ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College football team faced a nationally-ranked foe for the second time in three games, losing to No. 15 Bethel University, 47-3 in a MIAC game Saturday night at John Leaney Field at Macalester Stadium. The Scots are now 3-4 overall and 2-4 in the conference, while the Royals improve to 5-2 and 4-1 in MIAC play.
Macalester drove into Bethel territory in each of its first three drives of the game, missing a 42-yard field goal, stalling at the 41-yard line and punting, and kicking a 23-yard field goal by sophomore kicker
Andrew Wetherill (Glencoe, Ill./New Trier). That last drive included a 23-yard pass from first quarterback
Lucas Kaplan (Ardsley, N.Y./Ardsley) to junior receiver
Jackson Janes (New York City, N.Y./Brooklyn Tech).
The Royals scored touchdowns on their first three possessions but missed two extra points to lead 19-3. A 49-yard touchdown run by Miles Gish and a 4-yard touchdown pass from Cooper Drews to Teagan Viebrock that capped a 12-play, 78-yard drive gave Bethel a 33-3 advantage at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Royals found the end zone twice, with Drews hitting Albert Rundell with a 12-yard touchdown pass, and Gish scoring his third touchdown on a 3-yard run, to lead 47-3. The Scots' offense had two drives in the second half that ended in Bethel territory, including the game's final drive that stalled on the 10-yard line with four incomplete passes. For the game, Macalester gained 228 yards of total offense, while the Royals racked up 596 yards.
Kaplan completed 14-of-32 for 126 yards and two interceptions. Junior receiver
Paxton Boyd (Newton, Mass./Newton South) caught eight passes for 72 yards. Sophomore quarterback
Mack Lee (St. George, Kan./Rock Creek) ran for a team-best 59 yards on 16 carries and also had three completions for 12 yards. Defensively, sophomore defensive back
Addison Stirling (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood) made nine tackles and had two pass breakups, and senior defensive back
Hayden Pierce (Roseville, Minn./Roseville) recorded eight tackles for the Scots. Junior linebacker
Dylan Jeppe (Glencoe, Ill./New Trier) tallied six tackles and an interception, while sophomore defensive lineman
Andrew Frechette (Hanover, N.H./Hanover) had 2.0 tackles-for-loss.
Gish finished with 121 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries. Drews was 29-of-35 for 302 yards and three touchdowns, with Viebrock catching 11 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
Macalester takes on St. Olaf College on Saturday, Oct. 31 in another MIAC game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Northfield, Minn.
