Chad Arlt makes the catch and eludes a Scot defender.
Running back Adam Lukes breaks around left end for a solid gain.
Quarterback Jordan Becker gets set to run the option play.
Ethan Armstrong returned six punts for 45 yards in the game.
The Gustavus football team scored six of the first eight times it had possession of the ball and rolled to a 41-12 non-conference win over Macalester College at Hollingsworth Field in St. Peter on Saturday afternoon. Junior wide receiver Chad Arlt (Jr., St. Michael, Minn.) had a big day for the Gusties as he made 12 catches for 151 yards and one touchdown, while also breaking the school record for catches in a season. Arlt, who now has 67 catches in seven games, passed Larry Bodin’s mark of 58 catches which was set in 1985.
The Gustavus defense held the Macalester offense to three plays and a punt on it first three possessions of the game, and the Gustie offense responded with two touchdowns and a field goal to take a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Gustavus opened its scoring on a 13-yard pass from Jordan Stolp (Sr., Mankato, Minn./West) to Cody Sukalski (Fy., Blue Earth, Minn.) at the 9:57 mark. John Ostertag (Jr., Walker, Minn.) made the extra point to make the score 7-0. On their next possession, the Gusties extended the lead to 13-0 when Mitch Anderson (Sr., Sleepy Eye, Minn.) scampered into the end zone from 10 yards out. Ostertag’s PAT made the score 14-0. Gustavus closed out the scoring in the first quarter with a 39-yard field goal from Ostertag, which made the score 17-0.
Midway through the second quarter, Gustavus safety T.J. Ridley (So., Edina, Minn.) forced a Macalester fumble on the Gustie one-yard line that was recovered by Gustavus linebacker Tony Palma (So., Lino Lakes, Minn.). Jordan Stolp then led the Gustie offense on a nine-play, 97-yard drive that resulted in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Stolp to Chad Arlt giving the Gusties a 24-0 lead with 8:46 left on the clock. Stolp was 4-of-6 for 69 yards and Mitch Anderson added a 35-yard run on the long drive. Gustavus extended its lead to 31-0 on an unusual play later in the second quarter. Starting on the Gusties 32 yard line, Stolp found Arlt free up the middle for a long gain. As Arlt was approaching the Macalester 15-yard line, he was hit by the Scots’ Zach Hahn and fumbled, however Gustavus wide receiver Cody Sukalski picked up the fumble and ran the final 15 yards into the end zone. Ostertag added the extra point and Gustavus led 31-0.
Ostertag added a 28-yard field goal with :21 left in the second quarter and the Gusties headed to the locker with a 34-0 lead at halftime.
Macalester got off to a strong start in the second half and scored touchdowns on its first two possessions of the third quarter. The Scots cut the lead to 34-6 when Trevor Miehe found Jared Lyons in the end zone on a fourth and goal from the Gustavus six-yard line with 7:20 left in the quarter. The extra point was missed. On its next possession, Macalester moved 65 yards on seven plays ending with a three-yard touchdown pass from Miehe to Matt Mitchell at the 3:18 mark. The Scots could not convert the extra point making the score 34-12.
Gustavus closed out the scoring on its next drive as Mitch Anderson broke around left end and ran into the end zone from five yards out making the score 40-12. Ostertag converted the PAT making the score 41-12. Stolp was 3-of-3 on the five-play, 72-yard drive including two complete passes to Sukalski for 40 yards.
Macalester put together one more long drive late in the fourth quarter, however quarterback Trevor Miehe was hit on the Gustavus four-yard line, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Gusties’ David Papas (Fy., Chanhassen, Minn.) on the one-yard line with 1:09 remaining in the game.
The Gustavus offense was led by Jordan Stolp, who completed 19-of-27 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns. Mitch Anderson led the rushing attack with 18 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Arlt’s 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown led all receivers, however Cody Sukalski turned in the finest performance of his young career with three catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
The Gustie defense was led by senior linebacker Jared Sieling (Watertown, Minn.) who registered 10 tackles. Tackle Christian Vanek (So., Prior Lake, Minn.) recorded eight tackles including three tackles for loss and a sack, and tackle Jake Balch (So., LeSueur, Minn.) posted two tackles, both of which were sacks.
Macalester was led offensively by quarterback Trevor Miehe who completed 18-of-36 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Jeff Wankel carried 17 times for 86 yards and wide receiver Eric Kelly made three catches for 57 yards. Defensively, linebacker Ed Fitzpatrick recorded 13 tackles and linebacker Brian Foster recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass for the Scots.
The Gusties totalled 469 yards of offense compared to 334 for Macalester. Each team turned the ball over three times, however Gustavus was able to turn one of the Macalester turnovers into a touchdown, while the Scots were not able to turn any of the Gustavus turnovers into points.