In all honesty I was not actually present at the game as work requirements hindered my ability to make the road trip to Moorhead with the Wingman this year. Damn Corporate America, getting in the way of something so HOLY as Johnnie Football……what next outsourcing jobs overseas, layoffs, no pay raises, increased medical coverage costs and an attitude of more work with less? Wait, I thought I was writing this back when another BIG Johnnie Wide Out, Kyle Gearman, owned the Cobbers! We are indeed living thru all of this as we speak.

All in all the stats were a bit ugly, and without a doubt in favor of Concordia. However the only stat that counts is in the Win/Loss column, and I think all of us in the Johnnie Nation will gladly surrender every stat humanly possible if it means a Johnnie Victory! I know all of my neighbors in Woodbury would agree as they see the bottles and swear words flying out of my garage during Johnnie Football Broadcasts, so if we win then they do not need to keep their kids and pets locked in the house and away from that very loyal Johnnie Mr. Hacker!

It now seems that the Johnnie magic is back, the “D” seems to have found a lineup ( Hillman, King, Rose and Fischer to name a few) that works well together while the offensive side of the ball was lead by one of our Johnnies who gets “IT”, Brent( the BIG) Graboski yet again proved that having a rather BIG target out there can and does benefit the offense and the QB. Be sure to stop by the Science Lot this Saturday and thank Mr. and Mrs. Graboski for sending BIG to SJU and the Nation that is unrivaled.

And if you are really interested in the stats take a look at the SJU site but for this Old Johnnie all that matters is that God is a Johnnie and we prevail in OT!

Game #1 of the Conference gauntlet is now in the books. As we all know each week is a BIG game for the Johnnies (if you only wanted one game a year that mattered you would have gone to the Corner of Cretin and Summit for school!) so as we welcome Auggie Tech to the Ville this week please remember to wear your pants low and your hats crookedly….it is Homecoming 2011 as the Catholics take on the Convicts!

Consider the following stats (only regular season stats under John Gagliardi):

1. The last time the Johnnies allowed more than 30 points (47 on Saturday)….
   • In the regular season: October 27, 2007 vs. St. Thomas (W 51-34)
   • In a losing effort (regular season): September 15, 2001 (L 28-31)
   • In non-conference play (regular season): September 11, 1982 vs. St. Cloud State (W 45-35)
2. The last time the Johnnies allowed more than 47 points: September 20, 1986 vs. St. Thomas (L 21-56)
3. Johnnies record when allowing more than 30 points: 7 wins (avg. 7.1 pts difference) & 19 losses (19.3 pts)
4. Number of regular season losses by 28 or more points: 7
   • vs. non-conference opponents: 1 (2011 UW-Eau Claire)
   • since 1990: 1 (2011 UW-Eau Claire)
5. Last time SJU started the season 1-1 at home: 2004 (game details as follows)
   • September 4, 2004: Loss, 28-30 vs. UW-Eau Claire
   • September 11, 2004: Win, 48-0 vs. Northwestern
   • Season Result: 7-3, 2nd MIAC, no postseason appearance
   • September 3, 2011: Win, 34-0 vs. Northwestern
   • September 10, 2011: Loss 19-47 vs. UW-Eau Claire
   • Season Result: currently 1-1, 0-0 in MIAC
6. Regular season record vs. UW-Eau Claire: 7-5 (Points: Johnnies 329, UW-EC 277)
7. Regular season record vs. Wisconsin schools: 22-9 (Points: Johnnies 738, Wisconsin 480)
8. Postseason appearances under John Gagliardi after starting worse than 2-0: 6 (out of 24 seasons)

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

On the bright side, the Johnnies are 0-0 in the MIAC and the best way into the postseason is a conference championship.

Saturday is the start of the Johnnies 2011 season.  They have this week to prepare for Concordia and the remaining games this season.  The challenge: playing St. Thomas and Bethel in back-to-back weeks.

