Cats Host Faulkner on Senior Day & Pepsi MidAmerica Day
MCKENZIE, Tenn. – The Bethel Wildcats close out their season Saturday at 1 p.m. in Walter Butler Stadium playing host to the Faulkner Eagles. It will be Senior Day for the Wildcats with ceremonies taking place before the kickoff. It is also Pepsi MidAmerica Day at the stadium.
The Matchup:
The Wildcats are 6-3 overall and 2-3 in the Mid-South Conference
The Eagles are 2-7 and 0-5 in the league.
Bethel is 3-1 at home while Faulkner is 1-3 on the road on the year. The Eagles have lost five straight games.
It will be the 12th meeting between the two programs with Bethel leading the series 7-4. The Wildcats beat the Eagles 62-0 last year and won two in a row outscoring Faulkner 121-6 in those two games.
It will be the 341st game in modern day history for the Wildcats. Bethel is 151-189 all-time.
Game Coverage:
Stats:
https://bethelathletics.com/sports/fball/2024-25/boxscores/20241116_n2zd.xml
Watch:
TBA
Tickets:
https://bethelathletics.com/tickets
Last Meeting:
The Cats won 62-0 last year in Montgomery. It was a record setting day for Bethel's Joaquin Collazo III as he threw eight touchdown passes. The previous record was held by former Wildcat great Wil Masoud who threw six touchdown passes against Bluefield in 2012.
Collazo was 28-of-36 in the air for 385 yards.
Five different Wildcats caught passes for scores. J.D Dixon caught three touchdown passes while Jalen Taylor had two receptions for scores. Avont Buris, Will Secker and Tyrell Partee were recipients of Collazo's day as well.
Dixon's three touchdown receptions are tied for second most in a single game.
Bethel spoiled Faulkner's Homecoming early leading 14-0 after the first quarter. The Cats led 28-0 at the half after 49-0 after three quarters.
Dakota Braswell had a rushing touchdown to cap off Bethel's scoring.
The Cats had 526 yards in total offense. The Wildcat defense dominated the Eagles holding Faulkner to just 87 yards in total offense.
Darian Burns led the Cats with six total tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery. Twenty-five different Wildcats had tackles in the win.
Last Week:
Bethel:
The Wildcats won 33-31 in four overtimes at Lindsey Wilson.
Faulkner
The Eagles lost 50-0 to Cumberland University in Montgomery.
Head Coaches
Michael Jasper (43-19) is in his sixth year as head coach of Bethel football in 2024-25. Coach Jasper also serves as associate athletic director of internal operations, a role he has held since 2022.
Before becoming head coach, Jasper served as assistant head coach and worked with the defensive line. Prior to that he held the titles of offensive line coach and run game coordinator and oversaw the strength and conditioning program.
The Wildcats are coming off consecutive 11-win seasons. Jasper was named Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year in 2022 after guiding Bethel to a conference title, the program's first 11-0 regular season and a No. 4 ranking in the NAIA national poll. He was named NAIA Region 1 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association in 2022. Under Jasper's direction, Bethel has qualified for the NAIA playoffs twice (2022 and 2023).
Before joining the Bethel staff, Jasper served as offensive and defensive line assistant at Bishop Timon High School in Buffalo, N.Y. He spent three years in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants and Carolina Panthers.
Coach Jasper played for the University of Tennessee at Martin in 2005 and 2006 and was a starter on their 2006 Ohio Valley Conference championship team. After redshirting at Middle Tennessee State University, Jasper joined the Bethel Wildcats and was an offensive and defensive lineman from 2008 to 2010. He was the first-ever Wildcat drafted to the NFL in 2011 with his selection by the Buffalo Bills.
He graduated from Bethel with an MBA, and also a bachelor's degree in university studies. Mike and his wife Allison, along with their children Davis Reid, Millie Claire and Samuel David reside in McKenzie. Their rescue dog is named Caine.
Rob Gray is the head coach of the Eagles.
Did You Know?
Thanks to Pepsi- Pepsi MidAmerica and Ricky Price for their continued support of Bethel University and Bethel Athletics. Ricky and Pepsi Mid-America will give some lucky fan a year's supply of Pepsi products Pepsi MidAmerica at halftime today.
Bethel University's Avaun Rucker (Offensive), Georgetown College's Justin Richardson (Defensive), and Cumberland University's Jack Kanter (Special Teams) are the Mid-South Conference Football Players of the Week, conference officials announced on Monday.
MSC Football Offensive Player of the Week
Avaun Rucker – Bethel (Tenn.) – Gr. – Quarterback – Riverdale, Georgia
- Rucker had his best day as a Wildcat, passing for 320 yards and rushing for 56 yards in Bethel's road win at LWC.
- This performance earned Bethel's sixth win of the season; this game marking Rucker's career high in passing.
- Bethel has earned offensive honor for the first time this season now and is their fourth time a Wildcat has earned honors this season.
The Bethel University Sports Information Office announced that the 2024 Football Media Guide is now available on the Bethel Athletic website.
For complete information on the team, coaches, schedule, and all you need about the Cats, visit:
https://www.calameo.com/bethel-university/read/0033163750d3030c93eff
Recently Bethel University honored three former athletic greats and two contributors with inductions into the prestigious Bethel Athletic Hall-of-Fame.
It marked the 44th class to be honored. Six teams and 115 individuals have been enshrined since 1980.
Dr. Sidney Leonard Swindle- Men's Basketball (1957)
Danny Cronin-Men's Basketball & Baseball (1993)
Jana Roney Kahler- Women's Basketball (2011)
Jean Killibrew McKinnie & Joe McKinnie -Contributors (1961)
Ladies & Gentlemen, your 2024 Hall-of-Fame Class!!!!!!!!
GO CATS!!!
Golden Boosters and sponsors for Bethel Athletics this year are:
Bethel University athletics extends a special thanks to its Golden Sponsors this year:
Nicky Joe Stafford Real Estate
West Tennessee Public Utility District
Smith and Smith Optometry
Trevathan's Electrical Services
Carroll Bank and Trust
Anchor Transportation
Centennial Bank
Carroll County Lumber Company
Hometown Health Care
Joe Mahan Ford of Paris
Maddox Insurance LLC
Pepsi MidAmerica