Box Score

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – No. 6 Saint John's football ended its 2017 season with a 17-7 loss at No. 9 North Central in the first round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 18, in Naperville, Ill.

The Johnnies (9-2, 7-1 MIAC) crossed into North Central's side of the 50-yard line 10 times, including six trips inside the 40, but only mustered seven points. SJU went 0-for-10 on third down.

Senior running back Dusty Krueger (Lake Elmo, Minn./Hill-Murray) led SJU with 119 yards on 15 carries, including a 51-yard scamper down to the NCC (10-1, 7-1 CCIW) 36-yard line, but the Johnnies turned the ball over on downs four plays later. 

SJU avoided the shutout with a 2-play, 55-yard scoring drive that ended on a 17-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jackson Erdmann (Rosemount, Minn.) to senior wide receiver Dan Harrington (Frisco, Texas/Wakeland) with 6:15 remaining. Erdmann ended the day 11 of 22 passing for 127 yards, while Harrington caught four passes for 52 yards.

Dominick Muoghalu, a transfer from Division II Upper Iowa, led the Cardinals with 180 yards and a touchdown on 40 carries. His 16-yard touchdown run gave NCC a 7-0 lead with 5:14 left in the first quarter. Muoghalu played in place of Austin Breunig, who ended the regular season 12th in Division III in scoring (11.4 ppg.) and 15th in all-purpose yards (168.6 ypg.).

Senior cornerback Leonard Gutierrez (Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy College Prep) intercepted his fourth pass of the season, and ninth of his career, and returned it 27 yards down to the NCC 25-yard line halfway through the second quarter. Erdmann, however, was sacked and fumbled on the Johnnies' first play from the 25.

Senior safety Joe Robel (Blaine, Minn.) ended a Cardinal threat with an interception of his own on SJU's 13-yard line, which set up Krueger's 51-yard sprint.

Liam Crotty gave North Central a 10-0 lead with a 27-yard field goal at the 6:31 mark of the third quarter and Broc Rutter found Andrew Kamienski for an 8-yard touchdown pass on third-and-6 with 6:54 to play.

Senior linebacker Mack Short (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) led SJU with 13 tackles (nine solo) and classmate David Franta (Winnebago, Minn./Blue Earth Area) followed with nine stops (eight solo). Junior defensive lineman Nathan Brinker (Avon, Minn./Holdingford) totaled six tackles (four solo), including 1.5 for a loss.

Notes: Krueger totaled 311 yards on 61 carries in three postseason games over the past two seasons…SJU went 0-for-21 on third down in its two losses this season…the Johnnies were 58-for-110 (52.73 percent) in the other nine games this fall…the first-round loss was just the fifth in SJU's history (19-5 record in NCAA first-round games).