Cooper Drews passed for six touchdowns and ran for another to help the Royals clinch the MIAC title last weekend.
Nathan Klok
Cooper Drews passed for six touchdowns and ran for another to help the Royals clinch the MIAC title last weekend.

Football

MIAC Football Notebook - November 13, 2025

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - The 2025 college football season is nearing its end, as the final week of the regular season has arrived for Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) teams.
 
Bethel University (9-0, 8-0) secured the MIAC's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs last Saturday with a 49-7 victory over Carleton. The victory ensured the Royals a share of their second MIAC championship in the last three seasons. Bethel can earn that championship outright - and complete the program's first perfect regular season since 2013 - with a road victory at St. Scholastica on Saturday.
 
If Bethel were to falter in Duluth, Saint John's (8-1, 7-1) can secure a share of the conference title with a win over St. Olaf in the Johnnies' regular-season home finale. SJU's seven-point loss to Bethel in October gave the Royals the head-to-head tiebreaker for the AQ, but the Johnnies remain squarely in contention for one of 13 at-large berths into the NCAA Playoffs.
 
Concordia (6-3, 5-3) and Carleton (6-3, 6-2) will both finish the season with winning records but will be jockeying for their final positions in the conference standings when the two squads meet in Northfield on Saturday. Four of the last five games in the series have been decided by a touchdown or less, including two one-point decisions, and two overtime contests.
 
Gustavus (4-5, 4-4) will host Macalester (3-6, 2-6) on Saturday. A win for the Gusties would secure a .500 record overall and a winning record in conference play. A Macalester victory would be the program's first over Gustavus since 1996 and match the Scots' highest MIAC win total since the 1986 campaign.
 
Each of those games will kick off at noon, with the exception of the Bethel at St. Scholastica contest, which has a 1:00 p.m. start time.
 
Before Saturday's action gets underway, however, Hamline (1-8, 0-8) and Augsburg (3-6, 3-5) will battle for "The Hammer" on Friday night in Minneapolis. Originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, the game was moved up to accommodate Augsburg being selected to host the opening rounds of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championships on Saturday and Sunday.
 
This will be the 20th installment of The Hammer rivalry game. Augsburg leads the series, 15-4, since a maroon and grey sledgehammer was first awarded to the winning team in 2005.
STAT PACK
The latest MIAC Football Stat Pack as of Thursday, November 13, can be viewed here.
IN THE POLLS
Bethel is ranked No. 4 and Saint John's is No. 7 in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 Poll, released on Monday, November 10. The two teams are Nos. 5 and 8 in the most recent D3football.com Top 25 Poll, announced on Sunday, November 9.
NPI OUTLOOK
The NCAA Power Index (NPI) is used to select the 13 at-large bids to the 40-team NCAA Division III Playoffs after the 27 automatic qualifiers have been determined on November 15. The D3Playbook has projected the NPI cut line for football at-large candidates to be 29.
 
The most recent NPI rankings on November 9 listed Bethel at No. 7 and Saint John's at No. 20. Bethel has already secured its spot in the NCAA Playoffs as one of the 43 automatic qualifiers. A win on Saturday would likely land the Johnnies among the first eight recipients of an at-large berth.
SELECTION SUNDAY
The complete 40-team bracket for the 2025 NCAA Division III Football Playoffs will be unveiled during the annual NCAA.com selection show at 4:00 p.m. Central time on Sunday, November 16.
 
The first round of the NCAA Playoffs will be held on Saturday, November 22, with the second round on Saturday, November 29, and the third round on Saturday, December 6. The national quarterfinals are set for Saturday, December 13.
 
The national semifinals will be streamed live on ESPN+ on Saturday, December 20, with ESPN set to telecast the national championship game live in primetime on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Central time.
NATIONAL NOTABLES
Bethel junior quarterback Cooper Drews (Princeton, Minn. / Princeton) and junior wide receiver Albert Rundell (Watertown, Minn. / Watertown-Mayer) were named to D3football.com's Team of the Week for their performances during Week 10 of the 2025 season. Drews completed 38-of-48 passes for 405 yards and six touchdowns in the Royals' 49-7 win over Carleton. He also ran for 27 yards and a touchdown. Rundell caught 21 passes for 214 yards and five touchdowns in the game, setting new program and conference records for receptions in a single game. His five touchdown grabs also set a new Bethel record and tied the single-game MIAC mark.
 
