Box Score | Listen to Archived Game
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's ended its 2013 season with a 28-7 loss to No. 6 Bethel on Saturday, Nov. 16, in Collegeville.
The Royals (10-0, 8-0 MIAC) jumped out to a 14-0 lead with a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Erik Peterson in the first quarter. Peterson connected with Mitch Hallstrom for a 63-yard score on third-and-nine and then, following an SJU interception, hit Jared Schultz for a 28-yard strike. Hallstrom finished the game with 126 yards on seven receptions.
SJU (7-3, 5-3 MIAC) responded with a 14-play, 69-yard scoring drive that ended on a 17-yard touchdown pass from senior Connor Bruns (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) to junior Rob Voshell (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen).
The turning point of the game occurred with five minutes left in the first half when Bethel blocked a 25-yard field-goal attempt by freshman Alexi Johnson (Shakopee, Minn.), which would have cut the Royals' lead to 14-10, and returned it 50 yards to the SJU 37-yard line. Peterson took it over from six yards out eight plays later to make it 21-7.
The Johnnies entered halftime down by 14 points despite holding statistical advantages in first downs (9-5), total offense (171-162) and time of possession (20:35-9:25).
BU ended the scoring, following another SJU interception, with an 11-yard touchdown run from Peterson, who ended the day 12 of 22 passing for 188 yards and two touchdowns, as well as 55 yards and two more scores on the ground. Linebacker Landon Mathis totaled 17 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble for Bethel.
Sophomore running back Sam Sura (South St. Paul, Minn.) led all rushers with 87 yards on 23 carries and sophomore wide receiver Josh Bungum (Paynesville, Minn.) caught 10 passes for 88 yards. Bungum ended the season with 84 receptions for 790 yards and three touchdowns. The 84 catches broke SJU's school record for a sophomore (72 for Blake Elliott in 2001) and was good for third all-time in a single season. His 10 catches Saturday enabled him to climb into eighth on the Johnnies' all-time receptions list (126 catches for 1,365 yards in 20 career games).
The Royals out-gained SJU 200-89 in the second half and the Johnnies converted only seven of their 20 third-down opportunities in the game.
