Box Score | SJU Press Conference

WHEATON, Ill. - No. 8 Saint John's football advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals with a thrilling 34-33 win over No. 3 Wheaton (Ill.) on Saturday, Dec. 7.

The Johnnies (12-1 overall) travel to face No. 7 Wisconsin-Whitewater (12-1 overall) next Saturday, Dec. 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.

The semifinal appearance will be the Johnnies' 12th in program history (10th at the Division III level) and first since 2003.

Wild Finish
The Thunder's (12-1 overall) starting center, Jake Hibben, carried the ball four consecutive times inside the 10-yard line and scored from one yard out with nine seconds remaining. Hibben, however, spiked the football after scoring and was whistled for an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty, which turned the ensuing extra-point attempt into a 35-yard kick. The first game-tying attempt sailed wide left, but both teams were called for off-setting penalties. The second attempt went wide right.

Senior running back Kai Barber (Minneapolis, Minn./Totino-Grace) recovered the on-side kick to seal the victory for SJU.

Johnnie O
Senior quarterback Jackson Erdmann (Rosemount, Minn.) finished 28 of 40 passing for 407 yards and five touchdowns against a stout Wheaton defense. The 400-yard passing performance was the fifth of the season and third consecutive for Erdmann, who now has eight career games of 5+ touchdown passes.

The Thunder entered the game as college football's (all divisions) leader in scoring defense (6.8 ppg.), total defense (186.7 ypg.) and pass-efficiency defense (75.3 rating).

Junior wide receiver Blake Patrick (St. Stephen, Minn./Holdingford) led SJU with career highs in receptions (4), receiving yards (146) and receiving touchdowns (2). Sophomore wide receiver Matt Mohr (Chisago City, Minn./Chisago Lakes) caught a career-high 10 passes for 101 yards, his third 100-yard receiving game of the season, while classmate Ravi Alston (Lake Elsinore, Calif./Vista Murrieta) snagged six passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns.



Early SJU Lead
Alston capped the Johnnies' opening possession with a jump-ball, 20-yard touchdown reception to give SJU a 7-0 lead 3:26 into the game. The Johnnies forced three consecutive three-and-outs before Erdmann connected with Patrick for a 69-yard touchdown pass, on a free play due to defensive offsides, with two seconds left in the first quarter.

The Thunder responded with an 11-play, 71-yard scoring drive to cut SJU's lead in half, 14-7. The Johnnies, however, bounced back with a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended on an acrobatic, 27-yard touchdown catch by Alston with 7:06 remaining in the first half. 

A Wheaton Comeback
The momentum started to shift in the Thunder's favor in the third quarter. The home team moved 62 yards on the opening drive but fumbled, thanks to sophomore cornerback Tommy Deters (Maple Plain, Minn./Orono), on SJU's 10-yard line. Following an SJU punt, Wheaton made it 21-14 on a two-yard touchdown pass (on third-and-goal) with 4:44 left in the third quarter. The Johnnies were forced into a three-and-out and the Thunder tied it at 21-21 with an 11-play, 59-yard scoring drive. SJU mustered only 18 yards of offense on eight plays in the third quarter.

Another Fumble, Another Big Play
Senior linebacker Richard Carriveau (Rice, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) came up big with a forced fumble, on a 26-yard Wheaton run, and senior cornerback Chris Harris (Lake Elsinore, Calif.) pounced on it at the SJU 46-yard line. Erdmann wasted little time, as he connected with Patrick for a 54-yard touchdown on the Johnnies' first play. The PAT was blocked, however, leaving the score at 27-21 in favor of SJU with 12:58 remaining.

Punch, Counter-Punch
Wheaton answered with an 8-play, 73-yard scoring drive to tie the game at 27-27 with 8:22 left, but squandered the PAT. A bad snap forced the holder into a pass attempt, which was intercepted by senior safety Ryan LaCasse (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) in the end zone.

Erdmann and Co. took over on their own 25-yard line following Wheaton's fourth touchback of the day. Following a two-yard sack on first down, Erdmann hit Mohr for a 32-yard gain and Patrick for 11 yards down to the Thunder's 34-yard line. Two plays later, on third-and-three, Erdmann found senior tight end Jack Kemper (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) for a 27-yard touchdown pass with 6:07 showing on the clock. The touchdown, Kemper's fourth in the last five games, and PAT gave SJU a 34-27 lead.