NORTH NEWTON, Kan. — Southwestern College piled up 685 yards of total offense, including 504 on the ground, as the Moundbuilders rolled past Bethel College 48-14 on Saturday night.
Southwestern scored 41 unanswered points before Bethel found the end zone midway through the third quarter.
After a scoreless opening period, the Moundbuilders broke through five seconds into the second quarter. Jamie Odom connected with Bryce Chambers for a 7-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play, 90-yard drive and give Southwestern a 6-0 lead.
Southwestern added another score just before halftime when Christian Steward finished a 78-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 11 seconds remaining, sending the Moundbuilders into the break with a 12-0 advantage.
Steward scored his second touchdown of the night on a 45-yard run with 10:20 remaining in the period, extending the lead to 19-0. The Moundbuilders found the end zone again four minutes later when offensive lineman Caleb Phillips powered in from 1 yard out. Bryce Chambers turned in one of the plays of the night on the ensuing two-point conversion, securing the catch after the ball deflected off his foot to give Southwestern a 27-0 lead.
Bethel answered with its first score on Jonathan Guy's 98-yard kickoff return, but Southwestern quickly regained control.
Zamir Hall scored on an 8-yard run with 2:54 left in the third before Odom added a 1-yard touchdown run with 44 seconds remaining, giving the Moundbuilders a 41-7 advantage after three quarters.
Wayne Carter Jr. delivered Southwestern's final touchdown with 10:57 remaining in the fourth, breaking free for a 77-yard scoring run that pushed the lead to 48-7. Bethel added a late touchdown on Brady Norman's 3-yard run to finish the scoring.
Odom led a balanced Southwestern rushing attack, carrying 11 times for 178 yards and a touchdown while completing 14 of 26 passes for 164 yards and another score. He finished with 342 yards of total offense.
Steward added 157 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, averaging 9.8 yards per attempt. Carter finished with 86 yards and a touchdown on four carries, while Chrishon Gregory added 40 yards on five attempts.
Chambers led the receiving unit with four catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. Noah Roberts also finished with 65 receiving yards on a team-high five catches.
Southwestern's defense limited Bethel to 258 yards of total offense and just 55 yards on the ground.
Jackson Meadows intercepted Norman twice, including a first-quarter takeaway that helped set up Southwestern's opening touchdown drive. Jason Wickliff returned a Thresher fumble 38 yards to the Bethel 7-yard line, leading to an eventual touchdown.
Southwestern will undoubtedly leave the season opener with a few things to clean up. After several mental mistakes and early struggles on special teams, the Moundbuilders will look to sharpen those areas ahead of next weekend's home opener against Tabor College.
Still, Southwestern showed plenty of positives, including strong depth in the backfield and a hard-nosed defense that helped the Moundbuilders overcome a slow offensive start.
Southwestern will return home Saturday, Sept. 5, when it hosts Tabor College at Richard L. Jantz Stadium in Winfield, Kansas. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
