GAME OF THE WEEK
St. John's at Bethel, 1 p.m., Saturday: The winner of this game will be the MIAC's automatic qualifier for the Division III playoffs. The Johnnies (9-0) are ranked No. 5, and Bethel (8-1) is No. 13. St. John's defeated Bethel 31-25 on Sept. 25 in Collegeville.
WEEK 11 STORY LINES
- Four NSIC teams were ranked in the final Division II Super Region Four rankings — Augustana (No. 3), Bemidji State (No. 4), Minn.-Duluth (No. 7) and Sioux Falls (No. 8). Seven teams from each of four regions will make up the 28-team D-II playoff field. The pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon.
- St. John's was ranked No. 2 and Bethel was ranked No. 5 in the D-III Region VI rankings released Wednesday. Wisconsin Whitewater was No. 1. Linfield (No. 3) and Wis.-La Crosse (No. 4) round out the top five. Gustavus was ranked No. 7.
- Greenville, Martin Luther and Minnesota Morris could finish in a three-way tie for first place in the UMAC. On Saturday, Minnesota Morris (4-1 in the UMAC) plays at Greenville (5-0), while Martin Luther (4-1) plays host to Northwestern (2-2).
- This will be the first "Championship Weekend" in the MIAC, which went to a division format this season. In addition to St. John's and Bethel, which finished first in their divisions, the second- through fifth-place finishers will play each other, with Skyline Division teams playing host.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Andrew Abegglen, K, Gustavus Adolphus: The junior from Mound is second in Div. III with 12 field goals. Last Saturday, he converted three field goals — including a career-long 42-yarder — in the Gusties' victory over St. Olaf.
Rex Desso, WR, Macalester: The senior from Evergreen, Colo., has caught an MIAC-best 84 passes (a school record) this season. Last Saturday, he had a school single-game record 18 receptions in the Scots' 28-14 victory over St. Scholastica.
BY THE NUMBERS
38 Touchdown passes (a school record and second nationally in D-II) by Bemidji State's Brandon Alt.
