SJU vs. Bethel - Johnnie Football 2023

SEPTEMBER 23 VS. BETHEL FAMILY WEEKEND

flavor. REMARKABLE friendly. fresh.

REMARKABLY INCREDIBLY

Today’s Matchup: Saint John’s overcame a 21-7 deficit and led 28-21 early in the third quarter, but then-No. 8 UW-Whitewater out-gained SJU 248-53 the rest of the way and scored touchdowns on its last five offensive possessions to hand the visitors a 56-28 defeat on Sept. 9. Three of UWW’s final five scoring drives covered 37 yards or less. Senior quarterback Aaron Syverson passed for four touchdowns for the second consecutive game and finished 27 of 45 for 261 yards despite being without senior receivers Jimmy Buck and Nick VanErp due to injury. Bethel picked up its first win of the season with a 24-0 shutout last Saturday (Sept. 16) at UW-Eau Claire. Freshman quarterback

Alex Call made his first collegiate start and finished 24 of 34 passing for 334 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns were to junior wideout Joey Kidder on connections of 34 and 76 yards. Kidder finished with eight catches for 175 yards. The Royals’ defense, meanwhile, intercepted three passes, recorded two quarterback sacks and held the Blugolds to 110 yards of offense on 48 plays.

Series History: Today’s game is the 46th meeting between Saint John’s and Bethel going back to 1978. The Johnnies are 35-

GAME DAY PREVIEW

Presented by Deerwood Bank

10 all-time against the Royals, including a 20-3 record here in Collegeville. SJU won the first 20 meetings in the series before BU won nine of the next 15 from 1999-2013. The Royals’ 28-24 home win over SJU last Sept. 24 (2022) snapped the Johnnies’ eight-game win streak in the series. The Johnnies, however, defeated Bethel 28-10 in the MIAC championship game when the teams met last Nov. 12 in Clemens Stadium.

MIAC Openers: The Johnnies are 68-257 (.715) all-time in their first MIAC game of the season, including a 33-10-4 (.745) record here in Collegeville and a 5-1 record against Bethel (3-0 in Collegeville and 2-1 on the road). It took SJU until its 11th season in the MIAC to win its first conference game of the season, a 7-0 home shutout of Hamline on Oct. 3, 1931. SJU was 0-6-4 in its first 10 conference openers and is 68-19-3 (.772) since.

Buck Named to Good Works Team: Senior wide receiver Jimmy Buck was one of 22 student-athletes across all divisions of college football named to the 2023 Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team on Sept. 12. This

year marks the 32nd anniversary of the award, which was established in 1992 to recognize a select group of college football players who have made a commitment to service and enriching the lives of others. A fan vote will run from now until Nov. 22 at ESPN.com/Allstate to decide this year’s Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain. Fans may cast one vote per device each day. Buck is one of four honorees from the NCAA Division III level – joining offensive lineman Evan Ginter of Bethel, safety Cameron Bannister of Central (Iowa) and running back Spencer Uggla of Johns Hopkins (Md.) – and one of just two wide receivers (Georgia’s Ladd McConkey). Buck is the seventh Johnnie to be named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and the sixth in the last seven seasons: defensive lineman Michael Wozniak ‘22, quarterback Chris Backes ‘21, offensive lineman Ben Bartch ‘20, quarterback Jackson Erdmann ‘19 and wide receiver Will Gillach ‘19. Defensive end Kevin McNamara ‘07 was the first SJU student-athlete to receive the honor in 2006. The 2023 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team will be invited to New Orleans to participate in a special community service project ahead of the 2024 Allstate Sugar Bowl, where the entire team will also be recognized on the field at halftime on New Year’s Day.

Proud

deerwoodbank.com

supporter of SJU athletics.

Syverson

Buck

Family Weekend at SJU

This weekend marks Family Weekend at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.

It’s always a special time as current students welcome parents and other family members to these two campuses, showing them around and introducing them to the places and people that help make their time here so rewarding. But this year, the CSB and SJU communities are also celebrating the inauguration of Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D., as the first joint president of both schools. Bruess was named to the position in March 2022 and took over the job on July 1st of that year. Prior to that, he had served as president of St. Norbert College, a nationally renowned Catholic liberal arts school with more than 2,000 students in De Pere, Wisconsin, since 2017.

He previously spent 21 years in a variety of roles at St. Catherine University, a Catholic liberal arts women’s institution in St. Paul, Minnesota. That included more

than three years as the school’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. Inauguration ceremonies have been underway all week on the two campuses, starting with campus cleanup events and the launch of the Medallion Hunt Challenge on Monday.

A bean bag tournament and bonfire followed Tuesday, then community lawn games and a social Wednesday.

The President’s Dinner was held on Thursday, leading into the Inauguration Mass on Friday morning at Saint Benedict’s Monastery’s Sacred Heart Chapel and the Inauguration Ceremony on Friday afternoon in the Abbey and

University Church at SJU.

A family carnival is scheduled for 5-9 p.m. today at the CSB Athletic Complex, and a fishing tournament and fish fry will be held on the shore of Lake Sagatagan on the SJU campus Sunday.

Current MIAC Standings

University of WisconsinWhitewater Warhawks

Head Coach: Jace Rindahl 2023 Record: 3-0 2023 WIAC Record: 0-0

Sept. 2 at John Carroll, Ohio W, 27-23

Sept. 9 Saint John’s W, 56-28

Sept. 16 at Mary Hardin-Baylor, Texas W, 17-14

Sept. 30 at UW-Oshkosh 1 p.m.

Oct. 7 UW-La Crosse 1 p.m.

Oct. 14 at UW-River Falls 1 p.m.

Oct. 21 UW-Stout 2 p.m.

Oct. 28 UW-Platteville 1 p.m.

Nov. 4 at UW-Stevens Point 1 p.m.

Nov. 11 UW-Eau Claire 1 p.m.

Carleton College

Knights

Head Coach: Tom Journell 2023 Record: 2-0

Sept. 9 Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) W, 45-24

Sept. 16 at Minnesota-Morris W, 38-12

Sept. 23 Hamline

Sept. 30 at Concordia

Oct. 7 St. Olaf

Oct. 14 at Saint John’s

Oct. 21 St. Scholastica

Oct. 28 Bethel

Nov. 4 at Gustavus Adolphus

Bethel University

Royals

Head Coach: Steve Johnson 2023 Record: 1-1 2023 MIAC Record: 0-0

Sept. 9 Wartburg, Iowa L, 2-16

Sept. 16 at UW-Eau Claire W, 24-0

Sept. 23 at Saint John’s 1 p.m.

Sept. 30 Gustavus Adolphus 1 p.m.

Oct. 7 at Macalester 7 p.m.

Oct. 14 at Augsburg 1 p.m.