Augsburg senior wide receiver Tyrone Wilson (Ellendale, Minn. / New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva) is averaging 8.22 receptions per game this fall, good for the seventh-best clip in NCAA Division III. His 17 receptions against Concordia on 10/25 are tied for the second-most by any NCAA receiver this season.
 
Augsburg junior cornerback Rashad Sherwood (Crystal, Minn. / Robbinsdale Armstrong) collected 13 solo tackles against Carleton on 11/1, tied for the sixth-most in any D-III game this season.
  
Bethel junior quarterback Cooper Drews (Princeton, Minn. / Princeton) has thrown 31 touchdown passes this season, good for the fourth-most in D-III. His 38 completions against Carleton on 11/8 are tied for the sixth-most in any Division III game this season. Drews also threw six touchdown passes in the game, tied for the eighth-most in any D-III contest this fall.
 
Bethel junior wide receiver Albert Rundell (Watertown, Minn. / Watertown-Mayer) leads all levels of college football with 1,279 receiving yards and an average of 142.1 receiving yards per game this season. He is also the only receiver in college football averaging more double-digit receptions per game, with a clip of 10.22 this season. His 15 receiving touchdowns this fall are the fifth-most in Division III. Rundell's 21 receptions and five receiving touchdowns against Carleton on 11/8 are the most by a receiver in any NCAA football game this season. His 246 receiving yards against St. Olaf on 10/18 are the fifth-most in any D-III game this season.
 
Bethel junior wide receiver Tyler Terry (Blaine, Minn. / Blaine) caught 15 passes against Northwestern-St. Paul on 9/13, tied for the fifth-most in any NCAA Division III game this season. 
 
Bethel junior defensive end Phil Conant (Saint Francis, Minn. / Saint Francis) has 17.5 tackles for loss this season, tied for the sixth-most in D-III. Conant's 4.0 sacks against Hamline on 9/27 are tied for the fourth-most in a single game by any Division III player this season, while his 7.0 tackles for loss in the game are tied for the most by a defender at any level of NCAA Football this season.
 
Bethel junior punter Eli Nowacki (Blaine, Minn. / Centennial) uncorked an 80-yard kick against Hamline on 9/27, tied for the fifth-longest punt in D-III this year. Nowacki's average of 57.3 yards per punt (3-172) against the Pipers is the third-best average by a Division III punter in a single game this season.
 
Carleton senior quarterback Jack Curtis (Charlotte, N.C. / Ardrey Kell) ranks fourth in NCAA Division III with an average of 27.44 completions per game this season. His completion percentage of 73.5 (247-for-336) ranks fifth in Division III, while his 2,776 passing yards on the year rank eighth, and his 308.4 passing yards per game rank ninth. Curtis completed 39 passes against St. Scholastica (10/11) and 38 passes against Gustavus (10/4), good for the fifth- and sixth-most completions in any Division III game this season. Curtis passed for six touchdowns against Macalester (9/20) and Hamline (10/18), tied for the eighth-most in any D-III game this season.
 
Concordia senior punter Marcus Merkelbach (Seattle, Wash. / Garfield) punted 11 times against Bethel on 11/8, tied for the sixth-most in any D-III game this season.
  
Concordia junior punter Mitchell Druley (Norwood Young America, Minn. / Central) punted 11 times against Bethel on 11/1, tied for the sixth-most in any D-III game this season.
 
Gustavus sophomore quarterback Dylan Blount (St. Clair, Minn. / St. Clair) threw six touchdown passes against St. Scholastica on 10/18, tied for the eighth-most in any D-III game this season.
 
Gustavus senior linebacker Bode Hogan (Broomfield, Colo. / Broomfield) has recovered three fumbles this season, tied for the third-most in NCAA Division III.
 
Gustavus senior punter Owen Forsythe (Shakopee, Minn. / Shakopee) punted 11 times against Bethel on 9/20, tied for the seventh-most in any D-III game this season.
 
Hamline first-year wide receiver Miquel Pittman (Palmetto, Fla. / Palmetto) returned eight kickoffs against Gustavus on 10/25, tied for the fifth-most in any D-III game this season.
 
Saint John's junior quarterback Trey Feeney (Moorhead, Minn. / Moorhead) has the second-best completion percentage in Division III this season at 76.4 percent (191-for-250). His passing efficiency rating of 189.2 ranks seventh in D-III this year. His 27 touchdown passes on the season are tied for the tenth-most in Division III. Feeney tossed six touchdown passes against Carleton on 10/25, tied for the eighth-most in any D-III game this season.
 
