Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – No. 9/12 Saint John's football battled to a 21-13 win over Bethel on Saturday, Sept. 30, as part of Family Weekend in Collegeville.

Senior cornerback Leonard Gutierrez (Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy College Prep) intercepted an errant pass in the end zone on 3rd-and-8 during BU's first offensive possession, which served as a catalyst for the offensive side of the ball. The Johnnies (4-1, 2-1 MIAC) rolled 80 yards on the ensuing drive, ending on a 5-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jackson Erdmann (Rosemount, Minn.) to senior wide receiver Evan Clark (Phoenix, Ariz./Apollo).



The Erdmann-Clark connection struck again, this time for an 86-yard touchdown pass to give SJU a 14-0 lead with 2:51 left in the first quarter. The pass play was the fifth longest in school history and Clark's 13th career touchdown of 40 yards or more.

Clark finished with six catches for 134 yards and the two touchdowns, and has 14 receptions for 284 and four touchdowns in the last two meetings with BU. He now has 20 career receiving touchdowns and needs two to crack SJU's top-10 list. 

The Royals (1-4, 1-2 MIAC) put together an 18-play, 78-yard drive in the second quarter, but it stalled on the 2-yard line. BU gained a 1st-and-goal situation from the 1-yard line, but the Johnnies' defense held strong. BU was 3-for-14 on third down and 3-for-5 on fourth down in the game.

Gideon Erhabor cut the Johnnies' lead in half with a 31-yard touchdown run, on 4th-and-1, on the opening possession of the second half.

A 58-yard punt return from junior Max Jackson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) and a Bethel penalty gave SJU prime real estate at the visitors' 4-yard line. Erdmann found sophomore running back Kai Barber (Minneapolis, Minn./Totino-Grace) for a touchdown pass on the very next play to make it 21-7 with 6:13 left in the third quarter. 

Erdmann ended the day 17 of 22 passing for 256 yards and three touchdowns.

Sam Gibas cut SJU's lead to 21-13 with a 2-yard touchdown run at the 9:10 mark of the fourth quarter. The point-after attempt sailed wide left.

Erdmann's first interception of the game, which was SJU's first turnover of the season, gave the Royals the ball on their own 24-yard line with 3:25 to play. SJU's defense, however, again held strong and allowed only six yards on four plays to seal the win.

Freshman linebacker Danny Pietruszewski (South St. Paul, Minn.) led SJU with 10 tackles (seven solo), including a sack. The Johnnies totaled eight pass breakups in the game.