Those games are a few weeks away.  In the mean time, here are a few stats that will hopefully cheer you up for this Saturday’s game vs. Concordia (Sept. 17th):

1. Last regular season loss at Concordia: November 10, 1990 (SJU 28- Concordia 30)
2. Record on September 17th: 7-3 (6-2 under Gagliardi)

PureBred Prediction: SJU 20, Concordia 14

PureBred Johnnie

REMINDER: Please follow us on Twitter- @Johnnie56321.

The outcome of the game wasn’t too bad either.

Photos provided by Johnnie Dad and Retired Old Rat.

Go Johnnies!

Click HERE to view full screen images as a slide show. Look for “slideshow” near the upper right of the screen.

The Johnnies came out throwing with Sr. QB Joe Boyle finishing the day 16 of 23 for 275 yards with 3 TD passes and 1 interception.

Harry Awe,Soph. RB

Harry Awe, Soph. RB, also put the ball in the air with two option passes, completing both for a total of 92 yards  including a 34 yard reception to Jr. WR Brent Graboski for a TD. Graboski took advantage of a good week of practice and an injury to starter Brayde Lipp to lead the Johnnies in all purpose yards with 3 receptions totaling 116 yards and 2 TD. Sam Pederson,Jr. WR, had 4 catches for 101 receiving yards.

Brent Graboski, Jr. WR

Jakob Reding, Sr. RB and Stephen Johnson, Soph. RB led the running attack with 68 and 63 yards respectively. Both Reding and Johnson found the end zone on the ground while fellow RB Nick Schneider found pay dirt on the receiving end of a Boyle pass.  Josh Overman do it all Sr. TE/WR rounded out the TD count for the Johnnies.

To combat the Concordia offensive schemes the SJU defense altered their look, employing a three-man defensive line in many instances. Mike Bonynge was the leading tackler,with 8 total tackles,followed by Kyle Schroeder contributing 7 tackles and Evan Cobb, Alex Powell, Ian Goldsmith and John Stanton each contributing 6 tackles. Cody Socher added a QB sack.

All in all this is a good win for the Johnnies, getting off to a victory to start the conference schedule is definitely what the team had envisioned at the start of training camp. Winning the MIAC title and getting  the automatic playoff berth is on schedule, but the task at hand does not get any easier with next week’s trip to Minneapolis to face an undefeated Augsburg team that loves to throw the ball all over the field as  evidence of the 65 passes they threw this past weekend.

Winning one game in the time has been a successful formula for John Gagliardi  during his tenure at SJU, the squad will concentrate on the Auggies and those of us fans can concentrate on the tests that are on the horizon in back to back weekends in October. Given his track record,I’d say that history favors John’s approach.

*Photo appearing in this article are courtesy of www.gojohnnies.com

After attending many Johnnie games, home and away over previous seasons, I have to ask. Has the Nation that is Unrivaled become complacent?  Have we come to expect the unexpected, are our standards so high that anything other than pure perfection is not acceptable?

Has John and the generations of Johnnie players spoiled this Nation to such an extent that we are numb to anything other than highlight film scenarios? Are we now an ESPN Top 10 List Society only? Or is this general malaise a result of that upper Midwest/German/Norwegian culture that is so predominant in Minnesota?

I  am asking because on a  regular basis I am seeing far too many folks sitting idly by, content to simply watch our boys battle with all they have to give (to SJU) without  raising a hand, getting up on 3^rd down (or any other big down for that matter), or  loudly cheering their support. Have we become and idle and voiceless Nation?  All I can offer is below.

It is my belief that one (as a fan) is all in, or all out. And when it comes to Johnnie Football I think it is very easy to embrace an all in attitude! Actually I feel that is it a requirement to be “all in” when it comes to Johnnie Football!  Why you ask?

Well those young men on the field are not some group of faceless, spoiled, full scholarship granted, prima donna D1 players. These young men pay to play; their families have to beg borrow and steal to get them thru SJU each and every Semester.

