ST. PAUL, Minn. – Playing under the lights for just the second time in the 2000s era of Bethel football, the Royals dominated the ground game en route to a 49-14 MIAC Skyline Division victory at Macalester Saturday evening. BU's seven rushing touchdowns were the most in a game since Nov. 2, 2019, when the Royals had eight against Hamline.
Sophomore
Riley Gritz led the charge with a career-high three rushing TDs on 105 yards. Sophomore
Warren Kinney and fifth-year
George Bolt each had two.
Bethel (3-2, 2-1 MIAC) ran for a season-high 335 yards on 54 carries while holding Macalester (2-3, 0-3 MIAC) to negative six rushing yards on 17 carries. The Royals outgained the Scots 461-313 in total yardage.
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Half
• It didn't take long for Bethel to get on the board as Gritz ran it in from five yards out. The opening drive spanned six plays and 69 yards chewing up the first 3:06 of the contest.
• For the fourth time this season the Royals defense forced a three-and-out on their opponents' opening drive.
• The teams traded punts before BU extended its lead to 14-0 on a one-yard touchdown run from Bolt with 3:28 left in the first. Bolt set himself up for the easy run-in with a 14-yard QB keeper the play before. The seven-play drive saw one passing play that was a 44-yard connection to
Micah Niewald.
• Bolt captured his first career multi-rushing touchdown game with a 24-yard scamper into the end zone outrunning a pair of Macalester DB's, making it 21-0 with 3:26 left in the half.
• Gritz punched it in one more time before the half, this time from 2-yards out. The quick drive was the result of good field position as a bad punt by the Scots allowed
Isaac Call to return it 41 yards down to the MAC 11-yard line.
• BU's 28-0 halftime lead came with 198 rushing yards in the first 30 minutes, while the defense held Macalester to negative four rushing yards and just 70 yards of total offense on 33 plays.
2nd Half
• Special teams shined with a blocked field goal with 11:28 in the third. BU got great field position as the ball rolled all the way to its own 46-yard line.
• BU turned that into points six plays later with Gritz running it in from 13 yards out. Doing so after an 18-yard set up run, his longest rush of the night.
• Macalester denied the Bethel defense a shutout making it 35-8 with 6:50 in the third on a 2-yard pass. A 53-yard pass early in the Scots drive put them in the red zone.
• Kinney broke loose in the fourth quarter where both his touchdowns came. He had a 10-yard run with 12:48 left before getting BU's final score from one yard out with 3:10 to go. 80 of his career-high 128 came in the final 15 minutes.
• The Royals defense got their eighth interception of the year as
Aaron Loe jumped the route and captured his first career INT with 10:04 left in the game.
• MAC's second score of the game came with 8:48 to go on an 82-yard connection from Michael Nadeau to Michael Poker.
TOP PERFORMERS
Offense
•
Warren Kinney – 19 carries for a career-high 128 yards, 2 TDs
•
Riley Gritz – 15 carries for a career-high 105 yards, 3 TDs
•
George Bolt – 7 carries for 59 yards, 2 TDs, 4-of-9 passing for 65 yards.
Defense
•
Carter Johnson – career-high 6 tackles, 1 TFL
GAME NOTES
• Bethel loss the toss and Macalester deferred their choice to the second half. Bethel received to start the game.
• The Royals extended their winning streak over Macalester to 16 games and now lead the all-time series 24-10.
• Head coach
Steve Johnson picked up career-win No. 247 putting him solo at 32nd in all-time wins among all NCAA divisions and is two away from tying for 30th all-time with Lou Holtz and Jimmy Laycock (William & Mary). He is also now standing alone at 12th all-time in Division III.
• BU's 54 rushes is the most in a game since the Royals 2018 NCAA playoff opener against Wartburg where they ran it 55 times. The 335 yards is the fourth most rushing yards in a game for Bethel going back through the 2018 season.
• Holding Macalester to negative six rushing yards it's the fewest yards allowed since giving up negative seven against Hamline on Nov. 2, 2019.
• With
Warren Kinney rushing for 128 yards and
Riley Gritz going for 105, it's the first time BU has had a pair of 100-yard rushers since Oct. 5, 2019 when Sam Gibas (102) and Sid Boros (102) accomplished the same feat. It's just the fourth time since 2018.
UP NEXT
The Royals stay on the road for key Skyline Divisional matchup at Augsburg next Saturday, Oct. 14. Kickoff in Minneapolis is set for 1 p.m.
