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COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - The first installment of #TakeMeBackTuesday features the historic matchup between No. 2 Saint John's and No. 10 Bethel on Nov. 8, 2003, in Collegeville; a 29-26 victory that enabled head coach John Gagliardi to become college football's all-time leader in wins with 409 (passing Eddie Robinson's mark of 408).  

The MIAC showdown between the two teams was not only for the career coaching record, but also for the MIAC title and the automatic bid into the NCAA playoffs, as both teams entered the contest with an unbeaten 7-0 conference record. Over 13,000 bundled spectators, the largest crowd at the time to ever witness a Saint John's football game, packed into Clemens Stadium with a game-time temperature of 18 degrees.  



Bethel took a 26-22 lead with 4:57 to play in the fourth quarter on a gutsy four-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Scott Kirchoff, who broke his collarbone on the play. After avoiding wide receiver Blake Elliott '03 on kickoff returns the entire game, Bethel decided to kick the ball to him. Elliott returned the kickoff 50 yards to the Bethel 40-yard line with a little over four minutes remaining, re-establishing momentum on the home side. 

With all of the attention on Elliott again, quarterback Ryan Keating '03 hit running back Josh Nelson '04 in the flat for a five-yard touchdown with 2:03 left (see photo above). On Bethel's first offensive play, backup quarterback A.J. Parnell was sacked by defensive lineman Jeremy Hood '04 and fumbled the ball, where defensive lineman Ryan Weinandt '04 recovered, sealing the MIAC championship, an automatic bid into the NCAA playoffs, and Gagliardi's record 409th career victory.

Keating ended the day 32 of 45 passing for 315 yards and four touchdowns, while Elliott finished with 15 catches for 163 yards and two scores.

Nine current (at the time) or future SJU All-Americans played in the game:

-OG #79 Justin Cass
-DT #97 Damien Dumonceaux
-RB #40 Jason Good (was All-American at DL in 2004)
-WR #2 Blake Elliott
-DE #19 Jeremy Hood
-LB #37 Cam McCambridge
-DE #34 Kevin McNamara
-OT #57 Matt Nelson
-DT #77 Ryan Weinandt