by Rich Mies, CSN Mapping the MIAC Columnist

Saint John’s took control of the race for the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship with a thrilling 20-17 overtime win over previously unbeaten St. Thomas. That leaves SJU as the lone unbeaten team in the league, holding a one-game lead with three remaining to play. The crowd at that game - 12,903 – was one of the largest ever to see a Division III football game. The dramatic finishes were not confined to Collegeville, as Bethel kicked a field goal as time expired to tip Hamline 20-17, Augsburg needed overtime to nip Concordia 27-20 and Gustavus scored 14 seconds remaining to topple Carleton, 28-21.

FEATURED GAME

SAINT JOHN’S 20, ST. THOMAS 17 (Overtime)

Kellen Blaser dove into the end zone from eight yards out (pictured below) in the first overtime game ever played at Clemens Stadium, lifting the Johnnies to a 20-17 win over the Tommies.

The win is SJU’s 12th in a row in the rivalry, allowing them to retain possession of the Holy Grail. It also puts Saint John’s in the driver’s seat for the MIAC championship and the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA playoffs. SJU has a one-game lead over UST and Bethel and holds the tiebreaker against both.

On a day that can only be described as ideal football weather, a near-record crowd of 12,903 packed the bleachers, hills and sidelines of SJU’s Clemens Stadium. For the first time since 1983, the two were squaring off with both teams unbeaten in MIAC play. It marked the first time since 1942 that the rivals met in the second half of the season with both teams sporting unblemished overall records. For once, a hyped-up game lived up to its billing, and perhaps exceeded the buildup.

The game was dominated by the defenses. SJU limited the potent Tommie offense to just 239 yards in total offense and a mere 109 yards on the ground. They posted a pair of interceptions, one by Alex Powell and one by John Stanton. Dominic Haik and Ryan Wimmer each recorded seven tackles to lead SJU; six of Wimmer’s were solo tackles. (Hear Wimmer talk about the defense here)

UST’s defense was equally stifling. The held the Johnnies to 78 yards passing, and 245 yards in total offense. They notched the game’s only sack and forced SJU to punt seven times. Tommy Becker, Zach Sturm and Wyatt Delgado each had 12 sacks, with eight of Becker’s and seven of Sturm’s being solo. Sturm posted the sack.

After the teams battled to a scoreless first quarter, the Johnnies got on the board early in the second quarter. Their drive, which started late in the first quarter, covered 69 yards on 13 plays. Joe Boyle, under pressure, rifled a bullet to Blaser. In a foreshadowing of his OT heroics, Blaser was hit at the one-yard line, but stretched and twisted his body to cross the goal line for the touchdown. .

The score remained 7-0 into the intermission. UST’s Brady Beeson chipped a 31-yard field goal attempt wide to the left as the clock expired for the half.

SJU crafted another scoring drive late in the third quarter. After a botched fake punt by UST, the Johnnies took over at the Tommies’ 39. Eleven plays later, Jakob Reding burst over the middle of the line, scoring from one-yard out to make it 14-0.

Reding finished the day with 122 yards rushing on 32 carries. It was the first 100-yard day for a Johnnie runner in 18 games. (Listen to Reding talk about the game here)

Two plays later, Stanton picked off a Greg Morse pass at the UST 30, seemingly sealing the Johnnies’ win.

However, the Tommies refused to give up. After a short punt by SJU, the Tommies took over at the Johnnies’ 32-yard line. Greg Morse wasted little time getting UST on the scoreboard. He took the snap, faked a short pass, faked a draw play handoff, dropped back and spotted Tony Margarit open at the goal line. He lofted a rainbow that fell into Margarit’s hands, cutting the deficit to 14-7.

Later in the quarter, SJU was facing fourth-and-one at the midfield stripe. SJU sent in the punt unit, which seemed to have communication problems and the snap bounced a few feet in front of the punter. Players from both teams dove for the ball and it dribbled back to the SJU 17 before being downed.UST took over there with 2:38 on the clock.