Saint John's senior wide receiver Dylan Wheeler (St. Paul, Minn. / Mounds View) ranks eighth in Division III with 13 receiving touchdowns on the year.
 
Saint John's senior tight end Joey Gendreau (Shorewood, Minn. / Minnetonka) caught four touchdown passes against Macalester on 10/11, tied for the third-most in any D-III game this season. Gendreau leads all NCAA tight ends with an average of 7.00 receptions per game.
 
Saint John's senior defensive end Zach Frank (Lino Lakes, Minn. / Centennial) ranks fifth in NCAA Division III with 11.5 sacks this season.
 
St. Olaf sophomore running back Landon Dillon (Minneapolis, Minn. / Blake) carried the ball 43 times against Hamline on 11/8, the most in a single game by any Division III back this season.
 
St. Olaf sophomore kicker Ethan Hess (Marshall, Minn. / Marshall) is tied for first in NCAA Division III with an average of 1.56 field goals per game this season.
 
St. Scholastica sophomore running back Jevon Williams (Willmar, Minn. / Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City) is averaging 162.57 all-purpose yards per game in 2025, the 10th-highest average in Division III. He had 322 all-purpose yards against Wisconsin Lutheran on 9/6, tied for the eighth-most in any D-III game this season. Williams ran for four touchdowns against Wisconsin Lutheran on 9/6, tied for the fifth-most in any D-III game this year.
 
St. Scholastica senior wide receiver Andrew Burgess (Tampa, Fla. / Cypress Creek) returned nine kickoffs against Saint John's on 11/8, tied for the most in any NCAA football game this season.
 
St. Scholastica senior linebacker Austin Mundt (Deer River, Minn. / Deer River) is averaging 6.88 solo tackles per game this season, the fourth-highest average in D-III. He recorded 13 solo tackles against Wisconsin Lutheran on 9/6, tied for the sixth-most by any defender in a Division III game this season.
 
St. Scholastica senior cornerback Ian Strusz (Albertville, Minn. / St. Michael-Albertville) came away with three interceptions against Wisconsin Lutheran on 9/6, tied for the most in any NCAA Football game this season.
RECORD WATCH
Bethel junior wide receiver Albert Rundell (Watertown, Minn. / Watertown-Mayer) has caught 83 passes in MIAC play this season, already the fourth-most all-time in a conference season. The MIAC record is 104 receptions by Augsburg's Scott Hvistendahl in 1998. Rundell's average of 10.4 receptions per conference game is currently fifth-best in MIAC history. His 1,198 receiving yards in conference play this fall are the third-most in MIAC history. Hvistendahl holds the top two spots with 1,589 receiving yards in 1998 and 1,273 in 1997. Rundell's average of 149.8 receiving yards per conference game is also the third-most in a MIAC season. Hvistendahl's 176.6 per game average in 1998 is the MIAC record. Rundell has caught 13 touchdown passes in MIAC games this season, three shy of the single-season conference record. He has surpassed 100 yards in six MIAC games this season, tying the MIAC record. Rundell has tallied at least 100 receiving yards in four straight games, one shy of the single-season record of five, set by Gustavus' Jake Breitbach in 2023. His four multi-touchdown games in MIAC play are the third-most in a season in conference history; two touchdown receptions in Week 11 would tie Rundell for the second-most in a MIAC season all-time. Rundell set the MIAC's single-game record for receptions with 21 against Carleton on 11/8. The previous single-game MIAC high was 20, set by Augsburg's Royce Winford in 2007 and matched by Augsburg's Nick Heenie in 2018. Interestingly, both Winford's and Heenie's 20-catch games came against the Knights as well.

