The Gustavus football team allowed 21 points in a three minute span in the third quarter and could not ever recover in a 35-14 loss at St. Thomas in St. Paul on Saturday afternoon. Junior running back Mitch Anderson led the Gustie offense with two rushing touchdowns in the game. Gustavus falls to 1-7 overall and 1-5 in the MIAC, while St. Thomas improves to 3-4 overall and 3-3 in the MIAC.
St. Thomas opened the scoring when Jake Casey scampered in from two-yards out early in the second quarter (13:15). The Tommie scoring drive was a 13-play, 80-yard drive that lasted just over five minutes.
The Gusties evened the score at 7-7 when Mitch Anderson broke free for a 20-yard run just before halftime. Gustavus’ scoring drive was a nine-play, 50-yard drive that lasted five minutes. The score was tied 7-7 at the intermission.
Gustavus took a 14-7 lead on its first possession of the second half as Mitch Anderson scored his second touchdown of the day, this one on an eight-yard run. The nine-play, 58-yard drive used up 3:58 on the clock.
St. Thomas would even the score at 14-14 on its next possession when quarterback David Sauer hit P.J. Theisen with a 23-yard touchdown pass.
Two plays into its next drive, Gustavus quarterback Jordan Stolp was intercepted by Tommie linebacker Andy Ubbelohde at the Gustie 47 and returned to the Gustie 41. St. Thomas would take a 21-14 lead four plays later when Jake Casey scored his second touchdown of the day, this one on a 17-yard run.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Gusties would get an unlucky break when the Tommies’ line-drive kick would ricochet off the shoulder of Justin Redfield and end up in the hands of Tommie Mitch Kieffer at the St. Thomas 46-yard line. On the Tommies next play from scrimmage quarterback David Sauer hit wide receiver Joel Korte with a 54-yard touchdown pass to give St. Thomas a 28-14 lead.
The two teams would play to a stalemate through the rest of the third quarter and for most of the fourth quarter. The Tommies would add one final score as Sauer threw his third touchdown pass of the day, this one from eight-yards out to J.J. Kirby to make the score 35-14 with 3:22 left in the game.
Gustavus was led offensively by running back Mitch Anderson who carried 20 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan Stolp completed 9-of-21 passes for 110 yards with two interceptions. Defensively, junior linebacker Jared Sieling posted eight tackles including seven solo tackles.
The Gusties will host Carleton College next Saturday at 1:00 pm at Hollingsworth Field.