Five running plays advanced the ball to the SJU 3. On third-and-goal, Morse rolled to his right, glanced back and saw Jake Friederichs open at the goal line. He fired a pass to Friederichs, who hauled it in with 2.2 seconds remaining, tying the game.

Saint John’s won the toss and Head Coach John Gagliardi (pictured above) elected to have SJU play defense first in the overtime. They held St. Thomas to a first down, forcing the Tommies to settle for a 28-yard field goal.

On the Johnnies’ turn on offense, the first three handoffs were to Reding, who gained eight, seven and two yards, moving the line of scrimmage to the UST eight. The final handoff went to Blaser, who rolled around the left side and was hit near the goal line. He dove and stretched into the front corner, over the pylon, for the game winner. (Hear Blaser talk about that play and the game here)

UST was led by (pictured below) Ben Wartman’s 80 yards rushing. Morse completed 15-of-29 passes for 130 yards, with Margarit leading the way with four catches for 59 yards.

The Tommies fall to 4-1 in MIAC action and 5-1 overall. They travel to Carleton on Saturday. “Obviously, it was a very difficult loss, especially in the fashion it happened,” said UST coach Glenn Caruso. “We need to learn from situations like this.” (Hear Caruso’s full comments here)

For Saint John’s, Blaser added 74 yards to the rushing attack, while Boyle completed nine-of-21 passes for 78 yards. Reding caught three of those passes for 15 yards to lead SJU’s receivers.

The Johnnies, ranked sixth in the nation, improve to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in conference play. On Saturday, they host St. Olaf.

AROUND THE MIAC

BETHEL 20, HAMLINE 17 (overtime)

For the second season in a row, Matt Wetherell split the uprights as the clock expired, lifting the Royals to a win over the Pipers. Last year, he iced a 30-yard kick; this year, he was booted it from 40 yards out in front of 2,514 at Royal Stadium in Arden Hills.

“I’m just really happy my teammates got us in a position where we could win,” said Wetherell. “I’m also glad the coaches had the confidence to send me back out there in that situation. If I had made one of the field goals earlier on, we wouldn’t have been in that position, but this is a good win for us and I’m glad I could play my part in it.”

Wetherell put Bethel up 10-7 in the second quarter with a 23-yard field goal. He had an attempt from 29-yards blocked just before the end of the first half. On the Royals second-to-last possession, he missed from 32-yards, wide right, but made up for things with the game-winner.

The game was Bethel’s third this season that was decided as the clock ticked down. Previously, the Royals had fallen to Wheaton and Saint John’s, both ranked in the top six in the nation, on plays in the waning seconds.

The Royals were without quarterback Josh Aakre, but his backup, Caleb Graff, stepped up admirably. He completed 19-of-38 passes for 175 yards, with one interception. Joel Quick was on the receiving end of seven of those for 65 yards, while Jay Hilbrands had four catches for 63 yards. Logan Flannery and Kevin Lindh each rushed for over 100 yards, with Flannery finishing the day with 126 yards to Lindh’s 104.

For Hamline, Adam Meyer connected on 18 of his 31 passes for 230 yards and a pair of TDs. He threw three interceptions and was sacked three times. Tim Queck had eight receptions for 106 yards to lead the Pipers, while Anthony Iten caught five balls for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Hamline was only able to muster 33 net yards on the ground.

Hamline got a nice break midway through the first quarter, as Quick fumbled on a punt return. Hamline’s Christian Willman recovered the ball at the Bethel 16-yard line. On the first snap, Meyer hooked up with Iten for a 16-yard scoring play, putting the Pipers on top, 7-0.

Late in the first quarter, Bethel’s David Benjamin picked off an errant Meyer pass and returned it to the HU 27-yard line. Five plays later, Lindh broke free from five yards out, tying the game.

After the defense forced the Pipers to punt, Bethel took the lead early in the second quarter as Wetherell drilled a 23-yard field goal.

