NCAA Division III Playoff Bracket | 

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - The Bethel University football team travels to Pella, Iowa for the opening round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs Saturday facing off against the No. 8/10-ranked Central (IA) College Dutch. The Royals received one of just five at-large bids available to the playoffs after falling in the last second of the MIAC Championship game to No. 5 Saint John's, 29-28. Central enters the game unbeaten at 10-0 and the champions of the American Rivers Conference. The Dutch have won 12 straight games, 17 straight in the regular season. Bethel sports a 27-6 record over the past three seasons with four of the six losses coming to Top 5-ranked teams and the other two against teams ranked No. 10 and No. 17. BU has also defeated four teams ranked or receiving votes over the past three seasons. Saturday's winner will take on the winner of No. 23/RV Aurora University (Ill.) at No. 6/9 Wheaton College (Ill.). Kickoff is set for Noon from Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium on the Central College campus in Pella, Iowa.

 

Playoff History
This is the 10th trip to the NCAA Playoffs in the last 20 seasons for the Bethel Royals ('00, '01, '03, '06, '07, '10, '12, '13, '18, '21). Bethel's last appearance was in 2018 when the Royals defeated ARC champion Wartburg (41-14) and 2019 national champion North Central (27-24) before falling to UW-Whitewater (26-12) in the elite eight quarterfinal round. After losing in the first round in their first four playoff appearances BU holds an 11-5 record in NCAA Playoff games since 2007, winning at least one game each of the five seasons. Twice the Royals claimed West Region crowns ('07, '10) with three wins to advance to the final four and two other times the Royals advanced to the elite eight quarterfinal round with two wins ('13, '18). 

For Central this marks the 22nd NCAA Playoff appearance, the fourth highest total in Division III history. It is the second appearance in a row and the sixth for 18-year head coach Jeff McMartin. The Dutch hold a 3-5 record in those games under McMartin in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2019. Overall the Dutch have a 22-20 playoff record, claiming the National Championship in 1974 while making three appearances in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl (1974, 1984, 1988). Central reached the second round in 2019 with a 38-37 overtime victory at home over No. 21 UW-Oshkosh. No. 3 Wheaton defeated Central in the second round 49-13 at Wheaton.

ARC vs MIAC
The American Rivers Conference (ARC), formerly the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) until 2018, and the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) have a long history of matching up in the NCAA Division III Playoffs. The Royals have played five contests against ARC teams in their playoff history, sporting a 4-1 record. Bethel lost at Wartburg 21-7 in 2003 and have since rattled off four straight wins. The 2007 game at Central, 27-13, and then wins over Wartburg in 2010 (28-20), 2013 (34-27), and 2018 (41-14). 

Since 2000 Central has faced an MIAC team four times in the playoffs, winning just once. The lone win came in 2007 when the Dutch pounded Saint John's in the second round 37-7 in Pella before falling the following week to the Royals. Their previous two games against the MIAC both came against SJU and were losses by 21-13 and 21-18 scores in 2006 and 2000. The Dutch have hosted all four previous playoff games in Pella against the MIAC.

The Dutch and Royals have matched up four times previously in the regular season with Central winning all four, the last coming in 2005. The Dutch traveled to Royal Stadium and came back with a 29-21 win after beating Bethel in Pella 21-20 in 2004. The other two contests came in 1993 (CC 38-28) and 1992 (CC 40-7).   

Central and Bethel share one common opponent this season in MIAC member St. Olaf College. The Dutch opened the season with a 46-27 victory over the Oles in Northfield on September 4th. Bethel traveled to Northfield on October 30th and came away with a 35-14 win over the Oles.
 

High Powered Offenses
Central features the nation's leading offense and passing offense. The Dutch average a Division III best 620.1 yards of offense per game, 31 yards more than second place North Central (Ill.). They average 407.7 passing yards per game, 45 more than the next competitor and a nations best 207.87 team passing efficiency. Central is scoring 58.4 points per game, second most behind No. 1-ranked North Central (59.7). While being so explosive the Dutch have turned it over just seven times all season on four fumbles and three interceptions.

The Royals offensive numbers are impressive as well, averaging 428.6 yards per game of total offense and 34.2 points per game. The Royals feature a balanced offensive attack with 187.1 yards rushing per game and 241.5 through the air. Bethel has just 12 turnovers in their ten games, five interceptions and seven fumbles. 

