Box Score | Listen to Archived Game | Photos (John Biasi/Dawid Chabowski)
Post-game Videos:
-Freshman Running Back Harry Awe (0:34)
-Senior Linebacker Stephen Foertsch (0:20)
-Senior Defensive Lineman Nick Gunderson (0:28)
-Senior Linebacker Ryan Wimmer (0:32)
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Five different Johnnies rushed for a touchdown as host Saint John's defeated Wis.-Eau Claire 35-27 on Saturday, Sept. 12, in Collegeville.
SJU rushed for 296 yards, the most since 2004, on 51 carries. The Johnnies rushed for 305 yards on 60 carries in a 48-0 over Northwestern on Sept. 11, 2004.
The Johnnies took a 7-0 lead on a one-yard touchdown run by freshman Stephen Johnson (Mahtomedi, Minn.) with 3:56 left in the first quarter. The tally ended an 11-play, 62-yard drive.
The Blugolds (1-1, 0-0 WIAC) answered quickly, however, on a 42-yard touchdown strike from Kyle Paulson to David Goodman 33 seconds into the second frame.
After an exchange of three possessions for each team, SJU (2-0, 0-0 MIAC) took over on its own 13 with 3:43 left in the second quarter. The Johnnies moved the ball at will, marching 85 yards on five plays, before junior Jakob Reding (Eden Prairie, Minn.) punched it in from two yards out with 58 seconds remaining in the first half. A botched extra point attempt made it 13-7 in favor of SJU at the half.
SJU took the opening second-half kickoff and picked up right where it left off, marching 54 yards on seven plays before freshman Harry Awe (St. Paul, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) slashed in from the six-yard line. The extra point from senior Russell Gliadon (Fridley, Minn.) made it 20-7 in favor of SJU.
UWEC cut the deficit to 20-14 thanks to a 26-yard touchdown pass from Paulson to Spencer Kehoe with six minutes left in the third quarter.
Following an SJU fumbled at midfield, the Blugolds covered 40 yards on eight plays to take their first lead of the contest, 21-20. Paulson hit Brett Schreiner from eight yards out with nine minutes left.
The Johnnies responded with a 10-play, 72-yard scoring drive that ended on a 14-yard touchdown run by junior Joe Boyle (Richfield, Minn./Holy Angels). Boyle then rolled out on the two-point conversion attempt, fumbled the ball, picked it up and hit senior Ben Vanderheyden (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) in the back of the end zone for two points. The acrobatic catch made it 28-21 in favor of the Johnnies.
UWEC was not done, however. The Blugolds chewed up 56 yards on seven plays, ending on a 15-yard touchdown run by Cory Sartorelli, with 1:39 remaining. Six-foot-seven inch sophomore Jack Daggett (Hutchinson, Minn.) blocked the extra-point attempt, denying UWEC of a tied game, 28-27.
SJU added another touchdown, in odd fashion, on a 37-yard run by sophomore Sam Pederson (La Crosse, Wis./Aquinas). Needing the ball back, the Blugold defense simply stopped and let Pederson run to paydirt. The strategy nearly worked. UWEC moved 71 yards on eight pass attempts down to the Johnnies' nine-yard line. Two passes from Paulson into the end zone fell incomplete, however, to give SJU the victory.
Boyle ended the day 14 of 21 passing for 166 yards, while Reding gained 96 yards on 19 carries. Pederson caught five passes for 61 yards and added 37 yards on the ground. Seniors Nick Gunderson (Woodbury, Minn.) and Ryan Wimmer (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) led the SJU defense with nine tackles each. Gunderson also added 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack.
Paulson finished 18 of 35 passing for 286 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Sartorelli totaled 79 yards on 22 carries. Kehoe finished with 105 yards on five catches.
With the win, SJU head coach John Gagliardi improved his career record to 463-125-11 (.782) in 61 seasons overall and 439-119-10 (.782) in 57 seasons at SJU.
The Johnnies travel to face Concordia-Moorhead next Saturday, Sept. 19. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Jake Christiansen Stadium in Moorhead. The contest will be Gagliardi's 600th of his illustrious career.
