NAPERVILLE, ILL.—The No. 3 Bethel University football team held No. 1 North Central's (Ill.) high-powered offense to just 83 yards passing. However, the Cardinals made up for that with 312 yards rushing in their 35-21 victory over the Royals in the 2025 NCAA Division III Quarterfinal at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville, Illinois on Saturday afternoon.

The defending national champion Cardinals, who pushed their win streak to 28 games, will advance to their sixth-straight NCAA Division III Semifinal against John Carroll on Saturday, December 20. The last time North Central didn't advance that far was 2018, when the Royals handed them a 27-24 loss in a second-round match in Naperville, Illinois.

The Royals, who competed in their seventh NCAA Quarterfinal in school history, conclude their 2025 season with a 12-1 record.

North Central 35, Bethel 21

Both teams came up short on fourth down on their opening drives before the Cardinals put together a whopping 17-play, 81-yard drive. Donovan McNeal capped that series with a one-yard touchdown run that put North Central in front 7-0 with 2:21 remaining in the opening quarter. 

Bethel punted on their next drive, but North Central missed a 52-yard field goal attempt on the second quarter's opening play. The Royals got the ball back on their own 35 before they lost a fumble nine plays later on North Central's 31 with 11:56 left in the second. The Royals defense forced a three-and-out and held the Cardinals to just -2 yards on their next drive. 

Bethel got the ball back on their own 35, which saw Taye Manns rush for 31 yards on four carries while Cooper Drews completed 5-of-6 passes for 29 yards. Drews connected with Albert Rundell for a four-yard touchdown pass that tied the game 7-7 with 7:38 left in the second quarter. 

Donovan McNeal, who finished the game with 144 yards rushing on 25 carries, put North Central in front for good when he capped a 7-play, 60-yard series with a 33-yard touchdown run that made the score 14-7 with 3:05 left in the second. 

The Royals closed the second quarter with a 17-play, 78-yard drive that came with some questions at the tail end. The third-to-last play on North Central's 14 saw Drews complete a pass to Rundell before offensive lineman Jaegar Ash took a loose ball to the end zone. After further review, Rundell was ruled down on North Central's eight. Another Drews completion to Rundell put the Royals on the Cardinals' one-yard line. As time expired, North Central stopped Bethel on a rushing attempt to keep the score in their favor at 14-7.

The tail end of the second quarter was the turning point of the contest as the Cardinals capitalized on that momentum. North Central got touchdowns off Jordan Williams' five-yard run, Zeb Rashid's three-yard run, and McNeal's three-yard run, which pushed their cushion to 35-7 with 13:31 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Bethel closed the game's scoring with touchdowns on their final two drives. A 33-yard completion to Teagan Viebrock highlighted a drive that ended with Drews' one-yard touchdown run that narrowed the score to 35-14 with 4:22 left. North Central recovered a Bethel onside kick, but their offense went three-and-out. Bethel found the end zone on their final opportunity thanks to Tyler Terry's 20-yard touchdown catch with 1:05 remaining, which made the score 35-21. 

Teagan Viebrock caught seven passes for 137 yards while Rundell caught 10 balls for 46 yards and one touchdown for Bethel. David Geebli rushed for 80 yards on 17 carries., while Cooper Drews completed 24-of-43 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns. 

Bethel got 18 tackles from Jackson Braun, followed by 14 from Jake Borman, and 13 from Devin Williams. The trio engineered a Bethel defense that held North Central's high-powered passing attack to just 83 yards as quarterback Garret Wilson completed just 9-of-17 passes.

McNeal accumulated 144 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. 

Matt Janiak led North Central with 16 tackles while Brayden Garrigan and Danny Nuccio each had 11.

Playing in their final collegiate game for the Royals are seniors Collin Asplin, Luke Amble, Devin Williams, Riley Gritz, Taylor Glynn, Evan Schimming, Trevor Jones, Eli McKown, Thomas Rush, Michael Jennison, Luke Ainsley, Andrew Stephens, Juan Orozco Sanchez, Isaiah Ward, and Seth Johnson.