KICKOFF COVERAGE
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - No. 20 Bethel (1-1) opens up the MIAC portion of its schedule with a divisional crossover game hosting No. 2 Saint John's Saturday inside Royal Stadium. It will be a rematch of last year's MIAC Championship game between the Skyline and Northwoods division winners. Bethel is coming off the bye week following a week two road loss at Wisconsin-Platteville.
It was BU's first regular season non-conference loss since the 2017 season after they started 0-2 with losses to Dubuque and Carthage. Wisconsin-Platteville held Bethel to 162 yards of offense while the BU defense game up 262 yards of offense. The Pioneers took a 10-0 lead into the break with a seven-yard rushing touchdown in the first and 49-yard field goal. Quarterback George Bolt connected with Micah Niewald for the Royals only touchdown of the day on a 19-yard reception. Kicker Hugo Cifuentes has a chance to tie it up but his 41-yard field try came up short in his longest attempt of his career.
SERIES HISTORY
Series: BU trails 9-34
Last: SJU Won 29-28 (Nov. 13, 2021) in Arden Hills (MIAC Championship)
•The Johnnies hold an eight-game winning streak on the Royals dating back to the 2014 season. BU looks to grab its first win over SJU since a 28-7 victory in Collegeville on Nov. 16, 2013.
COACHES CORNER
ROYAL NOTES
• Bethel enters the contest ranked No. 20 in the D3Football.com polls jumping up one spot after the bye week. BU fell 10 spots to No. 21 the previous week after a loss at Plattville. The Royals have now been ranked for 33 straight weeks which is the second longest for the program since the poll's inception in 2003. A 57-week streak took place between week six in 2010 and week 10 in 214.
• The Royals have held a home field advantage over the last five seasons where they are 19-3, with two of those losses coming against Saint John's. Bethel saw 2,122 attend the home opener while last season's attendance average in five games was 3,688
• The Johnnies hold an eight-game winning streak on the Royals dating back to the 2014 season. BU looks to grab its first win over SJU since a 28-7 victory in Collegeville on Nov. 16, 2013.
• The defense pitched a second half shutout at Platteville holding the Pioneers to 56 yards of offense. Through the 2018 season, it was the 10th game in which the Bethel D kept its opponent off the scoreboard in the final 30 minutes. All nine previous times the Royals came away with a victory, five of which were shutouts.
• Holding UWP to 262 yards of total offense, it marked the 26th time since the start of the 2017 season the Royals held an opponent under 300 yards. During that stretch BU holds a record of 24-2 when keep its opponent under that mark.
• The Bethel defense has plowed its way through its opponent's O-line recording a sack in nine straight games dating back to Oct. 9, 2021. In week two at Platteville, Aidan Thomas and Judson Williams each dropped the Pioneers QB for a combined loss of 10 yards.
• Senior quarterback Jaran Roste is a dual threat both in the air and on the ground. With 40 career rushing touchdowns, he is the Royals all-time leader coming in a touchdown ahead of Logan Flannery (2007-10). Flannery is the all-time leader in rushing yards with 5,303 compared to Roste's 2,053 yards. Roste recorded 20 rushing TDs in 2018 (his freshman year), seven in 2019 and 13 in 2021.
FAMILIAR FOES
• Bethel head coach Steve Johnson and Saint John's head coach Gary Fasching have been familiar foes over the years. But that familiarity at one point came on the same sideline as Fasching assited Johnson while he was head coach at St. Cloud Cathedral High School from 1982-85. Johnson taught physical education, while Fasching taught social studies. Fasching later replaced Johnson as head coach in 1986 after he left Cathedral to be a graduate assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. Johnson spent one year with the Gophers and two more at Montana State before taking over at Bethel in 1989. Fasching, meanwhile, led the Crusaders (above) to the State Class B title in 1992 and 1993 and collected a 57-46 career record over 10 seasons from 1986-95, the most wins and longest tenure in school history.
IT'S THIIIIRRRDD DOWN!
• The Royals have the best third down defense across all NCAA divisions of football having their opponent only convert 7.4 percent of the time (2-for-27). BU in week one was one of two teams to not allow a third down conversion forcing Pacific Lutheran to go 0-for-12. In week two Platteville went 2-for-15 with both conversions coming in the first quarter.
GAMEDAY HAPPENINGS
CHICK-FIL-A IN THE HOUSE
Fans be sure to stop by the Chick-Fil-A tent on the concourse for a chance to win free Chick-Fil-A and be sure to sign up for the halftime challenge. Chicken sandwiches will also be for sale at the concession stand. Download the Chick-Fil-A One app and receive a free digital sandwich card if the Royals get a pick in the second half!
GRAB YOUR BU GEAR!
Visit the apparel section at the concession stand to purchase your Bethel University t-shirt and hooded sweatshirt. Items will be marked down with a 20% off game day special!
TAILGATING
Visiting fans from Saint John's will have a designated tailage spot in the SoHo Lot next to Royal Stadium off Snelling Ave.
Alcohol and tobacco products are strictly prohibited while on the campus of Bethel University.