Carleton senior quarterback Jack Curtis (Charlotte, N.C. / Ardrey Kell) has 2,574 passing yards in conference games heading into the final week of the regular season. That total already ranks ninth all-time in MIAC history. Curtis is averaging 321.8 passing yards per MIAC game this fall, a clip that ranks as the eighth-best for a MIAC season in conference history. His 217 total completions during the MIAC schedule are currently the seventh-most in conference history. Curtis has thrown for at least 300 yards in six MIAC games this season, tied for the second-most in a single season in conference history. The MIAC record is seven, set by Saint John's quarterback Aaron Syverson in 2024. Curtis is 274 passing yards shy of breaking into the top five for career passing yards in MIAC games. Curtis has 6,645 passing yards against MIAC opponents heading into the 2025 finale. Curtis has 64 career passing touchdowns in MIAC games, the sixth-highest career total in conference history. Alex Kofoed (Saint John's, 2004-07) is fifth with 69 touchdown passes, and Kurt Ramler (Saint John's, 1993-96) is fourth with 70. In overall games, Curtis now has the tenth-most passing yards by a MIAC quarterback with 8,255 yards in his career. Gustavus' Jordan Stolp is currently ninth on the list with 8,496 career passing yards in overall games. Curtis' 80 career passing touchdowns in overall games are the ninth-most by a MIAC passer all-time; former Macalester quarterback Michael Nadeau is eighth on the list with 84 as a Scot from 2019-23.

Macalester first-year punter Andrew Wetherill (Langhorne, Pa. / The Hun School of Princeton) has landed 12 punts inside the 20-yard line during MIAC play this year, tied for the fourth-most ever in a conference season. The MIAC record is 18 by Hamline's Kyle Johnson in 2017.

Saint John's junior quarterback Trey Feeney (Moorhead, Minn. / Moorhead) has a completion percentage of 75.5 in MIAC games this season. The current MIAC single-season record for completion percentage in conference games is 74.5, set by the Johnnies' Aaron Syverson a year ago. His passing efficiency mark of 186.7 in conference games this fall currently ranks fourth in MIAC history.

Saint John's senior wide receiver Dylan Wheeler (St. Paul, Minn. / Mounds View) has 12 receiving touchdowns in MIAC games this season, four shy of the conference record that he matched in 2024. Wheeler is tied with former Johnnie wide receiver and 2025 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Blake Elliott (2000-03) with 12 career 100-yard receiving games in conference play, the most in recorded MIAC history. Wheeler broke into the top ten all-time with his 218th career reception last week, tied for the tenth most in all games by any MIAC receiver in history. Wheeler's 44 career receiving touchdowns overall are the third-most by a MIAC pass-catcher in history, and one shy of former Bethel receiver Joey Kidder (2021-24) for second-place all-time. Blake Elliott holds the MIAC career record for touchdown receptions in overall games with 63. In MIAC games only, Wheeler currently ranks fifth all-time in receiving yards (2,393), 123 yards shy of Kidder for fourth place. His 37 receiving touchdowns in conference contests are the second-most behind only Elliot's 45 against MIAC foes.

Saint John's senior tight end Joey Gendreau (Shorewood, Minn. / Minnetonka) has 55 receptions in conference games this season, the second-most by a tight end in MIAC history. The record is 56, set by Carleton's Ntense Obono in 2023. Gendreau has already surpassed Alex Larson's MIAC record for receiving yards by a tight end in conference games with 741 yards this fall. Gendreau's six receiving touchdowns in MIAC games this fall are the sixth-most by a tight end in a conference season; the MIAC record is 10. In career MIAC games, Gendreau ranks second among MIAC tight ends with 1,500 receiving yards and third with 116 receptions. St. Olaf's Derek Hansen holds the career receiving yardage record in MIAC games by a tight end with 1,672 (2021-24), while Carleton's Ntense Obono owns the receptions record with 169 in conference contests (2021-24).

Saint John's senior defensive end Zach Frank (Lino Lakes, Minn. / Centennial) has 27.0 career sacks in overall games, tied for the tenth-most by a MIAC pass rusher in recorded conference history.

Saint John's junior kicker Matt Hansen (Longmont, Colo. / Niwot) has made 52 PAT tries against MIAC opponents this season, three shy of the single-season MIAC record.

St. Olaf sophomore kicker Ethan Hess (Marshall, Minn. / Marshall) has made 11 field goals in MIAC play, tied for the fourth-most in a single season in conference history. The MIAC record is 15, set by Hamline's Gary Potter in 1984. Hess has attempted 14 field goals during the conference season, two shy of the record set by Gustavus' Andrew Abegglen in 2021.
AROUND THE MIAC
Augsburg junior linebacker RJ Chakolis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Hopkins) scored his second defensive touchdown of the season in the Auggies' loss to Gustavus on 11/8. Chakolis picked up a loose ball following a strip-sack and ran it back 72 yards for a touchdown.
 