Hamline retaliated with a 10-play drive, covering 63 yards. Meyer and Iten teamed up again, this time from 20 yards out, lifting the Pipers to a 14-10 lead.

Bethel responded with a four-play drive, capped by Lindh sprinting in from 24-yards out, to retake the lead, 17-14. That held into the half. On the final play of the first half, Willman blocked Wetherell’s 29-yard field goal attempt.

Midway through the third quarter, Hamline drove to the Bethel 20 before stalling. They sent in Derek Johnson, who iced a 38-yard field goal, tying the game.

The defenses dominated the rest of the game, setting the stage for Wetherell’s heroics.

Bethel is now tied for second in the MIAC with a 4-1 record. They are 5-2 overall. The Royals enjoy a much-needed bye this weekend, and resume play on Halloween, traveling to Gustavus.

The loss drops Hamline to 1-4 in conference play and 2-4 overall. The Pipers travel to Concordia on Saturday.

GUSTAVUS 28, CARLETON 21

For the second consecutive week, Jordan Becker hit Elliott Herdina for a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds of play. This time, the duo’s efforts lifted the Gusties to a come-from-behind win over the Knights in front of 1,942 fans at Hollingsworth Field in St. Peter.

Gustavus took the opening kick and drove down field to the Carleton 18-yard line before stalling, Tom Huepenbecker lined up for a 35-yard field goal attempt, but the kick was blocked. Carleton’s Kyle Jacobs recovered the ball and returned it to the Knights’ 31.

Five plays later, Jon Lien bulldozed in from one-yard out, and Carleton led 7-0.

On the ensuing kick, GAC’s Joe Welch put the Gusties in excellent field position with a 45-yard return to the Carleton 39. Seven plays later, Becker and Herdina teamed up for a 25-yard scoring strike. However, Huepenbecker’s PAT kick was blocked, leaving the Knights with a 7-6 lead.

Carleton extended the lead to 14-6 on a drive that started in the closing moments of the first quarter and wrapped around into the second. Vaughn Schmid found Anthony Kemper open from 18-yards out, capping a 60-yard drive.

That margin held into the second half. Carleton took the opening kick of the half and marched 74 yards in nine plays with the tandem of Schmid and Kemper connecting again, this time from 20 yards out.

Welch fielded the ensuing kick and raced 87 yards for a touchdown. The Gusties opted to try for the two-point conversion, and Becker connected with Cameron Maurer to trim the gap to 21-14.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Dustin Kammerer picked off an errant Schmid pass at the Carleton 43. Seven plays later, Becker connected with Cody Sukalski for a five-yard TD, tying the game.

Late in the game, Carleton drove down to the GAC 22. Eric Murphy attempted a 32-yard field goal, but the kick was blocked by GAC’s Christian Vanek. That set the stage for Becker and Herdina’s last-second dramatics.

Becker completed 13-of-27 passes for 170 yards. He threw one interception, but was sacked five times. Herdina was on the receiving end six times for 92 yards. A balanced running game, led by Greg Ramaker’s 64 yards, compiled 157 net yards.

Schmid was 25-for-44, good for 258 yards. He threw three interceptions, but was not sacked. Erik Fabry led the Carleton receivers with six catches and 60 yards. Lien rushed for 82 yards.

With the win, Gustavus improves to 2-2 in conference play and 3-3 overall The Gusties go on the road this weekend, traveling to Augsburg.

Carleton is now 1-3 in MIAC games and 3-3 on the season. The Knights host St. Thomas on Saturday.

AUGSBURG 27, CONCORDIA 20 (overtime)

The Auggies blocked a potential game-winning field goal on the last snap of regulation and then scored on a Marcus Brumm to Mike Nourie play in overtime to topple the Cobbers before 4,102 at Jake Christensen Stadium in Moorhead.

Nourie and teammate Muneer Al-Hameed both surpassed the 2,000-yard barrier for their careers. Each had seven catches and a touchdown on the day, with Nourie amassing 80 yards and Al-Hameed gathering 74. Brumm completed 21-of-42 passes for 201 yards, with no interceptions. He was sacked once. Augsburg rushed for only 46 total net yards.

