The Lowdown: T-9 Friends University at Bethany College

* 2026 Season Opener

Location: Lindsborg, Kan.           

Kickoff: Aug. 29 @ 7:00 PM

Live Stream: https://www.urbanedgenetwork.net/school/bethany-college-ks

Live Stats: https://bethanyswedes.com/sports/fball/2026-27/boxscores/20260829_vctm.xml

Tickets: https://commerce.cashnet.com/cashnetg/static/storefront/bethanylbbclbk/catalog/FB

Flying with the Falcons: The Falcons, coming off back-to-back KCAC division championships, are tied for ninth in the NAIA Top 25 Preseason Coaches' Poll heading into the 2026 season. The Falcons were also picked to repeat as KCAC Bissell Champs in the media poll but came in second behind McPherson College in the coaches' survey.

The Falcons are coming off a season for the ages, winning a program record 12 games while advancing to the NAIA FCS quarterfinal round for the first time in school history and finishing the campaign as the highest scoring team (54.2 ppg) in all of four-year college football.

While KCAC Player of the Year K'Vonte Baker departs, the Falcons are plenty stocked for this season with 11 players named to the KCAC Bissell Division Preseason Team, including KCAC Offensive Lineman of the Year Kyree Watkins and first-team All-KCAC running backs E'derian Sykes and Nick Cordova. Head coach Terry Harrison has also named Walker Overman as the team's new signal caller for the upcoming season. Click HERE for the full season preview!

Scouting the Swedes: The Bethany College Swedes went 3-8 overall last season and 1-4  in the KCAC Kessinger Division.  Bethany had four players named to the KCAC Kessinger Division Preseason Team, including WR Ryker Grossner, OL Gus Griffith, DL Kamorion Carter and Punt Return Specialist Jamarie Jackson.

The Series: The Falcons blitzed the Swedes 73-14 in Wichita in the home opener last season for their ninth straight victory in the series. Friends has now won 17 of 21 overall matchups since 2004 and are 6-4 vs. Bethany in Lindsborg, Kan. during that stretch.

Dondlinger Construction: We are proud to have Dondlinger Construction as a top sponsor of Friends University Athletics this season!  Click HERE to visit their official website and learn more on the services Dondlinger can offer!

Two-way dominance: The Falcons paced the NAIA (and all four-year college football) in points per game (54.2 ppg) last season and ranked third in points allowed (13.8 ppg), further solidifying their status as the premier complimentary team in the country. Friends also led the nation in both rushing yards per game (459.9) and rushing yards allowed per game (76.7).

Rushing to More History: The Falcons accumulated a NAIA single-season record 5,351 rushing yards in 2024 under head coach Terry Harrison's pristine flexbone offensive system and proceeded to break their own mark last season with 5,979 rushing yards.

Rush Hour: The Falcons have led the NAIA in rushing in all four years of head coach Terry's Harrison's tenure. This rushing success particularly correlates with Harrison, as he's now coached the last seven NAIA team leaders in rushing (his last three years at Bethel and all four seasons at Friends.

Falcons by the Numbers (2025):

Overall: 12-1

KCAC Bissell Division: 5-0

Home: 7-1

Away: 5-0

The Falcons record when …

Scoring 0-6 points: 0-0

Scoring 7-13 points: 0-0

Scoring 14-20 points: 0-1

Scoring 21-27 points: 0-0

Scoring 28-34 points: 1-0

Scoring 35+ points: 11-0

Allowing 0-6 points: 4-0

Allowing 7-13 points: 3-0

Allowing 14-20 points: 2-0

Allowing 21-27 points: 0-1

Allowing 28-34 points: 2-0

Allowing 35+ points: 1-0

Scoring first: 9-0

Opponent scores first: 3-1

Leading at halftime: 12-0

Trailing at halftime: 0-1

Tied at halftime: 0-0

Committing fewer turnovers: 6-0

Committing more turnovers: 3-0

Turnovers are even: 3-1

Leading in total offense: 11-1

Trailing in total offense: 1-0

Winning time of possession: 7-1

Losing time of possession: 5-0

The Coaches:

Terry Harrison enters his fifth season as the Friends University head football coach and has transformed the Falcons into a legitimate national contender and a consistent conference title threat.

Harrison appeared to be the perfect choice to lead the Falcon program and has done nothing to change that perception in now his fifth season at the helm.

