ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - The Bethel University football team wrapped up the 2021 season with their 10th NCAA Playoff appearance in the last 20 seasons, accomplishing some impressive feats along the way. The Royals finished 8-3 overall, winning the MIAC Skyline Division with a perfect 4-0 record and an appearance in the inaugural MIAC Championship game held at the newly renovated Royal Stadium.
2021 "By The Numbers"
27 - The Royals have now posted 27 consecutive non-losing seasons dating through the 1994 season. 27 is also the total of wins for the Royals over the last three seasons, posting an 11-2 record in 2018, 8-2 in 2019 and 8-3 in 2021. The Royals have also been ranked in the Top 25 of the last 27 consecutive D3football.com polls dating back to week nine of the 2018 season. During that stretch the Royals have been as high as No. 7 in the final 2018 poll while spending much of 2019 in the Top 10 and all of 2021 within the Top 20.
234 - What do Bethel head coach Steve Johnson and legendary former Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler have in common? 234 career wins. Coach 'J' moved into the Top 50 of all-time winningest college football coaches in all divisions this season, passing some notable names such as Steve Spurrier, Jim Tressel, and Hayden Fry along the way. After 32 seasons at Bethel, Johnson now stands tied for 42nd all-time with Schembechler and is second on the NCAA DIII active coaches wins list.
12 - Bethel quarterback Jaran Roste is one of 12 semi-finalists for the prestigious Gagliardi Trophy, honoring the top Division III student-athlete in football, academics and community service. The Gagliardi Trophy finalists will be announced during a live show on Thursday, Dec. 9, on www.D3football.com.
1,078 - Freshman wide receiver Joey Kidder was a force on down the field for the Royals, using his combination of size, speed, athleticism and ball skills to haul in 58 passes for 1,078 yards and 10 touchdowns. Kidder is the first Royal receiver to surpass 1,000 yards in a season since Mitch Hallstrom set the BU single season receiving record of 1,328 yards in 2013. The New Richmond, Wis. native's 18.6 yards per catch average led the MIAC. Kidder is now starting for the Royals basketball team.
10 - Only 10 MIAC football players have ever been named to four MIAC All-Conference teams and senior offensive lineman Jack Fiedler is one of them. Fiedler was named First Team MIAC All-Conference in 2018, 2019 and 2021 while earning Second Team honors as a freshman in 2017. Running backs Phil Porta ('06) and Logan Flannery ('10), the MIAC's top two all-time leading rushers, along with 2006 MIAC MVP linebacker Kirby Carr are other former Royals to earn four All-Conference honors.
163 - The Royals top four pass catchers in 2021 were all freshman, totaling 163 catches on the season. Joey Kidder (58 Rec.-1,078 Yds.-10 TD), Micah Niewald (43 Rec.-648 Yds.-2 TD), Aaron Ellingson (37 Rec.-346 Yds.-1 TD) and Gabe Ante (25 Rec.-308 Yds.-4 TD) all had some of the best freshman receiving seasons in Bethel history.
19 - The Bethel defense picked off 19 passes in 2021, the most in the MIAC. Two of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns by Matt Feldick against North Park and Jacob Holmen against Hamline. Cornerback Tavian Swanson and safeties Matt Feldick and Nate Farm were all named First Team MIAC All-Conference.
6 - Freshman safety Nate Farm led the MIAC with six interceptions. Farm was also the Royals leading tackler and had a 99-yard fumble recovery touchdown in the season opener against North Park.
11 - The Royals had eleven underclassmen starters in the final game of the season, including freshman kicker Hugo Cifuentes. Five offensive and five defensive starters on the final two-deep roster of the season were either freshman or sophomores. In addition another 15 underclassmen were listed as the top backup on the two-deep roster.
39-39 - Freshman kicker Hugo Cifuentes was a perfect 39-39 on PAT's on the season and also kicked an 18-yard field goal. Cifuentes took over the place kicking duties in week five of the season when fellow freshman Jack Hanson shifted his full focus to the Bethel soccer team where he scored four goals on the season. Hanson was 15-18 on PAT's and connected on his only field goal attempt from 46-yards in his four games. Hanson was 8-8 along with the 46-yard field goal in the season opener at North Park, earning him D3football.com Team of the Week honors.
77 - Junior running back Sid Boros had the Royals longest offensive play of the season. Against Macalester, Boros popped a 77-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, the fourth touchdown run of 70 or more yards in his career. In addition Boros also had a 42-yard touchdown reception in week two against UW-Platteville.
11 - Sophomore running back Bryce Kunkle was third in the MIAC with 11 rushing touchdowns on the season, including four in one game against St. Olaf. Kunkle led the Royals with 879 yards rushing on 163 carries, an average of 5.4 yards per carry. The Yuba City, California native also caught 11 passes out of the backfield for 107 yards and two touchdowns.
7 - Bethel quarterbacks were sacked just seven times on the season, the sixth lowest total in all of NCAA DIII. The Royals had three offensive lineman named to an MIAC All-Conference team in First Teamers Jack Fiedler and junior Travis Sinclair along with sophomore center Evan Ginter.
2 - Junior defensive lineman Aidan Thomas, playing in his first season of football at Bethel after being a member of the BU baseball team, had two sacks, two quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups while being named Second Team MIAC All-Conference.
83% - The Royals scored touchdowns on 38 of their 46 trips into the redzone, good for an MIAC second best 83%.