Oct. 21 Hamline 1 p.m.

Oct. 28 at Carleton 1 p.m.

Nov. 4 Concordia 1 p.m.

Nov. 11 MIAC Week 1 p.m.

Gustavus Adolphus College

Gusties

Head

Sept. 2 Buena Vista, Iowa W, 51-7

Sept. 16 at UW-Stout L, 7-24

Sept. 23 Augsburg 1

Sept. 30 at Bethel

Oct. 7 at St. Scholastica

Oct. 14 Macalester

Oct. 21 Saint John’s

Oct. 28 at St. Olaf

Nov.

Sept. 2 at Saint John’s L, 31-34 (OT)

Sept. 9 Mary Hardin-Baylor, Texas W, 35-16

Sept. 16 at Birmingham-Southern, Ala. W, 38-3

Sept. 23 Rhodes, Tenn. 6 p.m.

Sept. 30 at Berry, Ga. 1 p.m. ET

Oct. 7 Centre, Ky. 11 a.m.

Oct. 21 at Southwestern, Texas 1 p.m.

Oct. 28 Millsaps, Miss. 12 p.m.

Nov. 4 at Sewanee, Tenn. 12 p.m.

Nov. 11 Hendrix, Ark. 12 p.m.

Augsburg University

Auggies

Head Coach: Derrin Lamker 2023 Record: 2-0 2023 MIAC Record: 0-0

Sept. 1 Northwestern W, 52-10

Sept. 16 Martin Luther W, 62-0

Sept. 23 at Gustavus Adolphus 1 p.m.

Sept. 30 Saint John’s 1 p.m.

Oct. 7 at Hamline 1

Oct. 14 Bethel

Oct. 21 at St. Olaf

Concordia College Cobbers

Sept.2 at UW-Eau Claire L, 28-31

Sept. 9 Pacific Lutheran, Wash.

College

St.

Sept.

Sept.

Sept.

Sept.

Oct.

Oct.

GARY’S OPENED IN 1982.

In 1982, the Johnnies went 9-0 and have had a winning record ever since.

Coincidence? We think NOT!

Thank you CSB and SJU Students, Staff & Alumni for over 40 great years!

Coaching Staff

GARY FASCHING

It’s never easy to replace a legend, but Gary Fasching has proven himself up to the task. The 1981 SJU graduate took over for John Gagliardi when the winningest coach in college football history retired following the 2012 season. Since that time, Fasching has guided the Johnnies to five MIAC titles and has led his team to the NCAA Division III playoffs in each of the past eight seasonsa program and MIAC record streak.

A three-year starter for the Johnnies at linebacker (1977-78, 1980-81), Fasching served 17 years as an assistant football

coach and recruiting coordinator on Gagliardi’s staff before taking over as head coach. He has since been named MIAC coach of the year six times (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022). Prior to coming to SJU, Fasching was the head coach at St. Cloud Cathedral High School from 1986-95, leading the Crusaders to back-to-back state titles in 1992 and ’93. In 2022, he was inducted into both the Minnesota Football Coaches Association (MFCA) Hall of Fame and the St. Cloud Cathedral Athletic Hall of Fame. He and his wife Cindy reside in St. Joseph.

JERRY HAUGEN

Defensive coordinator Jerry Haugen is in his 48th season as an assistant football coach for the Johnnies. Prior to that, the 1976 SJU graduate was a four-year starter who earned All-MIAC honors at defensive back in 1975. After helping lead the Johnnies to a national title in 2003, Haugen was named NCAA Division III defensive coordinator of the year by American Football Monthly. He will also start his 47th season as SJU’s head baseball coach in 2024 and has led the Johnnies to 13 consecutive appearances in the MIAC Tournament.

KOLE HECKENDORF

Kole Heckendorf is in his sixth season as SJU’s offensive coordinator and his 11th as a member of the team’s coaching staff. In 2019, his offense set program records by averaging 371.4 passing yards and 512.9 total yards per game. Heckendorf was a standout wide receiver at North Dakota State, who ended his career (2005-08) with the Bison as the program’s career leader in catches (178) and receiving yards (2,732). He then spent time with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers and Indianapolis Colts.

Josh Bungum (running backs) - A 2016 SJU graduate, Josh Bungum is in his eighth season on the coaching staff. He was an All-American pick as a player in 2015 and finished his career second in program history in receptions.

Mike Magnuson (offensive line) - A 1990 SJU graduate, Mike Magnuson is in his ninth season on the coaching staff and his sixth coaching the team’s offensive lineman. He was a three-year starter for the Johnnies at offensive tackle himself, helping lead the team to two NCAA Division III playoff appearances.

Ben Eli (offensive line) - A 2016 SJU graduate, Ben Eli is in his seventh season on the coaching staff. As a player, he was an All-American selection at center.

BRANDON NOVAK

Brandon Novak is in his 24th season as an assistant coach for the Johnnies and currently serves as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. The 2001 SJU graduate was a two-time All-American selection at linebacker who earned MIAC MVP honors in 1999. He was a three-time All-American wrestler and won the NCAA Division III national championship at 197 pounds in 2001. He went on to coach the Johnnie wrestling team for 10 years before stepping down following the 2013-14 season.

DAMIEN DUMONCEAUX

Damien Dumonceaux is in his 18th season on the SJU coaching staff and currently serves as the program’s recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach. He was a three-year starter at nose tackle for the Johnnies from 2003-05, earning All-American honors as a senior. That season, he was also named Football Gazette’s Defensive Lineman of the Year and D3football. com’s Defensive Player of the Year, while receiving the MIAC Mike Stam Award as the conference’s top lineman.

Graydon Kulick (quarterbacks) - A 2021 graduate of SJU, Graydon Kulick is in his first season on the coaching staff. He played at Davidson and Western Kentucky before transferring to play for the Johnnies.

Max Jackson (defensive assistant/diversity and student success) - A 2019 SJU graduate, Max Jackson is in his third season on the coaching staff. He was a two-time All-American safety and a two-time All-MIAC pick in baseball.

Collin Franz (defensive line) - A 2021 SJU graduate, Collin Franz is in his second season on the coaching staff. He started all 12 games for the Johnnies as player in 2021 (utilizing his extra year of eligibility).

Andy Auger (defense) - A 1995 SJU graduate, Andy Auger is in his fifth season as a volunteer assistant. Prior to that, the former football and baseball standout for the Johnnies was head football coach at St. Cloud Cathedral from 2013-15.

Tom Wicka (linebackers) - A 1990 SJU graduate, Tom Wicka is in his second season as a volunteer assistant. He was a two-time All-MIAC pick at linebacker at SJU.

Alexi Johnson (kickers) - A 2017 SJU graduate, Alexi Johnson is in his sixth season as a volunteer assistant. He was the Johnnies’ kicker from 201316, ending his career second in school history in career field goals (27) and career PAT’s (190).

