Wade Vrieze has collected an interception in four straight games.
Sophomore Ray Wilson ran for 124 yards on 13 carries in last weekend’s 51-0 win at Macalester.
Seventeen senior football players (pictured with Coach Schoenebeck) will play at home for the final time Saturday.
Running back Mitch Anderson rushed for 116 yards on 11 carries at Macalester.
Welcome
Gustavus welcomes Augsburg College to Lloyd Hollingsworth Field Saturday in the 2006 home finale. The Gusties enter the game with a record of 3-4 overall, 1-4 in the MIAC, while Augsburg enters with a mark of 0-7 overall and 0-5 in the MIAC.
As is tradition at Gustavus, the final home game of the regular season is dedicated as Senior Day and a special tribute is made to the individuals who have committed themselves to Gustavus football for the past four years. This year, the athletics department, Coach Schoenebeck and his staff, parents, and fans salute the 18 seniors who have represented the Gustavus football program with pride and class from 2003 to the present. We thank them all for their efforts and wish them the very best in the challenges ahead.
Final Game at Gustavus Stadium
The Gustavus football team will play its final game at Gustavus Stadium/ Hollingsworth Field this Saturday against Augsburg. The Gusties have played on their current field since 1905 and it is the 15th oldest field in Division III and the oldest collegiate field in Minnesota. Gustavus is in the process of building a new stadium and the team will begin playing on that field next September. The Gusties have compiled a record of 205-100-8 on the field since the stadium was constructed in 1929. The Gustavus Athletic Department will hold a de-commissioning ceremony after the game and right after that will officially break ground on the new stadium.
The Series
Gustavus and Augsburg will be facing each other for the 65th time on Saturday. Gustavus holds a 52-12 advantage in the all-time series. The Gusties have had the edge in the series lately, winning eight in a row and nine of ten dating back to the 1996 season. Gustavus defeated Augsburg 42-27 in St. Peter last year. The last time Augsburg knocked off Gustavus was 1997, when the Auggies downed Coach Jay Schoenebeck’s Gusties 41-35 in double overtime.
A GLIMPSE OF THE GUSTIES
Gustavus returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play this week after bringing its three-game losing skid to a halt by running past Macalester 51-0 in a nonconference game last Saturday. The Gusties scored on six of their first seven possessions to take a 38-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Running backs Ray Wilson and Mitch Anderson each went over 100 yards on the ground for Gustavus, which rushed for 286 yards on 41 attempts and five touchdowns. Anderson rushed for two scores (2, 18), while Wilson added a 2-yard touchdown run. Adam Lukes and Jacob Mehr each added a 1-yard TD run in the second half. Lukes now has a team-high five rushing touchdowns this season. The 51 points scored against Macalester is the most since the Gusties posted the same amount in a 51-21 over St. Olaf to conclude the 2001 season.
With the Gusties keeping to the ground, quarterback Jordan Stolp’s chances through the air were limited. After starting out 2-for-5, including 0-for-3 from the Macalester 5-yard line on the opening drive of the game, Stolp settled down to finish 8-for-13 for 144 yards and a 34-yard touchdown strike to Chad Arlt in the second quarter. It was Stolp’s eighth touchdown pass of the season and the 37th of his career, moving him into fifth place on the career touchdowns list. Gustavus outgained Macalester 433-125 on the day, with the Gustie defense holding the undersized and undermanned Scots rushing attack to 26 yards on 21 carries. In total, the Gustavus defense picked off two passes, forced (and recovered) two fumbles, and recorded three sacks. The two fumbles led to 14 Gustie points.
Through seven games, the Gusties offense is averaging 270.3 yards per game, while the defense is allowing 271.3 yards per game. Junior linebacker Jared Sieling leads the team with 46 tackles (19 solo), while senior defensive back Wade Vrieze leads the team in interceptions with four. Offensively, the Gusties have compiled a majority of their yards through the air with Chad Arlt leading the team with 37 grabs for 531 yards.