These young men give it their all for nothing but the appreciation of those at the games. Young men like Bone Crusher and the others play for past, present, and future generations, nothing less. These young men ARE you and I, JOHNNIES!

So all in the Johnnie Nation, the least, and I mean the very least we ALL can do is GET UP and CHEER! And I think if your lungs are “bleeding” after the game then you may consider your efforts worth while.

Johnnie Nation, I challenge you!  It is time to GET UP. It is time to loudly and proudly support   young men like Bone Crusher (#13), Killer (#97). Schneids (#33) Csonka (#34), Lacrosse Lightning (#17) and Billy the Kid (#41)!

 It’s the MIAC opener, it the Cobbers and it is time NOT to fear the ear, rather it is time to GET UP and JOHHNIE UP in Collegeville! See all in the Nation at the Tailgate!       

Our guest poster this week is no ordinary Johnnie Football parent.  Clark Stanton and his wife Noel travel into Minneapolis on a weekly basis to share in the pageantry, tradition and of course tailgating in Collegeville and around the MIAC.  Still fresh in my mind is the time “tmerton”, as he’s know in D3 chat circles, called early one Saturday morning to savage me about The Tommies foiling our tailgate efforts for Johnnie pregaming.  Needless to say our party on and off the field that day was hand delivered from the Johnnie Football gods themselves!  From weary eyes fresh from a red eye flight, to the worn asphalt above the south endzone and the green grass of Clemens Stadium, Clark, Noel and the bone crusher #13 have been a great addition to the extended Johnnie Family…. enjoy Clark’s article and as always – JohnnyUpEverybody!

I don’t stay home from work often but this past Monday was the exception.  Certainly there was the sore throat and the tiredness from the whirlwind turnaround plane trip and late night up driving back to Minneapolis after the game.  But the game itself added the cherry to it all.  We expected a tough game; we didn’t expect to lose.  I sensed something was amiss when, as they introduced the referees, they proudly named the Wisconsin communities from which they hailed.  State pride is great when you’re playing another WIAC team but I’ve been around long enough to get an idea of how folks from the Badger state view Minnesota.  I’m thinking the folks at UWEC might consider displaying at least a semblance of even-handedness in the future.

Ooops, I guess I skipped the introduction.  Just call me a Johnnie subway alum.  I’m a football parent, and proud father of OLB #13, who has fallen for the whole Saint John’s package – cigar smoking monks, Johnnie bread and all.  (Well, except for the pizza ads during the games – I would payto do without those.)  Noel and I have found game days at Saint John’s to be pretty much without equal – and they need to be to draw us into becoming Delta frequent fliers from San Francisco.  Johnnie football and the Stiftungfestivities are pretty much an irresistible combination; these last two years alone, at least one of us will have made it to every game but one (Moorheadwe never knew you).  You combine that with two “Mom Proms,” two Minnesota summer vacations, a Saint John’s Day at the Science Museum in St. Paul, and a kick-off luncheon at St. Ben’s, and you can give us our honorary subway alum degrees any time now, thank you very much.

The question I am asked most is how #13 ended up at Saint John’s in the first place, all the way from California and there being no Johnnies or Bennies in our family.  There’s no quick answer and I usually say “Just lucky I guess.” 

#13 knew he wanted to play football in college, but as a high school senior he was closer to his weight as a 165 lb sophomore middle linebacker than he was to the 215 lbs he carries now.  Then, as we went through the recruiting process and school visits, the “student first” concept behind Division III schools stood out.  About that time, I ran into another Bay Area guy who happened to have found his way to Collegeville to play Johnnie football back in the 90s (Joe Tocchini, class of ’97 – an offensive lineman and roommate of then QB Kurt Ramler).  Joe had good memories of his experience and of playing for John Gagliardi.  This triggered my own memory of watching a televised D-III game involving a school in Minnesota and its iconic coach, which turned out to have been the 2003 championship game with Mt. Union.  As a result of all this, we included the Johnnies on the list of schools receiving a DVD of #13’s high school highlights.  Say what you will about John Gagliardi, but he obviously watches a lot of video.  Only days after sending off the highlights DVD to Saint John’s, I heard back from John himself.  He had just one question about our son – “Could he survive our winters?” 

