ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – For the sixth time in program history and the first time since 2013, the Bethel Royals are football champions of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) after defeating Gustavus Adolphus College, 31-7, on Saturday.
| Box Score |
A trio of Aaron Ellingson touchdown runs - including two in the first quarter of play - propelled the Royals to victory and the MIAC title on their home field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Junior running back Aaron Ellingson scored on touchdown runs of 76, 17, and 14 yards in the game, with the first coming on a fake punt on the Royals' opening possession of the game. Ellingson totaled 224 yards on 27 carries in the win.
-Four different Royals came away with interceptions in the game, including junior safety Nate Farm, who picked off a pass in the end zone to prevent a Gustie touchdown in the second quarter.
-Gustavus senior wideout Jake Breitbach caught six passes for 81 yards and came down with an interception on the Gustie two-yard line at the end of the first half.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
-With the victory, Bethel earned the MIAC championship and the conference's automatic qualifier to the 2023 NCAA Football Playoffs. This is the 11th time in program history and the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Royals will head to the NCAA Playoffs.
-The conference title is the sixth all-time for BU, moving the Royals into a tie with St. Olaf for the fifth-most in MIAC history.
-Both Bethel and Saint John's appeared in the latest NCAA Region VI Rankings released earlier this week. The Johnnies were No. 3 in the region, while Bethel was No. 6. Depending on how the automatic qualifiers from other conferences shake out, the MIAC could see multiple teams receive NCAA Playoff bids on Sunday.
UP NEXT
-Bethel received the MIAC Playoff championship plaque and the Conference's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Football Playoffs. Nationally- and regionally-ranked Saint John's will now hope its season will continue by way of an at-large berth. The NCAA will announce the national playoff field during its annual selection show on NCAA.com on Sunday, November 12 at 4:00 p.m. CT.
MIAC Championship Week Scoreboard
Bethel 31, Gustavus 7
Saint John's 48, Concordia 21
Carleton 41, Augsburg 25
St. Olaf 28, Hamline 7
Macalester 40, St. Scholastica 20