“The Comeback” Preserves Perfect Regular Season for Wildcats
LEBANON, Tenn. – The undefeated No. 4 Bethel Wildcat football team rewrote the program record book Saturday as they won their 11th straight game with a 27-17 win at Cumberland University in Lebanon.
The Wildcats became the first Bethel team in modern day program history to win 11 games in a season and be undefeated at that mark. The 2018 squad was 10-0 during the regular season.
Bethel finished the regular season at 11-0 and 8-0 in league play.
The Cats were 6-0 in home action and 5-0 on the road on the season.
The Phoenix finished their year at 3-7 and 1-7.
It was the 34th meeting between the two programs. It is the most appearances against another opponent in Wildcat history. CU leads the series 20-13-1. The two programs first met back in 1921.
The game was the 488th game in program history. Bethel is 195-285-8 all-time.
The Cats won it on what will always be remembered as, "The Comeback."
The Phoenix took an early lead as a result of a Hunter Mathis 24-yard field goal at the 10:58 mark of the first quarter.
The Phoenix picked off a Joaquin Collazo late in the second quarter and made the Cats pay two plays later. Cumberland quarterback Luke Holloway scored on an eight-yard run to up the lead to 9-0. Mathis drilled the point after, and the Phoenix led 10-0.
Cumberland held the Bethel offense to just 115 yards in total offense and led 10-0 at the half. Bethel had 39 yards in rushing and 76 in passing.
With the Wildcat offense unable to generate a drive, the Phoenix struck again with six and half minutes left in the third. JJ Johnson capped off a 11 play 89-yard drive with a one-yard run. Mathis hit the PAT to make it 17-0 Cumberland.
After that it was all Wildcats. Bethel climbed back in quickly scoring three touchdowns in the matter of 5:13 second of game time. The first score came on a third-down with Cumberland blitzing. Collazo lofted a ball to the endzone, Davius Prather was able to make the grab for a 29-yard score to cut the lead to 17-7.
Bethel forced a quick three-and-out to get the ball back and followed with a 66-yard drive capped by a four-yard touchdown rush by Dakota Braswell to make it a one score game, 17-14.
The first play from scrimmage on the ensuing Phoenix possession, JJ Johnson fumbled the football and Darel Middleton picked it up and ran it 48 yards for a touchdown to give Bethel the lead with 11:40 to play.
The Wildcats forced another Cumberland punt, chewed up five minutes of clock before punting the ball back to Cumberland for an opportunity with less than three minutes to go. The first play from scrimmage, Bethel's Demetrice Gilbert intercepted a CU pass. Next play, Collazo flipped it to Prather on a short pass and Prather took it 41 yards for the score put the game away and protect the perfect regular season.
The Wildcats ended up with 342 yards of total offense, 202 through the air and 141 on the ground.
Collazo III completed 18-of-31 passes for 202 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Terrance Roberts rushed for 68 yards on 17 carries. Wide receiver Davius Prather caught six balls for 115 yards and two scores.
Up Next for the Cats:
The Cats will play next in the 2022 NAIA Football Championship Series and will find out where and who they will play Sunday night at 6 p.m.
2022-23 Football Selection Show
The show will premiere on the NAIA YouTube Channel and the link will be posted on the
NAIA Twitter and Facebook page at the appointed time.
November 13, 2022
Overflow Church in McKenzie will host a watch party for the Wildcats and fans at 6 p.m. Fans and supporters are invited to attend.
It will mark Bethel's sixth appearance in the championship. They last appeared in 2018. Bethel is 3-5 all-time in the series.
Coach Michael Jasper commented, "I'm so proud of every person in this program and to everyone who has supported us along the way. Tim Mathis is a man I have a ton of respect for and learn a great deal from. He had his team ready to roll and I didn't expect anything different. It's a great rivalry that we share and take pride in. This win means so much more. We were faced with a "What now" moment and these young men stood ten toes down and answered the call. I'm blessed by this staff and how they always have a phenomenal game plan and execute in their delivery to the kids and the way they mentor them through every situation. We will enjoy this one and then fellowship at Overflow Church for the selection show and see who we have next week."