ERIK BJORK

Linebacker

There didn’t need to be much discussion about the matter.

Linebacker Erik Bjork and defensive backs Cayden Saxon and Ethan Stark each just understood that they had to take on increased leadership roles in the Saint John’s University defensive huddle this season.

“We’re the older guys now,” Stark said. “We’ve all been around awhile and we’ve started. So we knew we had to set the example and show the younger guys what this program is all about.

“That’s what the more experienced guys on the team did for me when I first got here. Now it’s our job to take on that role.”

Indeed, all three players are in their third season as starters and are back this fall as a result of the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA to all student-athletes due the impact of COVID-19. They also are part of a defense that lost All-American defensive linemen Michael Wozniak and Metoriah Faoliu to graduation, leaving a leadership gap.

“They left some big shoes to fill,” said Saxon, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound cornerback from Hopkins (Minnesota) High School. “But it’s not just that we lost

CAYDEN SAXON

Defensive Back

All three have come up big in key moments through the season’s first two games. Saxon had the game-ending interception in overtime in the Johnnies’ wild 34-31 comeback victory over Trinity (Texas) in the season opener on Sept. 2 at Clemens Stadium.

Stark’s 13-yard interception return to the 1-yard line late in the first half helped get SJU back in the game after a slow start in an eventual loss at Wisconsin-Whitewater on Sept. 9.

And, as he has done the past two seasons, Bjork currently leads the team in tackles with 24.

“I feel a lot more comfortable now because

GAME

I’ve had all that experience,” said Bjork, a 6-foot, 220-pound Mahtomedi (Minnesota) High School graduate who earned All-MIAC honors in both 2021 and ’22. “Rather than having to think about things, I’m just reacting now. I feel a lot more confident in what I’m doing.”

Saxon and Bjork began their collegiate careers at Saint John’s. Stark, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound safety who earned All-MIAC honors a year ago, took a more winding path to Collegeville.

The 2017 Sartell (Minnesota) High School graduate began his career at Ridgewater Community College in Willmar before its program was dropped in 2018. He then played at Division II St. Cloud State in 2019 before that program, too, was eliminated following the season.

In 2020, he planned to play at Central Lakes Community College in Brainerd. But the onset of COVID-19 put a damper on that. Finally, he reached out to Saint John’s where his old Sartell and St. Cloud State teammate Devin Vouk had enrolled.

“I was struggling after St. Cloud State dropped football,” said Stark, who has 15 tackles through the first two games this season. “I went to Central Lakes and I wanted to play there, then COVID happened. I talked to the coaches, and they told me I should contact the coaches at Saint John’s. It was close to where I

was from, Devin was already there and it seemed like a natural fit.

Johnnies head coach Gary Fasching said there are big expectations of all three players this season.

“Each of those guys has played a lot of football for us over the past few years,” Fasching said. “So we expect them to play at a high level. They have to be the leaders if we’re going to become the kind of defense we need to be.”

The trio will all complete their degrees after this semester. Saxon, an economics major, hopes to pursue a career in wealth management.

“I’m a people person and that’s a career that’s all about working for customers and building relationships,” he said.

Bjork, a global business leadership major, currently is working in operations at Granite Logistics in Sartell and is open to staying there or pursuing other opportunities. Stark, also a global business leadership major, works as a detailer at Luther Honda, but hopes to eventually pursue a career in sales.

They share a connection as veteran leaders on a team ready to begin pursuit of another MIAC title and

an extension of a program-record streak of eight consecutive NCAA postseason appearances.

“We’re all super close,” Bjork said. “I have a locker next to Ethan, and Cayden and I live together. We’re all fifth-year seniors, so we’ve been playing together a long time.

“There’s a real bond there and we want to go out on a high note.”

Tradition Unrivaled

On the basis of on-field accomplishments alone, the Saint John’s University football team ranks among the nation’s elite.

Through the years, the Johnnies have won four national championships at either the NAIA or NCAA Division III level (1963, 1965, 1976 and 2003), and have made 32 postseason appearances.

SJU has won or shared 36 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, 14 more than any other member school, and the program’s current streak of eightstraight Division III playoff berths has surpassed its own conference record.

Four Johnnies have won the Gagliardi Award, named in honor of legendary former SJU head coach John Gagliardi and handed out annually to the top player in Division III, and the program can boast 147 All-Americans and 35 Academic All-Americans.

But what makes football at Saint John’s special goes well beyond even all those numbers.

During his 60 seasons in Collegeville, Gagliardi – whose 489 career victories are the most in college football history –developed his famous list of Nos which still form the program’s core values.

That list - which includes no whistles, no tackling in practice (players wear shorts/ sweats and shoulder pads) and no blocking sleds or tackling dummies - has drawn national media interest over the years from venerable outlets such as Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, the Today Show and many, many others.

Then there is the atmosphere … Johnnie home games are truly an autumn playground: the vivid fall colors blazing from the trees in the woods surrounding the natural bowl that forms Clemens Stadium, the smoke rising from the grills behind the concession stands (home to the uniquely incredible heavenly apples) and, of course, the crowds.

SJU consistently ranks among the national leaders in attendance at the NCAA Division III level and has led the way 11 times since 2005. Since the 2001 season, the program has recorded a single-game attendance number of 10,000 or more 21 times.

That included a record crowd of 17,327 for a matchup against St. Thomas in 2015, a game preceded by a live broadcast of ESPN’s “Sports Center on the Road” program.

Last season alone saw crowds of 12,462 and 13,161 for matchups against Wisconsin-Whitewater and Gustavus respectively.

Add it all up and you have something beyond amazing.

You have … a Tradition Unrivaled.

