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NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Visiting Bethel University dealt the St. Olaf College football team its first loss of the season, using 241 yards and four scores on the ground to defeat the Oles, 35-7, on Saturday afternoon in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) contest at Klein Field at Manitou.
Quarterback Jaran Roste accounted for 336 yards of offense, 153 on the ground, and ran for a pair of scores to lead the way for Bethel (5-1, 3-1 MIAC). Running back Sam Gibas ran for a 37-yard touchdown on the Royals' first play from scrimmage as the visitors brought an end to the undefeated start to the season for St. Olaf (5-1, 3-1 MIAC).
Gibas finished the afternoon with 70 yards and a score on 14 carries, joining Roste to account for 223 yards and three touchdowns rushing for the Royals. Roste threw for 183 yards in addition to his 153 yards on the ground, with Drew Larsen hauling in five passes for 122 yards.
St. Olaf amassed 178 of its 251 yards in the game via the run game. Senior quarterback Ricardo Johnson III totaled 74 yards on 17 carries, while junior running back Khayleb Willis ran for 69 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts, including the Oles' lone touchdown from a yard out.
After the Bethel defense forced a three-and-out to start the game, Gibas burst up the middle for a 37-yard touchdown to put the visitors on top, 7-0, just 62 seconds into the game. The Royals threatened to make it a quick 14-0 lead on their next possession, but the St. Olaf defense forced a fumble at the Ole 10-yard line that senior Leandro Ferreira recovered to keep it a 7-0 deficit.
Bethel made it a two-touchdown advantage with 3:44 left in the first quarter on the first of Roste's two touchdown runs in the game, a one-yard sneak after the Royals started at the St. Olaf 40-yard line. A five-yard touchdown run by Gideon Erhabor on the second play of the quarter gave the Royals a 21-0 lead just 41 seconds into the second quarter.
Midway through the second, seniors Luke Dahl and Shiloh Goodwin combined to stuff Roste on a four-and-one to give the Oles the ball at their own 45-yard line. The offense proceeded to march 55 yards in 11 plays, capped by a one-yard plunge from Willis to get on the board and make it a 21-7 game at the half.
Following a scoreless third quarter, Bethel put the game away in the fourth, scoring both of the quarter's touchdowns. Roste burst up the middle for a 57-yard touchdown on a third-and-two with 10:31 to play and Dawson Brown added a 10-yard interception return for a score with 3:35 to go to account for the final margin.
First-year Nikoloz Vasadze and sophomore Jordan Bartholomew both blocked field-goal attempts in the second half for the Oles. Goodwin had a game-high 12 tackles, while Dahl was in on 11 stops, with Ferreira posting nine tackles of his own.
The game was St. Olaf's "Tackle Cancer" Game, benefiting the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund - donations to the cause can still be made here.
St. Olaf travels to No. 8-ranked Saint John's on Saturday, Oct. 20 for a 1 p.m. battle with the Johnnies, who doubled-up No. 3-ranked St. Thomas in the Tommie-Johnnie game on Saturday afternoon in Collegeville.