Concordia gained 382 yards through the air, as Andrew Larson completed 10-of-22 passes for 138 yards and Michael Dunham connecting on 19 of 35 passes for 244 yards. Each quarterback was sacked twice. Larson threw an interception and Dunham tossed two TDs. Jake Krause led the receiving corps with six catches for 97 yards, including a TD. Bronson Shepherd and Chris Gilson each had six receptions, with Shepherd’s totaling to 88 yards and Gilson’s totaling 67. Zach Weller added four catches for 77 yards and a TD.

Augsburg got on the board first, stringing together a nine play, 75-yard drive midway through the first quarter. Brumm punctuated the drive with a one-yard dive into the end zone. The PAT was no good, but the Auggies led 6-0.

The Cobbers cut that in half on a 33-yard field goal by Carl Hauser early in the second quarter.

That margin stood until midway through the third quarter when Brumm found Al-Hameed for a 14-yard scoring pass. Again, the PAT was off the mark, but Augsburg led, 12-3.

Late in the third quarter, the Auggies started what would become a 72-yard drive. The 13-play series rolled into the fourth quarter. They seemed to be stalled at the 12-yard line and sent in the field goal unit. It was a ruse, however, as holder Andy Roff took the snap and fired a pass to Brady Soule, who scampered 22 yards into the end zone. Augsburg opted to try for the two-point conversion and Brumm’s pass to Nourie put the points on the board. The Auggies had a seemingly comfortable 20-3 lead with 14:05 to play.

With Dunham under center, the Cobbers offense came to life. They marched 86 yards in eight plays midway through the stanza. Dunham capped the drive with a 27-yard scoring pass to Krause, who fumbled the ball but recovered it for the TD. Hauser tacked on the PAT, trimming the deficit to 20-10.

After forcing the Auggies to punt, the Cobbers and Dunham blitzed down field, needing only 2:11 to cover 83 yards on 11 plays. Hauser close the drive with a 22-yard field goal, pulling Concordia within seven with 4:55 left in the game.

Concordia got the ball back with 1:47 to play. Dun ham quickly moved the chains and with 0:57 left, he hooked up with Weller for a 19-yard TD. Hauser’s PAT tied the game.

The Cobbers attempted an on-side kick, and recovered the ball at the Auggie 25. After three plays, they had advanced to the 14. As the clock ticked down, Hauser came in for a 32-yard field goal attempt, but the kick was blocked, sending the game into overtime.

In the overtime, Augsburg was first on offense. On their fourth play, Brumm connected with Nourie from eight yards out to take a 27-20 lead.

On their turn, the Cobbers were able to get a first down. After a run for no gain and two incomplete passes, Dunham dropped back for a desperation pass. He scrambled but was sacked by Adam Mead, giving the Auggies the win.

Augsburg is now 2-2 in league play and 3-3 on the season. They host Gustavus on Saturday,

Concordia remains winless in MIAC play, falling to 0-4. Overall, the Cobbers are 2-4. They play at home on Saturday, tangling with Hamline.

* * *

2009 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Standings
Through games of October 17, 2009

                        Conference Overall   
  Team                    W  L     W   L    
  ----                    -  -     -   -   
  Saint John’s University 5  0     7   0    
  Univ. of St. Thomas     4  1     5   1
  Bethel University       4  1     5   2
  Augsburg College        2  2     3   3  
  Gustavus Adolphus       2  2     3   3    
  Carleton College        1  3     3   3   
  St. Olaf College        1  3     3   3    
  Hamline University      1  4     2   4         
  Concordia College	  0  4     2   4
  

UPCOMING GAMES
October 24, 2009 – all at 1 PM
Gustavus @ Augsburg
Hamline @ Concordia
St. Olaf @ Saint John’s
St. Thomas @ Carleton

[Photos are used courtesy of Tim and Ryan Ward.]