Johnnies’ Prayers Answered in Big Win Over St. Olaf

When two evenly matched teams collide, as the undefeated #4 St John’s University Johnnies and #18 St. Olaf Oles did on Saturday, the game is usually decided by special teams. Near the end of the third quarter, with the Oles seemingly on their way to a big win, the Oles special teams play had been a big part of their lead. Trailing 14-9 in the second quarter, the Oles Andrew Schmiesing fielded a punt at his 25 and cruised down the left sideline for a 75-yard TD that gave the Oles a 16-14 lead with just a 1:20 to go until halftime.

And in the third quarter, after the Oles had just driven 57 yards to kick a 27 yard field goal and regain the lead, 19-17, Josh Rose fumbled the Oles’ kickoff, setting them up inside the 35. They used the momentum gained from that fumble recovery to score on an 8-yard run by bulldog Coty Watkins to run up a 26-17 lead.

And then God intervened, seemingly favoring the Catholic university. With the Johnnies near midfield, Alex Kofoed, who bounced back from a poor showing against Carleton to go 28-43 for 318 yards and three TDs, went back to pass, got hit and winged a rainbow inside the 10. Brian Weber came out of nowhere to pluck the ball out of the air, avoid the congestion and waltz into the right corner of the endzone in front of a rabid Clemens Stadium homecoming crowd estimated at over 12,000.

Momentum had swung back in the home team’s favor. The Johnnies held the Oles on a fourth and 8 from inside their 40 and another Kofoed to Weber miracle brought the Johnnies inside their five. Weber slipped past the Ole safety, who had fallen down and had nothing between him and the goal line when Kofoed uncorked a pass that seemed destined for the ground 5 yards beyond #5. But with a burst and a full layout, Weber popped up with a remarkable catch, the Johnnies were first and goal and the Oles were on their heels. Mike Patnode finished the drive off with a three yard run, the Johnnies try for two was stopped, but the Johnnies had a four point lead.

The Oles drove for a FG to get within 1 with 5 minutes left, but the Johnnies pounded the ball from there, getting a key third down grab from Brett Saladin and a facemask penalty to continue the drive and end the game. It was another fourth quarter comeback and another 6-0 start for the Johnnies.

And yet, in the end special teams did play a key role: Two botched Oles long snaps, one on a 30+ FG and one on an extra point, proved to be the difference in the contest.

The Oles proved their mettle in defeat, however. If they run the table the rest of the way they should earn a playoff berth because that is one solid squad. Their defensive and offensive lines dominated for most of the game, they’ve got some excellent Florida talent at WR (Gant, 6 catches for 101 yards and a score) and CB (Hutchins limited Weber to 1 catch for 4 yards before going out with an injury late in the third quarter) and their running game is explosive. They were very reminiscent of some of the early 2000s Bethel squads that Meidt helped lead to playoff berths.

For the Johnnies, Mike Patnode quietly had another solid performance. Though he didn’t gain 230 yards like the previous week against Carleton, he did manage to gain 135 combined rushing and receiving yards. Aaron Blackmore also returned to the lineup after a two-week absence, notching 74 combined rushing and receiving yards.

On defense, the Johnnies rotated in two additional defensive backs on obvious passing downs, a tactic that limited their pass rush but shutdown the Oles deep out passing attack. In typical Johnnies style, they bent, but didn’t break, limiting the big plays that led the Oles to average 550+ yards and 50+ points through the first give games of the season.

With the win, the Johnnies inch closer to yet another MIAC title. They still close with three of their final four on the road – Gustavus, Hamline, and Bethel, with Bethel matching the Johnnies undefeated MIAC start. And then there’s the always tough Tommie game to contend with. But it’s been a promising start so far, with the Johnnies finding ways to win close contests.


20 Responses

  1. Oles Says:

    His name is Andrew Schmiesing, not Eric.

  2. SCl Commish Says:

    Sorry, it’s been corrected. Was a great return, regardless.

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