Bethel junior wide receiver Albert Rundell (Watertown, Minn. / Watertown-Mayer) caught 21 passes for 214 yards and five touchdowns in the Royals' 49-7 victory over Carleton to secure at least a share of the MIAC championship and the conference's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs. Rundell's 21 receptions are a new conference record, while his five receiving scores tie the league mark. Rundell now leads all levels of college football (NCAA and NAIA) with 1,279 receiving yards this year.
 
Carleton junior wide receiver Jaxon Watson (Salem, Ore. / South Salem) scored the Knights' only touchdown in a loss to Bethel on 11/8. Watson's 23-yard score came on a reverse pass midway through the first quarter to put Carleton on the scoreboard first. Watson has found paydirt three times in the last two weeks.
 
Concordia sophomore Kyle Mages (Osakis, Minn. / Osakis) led the Cobbers with 11.0 tackles - including nine solo stops and one tackle for loss - and a critical interception in the team's 17-14 victory over Macalester on 11/8. Mages' fourth pick in as many games came with Concordia down by four points with just over eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. On 4th-and-13 from the Cobbers' 20-yard line, Mages intercepted the Macalester pass near the goal line and returned it out to the 26, setting the stage for a game-winning drive.
 
Gustavus junior tight end Jordan Wold had eight receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown in the Gusties' 31-10 victory over Augsburg on 11/8. It was Wold's second consecutive game with a touchdown reception, and his fourth touchdown grab in as many weeks.
 
Hamline first-year quarterback Zayden Stevens (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Vista Ridge) accounted for five total touchdowns in the Pipers' loss to St. Olaf on 11/8. Stevens threw for a career-high four scores and recorded a rushing touchdown for the second consecutive week.
 
Macalester sophomore wide receiver Paxton Boyd (Newton, Mass. / Newton South) crossed the century mark for the second week in a row, hauling in 102 receiving yards on six receptions against Concordia on 11/8. His 102-yard game against the Cobbers last week and 123-yard game against St. Olaf the week before are the first two 100-yard games of his collegiate career.
 
Saint John's junior wide receiver Riley Schwellenbach (Woodbury, Minn. / East Ridge) scored touchdowns on three of his six receptions in the Johnnies' win over St. Scholastica on 11/8. He totaled 81 receiving yards in the game, with all three of his scores coming in the second quarter.
 
St. Olaf sophomore running back Landon Dillon (Minneapolis, Minn. / Blake) carried the ball a career-high 43 times for a career-best 228 yards and a touchdown to power the Oles to a 41-34 win over Hamline on 11/8. Dillon's 43 rushes are the most by a D-III back this season and the second-most in recorded program history. His 228 rushing yards are the fifth-most in a single game in recorded program history.
 
St. Scholastica senior quarterback Donald West (St. Paul, Minn. / Woodbury) threw touchdown passes to three different receivers in the Saints' loss to Saint John's on 11/8. West's scoring strikes came from 30, 27, and five yards out.
UP NEXT
Week 11 | Friday, November 14, 2025
7:30 PM | Hamline at Augsburg | Video | Stats |
 
Week 11 | Saturday, November 15, 2025
12:00 PM | Macalester at Gustavus | Video | Stats |
12:00 PM | Concordia at Carleton | Video | Stats |
12:00 PM | St. Olaf at Saint John's | Video | Stats |
1:00 PM | Bethel at St. Scholastica | Video | Stats |
LEAGUE LEADERS
2025 MIAC Football Statistical Leaders
Overall MIAC
Passing Yards Per Game Jack Curtis, Carleton 308.4 Jack Curtis, Carleton 321.8
Passing Touchdowns Cooper Drews, Bethel 31 Cooper Drews, Bethel 27
Rushing Yards Per Game Jevon Williams, St. Scholastica 115.1 Jevon Williams, St. Scholastica 96.5
Rushing Touchdowns Taye Manns, Bethel 11 Taye Manns, Bethel 10
Receiving Yards Per Game Albert Rundell, Bethel 142.1 Albert Rundell, Bethel 149.8
Receiving Touchdowns Albert Rundell, Bethel 15 Dylan Wheeler, Saint John's 13
Tackles Per Game Austin Mundt, St. Scholastica 11.1 Austin Mundt, St. Scholastica 10.9
Sacks Zach Frank, Saint John's 11.5 Zach Frank, Saint John's 10.0
Interceptions Nick Colyer, Bethel
Kyle Mages, Concordia		 4 Nick Colyer, Bethel
Kyle Mages, Concordia		 4