Football 11/4/06 -- Bethel 48, Augsburg 21

BOXSCORE

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (11/4/06) -- The Bethel University Royals racked up 495 yards of total offense, including 330 yards on the ground, in defeating Augsburg College 48-21 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football game Saturday afternoon at Royals Stadium.

For the Auggies, quarterback Jordan Berg (So., Gaylord, Minn./Sibley East HS) completed 16 of 31 passes for 181 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Tight end Andrew Neumann (Sr., Somerset, Wis.) caught eight balls for 79 yards while Ricky Schreier (Sr., Maplewood, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) led all receivers with seven catches for 82 yards and one score.

For the second week in a row, Augsburg used a late rally to attempt to get back into the game. A 21-point fourth quarter was highlighted by a 20-yard touchdown pass from Berg to Royce Winford (So., Albertville, Minn./Osseo HS), a two-yard scoring run by James Strand (Fr., Pequot Lakes, Minn./Brainerd HS) and a 16-yard pass from Keith Hagen (Sr., Northfield, Minn.) to Schreier.

Brandon Rudenick (Jr., Nicollet, Minn.), Pat Hoban (Fr., St. Paul, Minn./Humboldt HS), Brady Seesz (Jr., Northfield, Minn.) and Mike Matson (Sr., Cedar, Minn./St. Francis HS) led the Augsburg defense, as Rudenick and Hoban each finished with 8 tackles and Seesz and Matson finished with 7 tackles apiece.

Bethel scored fast and furious, capitalizing on its first five possessions of the game while building a 48-0 lead before Augsburg's fourth-quarter scores.

Bethel was led by Phil Porta, who finished the afternoon with 181 yards on 24 carries while also catching two passes for 38 yards and a score. Ben Wetzell ended the day 4-8 for 68 yards passing and a score and also rushed 10 times for 57 yards and a score. For the second week in a row, Kyle Lee grabbed two touchdowns receptions on 68 yards receiving.

Defensively, the Royals were led by the Carr brothers. Kirby Carr finished with five tackles including one TFL and a forced fumble while Brandon Carr had four tackles, four pass break-ups, and two interceptions, one for a touchdown. Cornerback Ryan Herm finished with six tackles and one pass break-up.

Bethel now improves to 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the MIAC as the stage is set for a showdown in Collegeville next weekend against St. John's. The winner of that game will earn the MIAC title and an automatic bid to the Division III playoffs. Gametime is set for 1 p.m.

The Auggies fall to 0-9 overall, 0-7 in the league and will finish the season at the Metrodome Thursday night when they face Hamline at 7 p.m.