Box Score

MOORHEAD, Minn. – No. 4 Saint John's football clinched a share of its MIAC-record 33rd conference title and earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs with a 42-14 win at Concordia on Saturday, Oct. 27, in Moorhead.

The postseason appearance will be the 29th (25th in Division III) for the Johnnies (8-0, 7-0 MIAC) and their fifth consecutive.

Four Scores and 15 Years Ago
Junior quarterback Jackson Erdmann (Rosemount, Minn.) was 16 of 25 passing for a season-low 173 yards, but tossed four touchdowns for his fifth game of four passing scores or more in his career. Five different Johnnies caught a touchdown pass on the afternoon. The four passing touchdowns enabled Erdmann to pass Ryan Keating (2000-03) for fourth on SJU's all-time list with 69 in his career. He is now 10 behind Tom Linnemann (1996-00) in third.

Red-Zone Targets
For the fourth time this season, SJU senior tight ends Tommy Auger (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) and Jared Streit (Watkins, Minn./Eden Valley-Watkins) caught touchdown passes in the same game. Erdmann connected with Auger for an 11-yard strike, which gave SJU a 21-7 lead, with 3:22 left in the first half. Streit, meanwhile, caught a jump-ball for a 15-yard touchdown to end the game's scoring with 7:38 to play. The touchdown was the 10th of his career, the sixth-most by an SJU tight end in the program's history. The duo have combined for 32 catches, 425 yards and 10 touchdowns this fall.



Hello, Old Friends
Senior running back Adam Essler (New London, Minn./New London-Spicer) played for Concordia-Moorhead in 2015 before transferring to SJU. He combined for 109 yards from scrimmage (59 yards on nine carries and 50 yards on three receptions) Saturday. Essler gave the visitors a 7-0 lead on a two-yard touchdown run with 10:06 to play in the opening quarter and caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Erdmann with 12:33 remaining.

Who Threw That?
Senior wide receiver Will Gillach (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) gave the lead back to SJU with a three-yard touchdown, on a shovel pass, halfway through the second quarter. Although he was held to a season-low two catches for 18 yards, Gillach fashioned his throwing arm on SJU's first possession of the second half. Two plays after Concordia's Dane Ringquist sprinted for a 51-yard touchdown run on third-and-two, Gillach found junior wide receiver Andrew VanErp (Battle Lake, Minn./Ottertail Central) for a 79-yard touchdown pass. The non-quarterback touchdown pass was the Johnnies' first since tight end Wade Powers '12 tossed a 70-yard touchdown to wide receiver Brent Graboski '12 on Oct. 29, 2011, against Carleton. VanErp posted his first 100-yard receiving game with 112 yards on six catches.

Bend But Don't Break 
The Cobbers (3-5, 2-4 MIAC) posted 22 first downs, converted 11 of their 18 third-down conversions (61.1 percent) and out-gained SJU 391-382, with 34:39 of possession. The Johnnies, however, forced four turnovers and took advantage of a missed 30-yard, field-goal attempt in the third quarter.

Three Takeaways for Harris
Junior cornerback Chris Harris (Lake Elsinore, Calif./Elsinore) forced a fumble and recorded SJU's second, two-interception game Saturday (Ryan LaCasse vs. St. Thomas). His first interception stopped Concordia's first offensive possession dead in its tracks and the 32-yard return to the Cobbers' 33-yard line helped set up the Johnnies' first score four plays later. Harris' second pick gave SJU the ball on CC's 47-yard line early in the fourth quarter.

Points Record in Moorhead
The 42 points scored were the most by an SJU team in the series' 38 games in Moorhead. All five previous instances of 40 points or more were away from Jake Christiansen Stadium.

- 52 (52-21); Sept. 22, 2007 in Collegeville
- 49 (49-0); Oct. 16, 1976 in Collegeville
- 48 (48-6); Oct. 7, 1961 in Collegeville
- 44 (44-21); Nov. 13, 1993 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis
- 42 (40-28); Sept. 18, 2010 in Collegeville

What's Next
The Johnnies return home to host Hamline (0-8, 0-6 MIAC) for a 1 p.m. kickoff next Saturday, Nov. 3, in Clemens Stadium.