By Frank Rajkowski & Ryan Klinkner '04

Box Score

DULUTH, Minn. – The last time the Saint John's University football team played a game in Duluth, Gerald Ford was President, a new hip show entitled NBC's Saturday Night (now Saturday Night Live) had just premiered and current defensive coordinator Jerry Haugen '76 was a senior defensive back for the Johnnies.

As a player, Haugen was facing Minnesota-Duluth, then a member of the MIAC, on Oct. 11, 1975 (a 13-10 win for SJU over UMD). SJU posted a 19-11 record against the Bulldogs from 1936-83, including a 9-6 record in Duluth. Haugen is in his 47th season as an assistant now, and Saturday afternoon his defense yielded just 51 yards rushing as the Johnnies triumphantly returned to the Twin Ports with a 56-6 win over St. Scholastica in an MIAC Northwoods Division matchup at Public Schools Stadium.

The Johnnies – ranked No. 4 in the latest D3football.com Division III top 25 – improved to 3-0 in divisional play, 5-1 in the MIAC and 7-1 overall. The Saints – in just their second season as a conference member – fell to 0-4 in the division, 1-5 in the MIAC and 2-6 overall.

In all, SJU gave up only 263 yards of total offense, and 70 of it came on St. Scholastica's lone touchdown – a 70-yard touchdown catch by Wyatt Lahr in the fourth quarter that cut the Johnnies' lead to 42-6.

The offense, meanwhile, put up 473 yards en route to a season-high point total. Senior wide receiver Nick VanErp (Battle Lake, Minn./Ottertail Central) led the way with six catches for 105 yards, including touchdown grabs of 6 and 25 yards in the first half.

SJU began four drives inside the Saints' 40-yard line in the first two quarters of play. The Johnnies' average starting-field position on the afternoon, across 12 possessions, was their own 47-yard line.

Junior quarterback Aaron Syverson (Minnetonka, Minn.) threw for 140 yards and two touchdowns and added a 4-yard touchdown run before making an early exit in the second quarter. He was relieved by junior Nick Peterson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's), who threw for 65 yards and two touchdowns, and sophomore Cale Wolf (Pequot Lakes, Minn.), who threw for 85 yards and rushed for a touchdown in the second half.

Junior Tony Underwood (Eagan, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) led the way on the ground, carrying the ball six times for 54 yards – including a 27-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Sophomore Tuanson DuFresne-To (Woodbury, Minn./Stillwater Area) added 47 yards on six carries, including a 14-yard scamper for a touchdown to end the scoring with 11:35 to play.

Freshman tight end Joey Gendreau (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) finished with five catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Junior wide receiver Jimmy Buck (Orono, Minn.) added four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Senior linebacker Erik Bjork (Mahtomedi, Minn.) led the way defensively with 11 tackles, including three for a loss.

The Johnnies return home to host Carleton in a Northwoods Division matchup 1 p.m. next Saturday, Nov. 5, in Clemens Stadium.