Gustavus at Saint John’s
Date: Saturday, Oct. 21
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Collegeville, Minn. | Clemens Stadium
Live Coverage: Live Stats/Watch | Listen
ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus football team will head to the campus of Saint John’s University Saturday afternoon, taking on the No. 7/8 ranked Johnnies.The Gusties (3-3, 2-2 MIAC) face Saint John’s (6-1, 4-1 MIAC) at 1 p.m.
MEET THE HEAD COACHES
Head Coach Peter Haugen is in his ninth season at the helm of the Gustavus football program. Haugen, the 2015 MIAC Co-Coach-of-the-Year, has a combined record of 40-46 and is 30-39 in the MIAC. In the past four seasons, Haugen directed the Gusties to an overall record of 24-16. A graduate of Bethel University, Haugen was the head coach at Washburn High School in Minneapolis prior to coming to Gustavus.
Saint John’s Head Coach Gary Fasching is in his fifth season leading the Johnnies on the gridiron. Fasching has a combined record of 40-10 as head coach and has been a part of the Saint John’s staff for the past 22 years, serving 17 seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Fasching is a 1981 graduate of Saint John’s University and has previous head coaching experience at St. Cloud Cathedral High School.
THE SERIES
Saturday’s game marks the 84th all-time meeting between the Gustavus and Saint John’s football programs, with the Johnnies holding a 48-32-3 series advantage. Last season, the Saint John’s offensive attack overmatched the Gusties in a 56-10 victory at Hollingsworth Field. The Johnnies raced out to a 35-3 lead at halftime and maintained control the rest of the way, out-gaining Gustavus 437-129 in total yards of offense. In the last 10 meetings, the Black and Gold is 1-10 versus the Johnnies, the last win coming in 2013 with a 23-20 overtime thriller in St. Peter.
DECKER EARNS MIAC LAURELS
Senior outside linebacker and punter Casey Decker (Mapleton, Minn.) booted six punts for a career-high total of 257 yards, averaging 42.8 yards per kick in last Saturday’s 24-3 loss to Bethel en route to earning the MIAC Special Teams Player of the Week award. Decker, who added five tackles on defense, also belted a season-long 57-yard punt in the game. Decker’s honor stands as his second of the season as he received Defensive Player of the Week accolade after leading a Gustavus defense that recorded its first shutout since 2015 in the 38-0 season-opening win against Westminster College.
TOUGH TASK AHEAD
The Gusties face a tough task going up against the No. 7/8-ranked Johnnies. Saint John’s ranks in the top-10 nationally in five different statistical categories. Saint John’s ranks fourth in Division III in team passing efficiency (186.7), fourth in team passing efficiency defense (82.4), third in total defense (203.4 yards allowed per game), fourth in scoring defense (8.1 points allowed per game), and sixth in scoring offense (46.4 points per game allowed).
SCOUTING THE GUSTIES
The Gustavus football team hosted Bethel University last Saturday at Hollingsworth Field, one week removed from its bye. Without its starting quarterback Michael Veldman (Jr., Becker, Minn.), the Gusties struggled to find a consistent output with a new-look offense. Hunter Johnson (Sr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) stepped into the quarterback role, completing 11 passes for 105 yards. Jamison Beulke (Jr., Montgomery, Minn.) led the rushing unit with 60 yards on 16 carries. Despite rushing a season-high 47 times, the Black and Gold compiled a season-low 202 yards of total offense.
As the MIAC enters Week 8 of the season, Gustavus sits tied for the No. 5 spot in the conference standings. The Gusties have the third-best offense in the league, averaging 404.2 yards of total offense per game. The passing offense is the best in the conference with 295.2 yards per game while the rushing offense ranks sixth with an average of 109.0 yards per game.
On the defensive side of the ball, Gustavus ranks fourth in the conference, allowing 289.2 yards of total offense to its opponents per game – 162.5 (3rd/MIAC) yards through the air and 126.7 (5th/MIAC) yards on the ground. After compiling 16 sacks through the first four games of the season, the Gusties rank third in the league with 17 sacks.
SCOUTING THE JOHNNIES
The Saint John’s University football team rolled to a 35-0 shutout at Carleton College last Saturday. Despite fumbling eight times in rainy conditions in Northfield, the Johnnies forced four turnovers and held the Knights to 70 yards of total offense for their second shutout of the season.
Saint John’s relied on its ground game, led by senior running back Dusty Krueger. Krueger rushed 13 times for 100 yards and totaled two touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Jackson Erdmann only attempted 11 passes, but tallied two touchdowns passes, one to Evan Clark and one to Ben Bartch.
The Johnnies sole loss of the 2017 came during a 20-17 loss against rival University of St. Thomas at Target Field in September, as Saint John’s currently sits behind St. Thomas in second place in the conference standings. The Johnnies average 419.6 yards of total offense per game, which is the second highest mark in the MIAC. The Johnnie ground game ranks atop the conference with 1,633 total rush yards with the second best average of 233.3 yards per game. While the offensive boasts impressive numbers, the SJU defense is a strong point with the top defense in the MIAC, allowing just 8.1 points per game.