NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Gustavus football team Saturday afternoon scored early and often, cruising to a 62-28 victory over Carleton for its fourth consecutive victory, improving to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the MIAC. The Knights fall to 3-6 overall and 2-5 in the league.
“The thing that impressed me most today was that we made some really big plays in key moments,” Head Coach Peter Haugen said. “We had some big catches on third down with our guys going up for the ball.”
The 62 points are the most by the Gusties since a 63-14 win over Carleton in 2015. During the past three games, Gustavus has averaged 30 points in the first half and that trend continued today with 34 first half points. The Gusties also entered today’s matchup without any points in the fourth quarter and were able to end that slump against the Knights with 21 points in the final frame.
Gustavus outgained Carleton 581-348 with 443 yards of passing and 138 on the ground. Both the total offensive yards and passing yards are season highs for the Gusties. Michael Veldman’s (Sr., Becker, Minn.) 417 passing yards mark the second most in his career as he completed 22-of-32 passes for three touchdowns. He also ran the ball for two scores.
For the first time this season, two Gustie receivers eclipsed 100 yards. Josh Kirk (Jr., Garvin, Minn.) hauled in seven passes for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Brice Panning (Jr., Hamburg, Minn.) caught seven passes for 139 yards and his first touchdown of the season.
David Peal (Fy., Worcester, Mass.) had 11 carries for 90 yards and three touchdowns. One of Peal’s touchdowns, a 62-yarder, was the longest rush by the Gusties since Karim Ortiz ran for a 69-yard touchdown against St. Olaf last year.
“He’s starting to show more confidence and is getting more acclimated to what we’re doing and learning a ton of football this year. I’m just proud of his efforts.” Haugen said of Peal.
Matt Berkner (Sr., Sleepy Eye, Minn.) led the defense with eight tackles and a sack. Brady Miller (Sr., Delano, Minn.) and Landon Rauen (Fy., Zumbrota, Minn.) each had an interception.
Carleton made it interesting late in the third quarter by scoring 14 unanswered points to make the score 41-28, but the Gusties were able to respond by outscoring the home team 21-0 in the fourth.
Late in the fourth quarter with the game in hand, the Gusties were able to play a number of second-string players. Backup quarterback Carter Kopet (Fy., Cleveland, Minn.) took advantage of the opportunity by connecting with Dalton Thelen (Fy., Cold Spring, Minn.) on a wheel route up the ride sideline for a 29-yard touchdown pass.
Gustavus hosts St. Thomas next Saturday for its final home game of the year. The Tommies (7-1, 5-1 MIAC) beat St. Olaf 60-0 today.
“The team is excited to get back to work on focus on next week,” Haugen said. “There are a lot of things to work on and improvements we can make in our game with only two weeks left in the season. We’re thankful for the opportunity and looking forward for a solid week of practice.”