Bethel College faced Saint Mary at home on Sept. 26. Bethel came out hot in the opening minutes, with freshman quarterback Brady Norman from Henryetta, Okla., throwing a six-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Kenyon McMillan from Salina to lead 7-0. Saint Mary responded with two touchdowns to close out the first quarter, taking a 14-7 lead.
Bethel needed to respond in the second quarter, and that’s when junior running back Darick Dubose from El Cajon, Calif., flashed through the defense for a 17-yard rushing touchdown. This touchdown evened up the score at 14, creating a close game. Bethel responded a few minutes later as Norman threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver McMillan to put the Threshers up 21-14. Saint Mary responded a few minutes later with a 16-yard touchdown pass to tie the game up 21-21 heading into halftime.
In the middle of the 3rd quarter, Norman found the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run, but Saint Mary came back and responded with a field goal, trimming the Bethel lead and making it 28-24. Bethel immediately responded as Norman found McMillan again, connecting for a 59-yard touchdown pass. putting the Threshers up 35-24 to end the third quarter.
Bethel showed strong defence with an early forced fumble in the 4th quarter by Joshua Santos from Laredo, Texas, and a few minutes later, sophomore defensive back Will Smiley from Panama City, Fla., delivered with an interception, ultimately sealing Bethel’s first win of the season.
While Bethel’s defense played well, there are a few offensive performances to highlight. Junior running back Darick Dubose from El Cajon, Calif., and sophomore running back Xavier Craven from Weatherford, Texas, combined for over 200 rushing yards. Freshman quarterback Brady Norman finished the game with three passing touchdowns, with help from junior wide receiver Kenyon McMillan, who had a dominant performance, finishing the game with 90 receiving yards and three touchdowns.