Brady Boie – Staff Writer
Coming off of their first loss of the season, the Golden Gustie football team traveled to Duluth, Minnesota to take on the St. Scholastica Saints. Going into the game, the focus was to take the game at a slower pace and to execute better.
“Our focus going into the week was to take it one possession at a time. Last week we had a few turnovers and I think it was because our expectations were too high. This week we took it one possession at a time and it worked out much better,” Sophomore running back Rohee Konde said.
To say that this change in focus worked out “much better” is an understatement. The Gusties posted one of the most dominant performances in school history, crushing the Saints by a 72-7 margin. In the process, the Gusties also broke the school record for most yards gained with 730 total yards.
“That’s pretty sweet. It’s pretty cool to be a part of a record-breaking performance. It was a team effort and it all started out upfront by getting the running game going. You know when you are getting fifteen or twenty yards a pop in the run game, the passing game is pretty much wide open (as well),” Sophomore quarterback Jake Breitbach said.
“That’s pretty sweet. It’s pretty cool to be a part of a record-breaking performance.”
The Gusties jumped on the Saints right from the get-go. On their first possession of the game, Breitbach found Senior tight end Ethan Sindelir in the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown pass. The Gustie defense forced a quick stop and the Gustie offense capitalized. On the first play of the drive, Breitbach hit Sophomore wide receiver Matthew Kipper for a 43-yard completion that put the ball at the Saints’ six-yard line.
Sophomore Dalton Thelen punched the ball in on a run the very next play to put the Gusties up 14-0. Thelen added to his touchdown count only a few minutes later, as he caught a swing pass and made a great move to find the endzone from 22 yards out. The Gusties closed the dominant quarter with a 16-yard touchdown run by Senior running back David Peal, which made the score read 28-0 at the end of the first quarter.
“It was a fun game… we scored a bunch of quick touchdowns early in the game and just kept the momentum rolling from there,” Breitbach said.
The momentum continued early on in the second quarter. Breitbach dazzled with a 43-yard run and finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown rush of his own. The score put the Gusties up 34-0 and highlighted Breitbach’s athleticism.
“Even though he (Breitbach) is our quarterback he is probably the most athletic dude on the team. He is fast, strong, and can jump out of the gym, and when you combine all that at the quarterback position, the question is what can’t he do?” Konde said.
After Breitbach’s touchdown run, Senior defensive back Ezekiel Sundburg snagged an interception. This turnover led to yet another Gustie touchdown, as Peal found the end zone only a few minutes later on a four-yard rush. Breitbach added to the first-half onslaught with a six-yard touchdown strike to Zach Jakes. Jakes, who is listed as a defensive lineman, lined up as fullback for the score that extended the Gustavus lead to 48-0.
With the game essentially out of reach, the Gusties pulled Breitbach at halftime. He completed 13 of 15 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns and added fifty-one yards and another on the ground. Although he was thrilled with his own performance, Breitbach emphasized that his teammates are what allowed him and the team to be successful.
“The offensive line and running backs (were our key to success in the game). Running can be super dominant when you have a good offensive line and running backs, and that is what we have. It is really hard to stop smash-mouth football,” Breitbach said.
“Running can be super dominant… It is really hard to beat smash-mouth football.”
Saturday was a perfect example of smash-mouth football’s effectiveness. The Gusties racked up 472 yards on the ground and averaged nearly eight yards a carry. With this proficient run game, the Gusties were able to completely control the clock, holding the ball for over 41 minutes. They allowed the Saints to possess the ball for a mere 5:17 of the second half and completely dominated the line of scrimmage. Konde led the rushing attack with 18 carries, 164 yards, and a touchdown.
“Konde ran super hard and super well and he was breaking a lot of tackles. It was great to see,” Breitbach said.
The Gusties hope to carry the momentum from this victory into the rest of the season. They host Hamline this coming week, and have MIAC championship aspirations in their sights.
“The goal for the rest of the season is still going to be Getting 23. With that being said we can’t look ahead and we have to take it week by week in order for that opportunity to come,” Thelen said.