 A visit to Collegeville for the SJU ‘Fly-In’ weekend followed.  The weather that early April weekend wasn’t great but fellow out-of-stater Brett Saladin was a perfect host.  With #13 safely tucked on campus with Brett, we met up with d3football poster and current JohnnieFootball contributor, Finsleft, for some Hamm’s and eelpout ale in his gee-rage.  A two hour Sunday afternoon sit-down with Gags and Gary Fasching was our introduction to John – and to some of his most well-known lines (many of which have been heard many times since).  The weekend sealed the deal.

 Four years and one medical redshirt season later it’s last call for a championship.  The MIAC seems much improved and there are several games that seem assured to have Touchdown Tommy picking against us.  Well, my own alma mater has a fight song that includes something about “what though the odds be great or small” and I think that fits here.  Bring it on Cobbers, Tommies, Royals and the rest.  Game on! 

See you at the tailgate.

Getting to spend quality time in Dave Verkuilen’s (a/k/a Veek, Jr.) pickup truck for a few hours of enjoyable conversation is pretty hard to beat. Then I had the privilege of seeing his dad, Bob Verkuilen (a/k/a Veek, Sr.), plus meeting his mom and aunt and uncle before the game. It was all the more special knowing he was skipping the Little Falls Arts & Crafts Fair and there was a bonus side-trip to HOM Furniture in Plymouth thrown in.

Also on the plus side, was the fellowship at the pre-game tailgate in Carson Park. There’s nothing like our home field in Collegeville, but nobody’s fans travel like Johnnie fans and it was great to see more new faces mixing in with some of the old regulars. Thanks to Mike Wagner (Dusty SJU) and Max Stein(Touchdown Tommy) for the efforts with the food and the tunes (What could be better than a little John Prine with a cold Hamm’s?)

Adding to the festive atmosphere was the Blugolds’ Marching Band. A very nice touch with the on field performance, as well as a spirited cheering performance form the stands during the game.

Oh yeah, the game.

Here’s where I can’t shake my “glass half empty” feeling.

Not to take anything away from UW Eau Claire, they did what they needed to do to win the game, and we had to expect as much from them, as is typical from all teams in the tough WIAC conference. But SJU should have been able to win this game. I usually find it unseemly to carp about officiating, but this crew was absolutely clueless in several crucial situations. That’s all I’m gonna say, because, regardless, SJU still could have won the game.

The offensive line is much-improved over previous years and with QB Joe Boyle now a seasoned veteran, and a talented group of backs, I expected the offense to hum a little better. In the previous game against Northwestern, Boyle had the luxury of having all day to stand in the pocket with a 2 or 3 step drop. He can’t expect that against  more physical, more talented defenses like Eau Claire’s and all of the rest of the opponents to come. Shorter, quicker passes might be better as he seems to lose his poise if forced to scramble and his receivers get bottled up. And how about an offbeat play on occasion just to mix things up. I fear that defenses are starting to know what to expect from an unimaginative offensive game plan.

Nit-picking?

Any criticism of the Johnnie D of recent vintage would have to be considered the verbal equivalent of picking nits. Generally solid with great athletes, playing with confidence and skill, if mistakes were made once, adjustments were quickly made by the coaches and players and the dominant defensive order was restored. So why, I wonder, have offenses been able to throw short pass after short pass, gobbling up 10 to 15 yards or more on a regular basis. When a dummy like me can say “Watch #4 over the middle,” only to see Austin Neu float one over the middle to a wide open David Goodman, someone on the field is missing something. The same thing seemed to be happening against Northwestern, the only difference being their QB couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.

