No. 16 Bethel (2-2, 2-1 MIAC) vs. Augsburg (1-3, 1-2 MIAC)
Date/Time	Saturday, October 10 at 1 p.m.
Location	Arden Hills, Minn. | Royal Stadium
Live Stream	Bethel Sports Network
Live Stats	https://athletics.bethel.edu/sidearmstats/football/summary
Tickets	https://sportsthread.com/user/buy-tickets/464/
Bethel	Game Notes
Social Media	Twitter | Football Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

 

SERIES

BU leads the all-time series 32-15-3 heading into their 50th meeting with Augsburg dating back to 1949. The Royals defeated the Auggies on the road in their previous meeting on October 11, 2025 in Minneapolis.

COACHES

Bethel's Mike McElroy (3rd year at BU and as a head coach: 25-6) // Augsburg's KiJuan Ware (2nd year at AUG: 5-9, 1 season at MAC: 3-7 (2021), and 3rd as a head coach: 8-16)

QUICK HITS

• Bethel's game against Augburg will be Homecoming and Family Weekend on Saturday, October 10. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

• Following the 42-16 loss to No. 5 Saint John's last week, the Royals fell from No. 8 to No. 17 on the Week 5 AFCA Coaches Poll, and dropped from No. 7 to No. 16 on the Week 4 D3football.com Coaches Poll.

• Bethel's last victory over St. John's at Clemens Stadium was a 28-7 decision on November 16, 2013, and had only won there on two other occasions on October 8, 2011 by a 41-20 score, and November 11, 2006 by a 28-13 margin.

• Bethel currently has a nine-game win streak over the Auggies, dating back to their last loss on November 14, 2015 in Minneapolis. 

• Bethel has won 24 of their last 27 games against Augsburg. Their lone blemishes came in back-to-back seasons in 2014 and 2015.

• The Royals are now 24-2  in the month of October dating back to the 2019 season.

• Shout out to a trio of Royal greats on being inducted into the 2026 Bethel University Athletic Hall of Fame Class: Kirby Carr '07, Vernon Chico Rowland '01, and Scott Kirchoff '04.

• Following Homecoming, the Royals will hit the road in back-to-back weeks for the only time in 2026 when they face St. Olaf on October 17 at 1 p.m., and Macalester at 7 p.m.

ABOUT THE ROYALS

BU will look to rebound from their second loss of the season to a Top-5 ranked team after their 42-16 loss at No. 5 Saint John's on October 3. Their attempt at redemption will occur againat Augsburg at Royal Stadium on October 10, which is Homecoming/Family Weekend. The Royals will aim to push their win streak to 10 over Augsburg.

Running back Taye Manns leads the MIAC and ranks 18th in the country with a whopping 6.96 yards per carry. Running back David Geebli's five rushing touchdowns leads the MIAC and ranks 34th nationally. Geebli also paces the conference with 36 points scored, and five total touchdowns (in addition to rushing).

Quarterback Cooper Drews ranks second in the MIAC with 962 passing yards, while his 20.5 completions per game ranks second in the conference and 26th in NCAA Division III. Wide receiver Aiden Eckert leads the MIAC and ranks 12th in the country with 7.25 receptions per game, while his 123.5 all-purpose yards per game paces the conference and is 65th in the country. Eckert's 391 receiving yards and 97.8 receiving yards per game each rank second in the MIAC.

Leading the BU defense is Jake Borman, who is fourth in the conference with 1.50 tackles for loss per game. Borman has a team-leading 23 tackles, followed by 22 a piece from Taylor Glynn and Max Durgin.

ABOUT THE AUGGIES

They lead the MIAC in fourth-down conversion percentage defense with a .286 mark. RJ Chakolis has played a large role in that with 10.3 tackles per game, which leads the MIAC and ranks 19th in NCAA Division III, while his 1.63 tackles for loss per game is 37th in the country.

Starting quarterback Caden Rodkewich has completed 64-of-123 (52.03 %) passes for 678 yards and seven touchdowns. Iggie Cooper paces the receivers with 14 grabs for 192 yards and three touchdowns. 

The Auggies are looking to snap a two-game losing skid that consists of a 72-0 loss to Saint John's on September 26, and a 23-21 loss at St. Olaf on October 3. They are also in pursuit of their first victory over BU since November 14, 2015, when they came up on top 49-42 in Minneapolis.