After going 1-1 in non-conference play, the Gustavus Football team is set to open up its conference schedule on Saturday against MIAC foe St. Olaf at 1:30 p.m. in the annual Homecoming game at Hollingsworth Field.
In its non-conference schedule, Gustavus lost to Wartburg 27-6 but rebounded the following week to beat Northwestern College 29-0. The Gusties will look to maintain their level of tenacity while facing a rival school in a game that is sure to attract attention from multiple angles.
“It’ll be an exciting game for all the reasons; it’s Homecoming, we’re playing a big rival and it’s our first conference test,” Senior running back Lucas Armstrong said. “This game is going to have a major impact on the rest of our season.”
In order for the Gusties to come out on top, they will have to overcome a seven-game losing streak against St. Olaf that dates back to the 2002 season. The Oles defeated Gustavus last season 20-7 at Hollingsworth Field.
“I think there is no question that there will be a Homecoming buzz surrounding our game, especially since we are playing a rival school,” Junior quarterback Logan Becker said. “Our team is aware of our recent record against the Oles, and I’m sure that will serve as part of our motivation as we prepare for Saturday’s game.”
St. Olaf began its season with a pair of non-conference victories over Luther and Simpson but lost last Saturday to St. Thomas 49-14.
“We know [St. Olaf is] a very solid team, and they will certainly want to spoil our homecoming, especially with them coming off a tough loss to St. Thomas last week,” Armstrong said.“It’s definitely going to take another team effort with our offense, defense and special teams all working together to win this game.”
As the Gusties prepare themselves for Saturday’s MIAC opener, they have their eyes set on starting the conference schedule on the right foot. Last year’s squad tied for fourth place in the MIAC with an overall record of 4-6.
“This is going to be a big game because it sets the tone for the [conference] season,” Senior linebacker Jade Kotila said. “[St.] Olaf will be a tough test just like any team in the MIAC, but if our offense and defense gel together, we’ll do very well on Saturday.”
Armstrong knows that the campus expects a memorable conclusion to the Homecoming week festivities, and he is prepared to do his best to ensure a positive outcome for the fans and honor the legacy of the football program.
“As football players, we are very fortunate that many Homecoming events culminate into a celebration of watching the football game,” Armstrong said. “It’s always an honor to go out on Homecoming and play hard for all the players who’ve worn the black and gold before our team.”
With the closing of the non-conference portion of the season, Gustavus can now reflect on the valuable lessons it learned from its first two games of the season.
“[In the opener] we stuck with Wartburg, but we just gave up a few too many big plays,” Kotila said. “You can definitely tell that we limited the big plays against Northwestern, which helped our defense put a zero on the board.”
Against Northwestern, Kotila led the Gustie defense to its first shutout of an opponent since 2006. He was given MIAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his two-interception performance against the Eagles, in which he provided a career-high 10 assisted tackles.
The Gusties racked up impressive numbers on both sides of the football against Northwestern, with the defense handing the Eagles their first shutout in two years, and the offense producing 434 total yards.
“It was a great team effort and a good way to get back on track in the win column,” Armstrong said. “Northwestern is a team we knew would be hungry to knock off a MIAC opponent, so we wanted to execute the entire game.”
In his first collegiate start as a running back, Armstrong tore apart the Eagles’s defense for 180 rushing yards, the 16th most yards on the ground in a single game in Gustavus history. Armstrong was recruited as a running back, but he tore his medial collateral ligament in the second game of the season during his first year and returned as an outside linebacker.
“After last season, our coaching staff felt I could help our team by switching back to the offensive side of the ball, and I was definitely open to the idea,” Armstrong said. “On Thursday I found out I would be getting my first career start at offense, so I wanted to reaffirm the confidence our coaches placed in me.”
Although Armstrong carried the Gustavus offense in a scheme that favored the ground attack against Northwestern, Becker insists that the offense will search for a more level approach between passing and rushing as the season unfolds.
“I think that as the season progresses, our offensive attack will be very balanced,” Becker said. “We’re going to run plays that we think can exploit defensive weaknesses our opponents have, so if that means run, we’ll run; and conversely if it means pass, we’ll pass.”
Becker has enjoyed playing alongside his teammates so far this season, and he believes that the hard work put in by this year’s squad will show in the weeks to come.
“The season so far has been great,” Becker said. “We have a lot of guys who have put a ton of time in during the offseason and are seeing the benefits now. I feel like the team has really come together since we started [training] camp.”