As we start the conference season on Saturday, some tweaking would be in order and there’s no reason why this team can’t start to dominate its opponents. We have the talent to do so. Time to start to morph the being good on paper to being outstanding on the field.

See y’all at the tailgate. GO JOHNNIES!

finsleft@johnniefootball.com

Concordia Offense:  The Cobbers are led by 2nd Team All-MIAC QB Michael Dunham.  They continue to run the Wing-T offense which relies on deception & discipline for success.  Trent Johnson and Ben SaariBovre have been the most effective RBs for the Cobbers.  The Cobbers are passing the ball more than in recent seasons and will surely test the Johnnies secondary with WR Bronson Shepherd.

St. John’s Offense:  The Johnnies will need to mix up the play calling this week.  They became very predictable (and some would argue for the last several seasons) last week against Eau-Claire.  It was “Run between the tackles, Run between the tackles, 3rd & long pass”.  QB Joe Boyle missed several wide open receivers last week and will need to find his touch for the Johnnies to make big plays this week.

Concordia Defense:  The Cobber defense has been a mirage.  Week 1 they allowed 29 points and last week they pitched a shutout against Valley City State in Moorhead.  The secondary has allowed several big plays leading to touchdowns in the first two weeks of the season.  If the Cobber defensive line can win the battle upfront in the trenches and create havoc in the Johnnie backfield that will be key to their success this Saturday.

St. John’s Defense: The Johnnie defense has solid for the most part.  They need to be more disciplined and can’t afford costly penalties especially during the 4th quarter crunch time.  Staying within their gaps and staying home (everyone must follow their responsibilities in defending the Wing-T offense) will be critical.  A few turnovers would really help tilt the field towards the Cardinal and Red this week.

Concordia Special Teams:  The Cobbers kicker Porfirio Diaz is 1 for 3 on FGs (missing 2 short ones) and has been 9 for 9 on his PATs.  Free Safety Zach Debeltz returns punts and kicks for the Cobbers.  He has averaged 16.3 yards per punt return and 22 yards per kickoff return.  Alex Jenson is averaging 35.5 yards per punt and has no balls downed inside the 20 yard line.

St. John’s Special Teams:  Johnnies kicker Jimmie Mattson is 2 for 2 on FGs and has been 9 for 9 on PATs.  Scott Ramey is averaging 39.7 yards per punt and has had 2 balls downed inside the 20 yard line.  Mike Bonynge and Brayde Lipp continue to handle the kickoff returns while Lipp takes the punt returns.

Prediction:  The Cobbers always seem to be one of the teams in the MIAC who play the Johnnies tough regardless of what kind of season they are having.  I see this year’s matchup being no different.  They are always big and physical on the lines with a nasty streak.  The offense will need to find ways to be more dynamic and find the mismatches when the Cobbers bring the blitz.  I think this one will come down to late in the 4th quarter and possibly hang on the foot of either team’s kicker.

St. John’s 24 – Concordia 27

–Cesare Pavese, Poet

120 losses and 13 undefeated regular seasons in John Gagliardi’s 57 years coaching Johnnie football.  This past weekend’s loss opened up a wound that had yet to heal from the 2002 OT loss at Eau Claire.  No, the season is not over.  No, the Johnnies are not out of the Top 25 (#21).  Most important- no, life is not over.

Johnnie Pride

This Saturday, as you return to the 56321 (first or second time this season) you will pass under the footbridge and approach Exit 156 for Collegeville.  Upon this approach, what song will you be preparing to blast through your speakers?

Little Red Corvette?

Piano Man?

Africa?

Eye of the Tiger?

Don’t Stop Living in the Red?

Approaching Collegeville has always brought a two natural motions to my right hand: 1) hit “CD 1,” 2) flip to Track 1.  Out of my stereo comes a sweet tune with so many memories behind it- “It’s 9 o’clock on a Saturday, regular crowd shuffles in…”  Piano Man by Billy Joel.

