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COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - This week's #TakeMeBackTuesday is No. 9 Saint John's football's wild 32-31 win over No. 12 Wisconsin-Platteville in the first round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs on Nov. 19, 2016, in Clemens Stadium. 



On fourth down, running back Dusty Krueger '18 scored on a 1-yard plunge as time expired to send the Johnnies to the second round. His short run capped a 14-play, 80-yard drive with no timeouts remaining to rally SJU, which erased a 31-20 deficit in the fourth quarter. 

The Johnnies trailed 31-20 after the Pioneers' Sean Studer scored on a 1-yard run with 12:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. The score was set up when Saint John's snapped the ball over punter Griffin Toomey's '17 head, giving the Pioneers possession at the SJU 13.

Following the ensuing kickoff, the Johnnies drove 65 yards in 10 plays, capped by quarterback Jackson Erdmann's 19-yard pass to running back Zack Sundly '17 with 8:10 to play in the game (left). That cut the gap to 31-26 following a failed two-point conversion try.

SJU got the ball back with 4:56 to play, but Erdmann's pass was intercepted by safety Josh Mackie with 2:48 to play. It was Mackie's second interception of the game. 

However, SJU's defensive unit held the Pioneers and forced a punt, which barely crossed the goal line for a touchback.

Erdmann '19, who split time throughout the game with starting quarterback Ben Alvord '19, wide receiver Evan Clark '17 for a 17-yard gain to start the drive. Erdmann then used his legs to run for a key 6-yard gain on a fourth-down play to advance the ball to midfield.

The Johnnies faced another fourth down four plays later, and Erdmann hit Clark – in one-on-one coverage down the right sideline - for a 32-yard completion to the Platteville 12-yard line.
 
After an 11-yard pass to wide receiver Will Gillach '19 to the Pioneers' 1, Erdmann threw three incomplete passes to set up Krueger's winning touchdown run on fourth down. Saint John's was 3-for-3 on fourth down in the winning drive.

Saint John's held a 10-7 lead at halftime. Pioneers' quarterback Tom Kelly opened the scoring with a 3-yard run with 6:11 to play in the first quarter, which was set up by Mackie's first interception and his 59-yard return to the SJU 7. The Johnnies responded with Gillach's 25-yard scoring reception from Erdmann with 1:28 to play in the first quarter. Kicker Alexi Johnson '17 hit a 21-yard field goal with 6:35 to play in the second quarter, the only points of the stanza.

The teams traded field goals to start the second half, with Johnson hitting a 35-yard field goal to put the Johnnies up 13-10 with 6:20 to play in the third quarter. 

The Pioneers' Dan Arnold  - who played three seasons with the New Orleans Saints and is now with the Arizona Cardinals - scored on a 12-yard pass to give Platteville a 17-13 lead, but Clark (right) returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown to put SJU back in front 20-17 with 4:08 to play in the third quarter. It was the first kickoff return for the Johnnies since Oct. 24, 2015, when Josh Bungum '16 - now an SJU assistant coach - returned a Carleton kickoff for a touchdown.

Clark finished the game with five receptions for 71 yards, and rushed three times for 9 yards. He extended his consecutive-game streak with a touchdown to 11 with 16 total (13 receiving, two rushing and one kickoff return).

Platteville scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions to set up SJU's late-game heroics.

Erdmann completed 18 of 33 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Alvord was 3-for-6 for 71 yards passing in limited playing time for SJU.

Krueger led the Johnnies with 73 rushing yards, and Toomey punted five times for a 44.4 average, with three punts inside the 20-yard line (including two inside the 10).

Linebacker Carter Hanson '17 had a team-high 11 total tackles and an interception for Saint John's. The Johnnies' defense limited the Pioneers, who entered the game averaging 497 yards of offense per game, to 311 yards in the contest.

Hanson was named the 2016 recipient of The Gagliardi Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding player in NCAA Division III, a month later. Hanson and center Ben Eli '16 achieved All-America distinction, while the two were joined by Clark, defensive lineman Nathan Brinker '19, linebacker Jack Pietruszewski '17 and defensive lineman Peyton Thiry '17 as All-Region honorees.