MOORHEAD, Minn. – Redshirt sophomore
Matt Jung added a pair of pick-sixes while sophomore
Cooper Drews threw for three touchdowns as the No. 25th-ranked Bethel University football team cruised to a 49-16 at Concordia Saturday afternoon. The win places the Royals in the MIAC Championship game, where they travel to No. 3rd-ranked Saint John's to defend their title.
Bethel (8-1, 6-1 MIAC) outgained Concordia (6-3, 5-2) by a 446-243 margin. Drews accounted for all 372 passing yards while the Royals rushed for only 74 yards. The Cobbers won the ground game with 124 rushing yards and threw for 119.
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Half
• Bethel scored on its opening drive, going 68 yards on seven plays. Jung set them up in good field position with a 25-yard kickoff return. Three plays later, on third-and-12
Joey Kidder had a 55-yard grab, setting up the Royals in the red zone. Four more plays and
Micah Niewald had a 12-yard TD reception from Drews.
• The defense forced a quick three-and-out before the Royals had their first turnover of the game on a fumble recovered by the Cobbers.
• The offense stalled again after the defense forced another three and out. Drews threw his eighth interception of the year but the defense held strong with another three-and-out.
• On Concordia's first play on their fourth drive, Jung snagged his first pick six of the game returning it 31-yard to make it 12-0 as the PAT was blocked.
• With 10:15 left in the second
David Geebli found the end zone with his 18-yard catch and run.
• The Cobbers were third and goal from the two before Jung picked up a big 10-yard sack of quarterback Cooper Matter. Concordia settled for the 29-yard field goal to get on the board.
• The Royals took a 21-3 lead into the break as
Hugo Cifuentes nailed a 23-yard field goal as time expired.
2nd Half
• Jung picked up right where he left off, intercepting Concordia's first play of the second half and returning it 32 yards to the house.
• The Royals extended their lead to 35-3 on their next drive as
Micah Niewald's 73-yard catch and run set up
Aaron Ellingson for a one-yard scamper into the end zone.
• Ellingson added his second rushing touchdown early in the fourth, scoring from four yards out on third and goal.
• A couple of big plays for the Cobbers got them in the red zone before a 15-yard touchdown pass made it 42-10 with 13:03 to go.
•
Joe Kujawa tallied Bethel's final score with a six-yard catch into the end zone with 3:52 left to go.
• The Cobbers added one more score on their next drive with Cooper Mattern rushing it in from 19 yards out.
TOP PERFORMERS
Offense
•
Cooper Drews – 25-of-35, 372 yards, 3 TDs
•
Micah Niewald – 6 catches, 132 yards, 1 TD
•
Joey Kidder – 10 catches, 153 yards
•
Aaron Ellingson – 14 carries, 42 yards, 2 TDs
Defense
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Caden DeWall – 9 tackles, 3 sacks
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Matt Jung – 9 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 2 INTs
GAME NOTES
• Concordia won the toss and deferred its choice to the second half. Bethel received.
• For the ninth time this season, BU held its opponent under it's season rushing average. The Cobbers came in averaging 126.0 yard per game.
• Bethel now has 18 interceptions on the year, four of which have now been returned for a touchdown.
• With six sacks, BU's season total moves to 37, which is the most in a season since 2018, when the Royals had 46 in 13 games where they made a run to the Elite Eight.
•
Matt Jung now has five career pick-sixes, with three coming this season.
• Now with eight interceptions on the year, Jung ties Brandon Carr (2007) for the most in a season since 2007.
UP NEXT
The MIAC's automatic bid into the postseason is up for grabs as the Royals travel to Saint John's for the MIAC Championship game. Kickoff has been moved up one hour to a noon start time. Tickets for the game can be purchased by
clicking here.
