Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
No. 7 Wildcats Advance to NAIA Quarterfinals with 40-13 Win over No. 9 Evangel
Posted: Nov 25, 2023

No. 7 Wildcats Advance to NAIA Quarterfinals with 40-13 Win over No. 9 Evangel

MCKENZIE, Tenn. –The No. 7 Bethel University Wildcats pulled away midway of the third quarter to beat No. 9 Evangel 40-13 and in doing so advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA Championship Series. The game was the 500th in program history.

The Cats moved to 11-1 on the season while Evangel finished the year at 11-1.

After the Valor took a 3-0 lead on a Jonah Edwards 31-yard field goal, the Wildcats answered with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Joaquin Collazo III to J.D. Dixon. The point after by Andrew Welch gave Bethel a 7-3 lead with 3:33 left in the first quarter.

Bethel upped their lead to 14-3 on a Martize Smith one yard touchdown run in the second quarter. After a Wildcat turnover, Collazo was picked off by linebacker Nate Swofford, the Valor scored with just 43 seconds left in the half. RJ Wakley passed to Broc Lyle who found the endzone after reversing his route from four yards out. The teams went to their dressing rooms with Bethel holding a 14-10 lead.

 The third quarter saw Edwards nail a 26-yard field goal to shave Bethel's lead to 14-13 with 9:25 left in the quarter. A huge play in the drive was an injury to Evangel's quarterback Wakley. He suffered a leg injury and did not return to the game. The Wildcats broke the game open with a 39-yard touchdown run by Smith. Javonte Carter followed with a 57-yard interception return. The Wildcats led 27-13 after three.

The Cats put the game away in the fourth stanza when Terrance Roberts rushed in from three yards out. Collazo iced it away with a 32-yard strike to Jaylen Taylor as the Cats won 40-13.

Bethel outgained Evangel 388-203 in total yards. The Cats converted on nine of twelve third down conversions. The Wildcat defense held Evangel to just 26 yards rushing.  Smith finished with 139 yards rushing, with 100 of those coming in the decisive second half. He was named the Offensive Player of the Game. Avont Burrus had five receptions for 34 yards. Dixon caught four passes for 55 yards.  Darrien Lewis led the Wildcat defense with 12 total tackles. He also had a sack and three TFL's. Lewis was named the Defensive Player of the Game.

The game marked Bethel's seventh appearance in the NAIA FCS Playoffs. Bethel is 4-6 all-time in the FCS.

Cat Notes:

  • The Wildcats dominated nearly every major category against Evangel (Mo.) including: first downs (23-15), third down efficiency (75-33%), total offense (388-203), and rushing yards (226-26).
  • Evangel punted four times in the game, totaling 157 yards, while Bethel (Tenn.) punted twice for 94 yards.
  • Bethel is one of two MSC teams to make it to the playoffs. Georgetown is also in the field. The Tigers also won their second-round game.
  • Collazo now has 35 touchdown passes this season. That is a program record.
  • JD Dixon has 1, 1156 receiving yards which is best ever in a season. Dixon has 71 receptions on the year with 17 of those being for touchdowns. His 17 touchdown receptions are the most ever in a single season. Dixon is the all-time leader in career receiving yards with 3, 273.
  • Jaylen Taylor has 63 receptions this season. Eleven of those have been for touchdowns.
  • Avont Burrus has caught 40 passes with four of those being for touchdowns. Fourteen different players have caught passes this year for the Wildcats. Eight different players have touchdown receptions. The Cats have passed for 36 touchdowns.
  • Martize Smith leads Bethel in rushing yards with 787. The Wildcats have rushed for 26 scores while the defense has yielded just ten on the season.
  • Six different Wildcats captured MSC Player of the Week Awards. Collazo won the award five times. He has won the award nine times during his career.
  • Andrew Welch has 101 points this year. It is the most ever in a season by a Wildcat kicker.

 

Coach Michael Jasper summed up his thoughts on the big win. "I am so proud of this program. We faced a ton of adversity all week and then again against a worthy opponent. Our guys didn't flinch once and stayed the course. It feels good to get a big postseason win, but it's already time to refocus and regroup for another big game."

The Cats will travel to West Palm Beach, Florida to face No. 3 Keiser on Saturday. The Seahawks beat No. 13 St. Thomas 45-21.

Keiser is 9-2 on the season. The Hawks are 9-0 versus NAIA teams on the year. They are 7-4 all-time in the NAIA Championship Series. The Seahawks are 26-4 all-time in the Keiser Multi-Purpose Field. The Seahawks are 24-0 perfect 24-0 all-time when reaching the 40-point plateau.

It will be the second meeting between the two programs. Keiser beat Bethel 27-17 last year in the opening round of the championship series. The game was played in McKenzie. 

Game Coverage:

Watch:

https://thesundigitalnetwork.com/Keiser/

Live stats:  

TBA

Tickets & Fan Attendance: 

https://kuseahawks.com/sports/2020/7/30/hometown-ticketing

More on the game later at www.bethelathletics.com