswered points in the middle of the game in the second and third quarters to take firm control of the contest. The Royals showcased a balanced and extremely efficient offense racking up over 500 yards total. The defense limited SC to just 267 total yards, shutting down the Simpson ground game to a tune of just 2.5 yards per carry while also creating big plays with an interception and two sacks.
 


Bethel needed a couple possessions before getting things rolling, going three-and-out in their first two possessions while appearing to be in position for a third straight three-and-out before quarterback Jaran Roste lit a spark that ignited the Royals offense. With Bethel facing a third and four, Simpson appeared to have the Royals play sniffed out and stopped but the 6'4, 241 pound sophomore busted out of a Simpson tacklers grasp and then galloped 16 yards for the first Bethel first down of the game. The Royals offense never looked back from there as Roste completed three consecutive passes, the last an improbable fourth and four completion to Sam Gibas four eight yards and another first down. Joel Koenecke then ran the ball down to the one yard line on a 21-yard burst before Max Janes pounded it in for the first Bethel score. Simpson was able to get a field goal out of their next drive but after intercepting Roste and driving down into Bethel territory, missed a 39-yard field goal. That's when Bethel really pounced, as Mike Delich busted off a 54-yard touchdown run to make it 14-3 after the PAT by freshman Bjorn Charles. After a Simpson punt the Royals went right back to work this time through the air. After a Roste seven yard run to open the drive he then connected on five straight passes to put Bethel back in the end zone. John Carlson caught a pair of balls for 10-yards each while Drew Larsen caught the other three for 14, 13 and then the big 31-yard TD to make it 21-3 with 2:26 going into the half.

The second half was all Bethel power with a sprinkle of Roste and fellow QB Jake Marsh lighting things up through the air. The Royals opening drive was a 13 play, 67-yard march mainly behind the legs of Roste and running back Sam Gibas, who carried the ball six times for 21 yards on the drive. Roste carried it four times for nine yards while finding Andrew Cole for 15 yards on a fourth and 14 to keep the drive alive. A five yard strike to Jon Pytlak and then a three yard connection with Gibas gave the Royals a 28-3 lead. The drive took 8:07 off the clock before Simpson even touched the ball. Once they did though, it was a quick three-and-out and Bethel started pounding the ball again. Seven straight runs for a total of 40 yards was stopped by a fumble that ended the drive. Bethel's defense returned the favor though as four plays later senior defensive back Riley McCann intercepted a Tanner Krueger pass and returned it 13 yards to the Simpson 35. Enter Jake Marsh at quarterback and the senior fireballer found a streaking Drew Larson deep down the middle of the field for a 35-yard touchdown pass on the first play.

Simpson was able to put together a scoring drive of seven plays and 61-yards thanks to a few chunk plays through the air and a two-yard touchdown run. Bethel's final touchdown drive then ensued, fueled largely by a pair of defensive starters carrying the ball on offense in linebacker Mike Delich and defensive end Max Janes. Sam Gibas opened the drive with a 14-yard run followed by a Marsh to Carlson nine yard strike. Delich then ran it three straight times for 30-yards followed by a nine yard, bruising run by Janes. Delich followed with a three-yard touchdown run for the final score of 42-10. Bjorn Charles, a freshman from Rogers, Minnesota, was 6-6 in PAT's on the day.
 
Bethel's quarterback combo of Roste and Marsh finished a combined 18-22 for 229 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Marsh was a perfect 4-4 for 77 of those yards. Drew Larson led the receiving core with six catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, Gibas led the way with 15 carries for 84 yards while also catching two passes, one for a huge fourth down conversion and the other a three-yard touchdown. Roste contributed 67 yards on the ground on 11 carries. The power package with Delich and Janes combined for 102 yards on just eight carries and three touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball Delich and Janes had seven tackles each, two of five Royals who finished with a team high seven wrap ups. Linebacker Kyle Peach was one of those with seven tackles which included two and half tackles for loss and a sack to go along with a pass breakup.
 
Simpson was coming off a 7-3 campaign in 2018 which saw the Storm finish second in the American Rivers Conference while returning a good portion of that squad in 2019. Senior quarterback Tanner Krueger finished 15-27 for 181 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Simpson's two leading rushers, Noah Bruckner and Joe Meyer, needed 29 carries to total 97 yards and one touchdown.
 
The Royals improve to 6-0 all-time vs the Storm and will now turn their attention to the UW-River Falls Falcons. Bethel will travel just over the river to Wisconsin to take on UWRF with a 1 p.m. kickoff in River Falls on September 14th.