When the No. 7-ranked St. Thomas football team hosts Bethel Saturday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium, the Tommies will be playing their first opponent with a winning record since St. John’s in the third game of the season.
The Royals (4-2 overall, 3-1 MIAC) are coming off a bye week but upended Hamline 41-7 in their last game. In that contest, Bethel’s offense chalked up 330 yards, while the defense yielded 181 to the Pipers. Coach Glenn Caruso said the Royals’ skill level is the best it has ever been.
“All kinds of talent all over the field,” Caruso said. “Although they’ve had a few struggles this year, they’re as talented as they’ve ever been.”
In the second game of the year, Bethel lost 24-14 to Wartburg, the team that ended the Tommies’ season in the first round of the NCAA playoffs last year. The Royals’ other defeat came at the hands of MIAC rival Concordia-Moorhead, who squeaked out a 23-21 victory.
Bethel doesn’t have a problem moving the ball or stopping it; it’s just a matter of getting the upper hand first and taking advantage of early opportunities. In both losses, the Royals conceded the first touchdown of the game and didn’t record points until the middle of the second quarter. This is bad news for Bethel, given that St. Thomas (6-0 overall, 4-0 MIAC) has scored first in all six games this year.
If the Royals want to snap the Tommies’ streak, they’ll need a strong performance out of their running game. Bethel is ranked fourth in the MIAC in total offense, but it ranks first in rushing yards per game with just over 250 yards. Leading the rushing charge is tailback Marshall Klitzke, who’s ranked fourth in conference rushing with 107 yards per game. Running back Bridgeport Tusler also contributes to the workload. Defensive back Trace Adams said the defense is keying on the run game.
“Bethel has outstanding running backs and a big physical offensive line,” Adams said.
In last season’s 35-24 triumph over St. Thomas in Arden Hills, Klitzke and Tusler ran for 114 of Bethel’s 167 yards on the ground.
“They are sincerely committed to it and they have been for some time, and I really appreciate and respect that in them,” Caruso said.
The Royals’ roster is still stacked with talent, but the team lost crucial pieces on both sides of the ball from last season’s squad. 2014 All-MIAC second team and 2013 conference MVP quarterback Erik Peterson graduated. Running back Brandon Marquardt, a 2014 D3Football.com All-American, is gone. 2014 All-MIAC honorees outside linebacker Ben Wahlquist and cornerback Josh Treimer also departed. Adams believes the Royal’s scheme is the biggest difference from last year.
“They have some different schemes to go with some young and new players,” Adams said “Having to adjust to those aspects is a main priority.”
St. Thomas’ offense seeks to continue its success against a stubborn Bethel defense. It has held five teams to less than 400 yards of offense, and the only time the Royals conceded over 400 yards to an offense was in a 35-20 victory over Wisconsin-Stout in the first game of the year. Caruso said athleticism plays a crucial role for Bethel’s successful defense.
“They fit really well and they run hard to the football. You put that on top of the fact they’re widely athletic, and you have a recipe for a really tough defense,” Caruso said.
Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu.