Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. – No. 8 Saint John's football won a share of its MIAC-record 34th conference championship and earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs with a 70-0 victory at Hamline on Saturday, Nov. 9, in St. Paul.

SJU (8-1, 7-1 MIAC) out-gained Hamline (1-8, 0-7 MIAC) by a 550-121 margin and scored touchdowns on its first six offensive possessions. The Johnnies averaged 9.5 yards per play and 8.4 yards per carry (294 yards on 35 carries).

A Playoff Regular
The NCAA berth is SJU's 30th postseason appearance in program history and the 26th at the Division III level. The bid is also the sixth consecutive in seven seasons under the direction of head coach Gary Fasching, which ties the MIAC record held by former head coach John Gagliardi.

Efficient Erdmann
Senior quarterback Jackson Erdmann (Rosemount, Minn.) ended the day 15 of 23 passing for 256 yards and three touchdowns. He directed the Johnnies to three touchdowns - three drives that totaled 13 offensive plays - and finished 5 of 5 for 103 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter. Erdmann finished with 275 yards of offense, thanks to 19 yards on two carries, and became the second Johnnie to eclipse 10,000 yards of offense (10,045). Alex Kofoed (2004-07) owns the school record with 10,818. 



100-Yard Pick-Six
Hamline had the ball past midfield once during the game, thanks to SJU's second fumbled punt in as many games on its own 27-yard line with 4:58 left in the opening quarter. Five plays later, however, senior cornerback Chris Harris (Lake Elsinore, Calif.) intercepted an errant pass in the end zone on first-and-goal and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. The interception, Harris' fifth of the season (second returned for a touchdown) and ninth of his SJU career, tied for the longest return in school history: the memorable 100-yard interception return by cornerback Mike Zauhar '06 in the Johnnies' 24-6 win over Mount Union (Ohio) for the 2003 national title.

Johnnie D
The Johnnies' defense forced five three-and-outs and posted eight tackles for loss, including five sacks, in the win. SJU allowed one first down in the second half and stuffed the Pipers twice inside their own 35-yard line, for a turnover on downs, in the third quarter. 

Shutout
The shutout is the 183rd in school history, the 14th in 79 games under the direction of head coach Gary Fasching and the 66th with defensive coordinator Jerry Haugen on staff. Saturday's win is SJU's 25th consecutive over HU, of which the Pipers have scored 185 points during that span (7.4 ppg.).

128 for Alston
Sophomore wide receiver Ravi Alston (Lake Elsinore, Calif./Vista Murrieta) led SJU's air attack with seven catches for 128 yards, his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season. His 10-yard touchdown reception from Erdmann gave SJU a 56-0 lead 3:12 into the second half. Alston has 39 catches for 638 yards and three touchdowns in his last five games.

Cerney for 110
Sophomore running back Dylan Cerney (Mobridge, S.D./Mobridge-Pollock) led the Johnnies' ground game with his first 100-yard rushing performance, 110 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries (10.0 avg.). He scampered for an 8-yard score halfway through the third quarter and ended the game's scoring with a 47-yard sprint 2:28 into the fourth quarter.

Three With 2 TD's
Cerney was joined by two other Johnnies with two rushing touchdowns on the day. Junior running back Kenneth Udoibok (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) bulldozed to 58 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries, while sophomore running back Henry Trost (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) added two touchdowns on two carries (totaling 14 yards). The duo's four rushing touchdowns came in the first half.

10-for-10
Junior kicker Colin Kummer (Hastings, Minn.) made his 2019 debut and made all 10 of his extra-point attempts, the second-most in program history. He was a quarterback on the roster as a freshman in 2017 and moved to defensive back last fall before leaving the team at the end of the season. Kummer had a 32-yard field-goal attempt blocked on third-and-10 with 3:00 left in the third quarter and another attempt from 38 yards fell short in the fourth quarter.

Next Week
The Johnnies wrap up the 2019 regular-season schedule with a 1 p.m. non-conference game against Rose-Hulman (Ind.) next Saturday, Nov. 16, in Clemens Stadium. The Fightin' Engineers (6-3, 5-2 HCAC) fell at home to Hanover (Ind.) 42-13 today in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's championship game.