COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – For the 37th time in program history, the Saint John's Johnnies are football champions of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) after defeating Bethel University, 41-33, on Saturday.
| Box Score |
Saint John’s quarterback Aaron Syverson eclipsed 400 passing yards for the third time in his last five games, completing 32-of-44 passes for 419 yards and five touchdowns, helping lead the Johnnies to an automatic berth in next weekend’s NCAA Division III Football Playoffs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Saint John’s kicker Conor Murphy scored the first six points of the game on field goal conversions of 21 and 36 yards.
-Johnnie wide receivers Marselio Mendez and Dylan Wheeler combined for five receiving touchdowns. Mendez caught seven balls for 154 yards and two scores, while Wheeler had nine catches for 115 yards and three touchdowns.
-SJU’s defense and special teams came away with a trio of fumble recoveries, while Bethel’s pass rush sacked Syverson eight times.
-Running back Aaron Ellingson went over the century mark (115 yards) on the ground and hauled in one of quarterback Cooper Drews’ four touchdown passes for the Royals.
-Blake Simonson’s interception on 4th-and-9 in Bethel territory with 15 seconds remaining in regulation sealed an eight-point win, conference championship, and NCAA Playoff berth for the Johnnies.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
-With the victory, Saint John's earned the MIAC championship and the conference’s automatic qualifier to the 2024 NCAA Division III Football Playoffs. This is the 28th time in program history the Johnnies will head to the NCAA Playoffs.
-The conference title is the 37th all-time for Saint John's - the most in MIAC Football history.
-Both Bethel and Saint John’s were ranked in the top 20 of the NCAA Power Index (NPI) after last weekend's games. SJU was No. 3 in the country, with Bethel at No. 19.
-The NCAA Division III Football Playoffs expand to six rounds and 40 teams this season. Twenty-eight conferences have automatic bids, leaving 12 at-large spots.
UP NEXT
-Saint John's received the MIAC Playoff championship plaque and the Conference's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Football Playoffs. Bethel will now wait to see if 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 17, at 4:00 p.m. CT.
MIAC Championship Week Scoreboard
Saint John’s 41, Bethel 33 | Box Score |
Concordia 17, Gustavus 13 | Box Score |
St. Olaf 41, Augsburg 26 | Box Score |
Carleton 21, Hamline 9 | Box Score |
St. Scholastica 44, Macalester 41 | Box Score |