(St. Peter, Minn. – November 13, 2002) —Ryan Hoag, a senior wide receiver for the Gustavus Adolphus College football team, was recognized with three other players as Division III Offensive Player of the Week by Don Hanson’s Football Gazette. Hoag, a Minneapolis, Minn., native, made 13 catches for 175 yards and one touchdown and compiled 310 all-purpose yards to help Gustavus slip past St. Olaf 24-23 in the Metrodome last Thurdsay. Hoag made significant contributions in all aspects of the game. He made 13 catches for 175 yards, returned three kickoffs for 122 yards (including a 68-yard return in the fourth quarter), rushed one time for 12 yards, returned one punt, and attempted one pass (which was incomplete on a an end-around option).
Hoag set school records for catches in a game with 13 and all-purpose yards in a game with 310. In the fourth quarter with Gustavus trailing 23-17, Hoag made three catches for 30 yards. All three catches resulted in first downs including a 12-yard catch on third-and-10 from the Gustavus 49-yard line with approximately five minutes remaining in the game. The Gusties went on to score the winning touchdown with 2:00 left in the game. Hoag’s touchdown catch was a two-yard grab that gave the Gusties a 17-13 lead in the third quarter. He also made a 44-yard catch in the first quarter that led to the Gusties first touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Hoag averaged 40.7 yards per return on three kickoff returns with returns of 68, 31, and 23. On the season, Hoag has made 50 catches for 755 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has also returned 10 kickoffs for 306 yards for an average of 30.6 yards per return. Gustavus, which wraps up its season this Saturday at Azusa Pacific, is currently 6-3 overall and 5-3 in the MIAC.