4 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

32 POSTSEASON APPEARANCES

36 CONFERENCE TITLES

54 STRAIGHT SEASONS WITHOUT A LOSING RECORD

147 ALL-AMERICANS

444

FIRST-TEAM ALL-MIAC SELECTIONS

674 WINS ALL-TIME

JOHNNIE OFFENSE

Presented by McGough

Ames, Iowa/Ames

Minn./East Ridge

St. Paul, Minn./Johnson 6 Aaron Syverson

Minn./Minnetonka

Minn./Princeton

Lake, Minn./Ottertail Central 8 Alex Larson

Minn./East Ridge 9 Troy

200 St. Cloud, Minn./Tech

9 Lucas Jansky So. QB 6-0 185 Kimball, Minn./Kimball Area

No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School

36 Eddie Sirek So. WR 5-8 165 New Prague, Minn./New Prague

37 Sam Nolan Fr. WR 6-0 180 Lakeville, Minn./North

38 Isaiah Traufler Sr. RB 6-1 210 Blaine, Minn./Totino-Grace

39 Andrew Schaffer Fr. WR 6-1 190 Chaska, Minn./Chaska

41 Andrew Harren Fr. TE 6-5 215 Rice, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice

45 Jack Eibensteiner Sr. LS 6-0 220 North Oaks, Minn./Totino-Grace

50 Nick McKenzie Jr. OL 6-1 280 New London, Minn./New London-Spicer

51 Barrett Van Deun Fr. OL 6-1 260 Omaha, Neb./Millard West

53 Spencer Gustin Jr. OL 6-2 280 St. Cloud, Minn./Tech

54 Grant Peroutka Jr. OL 6-1 275 Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount

55 Tom Soler Jr. OL 6-2 290 Circle Pines, Minn./Hill-Murray

56 Eddie Reece So. OL 6-5 275 Hudson, Wis./Hill-Murray

57 Colton Rada Fr. OL 6-2 285 Chaska, Minn./Chaska

58 Will Caldwell Fr. OL 6-1 245 Scandia, Minn./Forest Lake

10 R.J. Altidort

WR 6-0 185 North Miami, Fla./Miami Central 11 Jimmy Buck Sr. WR 6-4 210 Orono, Minn./Orono

