Photo gallery by Niko Duffy '13 and Andrew Walters '11
Video highlights by Satchel Kaplan-Allen '13
NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- Bethel University (3-0, 1-0 MIAC) spoiled the Knights’ 2010 home opener, using its formidable ground attack to runaway from Carleton College (0-2, 0-1 MIAC) by a final score of 55-20. The Knights defense struggled to contain the Royals’ stable of running backs, as Bethel amassed 385 rushing yards on the afternoon and pulled away by scoring 27 unanswered points in the second half.
The centerpiece of the Royals’ offense was star running back Logan Flannery, who rumbled for 205 yards and three touchdowns on only 19 carries. Splitting carries with Flannery was sophomore Kevin Lindh, who motored for 111 yards and another three scores of his own. Meanwhile, Carleton mustered 50 yards on the ground on 23 attempts. Thanks to some big plays from their passing game however, the Knights’ offense was able to put up 20 first-half points and entered intermission trailing only by a touchdown.
The game started on a promising note for Carleton, after the team received the opening kickoff and engineered a nine-play, 64-yard scoring drive capped by Jon Lien’s (Jr./Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) one-yard touchdown plunge.
Immediately thereafter, a costly Carleton penalty aided the Royals’ inaugural scoring drive of the afternoon, setting up a 29-yard touchdown scamper by Lindh which evened the score.
Another penalty hampered the Knights’ ensuing possession, and they were forced to punt. The Royals proceeded to score on a daring fourth-and-goal situation, when Flannery recovered Josh Aakre’s errant pitch and still managed to find the endzone from two yards out.
For a fleeting moment, it looked as though the Knights might treat the 1,077 fans on hand to a shootout with the high-powered Bethel offense when on its next drive, Carleton covered 67 yards in less than a minute to even the score at 14 apiece.
On the first snap of the drive, quarterback Vaughn Schmid (Jr./Mahtomedi, Minn.) used the time afforded him by excellent pass protection to find first-year Chase Gottschalk (Independence, Minn./Orono) downfield for a 34-yard strike. Three plays later, with the Knights facing third-and-10, Schmid lofted a jump-ball to the front corner of the endzone, where senior wideout Dylan Bothun (Rosemount, Minn.) made an acrobatic catch and managed to keep his feet inbounds for a highlight-reel touchdown (PICTURED ABOVE).
Bethel’s relentless offense would convert their next two possessions into touchdowns, but Carleton couldn’t keep the pace. The Knights would get their last taste of paydirt one minute before halftime, when Schmid connected with first-year tight end Brian Frett (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) for a seven-yard score to pull Carleton within a touchdown heading into the locker room.
Any hopes the Knights might have had of pulling out their third upset of Bethel in the last five years were quashed shortly after both teams returned to the field. The Royals dominated the second half, stifling the Knights offense completely. None of Carleton’s last six possessions lasted more than four plays.
The Knights will travel to Hamline University next Saturday, September 25, to take on the Pipers. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m.