Dynamic QB's
Central Quarterback Blaine Hawkins, a fifth-year senior from Ankeny, Iowa, has thrown a national best 50 touchdown passes with just two interceptions on the season. Only six of those 50 touchdown passes have come after halftime,as Central averages 40 first-half points and usually has a comfortable lead. Hawkins has a streak of seven consecutive games with five or more touchdown passes. Hawkins has completed 74.2% of his passes for 3,424 yards, an average of 342 per game. He was the 2019 ARC Offensive Player of the Year. 

Bethel's Jaran Roste is the MIAC's most efficient passer with a 173.0 rating and one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in the country. Roste has completed 65.9% of his passes for 2,269 yards, 226.9 yards per game. The Alexandria, Minnesota native has 18 touchdown passes to just four interceptions while also rushing for 11 touchdowns and 390 yards. As a freshman in 2018 Roste helped lead the Royals to the elite eight quarterfinal round, rushing for 1,023 yards and 20 touchdowns, while passing for 1,800 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

Experience vs Youth at Wide Receiver
Central's top three receivers are a pair of fifth-year seniors and a junior while the Royals top four receivers are all freshman. Tanner Schminke leads the way for Central with 1,076 yards and 15 touchdowns. Jeff Herbers and Erik Knaack both have 11 touchdown receptions and are averaging 84.6 and 76.7 yards per game respectively. For the Royals Joey Kidder is averaging 99.4 yards per game, needing just six more yards to go over 1,000 for the season. Kidder averages 19.8 yards per catch and has eight touchdowns. Micah Niewald, Aaron Ellingson and Gabe Ante have combined to catch six touchdowns and together average over 111 yards per game. 

Don't Forget About the 'D' 
With Central's high powered offense garnering so much attention the Dutch defense is often overlooked. CC leads the ARC in scoring defense at 15.3 points allowed per game. They are allowing 304.5 yards of total offense per game, second best in the ARC. The Dutch pass defense is the top in the ARC, allowing 198.5 yards per game. Defensive end Hunter Maddy, another fifth-year senior, was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week after the final regular season game for his three sack performance. He leads the ARC with 8.5 sacks on the season.

The Royals meanwhile lead the MIAC with 17 interceptions on the season while also recovering six fumbles and recording 14 sacks. The Royals defense has scored three touchdowns themselves. The Bethel defense ranked second in the MIAC in scoring defense (13.0), total defense (286.9) and passing defense (175.5). Safety Nate Farm leads the MIAC with six interceptions. The Royals have an impressive history over the past three seasons of holding opposing quarterbacks below their season completion percentage and yardage totals.  

2007 Slush Bowl
Saturday marks the second playoff matchup between the Royals and Dutch in Pella. The two teams squared off in the 2007 West Region title game in the midst of a winter storm that had left the field already snow covered while a cold, hard rain fell throughout the day creating several inches of slush the game was played on top of. Bethel jumped out to a 20-7 lead at the half and went on to a 27-13 victory. Freshman running back Logan Flannery carried the ball 35 times for 131 yards and the defense picked off three Central passes, including an 85-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter by Tim Cornish to seal the victory. 
Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery
#TakeMeBackTuesday: Bethel Wins 2007 West Region Championship in Snow & Ice Storm  

 

Royal Road Trip
Saturday's contest starts at noon at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium. All tickets are general admission and are $10 for adults or $5 for students and seniors. Children age 2 and under are admitted free. Tickets will also be available at the gate starting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Advance tickets are available in person only through Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Central athletics office in P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium. 

Opponent: Central (IA) College
Live video: Central Dutch Network 
Live Stats: athletics.central.edu
Listen Live Online: www.kniakrls.com
Local Radio:  KRLS-FM (92.1)
Twitter updates: Bethel Gameday & Bethel Royals FB
Location: Pella, Iowa
Stadium:  Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium
Miles from Bethel's campus: 292
Estimated time of travel: 4 hours and 16 minutes
Recommended hotspots: Jaarsma Bakery is a long time Pella and central Iowa staple, specializing in authentic Dutch pastries made from scratch daily. Located in historic downtown Pella, Jaarsma Bakery opens at 6 a.m. on Saturday and is just ¾ of a mile from Central College. 727 Franklin Street Pella, Iowa 50219
In the media 
StarTribune Preview | D3football.com Region Bracket Capsules | Whirlwind Weekend Extends Royals Run - D3football.com | KSTP Channel 5 Feature | KARE11 Feature on Jaran Roste |