12 Conor Murphy Jr. K 5-10 180 Sioux Falls, S.D./O’Gorman

12 Kristoff Kowalkowski Jr. QB 6-2 210 St. Cloud, Minn./Totino-Grace

13 E.J.

59 Ethan Sutton Sr. OL 6-3 280 New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong

60 Ian DeGross So. OL 6-3 270 Elko, Minn./New Prague

61 Matt Peterson Fr. OL 6-3 245 Esko, Minn./Esko

62 Isaak Nowak Fr. OL 6-3 270 Andover, Minn./Andover

63 Joe Vascellaro Jr. OL 6-3 295 Minneapolis, Minn./St. Thomas Academy

64 Joe Jaeger Sr. OL 6-2 285 Lakeville, Minn./North

65 Sean Lew Jr. OL 6-2 290 Bermuda Dunes, Calif./Shadow Hills

66 Luke Wright So. OL 6-0 265 Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury

67 Hank Smith Sr. OL 6-2 255 Geneva, Ill./Geneva

69 Henry Anderson Fr. OL 6-2 290 Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie

70 Alex Markgraf So. OL 6-0 280 St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville

71 Mathias Lundgren Fr. OL 6-5 280 St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony Village

72 Charlie Folkens Jr. OL 6-3 285 Rogers, Minn./Rogers

73 Rylan Turqueza Fr. OL 6-3 280 Ewa Beach, Hawaii/Radford

74 Ethan Lincoln Fr. OL 6-3 270 Scandia, Minn./Forest Lake

76 Jack Stevens So. OL 6-4 270 Eagan, Minn./Eastview

77 Carter Trom So. OL 6-2 295 Blaine, Minn./Blaine

78 Michael Bougie Fr. OL 6-5 285 South St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall

79 Tommy Hessburg Jr. OL 6-5 295 Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./Grosse Pointe South

80 Vinny Gagliardi Sr. WR 5-9 160 St. Cloud, Minn./Tech

81 Graham Beltrand Jr. WR 6-4 215 Long Lake, Minn./Orono

82 Matt Miller Jr. WR 6-2 205 Lakeville, Minn./North

83 John Hawkins So. WR 6-0 180 St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral

84 Peyton Gremmels So. WR 6-2 185 Stillwater, Minn./St. Croix Prep

85 Trey Steinbach Jr. TE 6-5 245 Marshall, Minn./Marshall

86 Cade Berg Fr. WR 6-5 180 Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong

87 Josh Delange So. WR 6-4 200 Medina, Minn./Orono

88 Charlie Plum So. TE 6-4 210 Inver Grove Hts., Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall

89 Parker Durkin Fr. WR 6-2 185 Bloomington, Minn./Edina

90 Matt Hansen Fr. K/P 5-11 145 Longmont, Colo./Niwot

95 Spencer Ell Sr. P 5-11 185 Morristown, Minn./Bethlehem Academy

95 David Roberts So. K/P 6-3 180 West Des Moines, Iowa/Dowling Catholic

Waseca, Minn./Waseca

DB 5-10 185 Sartell, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral

8 Peyton Goettlicher Fr. DB 5-11 190 Mankato, Minn./West

9 Jamari Edwards Sr. DB 5-10 180 Chicago, Ill./Lake Forest Academy

10 Mateo Cisneros Sr. LB 5-11 195 Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View

10 David Gogins Fr. DB 5-10 180 Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley

11 Noah Arneson So. DB 6-0 195 Independence, Minn./Orono

12 Logan Jans Fr. DB 6-4 180 St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville

13 Nate Trewick Sr. DB 5-11 185 St. Cloud, Minn./Tech

14 Alex Harren So. LB 6-2 210 Rice, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice

15 Brandon Ruikka Sr. DB 6-0 190 Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial

16 Blake Simonson So. DB 5-10 170 Waconia, Minn./Waconia

17 Lukas Soto Sr. DB 6-1 190 Immokalee, Fla./Immokalee

18 Ethan Stark Sr. DB 6-1 195 Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen

20 Cam Jackson

22 Jake Palmer

Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato

LB 5-10 205 St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall

Avon, Minn./Albany

St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony Village

Maple Grove, Minn./Breck 23 Aiden

180 Sarasota, Fla./Booker 47

Rossebo Sr. LB 5-11 215 Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury

48 Jack Bjork Sr. LB 6-0 220 Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi

49 Erik Bjork Sr. LB 6-0 220 Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi

50 J.P. Weber Fr. LB 6-0 200 Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert

51 Henry Bendickson Fr. LB 6-0 190 St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park

52 J.P. Johnson Fr. DL 6-3 225 Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi

53 Kaden Lukkes So. LB 5-10 180 New Prague, Minn./New Prague

53 Dawson Van Meter Jr. DL 6-0 230 Luck, Wis./Luck

54 Eric Jurek Fr. LB 5-11 200 Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area

55 Keenan Turqueza Sr. DL 6-2 255 Ewa Beach, Hawaii/Radford

56 Travis Johnson Jr. DL 6-3 250 Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta

57 Garret Strating Sr. LB 6-0 215 Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial

58 Nathan Carroll Fr. DL 6-1 255 Rice Lake, Wis./Rice Lake

59 Jayden Leach So. LB 6-1 220 Bayport, Minn./Stillwater Area

60 Jackson Carlson Fr. LB 6-3 205 Duluth, Minn./East

64 Jack Hillmann So. LB 5-11 175 Cokato, Minn./Dassel-Cokato

65 T.J. Graves So. DL 5-10 235 Millington, Tenn./Central

66 Will Mahowald Fr. DL 6-1 240 Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen

67 Mitch Vener So. DL 6-2 230 South St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul

70 Caleb Thom So. DL 6-2 230 Minneapolis, Minn./Totino-Grace

73 Jack Krza So. DL 6-4 235 Littleton, Colo./Mullen

75 Caleb Poyer Fr. DL 6-3 260 Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta

77 Cody Kwak Fr. DL 6-2 265 Ridgeland, Wis./Menomonie

80 Gavin Zolvinski So. LB 6-1 215 La Porte, Ind./La Porte

North Branch, Minn./Chisago

John Cooper School

89 Jackson Kirchner Fr. DL 6-2 240 Belle Plaine, Minn./Chanhassen

90 Landon Gallagher Jr. DL 6-2 230 Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta

91 Dylan Owens So. DL 6-2 255 Andover, Minn./Andover

92 Chandler Obering So. DL 6-4 245 Orange, Calif./Villa Park

93 Riley DeRosier So. DL 6-1 235 Baxter, Minn./Brainerd

94 Ben Karr So. DL 6-2 220 Stillwater, Minn./Hill-Murray

96 Riley Kangas Jr. LB 6-1 230 Faribault, Minn./Bethlehem Academy

97 Zach Frank Jr. DL 6-3 260 Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial

98 Tommy Gilmore Jr. DL 6-1 245 Otsego, Minn./Rogers

99 Cole Engen So. DL 6-1 235 Esko, Minn./Esko

Grand Rapids, Mich./Christian

Fridley, Minn./Fridley

10 Isaac Call Jr. DB 6-3 205 Kerkhoven, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg

11 Taylor Glynn So. LB 6-1 220 Grand Meadow, Minn./Grand Meadow 11 Isaac Vincent So. WR 6-2

St. Francis, Minn./St. Francis 12 Evan Schimming

Princeton, Minn./Princeton

12 Braden Champlin Fr. DB 6-0 165 Farmington, Minn./Farmington

13 Will Eliason Jr. WR 6-0 185 Ann Arbor, Mich./Skyline

13 Josiah Diehl Fr. LB 6-1 190 Pella, Iowa/Christian

14 Trevor Jones So. DB 5-11 175 Zimmerman, Minn./Zimmerman

15 Micah Niewald Jr. WR 5-10 170 Fridely, Minn./Fridley

16 Hunter Pratt Jr. DL 6-2 230 Cocoa, Fla./Space Coast

16 Ryan Bengtson Fr. QB 5-10 160 Becker, Minn./Becker

18 Austin Auld Jr. WR 6-0 190 Rogers, Minn./Rogers

18 Tyler Drury Fr. DB 6-0 175 Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes

19 Aidan Thomas Sr. DL 6-3 245 Sioux Falls, S.D./O’Gorman

20 Matt Jung Fr. DB 6-3 200 Neenah, Wis./Neenah

21 Nate Farm Jr. DB 6-1 210 Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View

22 Gavin Rataj Jr. DB 6-2 190 Northfield, Minn./Northfield

23 Eric Fouquette Jr. DB 5-10 205 Albertville, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville

24 Riley Gritz So. RB 5-11 200 Long Prairie, Minn./Sauk Centre

25 Eli McKown So. DB 5-10 185 Independence, Minn./Orono

25 Thomas Wurdemann Sr. LB 5-11 210 North Branch, Minn./North Branch

26 Aaron Ellingson Jr. WR 6-1 220 St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park

27 Warren Kinney So. RB 5-8 175 Chicago, Ill./Brooklyn Center

29 Aaron Loe Jr. DB 6-1 185 Cottonwood, Minn./Lakeview

31 Eli Nowacki Fr. K 6-1 195 Blaine, Minn./Centennial

32 Jackson Braun So. DB 6-1 180 Blaine, Minn./Blaine

33 Hugo Cifuentes Jr. K 5-10 190 Marshall, Minn./Marshall

34 Kolin Baier Jr. LB 6-0 235 Mankato, Minn./East 35 Thomas Rush So. LB 6-0 205 Princeton, Minn./Princeton

36

Colo./Dakota Ridge

51 Evan Ginter Sr. OL 6-3 300 Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes

52 Ethan Herron Sr. DL 5-9 220 Weatherford, Texas/Weatherford

54 Cam Peterson Fr. LB 6-0 190 Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka

56 Stephen Powell Sr. OL 6-2 275 Atlanta, Ga./Trinity Christian

62 Juan Orozco Sanchez So. OL 6-0 250 St. Paul, Minn./Park

63 Josh Helling Jr. OL 6-5 305 Parkers Prairie, Minn./Parkers Prairie

64 Caden DeJong So. OL 6-3 280 Rochester, Minn./Mayo

66 Isaiah Ward So. OL 6-2 270 Centerville, Minn./Centennial

68 Simon Broersma Jr. OL 6-4 315 Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson

71 Isaac Lange Jr. OL 6-3 310 Andover, Minn./Andover

72 Jaakob Fyle Jr. OL 6-3 295 Bessemer, Mich./A.D. Johnston

74 Zach Pratt So. OL 6-1 270 Hugo, Minn./White Bear Lake

75 Ben Westling So. OL 6-3 290 Princeton, Minn./Princeton

78 David Cushing Sr. OL 6-6 325 Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka

81 Caleb Harris Jr. WR 6-2 245 Delano, Minn./Delano

82 Seth Johnson So. LB 5-11 190 Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park

83 Joe Kujawa Jr. TE 6-4 230 North St. Paul, Minn./North St. Paul

84 Ethan Sailer Jr. TE 6-5 270 Rochester, Minn./Lourdes

85 Dom DiMaggio Fr. TE 6-3 235 Northfield, Minn./Northfield

88 Jacob Wynia Jr. TE 6-6 225 Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi

90 Sam Kollbaum Fr. DL 6-2 205 Ellsworth, Wis./Ellsworth

91 Tanner Paden Jr. DL 6-2 230 New Prague, Minn./O’Gorman (S.D.)

92 Noah Richards Jr. DL 6-2 260 Edina, Minn./Edina

94 Merrick Stacy Jr. DL 6-1 260 Fairbanks, Ala./West Valley

95 Reese Pantila Jr. DL 6-2 275 Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge

96 Will Jessup So. DL 6-1 265 Lincoln, Neb./Southwest

98 Luke Meriwether Fr. DL 6-4 215 Henderson, Minn./Belle Plaine

99 Evan Braesch Jr. DL 6-2 240 Rogers, Minn./Rogers

Head Coach: Steve Johnson (35th season)

Assistant Coaches: A.J. Parnell, Mike McElroy, Kyle Kilgore, Chad Richards, Brady Bomsta, Brooks Byrd, Tyler Krebs, Tavian Swanson, Matt Houston, Paul Swan, Jaran Roste, Eric Tulberg

Football Facilities

CLEMENS STADIUM

From the start, those in charge of developing the space now known as Clemens Stadium had something majestic in mind. So they set about turning a former cranberry bog into a natural bowl stadium that has been the home of Saint John’s University football for 115 years.