He has now earned consecutive KCAC Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Falcons to back-to-back conference titles and a program-record 12 wins in 2025.

This past season saw the Falcons lead all four-year college football in points per game (54.2 ppg) and advance to the NAIA FCS quarterfinal round for the first time in program history.

In his four seasons thus far, Harrison has overseen the NAIA's top rushing offense in total yards and yards per game. The Falcons also broke their own NAIA single-season rushing record with 5,979 rushing yards last season.

Individual players continued to thrive under Harrison's tutelage, with quarterback K'Vonte Baker winning his third KCAC Player of the Year award last year and Kyree Watkins being named the KCAC Offensive Lineman of the Year. 

In 2024, the Falcons' progression reached its apex with the program's first conference title since 2008 and first NAIA FCS Playoff victory in school history. Harrison earned KCAC Kessinger Division and Victory Sports Network (VSN) NAIA Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Falcons to an 11-2 record for the team's most wins in the modern era. 

Under Harrison, Baker was named the KCAC Kessinger Division Co-Offensive Player of the Year and offensive lineman Watkins was selected as a first-team AFCA NAIA Coaches' All-American. Overall, the Falcons averaged 411.6 rushing yards per game, nearly 100 yards ahead of the next closest team (Taylor, 311.7) while also rushing for a nation-leading 58 touchdowns last season.

The 2023 season saw Harrison guide the Falcons to their first winning record since 2014 (9-2) and coach 20 All-KCAC players, including KCAC Player of the Year K'Vonte Baker along with NAIA All-American and Rimington Award winner Keegan Martin.

Harrison arrived on campus after transforming fellow KCAC member Bethel College into a conference and national power.

After taking over a Bethel program in 2018 that was 1-9 and at the bottom of the league the previous season, Harrison's impact was felt immediately as he installed the flexbone offense and guided the team to finish third in the NAIA in rushing offense (274.4) per game.

The following season, Harrison would begin to affect the wins column by leading the Threshers to a second-place showing in the KCAC with an 8-3 overall record. Bethel continued to climb the leaderboard nationally, finishing tops in the NAIA in total rushing offense (4,084) and rushing offense per game (371.3) while ranking third in passing efficiency (180.3).

The best was yet to come as the next season, Harrison and the Threshers captured a Co-KCAC regular season championship and an NAIA national playoff berth to wind up No. 13 in the final NAIA FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 poll. The conference championship was the Threshers' first since 2007 and the national playoff appearance represented the first since the 2006 campaign and only the third in school history.

Once again, Harrison's squad set the standard nationally in rushing, leading the country in both total rushing offense (3828) and rushing offense per game (348.0) for the second consecutive season.

Harrison had the Threshers rolling again this year with a 9-2 overall record and a 9-1 league mark that netted the squad their second consecutive co-KCAC regular season title along with a final NAIA national ranking of 17th.

Harrison is embarking on his second go-round as a head coach of the Falcons in Wichita, as he spent five seasons as the head coach of the Wichita Heights High School Falcons.  At Heights, Harrison guided the team to four Kansas 5A regional titles, a district championship and a Greater-Area Wichita-League title along with a 38-16 overall record.  In 2016, Harrison was named the City-League Coach of the Year.

He has also received the opportunity to speak at multiple coaching clinics, with the most recent engagement being the Tulsa Glazier Mega Clinic in 2016.

Harrison was a three-year captain at Sterling College and graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Sciences in Physical Education and Health.  He then earned his Masters of Science in School Leadership from Baker University in 2011.

Mike Grossner is in his fourth season as head coach of the Bethany College football program.

Prior to arriving at Bethany, Grossner was the head coach for the Leicester Falcons, an American football team located in Leicester, England. He helped Leicester to a No. 7-ranking; the program's highest ever ranking before guiding the team to a conference championship the following season.

Grossner is best known for his 15-year tenure at Baker University, where he directed the team to seven NAIA playoff berths, six HAAC titles and 12 consecutive winning seasons. He was a two-time AFCA Region Coach of the Year and won the HAAC's top coaching honor on three occasions.

His playing career was highlighted by setting the all-time career passing yardage and touchdown record for the Nottingham Hoods.

Up Next: The Falcons will host Avila University for the home opener and Senior Night next Saturday evening (Sept. 5) at 6 pm at Adair-Austin Stadium.