D3football.com Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's University's starting offensive line was named to the D3football.com National Team of the Week on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

Tackles Ben Bartch (Dayton, Ore./Blanchet Catholic) and Josh Juaire (Belle Plaine, Minn.), guards Karl Rude (Lake in the Hills, Ill./Marian Catholic) and Dan Greenheck (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall), and center Nick Neumann (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) make up the starting offensive line. Neumann is a junior; the rest are seniors. Junior Jarod Fike (St. Paul, Minn./White Bear Lake) also contributed last Saturday.

SJU erased a 14-0 deficit with 558 yards of offense and 30 first downs in a 38-20 win over then-No. 11/13 St. Thomas last Saturday (Oct. 19) before a sold-out crowd of 19,508 at Allianz Field in St. Paul. The Tommies entered the game second in NCAA Division III in total defense (171.4 ypg.) and third in passing defense (110.4 ypg.), and had allowed only 44 first downs in their first five games.

The line gave senior quarterback Jackson Erdmann (Rosemount, Minn.) ample time for most of the game, which allowed him to pass for 451 yards and three touchdowns. Senior running back Kai Barber (Minneapolis, Minn./Totino-Grace) rushed for 80 of the team's 107 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

The fourth-ranked Johnnies (6-0, 5-0 MIAC) travel to face St. Olaf (5-1, 3-1 MIAC) for a 1 p.m. kickoff this Saturday, Oct. 26, in Northfield.