Ringed by the gorgeous fall colors of the surrounding Central Minnesota woods, the field has long become a destination spot, a status only solidified when Sports Illustrated named it one of college football’s top 10 “Dream Destinations” in 1999.

The facility itself has expanded often over the years. Concrete seating was added in 1933 and expanded in 1957. The familiar stone entrance behind the south end zone was built in 1939 and the first press box and concession stand were erected four years later. In 1997, local philanthropist Bill Clemens – the man for whom the stadium is named - provided a million-dollar donation that allowed for construction of a new grandstand, an expanded press box, larger concession stands and restrooms and a new entrance. Another donation by Clemens, who attended SJU from 193840, made possible the installation of an artificial playing surface in 2002.

A third tier to the press box was added in 2009 and lights were installed in 2012. Meanwhile, large crowds have been commonplace. SJU has finished among the national leaders in per-game attendance in NCAA Division III in each of the last 20 seasons – including crowds of 10,000 or more 21 times since 2001.

That included a facility-record 17,327 for a matchup against St. Thomas on Sept. 26, 2015 – a day in which ESPN’s “Sports Center On the Road” program was broadcast live from the stadium, and a crowd of 13,107 on hand to see legendary former coach John Gagliardi become the winningest coach in college football history when SJU beat Bethel 29-26 on Nov. 8, 2003.

from more than 50 individual donorsmany of whom were former players. The artificial turf field has markings for a full-length football field, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, two cross-court soccer fields, baseball and softball, along with three batting cages when the Skalicky Dome goes up from October to April each academic year.

It’s a year-round home for intramural sports on campus, but also serves as a practice facility for the football team and other varsity sports.

GAGLIARDI FIELD

A big part of the success of the Saint John’s University football program over the years has been the way players of the past helped pave the way for players of the present and future.

The Gagliardi Field and Seasonal Dome complex is a perfect example of that sense of community. Named in honor of legendary former football coach John Gagliardi - the winningest coach in college history - it was made possible by gifts

MCGLYNN FITNESS CENTER

When it comes to training, the right facilities are important. But having the right people in place to staff them is just as critical.

Luckily, Saint John’s University has both. The 5,600-feet McGlynn Fitness Centerwhich was made possible by a generous gift from the Burt McGlynn family, and is open to all students and alums - is equipped with a full range of free weights, upper-body, lower-body and full-core machines, and cardiovascular machines such as treadmills, ellipticals and exercise bicycles.

But SJU athletes also have an exceptional resource on which to draw in Justin Rost, who is now in his 11th season as the assistant athletic trainer and head strength and conditioning coach in Collegeville.

“From a football standpoint, when I was hired, one of the things I saw as a necessity when it came to getting our program back to the top of the heap (in the MIAC) was having a full-time strength and conditioning coach at Saint John’s who could work with our players year-round,” Johnnies head coach Gary Fasching said.

“Justin came in with a great plan and he’s stuck with it. All of our guys who have worked with him have gained valuable speed, muscle and strength. He’s been a big part of our success the past 10 years.”

PROUD SPONSOR AND CONTRACTOR FOR JOHNNIE ATHLETICS

Joe Rossebo

5-11, 215, linebacker, Woodbury High School

What made you decide to attend SJU?

My uncle was a Johnnie who graduated in 1983. He told me about the great time he had at Saint John’s. I was getting recruited to play football here, so I decided to come to the 2018 Tommie/Johnnie game for my game-day visit. I had a weird feeling as soon as I crossed the bridge to get onto campus that this would become my home for the next four-and-a-half years.

I loved the outdoor feel and the tight-knit community aspect you find here. But what attracted me most was the positive and kind attitude shared among the students and professors on campus.

What are some of your hobbies away from football?

Fishing and hunting. Hiking and exploring. Photography. Playing guitar. Listening to my vinyl. Reading.

What is your favorite song/musical artist?

Song: “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”

- Bob Dylan or “Mr. Bojangles” - Jerry Jeff Walker. Artist: Jim Croce.

Senior Spotlight

Nate Trewick

5-11, 185, defensive back, St. Cloud Tech High School

What made you decide to attend SJU? I came to Saint John’s because it felt right. I felt it was a good school for me academically. I was also excited to join a successful football program - both historically and currently.

What is something about you not everyone would know?

I spent a month in Bosnia and Herzegovina this past summer. I was there on the Group Projects Abroad Program through Fulbright. What do you consider your greatest talent?

I can read Cyrillic.

Connor Chalmers

6-0, 175, defensive back, Holy Family Catholic High School

What is something about you not everyone would know?

I’m fluent in Spanish and I have a black belt in karate.

What are some of your hobbies away from football? Traveling, spending time with my friends and watching movies.

What do you consider your greatest talent? Making people laugh.

Devin Vouk

5-9, 210, running back, Sartell High School

What has been the most memorable part of your time at SJU – in football or on campus?

Winning the MIAC Championship in the snow at Bethel in 2021 on a lastsecond touchdown and extra point.

What is your favorite spot on campus and why?

There is nothing like game days at Clemens Stadium with the awesome fans and the atmosphere.

What is your favorite movie?

I don’t have a specific favorite movie, but my goto movie franchise is “Star Wars, Episodes 1-6.”

Be a Bennie Be a Johnnie

LAST GAME IN PICTURES

Presented by Sentry Bank

Senior running back Troy Feddema carries the ball against Wisconsin-Whitewater on Sept. 9.

Wide receiver Dylan Wheeler is tackled against WisconsinWhitewater on Sept. 9.

Senior quarterback Aaron Syverson gets set to throw against Wisconsin-Whitewater on Sept. 9

Senior tight end Alex Larson makes a catch for a touchdown at Wisconsin-Whitewater on Sept. 9.

SPEAKING

Presented by Stearns Bank

By Frank Rajkowski

Calling to be a Coach Leads Kulick Back to SJU

Graydon Kulick’s original plan was to play quarterback at Saint John’s.

After stops at Davidson (North Carolina) and Western Kentucky, the 2015 graduate of the Breck School in Golden Valley, Minnesota, transferred to SJU in 2019 following back surgery.

He wasn’t ready to play that fall so he worked as a student assistant, helping coach an offense that set program records for passing yards per game (371.4) and total yardage (7,180) as the Johnnies advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals for the first time since 2003.

Kulick hoped to return and compete for the starting job in the fall of 2020, but when COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the season, he saw the writing on the wall.

