This season of course a new team will be representing the MIAC as it’s newly crowned champion.  It took a late game comeback by this nationally 4th ranked team and a Johnnie missed extra point in overtime to alter the SJU postseason playoff tradition. 

Currently standing at a season record of 6 – 3, we’ll settle for a final road trip to Collegeville this Saturday to watch the Hamine Pipers close out another miserable season.  Expect an interesting game from the Johnnies as their year comes to an end versus an MIAC opponent who has yet to win a conference game.  Sound familiar?

To celebrate this 100th season of Johnnie Football and coach John Gagliardi’s 478th victory, arrive in Collegeville Saturday morning and shuffle your way to the Science Center parking lot for some of Carol Arth’s chili and Mike Fahey’s famous fistungfestivities.  Wait a second, shouldn’t that be Stiftungsfestivities?  Our lips are already blue from the anticpated 30 degree temps and Harry Burns’ secret Blue Curacao concoctions.

Bring something to share.  Anybody can come.

JohnnieUpEverybody!

The stakes in this year’s contest aren’t nearly as critical however this is Carelton’s last home game and both teams are coming off victories from last week after having lost the weekend prior.

To make your experience in Northfield another fun filled college football weekend, we offer up two opportunities to embrace the Johnnie Nation and and engage in some real Benedictine hospitality. 

Tailgating:  

The Stiftungsfestivities will be making the trip to Northfield this Saturday for the Carleton game. The tailgate will be located at Sechler Park. The park entrance is located 1 block west of the highway 3 and highway 19 intersection. Follow the service road between Kwik Trip and Walgreens for about ½ mile. The party should be going by 10:00 a.m. Bring a culinary delight to share.

 Post Party Revelry: 

Long time Johnnie Football fans and supporters Tom and Carol Arth are hosting a party at their home following the game and will be passing out directions at the game. 

Tom also reminds me Carol will be serving her World Famous Chili prior to the Hamline game in Collegeville.

Thanks to Mike, Carol and Tom for their planning and contributions to the Johnnie Football.com Nation.

JohnnieUpEverybody!

And just like cro magnon man who evolved over thousands of years into the present day college student, so has Johnnie Football tailgating.  First founded on the worn asphalt just above the south endzone at Clemens Stadium 11 or so years ago, Johnnie Tailagating continues to grow and is now the traditional staging ground for fans looking for pregame chatter and chow.

As a sign of appreciation, solidarity and support, JohnnieFootball.com will sponsor the pregame event this coming Saturday at Carson Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  While supplies last, we’ll have brats, burgers, buns and plenty of fat to chew for fans prior to the SJU – Blugold kick off at 7:00pm.

We’ll begin grilling meats around 5:00pm so bring a tasty treat to share and some of your favorite beverage to sip and savor.  There’s not much in the way of rules and regulations at Carson Park but let’s show’em anyway what Benedictine fellowship and responsibility looks like.

Johnnie Tats is rounding up the condiments, TDT is roaming the meat locker as we speak and DustySJU will have his well seasoned Webber Kettle primed for grilling.  Anybody can come.

JohnnieUpEverybody!

Sunny morning skies without much of a fall breeze will create a stunning climate for Saturday’s game and perfect for pregame socializing.

The mid-November haze that is visible as afternoon approaches will add to the other-worldly experience Saturday as the St. John’s University Johnnies face the Coe College Cohawks at Clemens Stadium beginning at noon.

With  temperatures expected in the low 50’s for game time, Johnnie fans attending the NCAA first round play-off game will have satisfying memories to keep with them throughout the hard cold winter. 

Grab your sunglasses and meet in the Science Center Parking Lot next to the gray abandoned dormitory beginning at 9:00am.  Various grilled meats by Johnnie Red, Veek and The Polish Sausage will be served for your pregame breakfast.

Enough with the waxing, it’s time for Johnnie smack down on the Coehawks.

It’s a beautiful day!

Luke and Gundy take aim in the 2007 1st round playoffs

All right Johnnie rubes, it’s that time of season where all the banter and jibe talking among college football enthusiasts is decided on the field with the announcement of DIII’s top 32 teams. 

Ok, maybe not ultimately the best 32 teams when we take into consideration the NCAA’s selection criteria but at least it’s a tournament.  Nothing mythical about it, it’s all real! 

To find out where St. John’s will be seeded among the field of 32, stop here a bit before 2:00pm CST for early comments and catch all the live action as the pairings are announced on ESPN news beginning at 2:00pm.

We’ll be monitoring the announcements and pass along all of our insights as it happens.  Look for the undefeated Johnnies to land a top seed in the west region with a potential rematch with the Tommies in round three.

Johnnie Up Everybody!

For starters, Tom and Carol Arth are planning on serving up some of their late fall chow with their semi-annual chili feed.  Using Ron Tomzcik’s enormous bouya pot, Tom and Carol will be offering a hearty meal in a cup in addition to all of the other tasty treats you expect as part of Johnnie Pregaming.

Join us in the Science Center Parking lot above the south endzone to raise the vibration and put a cap on the Johnnie regular season. 

We all love Johnnie alum and Carleton headman Kurt Ramler but what the heck, let’s kick some Knight fannie Saturday afternoon and bring on the NCAA DIII selection committee.

Anybody can come.

Johnnie Up Everybody!

Despite missing their offensive leader Joe B. Quarterback with a right thumb injury, the Johnnies should prove dominating with their run game and also certainly on the defensive side of the ball.  Freshman quarterback John Ries will be making the start for St. John’s after filling in for the injured Joe Boyle in a game two weeks ago against St. Olaf College.