Piano Man has been the song at CSB/SJU for years.  Sal’s and the La play it at closing time while Johnnies stand in boxers (…or briefs…or…) and sing out loud with the Bennies.  Johnnies play cards together late at night with Piano Man in the background.  Where there are memories, there is Piano Man…kind of…you get my point though.

Memories in the Making

As I’ve made my annual move-in trek to SJU the past four years, Piano Man has progressively meant more to me.  Before I even started at SJU, Piano Man was a song my family always listened to on road trips (yep, all CSB/SJU alums).  First-year move-in I remember listening to the song on my way up to SJU with mixed emotions of worry and excitement for college life.  Sophomore and Junior move-in were Piano Man blasting moments where being back on campus was met with windows down, thumb tapping, air guitar excitement.

Exiting and turning onto County Road 159 with Piano Man in the background was much different this year for my Senior move-in. Due to studying abroad in London, my hiatus this time around was nine months rather than the typical four month summer break. The memories attached to Piano Man now included my time abroad in Europe with 21 other Bennies/Johnnies along with my three years completed at CSB/SJU. Not only did I gain 21 great, new friends but I also learned about cultures in over 19 cities spread out over 8 different countries giving me a global perspective on life.

21 Bennies/Johnnies Studying in London- can you find PB&J?

As I revisit this campus after graduation for Johnnie football and other events, Piano Man will still be there to greet me with the memories of the great relationships and values I have gained at CSB/SJU.

So tap your thumbs on the steering wheel, air guitar on beat, or fly your hand out the window as you journey down County Road 159 reminiscing on all the great memories of your time at CSB/SJU whether as a student, a parent, an alum, a significant other to an alum, a fan, or all of the above.  It is these memories that we will forever remember and not the few days in which Johnnie football lost.

Enjoy the game!

PBJ

PUREBRED PREDICTION: JOHNNIES 24, COBBERS 14

Johnnies come into the game seeking a win to help erase last weekend’s loss.   Concordia continues its strong, physical play against the Johnnies but cannot generate enough offense to surpass the Johnnie D.

The first half showed us an excellent offensive Concordia team as they marched down the field on three separate occasions, only to fumble in the red zone both times. On the one scoring drive, a nice pass play scored the touchdown, but Jack Dagget again blocked an extra point.

The Johnnies offense was as productive gaining yards, but was able to score with a field goal and a touchdown on a dandy 25 yard pass from Boyle to Overman.

As I walked the sidelines in and around the team today, I noticed a sense of true team unity that hasn’t been as evident in the recent past. Of course, the mood of any team is positive when they are winning. But the Johnnies have been winning the last two seasons, with a defense that insured victories performing incredible goal line stands and amazing secondary play.

From my perspective, there was a sense of the Defense Johnnies, and the Offense Johnnies. The offense struggled to score effectively, and the defense on many occasions were asked to step up and cement a victory. Today in particular, and this season in general, we see a football team with both sides of the ball showing fallibility along with excellence. The games are not won or lost by one specific group, the entire team is working together, getting the job done. On more than one occasion this afternoon, there were aggressive congratulatory displays from both groups, cheering one another on to a complete Johnnie victory.

As the second half unfolded, the defense made their always pertinent adjustments, effectively closing down the Cobber scoring threats. The offense continued to click with a well-designed mix of run and pass. Both sides contributed effectively today, and both sides recognized each other’s efforts.

A confident quarterback, deep threats, and strong running are components of an excellent offense developing. The strength and experience of the front and middle of the defensive unit, and the weekly improvements in the secondary are showing us a Johnnie defense that may bend at times but won’t break. The apparent joy of working as a team, the realization that all contribute, and the belief in the ever-present Johnnie Magic will continue to coalesce this team into a unified challenge for all comers.

Nicely done, Johnnies! you had a hell-of-a day today.