“When COVID happened, that was a message that helped me realize it was time to hang it up and get a whistle instead,” Kulick said.

Coaching runs in his blood. His grandfather was a high school coach, and later an assistant at Augsburg for a number of years. His father, John, coached him growing up after his own collegiate playing

career at Gustavus Adolphus.

“I was always around the game growing up and I knew coaching was something I wanted to do,” said Graydon, whose mother, Jill, played college tennis at St. Olaf.

“I’ve always been so passionate about the game of football, and there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. You get the chance to positively impact people and you get to help them push the boundaries of their potential.”

While completing work on his degree at SJU, Kulick helped coach at Breck in 2020 as high school teams in Minnesota played a shortened season that fall. Then, thanks to a connection with his quarterbacks coach at Davidson, he was able to take on an offensive quality control role at FCS Gardner-Webb (North Carolina) in 2021. That led to an assistant running backs position with Northwestern last fall in the Big Ten.

But the desire for something more permanent led him to reach out to head coach Gary Fasching. The Johnnies were in search of a quarterbacks coach and Kulick fit the bill.

“He impressed us when he came here as a player,” Fasching said. “Unfortunately, because of the back surgery, then the start of the pandemic, we never got to

see him play. But I was always impressed by his football knowledge. When we had the opening for a quarterbacks coach last year, I reached out to him. But he had the chance to go to Northwestern, which was a great opportunity for him.

“Then he called me last winter to say he’d be interested in the job if it was still open. It was and he was my first choice.”

Coming back to SJU has allowed Kulick the chance to work with senior Aaron Syverson, who is in his third year as the starter after throwing for 3,302 yards and 34 touchdowns in an All-MIAC season a year ago.

“He’s one of the most talented players I’ve ever been around,” Kulick said of Syverson, who currently ranks sixth in career passing at SJU with 5,612 yards. “He has the ability to make plays out of nothing and put the ball in places no one else could.”

Kulick, who graduated from Saint John’s in 2021, said he has learned from each of his stops as both a player and coach. But he is glad to be back at Saint John’s.

“I love it here,” he said. “There aren’t many places you’ll find with the atmosphere and tradition we have, especially at (the Division III level).”

JOHNNIE ALL-AMERICAN PROFILE

At 6-foot-2 and 255 pounds, Burt Chamberlin was certainly a physically imposing presence on the football field. But what really made the former Johnnie offensive lineman an All-American was his speed.

Chamberlin, an Edina High School graduate, ran the 40-yard dash in a time of around 4.7 seconds. He utilized that

“On a scale of 10, he’s about as good as we’re going to get; he’s a 10,” former Johnnies head coach John Gagliardi told Tom Larson of the St. Cloud Times for a feature on Chamberlin in 1993. “Burt does a lot of great things. Without a scholarship, you’re lucky to get a guy like that.”

Chamberlin earned All-MIAC and AllAmerican honors as both a junior and

summer. “You can’t just relax and enjoy the success. You need to focus on next challenge. It was something John always emphasized and I’ve seen it play out since then.”

#60 CHAMBERLIN

senior. As a junior in 1992, he earned the Mike Stam Award honoring the conference’s top lineman.

“He was 100 percent a great guy,” recalls his teammate Warren ‘Boz’ Bostrom, now a professor of finance and accounting at the College of Saint Benedict and SJU. “One of the best pulling guards ever, but completely humble and soft-spoken off the field.”

quickness to become one of the top pulling guards in program history, playing a key role on the high-powered SJU offenses of the early 1990s – including the 1993 unit, which still holds the school record for points in a season (702) and points-pergame average (54).

After graduation, Chamberlin stayed involved in the game as both a coach and as a player overseas in Austria. The life abroad suited him as he got his teaching license and taught in Ukraine (Kiev) for seven years, Germany (Berlin) for 13 and just recently moved to take a job in South Korea (Seoul).

“The biggest lesson I learned from playing (football at Saint John’s) was that when you win or do something successfully, you have to just do it again,” he said this

“One of the best pulling guards ever, but completely humble and soft-spoken off the field.”

“The biggest lesson I learned from playing was that when you win or do something successfully, you have to just do it again.”

BRUESS INAUGURATION CONTINUES THROUGHOUT WEEKEND

Presented by SJU Institutional Advancement

The celebration of the inauguration of the first joint president in the history of Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict continues today, both before and after the Johnnies’ key football contest against Bethel University and both in and around Clemens Stadium.

Brian Bruess, who officially became the president of both schools July 1, 2022, was inaugurated Friday in ceremonies and celebrations on both the Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s campuses.

“It’s my assessment that never in the history of our time has the world needed Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s graduates more than they do now,” Bruess said.

“The Inauguration is interesting in that okay, the guy has been around for more than a year. What are you waiting for?” added LeAnne Stewart, CSB ’87 and chair of the SJU and CSB Common Boards.

“The idea of him being able to have had a year at the schools and get his head around who the schools are, what Strong Integration is and what some of the opportunities to flourish are, I think, is useful.”

Festivities continue today with a football tailgate gathering in the SJU tailgate lot, and a student and family carnival at CSB following the game. They conclude with a fishing tournament and outdoor Mass on Sunday.

“We wanted the Inauguration to foreshadow and illustrate and illuminate what integration means, what together means,” Bruess said. “There’s a readiness for lifting our gaze and strengthening our impact and elevating from a position of strength our precious outcomes. All of those things are rooted in a liberal arts education that’s a reflection of our Benedictine values and

WELCOME HOME

Alumni Association

our Catholic traditions.”

In each step of week-long inauguration celebration, there is one commonality: the focus is on Johnnies and Bennies more than on their new president.

“He doesn’t want this inauguration to be about him – he wants it to be about the schools, and I think that’s important,” Stewart said. “It’s about our two schools working together to be the very best that we can be, and providing our students the absolute best experience that they can have.”

COLLEGE OF SAINT BENEDICT AND SAINT JOHN’S UNIVERSITY

FEATURED FLASHBACK

Presented by Kwik Trip

Perhaps it was just the way the schedule happened to fall.

But the Bethel Royals seemed to be involved more often than not when John Gagliardi reached key milestones on the road to becoming the winningest coach in college football history.

• On Oct. 11, 1980, the legendary former Saint John’s University head coach picked up his 200th career victory as the Johnnies rolled past the Royals 4210 in Collegeville. Rick Bell, who would later go on to play for the Minnesota Vikings, carried the ball 14 times for 150 yards and three touchdowns. Bell’s backfield mate, Lou Raiola, had a big game too – carrying 15 times for 124 yards. The Johnnies rushed for 297 yards in all in a game played just over a week after the death of Gagliardi’s father, Ventura.

• Thirteen years later, on Oct. 16, 1993, Gagliardi got win No. 300 with a 77-12 victory over the Royals in Arden Hills. Quarterback Willie Seiler threw for 337 yards and five touchdowns and SJU rolled up 755 yards in all.