No stranger to the newly named “Mall of America Field” having won a state title for Wayzata High School in 2008, Ries will merely be counted on to hand the ball off to jumbo backs Jake “Red Dog” Reding and KB-34, Kellen Blaser.

The defense?  Need I say more…. Defensive Coordinator Jerry Haugen is celebrating his 55th birthday this week, rumors are he’ll honor himself with his newly designed 5 – 5 defense.  Jerry’s version of the cover 2!

As for Saturday’s game, free parking will be available in the Metrodome upper lot, adjacent to the Vikings’ ticket office. The entrance is off of 11th Avenue South near the intersection with 5th Street South.

Tickets, which cost $7 for adults and $3 for students, will be sold at Gate B (adjacent to the North end of the parking lot) beginning at 10 a.m. Tickets will also be sold at the Johnnie Pregame Event at Hubert’s which opens at 11:00am.

The pass gate and will call tickets will he handled at Gate D (adjacent to the South end of the parking lot above the loading dock entrance). Entry gates will open at 11:30 a.m. St. John’s seating will be in Sections 104-108.

Victory dance begins about 3:30pm.

Go Johnnies!

Photo by "Johnnie Dad" Jeff Sowden

All right Johnnie fans, you’re completely dialed into the game day festivities at SJU.  Mike’s in charge of the burgers, Veek handles the gas fired Coleman and wild rice sausage, Natural Aimee is always good for several dozen of her famous deviled eggs and the Johnnie Football Team provides the excitement.

To say we could have a let down from the outrageous party we threw last weekend would be an understatement.  No one would blame The Stiftungsfest crew if the excitement was anything less than what took place with the well behaved pregame gathering and the second largest crowd to ever have visited Collegeville.

We ask the same of the Johnnie Footballers Saturday vs The Oles.  We’ll bring our same brand of banter and buns and we’ll expect you to cook  St. Olaf the same way Vic Murphy cooks his pork shoulder – soften ‘em up and chow ‘em down!

Meet in the Science Center parking lot above the south endzone and bring something to share.  Oles are invited too.

No let up Johnnie pre-gamers and no let up Johnnie footballers.

JohnnieFootball.com photographer and pork connoisseur Vic "Faunch" Murphy

UHG analyst Nick Gunderson looking relaxed in St. Paul

Here it is Johnnie fans, the match-up we’ve all been waiting for has arrived and we’re mere hours away from kick-off.  Whether you’ve been anticipating a conference showdown to determine the automatic qualifier for the DIII playoffs, or your blood boils just thinking about that other Catholic university in St. Paul traveling to Collegeville, the Johnnie vs. Tommie game on Saturday is sure to meet anyone’s expectations for pure fun.

If you happened to have been listening to 1500am radio this morning you heard the enthusiastic UST coach Glenn Caruso talking about how Saturday’s game is more about conference standings and not as much about the Johnnie/Tommie rivalry.  For additional Tommie perspective, be sure to check out UST SID Gene McGivern’s blog entry for today.

For former QB Tom Linnemann, no relation to our own TDT, in an appearance on the same radio station mentioned his hatred is most intense for the Bethel Royals – “After all, if you haven’t won a game since ‘97(UST), it’s not much of a rivalry.”

As for the Johnnie Football Team they’ll need a clean game from QB Joe Boyle and some inspiration from the black hatted All-American nose tackle Nick Gunderson.  Although the Johnnie defenders have played well during his recent absence, you know his play will help disrupt the well oiled Tommie offense.

Warming the parking lot before hand will be the traditional Johnnie Pregaming Activities featuring Vic Murphy’s slow cooked pork shoulder lathered in Carolina Sauce, Veek’s Wild Rice Sausage from Thielen’s Meats in Little Falls, Natural Aimee’s Deviled Eggs and of course various grilled meats from Johnnie Red.  Rumor has it we’ll even have a venison meat and cheese tray compliments of a first time visitor!

Formation begins in the Science Center Parking lot above the south end zone ’round 9:00am with grills burning soon after.  Bring a tasty morsel to share and make Saturday’s event another glorious football experience.

For our Tommie friends, you’ve been incredibly accommodating the past few seasons as we’ve seized the premier tailgating locations on your campus so please feel free to join in.

Put your cold consumables in non-descript cups (not red) in discreet fashion and all will be good.

And finally, during the game – please…

Get off your ass and cheer.

Johnnie Up Everybody!

You know it baby.... Johnnie Magic!

Photo by the crack JohnnieFootball.com media staff

Looking for a convenient locale to soothe your vocal chords following perhaps the most interesting week in Minnesota sports history and before the Johnnie vs Piper game on the HU campus?  With all the gaming, pregaming, speculation and cheering the past few days no other sporting fan experienced as much jubilation as Johnnie Football fans. 

The way we at JohnnieFootball.com see it,  we got our cake, ate it and then had a nice cold bevy on top of everything else!

With the national audience peaking in on fly-over country there were a mere 10,000 or so that also saw the record breaking 49 yard field goal… but then again there’s been more than 51,256 who’ve seen it replayed – guess those “fly-bye’s” have seen what they missed! 

And for those of you still looking to water-down before the Johnnie/Piper game on Saturday please join us mid-morning at Gabe’s by the Park located at N Lexington Parkway and Energy Park Dr in St. Paul.  Gabe’s is just a touchdowns throw from the Hamline campus.

Just a few miles southwest and taking place at the same time will be the Tommie/Cobber game.  With a Tommie win, next Saturday’s game in Collegeville will feature two unbeatens ranked in the top 20.

As much as we’d all love to see coach Caruso fall to the mighty Cobbers, an unbeaten UST will increase the attention of all those “fly-byes”.

Go Johnnies!