2006 Gustavus Statistics
A VIEW OF THE AUGGIES
The Auggies are looking for their first victory of the season. Last weekend, Augsburg fell to Carleton 37-7 last weekend in their final game of the season within the comfy confines of Edor Nelson Field in Minneapolis. Tight end Andrew Neumann caught six passes for 73 yards and a touchdown to lead the Auggies, while Arthur Minus rushed 22 times for 79 yards, but it was not enough. Carleton scored on the opening kickoff as Chris Gardner took the return 85 yards for the score 16 seconds into the game and turned three Augsburg turnovers (two fumbles, one interception) in to 17 points. Carleton outgained Augsburg by a 349-279 margin in the game, including 216 yards passing to 179 for the Auggies. Berg completed 21-of-35 for 160 yards for Augsburg. The Knights built a 23-0 halftime lead before Augsburg scored on a 22-yard pass from quarterback Jordan Berg to Neumann. The Auggie drive — 12 plays, 74 yards, covering 5:58 — was the longest drive for either team in the game.
The Auggies, under second-year head coach Frank Haege, have had a challenging start to the 2006 season. Winless in seven starts, Augsburg fell to Northwestern (Minn.) 31-24 in their season opener and then took Concordia-Moorhead to overtime before falling 34-28. Berg has completed 116 of 210 passes this season for 1199 yards and seven touchdowns with nine interceptions. Berg has spread the ball around this season with Andrew Neumann (435 yards) and Ricky Schreier (342 yards) have each made a team-high 40 receptions, while Royce Winford has made 29 catches for 426 yards and six touchdowns. Winford, who also has a blocked punt return for a touchdown, has accounted for nearly half (7) of Augsburg’s total touchdowns (15) this season and his 6.0 points per game ranks among the league’s best. Arthur Minus is the Auggies’ leading rusher with 427 yards on 87 carries with three touchdowns. The Augsburg defense has been led by linebackers Mike Matson and Andrew Bergeson and free safety Andy Roff. Matson has recorded 82 tackles (31 solo) to lead the team, while Bergeson (51 tackles; 18 solo) and Roff (50 tackles; 17 solo) are next. Matson has recorded double-digit totals in tackles in 14 of the Auggies’ last 17 games, including 11 tackles (three solo) last weekend.
2006 Augsburg Statistics
Notes
Senior Sendoff — Seventeen seniors will play their final home game as Golden Gusties today. In spite of its relatively small size, this group has set a great example for the program by its performance on the field and its work ethic during practices. The Gustavus Athletics Department would like to extend a sincere thank you to this fine group of gentlemen for their leadership on and off the field for the past four years. The seniors playing their final home game today include: Kerry Zajicek, Jacob Mehr, Kevin Hegland, Brian Evans, Wade Vrieze, Kory Wermerskirchen, Neil Petrash, Jon Horbacz, Adam Miron, Nick David, Taylor Beahrs, Paul Shneider, Andrew Rieke, Patrick Wieneke, Greg Carlson, Andrew Brown, and Jared Chapman. Another senior making his last home appearance today is assistant coach Mike Huesmann. Huesmann has been a valuable assistant coach and we would like to thank him for his outstanding contribution to the Gustavus football program.
Pounding it Out — Last weekend at Macalester, running backs Ray Wilson and Mitch Anderson each topped 100 yards rushing, marking the first time since Adam Nelson rushed for 106 yards on 16 carries against Hamline in 2003 that a Gustavus running back has reached the plateau. Wilson led the Gusties with 124 yards on 13 carries, while Mitch Anderson carried 11 times for 116 yards. It was also the first time since 1998 that two Gustavus running backs eclipsed the century mark in the same game. Travis Prunty (111 yards) and Ryan Britz (105 yards) combined to accomplish the feat in a 27-24 loss to Bethel on Oct. 17, 1998 in Arden Hills. The 287 rushing yards posted by the Gusties offense was the best since Sept. 25, 1999, when Gustavus ran for 294 yards against Macalester. Gustavus also ran for 286 yards in a 2002 game against Hamline.
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