• But, of course, the biggest milestone came on Nov. 8, 2003 when Gagliardi passed former Grambling coach Eddie Robinson as the winningest coach in college football history as the

Johnnies held off Bethel 29-26 before a then-record crowd of 13,107 at a frigid Clemens Stadium.

A 5-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Keating to Josh Nelson with 2:03 to play proved the winning score in a matchup that also decided the MIAC champion. Blake Elliott had 15 catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns, as well as a 50-yard kickoff return to set up Nelson’s touchdown. SJU went on to capture its fourth national title that season.

“I didn’t realize how special it was in the moment,” Nelson said this past summer. “But now, as you look back on it 20 years

later, it’s hard not to use the word magical when you think about how all the stars aligned for everything to work out the way it did.”

• The final game of Gagliardi’s coaching career also came against Bethel on Nov. 10, 2012 – a 27-22 setback in Arden Hills.

• He announced his retirement just more than a week later.

ON THIS DATE (SEPT. 23) IN JOHNNIE HISTORY:

Jim Roche returned a punt 32 yards for a touchdown, Omer Sieben scored on a 5-yard reverse and Ben Lorenz reached the end zone on a 1-yard run as SJU journeyed crosstown to beat St. Cloud Teachers College (now St. Cloud State) 19-7 in 1939.

Charlie Hanish had touchdown catches of 3 and 16 yards to lift the Johnnies past Augsburg 13-3 under the lights at Parade Stadium in 1967. But the game came at a cost for the sophomore, who suffered a knee injury that forced him from the game.

Tom Linnemann threw for three touchdowns and the SJU defense recorded six sacks and a touchdown of its own as the Johnnies shelled Augsburg 40-7 in Collegeville in 2000.

A 40-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Erdmann to Evan Clark in the fourth quarter cut the gap to three, but the Johnnies turned the ball over on downs on their final possession and St. Thomas hung on to win 20-17 before a crowd of 37,355 at Target Field in 2017. David Franta had 14 tackles to lead SJU defensively.

We’ve got you covered.

Roche

Erdmann

Granite Partners is a private investment and holding company founded in 2002 in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with a mission to grow companies and create value for all stakeholders. As trusted partners, innovative leaders, and responsible stewards, we are committed to 100-year sustainability, and we aspire to world-class wellbeing for all people in and around the Granite community.

Granite.com

PROBABLE STARTERS

Presented by McDowall Company

SAINT JOHN’S OFFENSE

When Saint John’s Has The Ball

WR 1 Marselio Mendez Jr., 5-9, 170

WR 7 Nick VanErp Sr., 5-11, 175

TE 8 Alex Larson Sr., 6-7, 240

LT 79 Tommy Hessburg Jr., 6-5, 295

LG 50 Nick McKenzie Jr., 6-1, 280

C 72 Charlie Folkens Jr., 6-3, 285

RG 64 Joe Jaeger Sr., 6-2, 285

RT 54 Grant Peroutka Jr., 6-1, 275

WR 2 Dylan Wheeler So., 6-3, 200

QB 6 Aaron Syverson Sr., 6-0, 195

RB 9 Troy Feddema Sr., 5-11, 200

When

BETHEL DEFENSE

DE 91 Tanner Paden Jr., 6-2, 230

NG 95 Reese Pantila Jr., 6-2, 275

DT 19 Aidan Thomas Sr., 6-3, 245

DE 42 Colin Heckman Jr., 6-1, 220

LB

UPCOMING JOHNNIE EVENTS

Saturday, Sept. 23

Golf at Gustavus’ Twin Cities Classic

Soccer at Saint Mary’s

Sunday, Sept. 24

Golf at Gustavus’ Twin Cities Classic

Monday, Sept. 25

Golf at Gustavus’ Twin Cities Classic

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Soccer vs. Augsburg

BETHEL OFFENSE

WR 2 Joey Kidder Jr., 6-3, 220

HB 84 Ethan Sailer Jr., 6-5, 270

LT 63 Josh Helling Jr., 6-5, 305

LG 66 Isaiah Ward So., 6-2, 270

C 51 Evan Ginter Sr., 6-3, 300

RG 75 Ben Westling So., 6-3, 290

RT 68 Simon Broersma Jr., 6-4, 315

WR 6 Gabe Ante Jr., 5-11, 190

WR 15 Micah Niewald Jr., 5-10, 170

QB 3 Alex Call Fr., 6-3, 195

RB 26 Aaron Ellingson Jr., 6-1, 220

Saint John’s Specialists

K 12 Conor Murphy Jr., 5-10, 180

P 95 Spencer Ell Sr., 5-11, 185

LS 45 Jack Eibensteiner Sr., 6-0, 220

H 7 Nick VanErp Sr., 5-11, 175

KR 27 Caden Wheeler So., 5-10, 195

PR 1 Marselio Mendez Jr., 5-9, 170

Has The Ball

SAINT JOHN’S DEFENSE

DE 9 Joe Akoh Sr., 6-4, 240

DT 97 Zach Frank Jr., 6-3, 260

DT 0 Amari Curtis Sr., 6-4, 250

DE 32 Jake Schwinghammer Jr., 5-11, 220

LB 43 Hayden Sanders Jr., 6-0, 215

LB 49 Erik Bjork Sr., 6-0, 220

LB 3 Cooper Yaggie Jr., 6-0, 215

CB 24 Cayden Saxon Sr., 6-3, 200

S 18 Ethan Stark Sr., 6-1, 195

S 11 Noah Arneson So., 6-0, 195

CB 9 Jamari Edwards Sr., 5-10, 180

Bethel Specialists

K 33 Hugo Cifuentes Jr., 5-10, 190

P 13 Will Eliason Jr., 6-0, 185

H 7 George Bolt Sr., 6-3, 230 KR 24 Riley Gritz So., 5-11, 200 26 Aaron Ellingson Jr., 6-1, 220 PR 2 Joey Kidder Jr., 6-3, 220

Friday, Sept. 29

Cross Country at UW-Eau Claire Invitational

Tennis at Gustavus’ ITA Midwest Regional

Saturday, Sept. 30

Football at Augsburg

Golf at MIAC Championship

Soccer vs. UW-Whitewater

Tennis at Gustavus’ ITA Midwest Regional

Sunday, Oct. 1

Golf at MIAC Championship

Monday, Oct. 2

Golf at MIAC Championship

Friday, Oct. 6

Soccer at Gustavus Adolphus

FOR

As masters of commercial HVAC, roofing and architectural exteriors, we’ve been building trusted partnerships for 75 years. From quality installation to exceptional service and support, we’ll help you protect and prolong the life of your investments.

Bethel