While the Johnnies should be coming into this week’s game flying high after beating St. Olaf 30-29, the same cannot be said of the Gusties on their Homecoming weekend. Gustavus started the year 3-0, running their winning streak to 7 games dating back to 2006. Now, after starting the season with such high hopes, they are staring a 3-game losing streak in the eyes. Will they salvage what promised to be a successful season with a win against the Johnnies? Let’s see what the JohnnieFootball.com contributors have to say:
DuffMan: I honestly don’t think the Gusties have the firepower to defeat us, but then again, I didn’t think Carleton did either. There’s no doubt that we’re the better team, but the Gusties are no slouches, and if we let them hang around they can hurt us. I think the big key will be adjusting to the no-huddle offense. Our defense will have to be ready to play from the get-go. Jordan Stolp is going to throw to Chad Arlt, so we’ll have to take that away.
Gustie-Johnnie games are usually fairly close. Our offense has been a bit inconsistent lately, although they’ve pulled it off just enough to keep us undefeated. The Gusties will be up for their Homecoming, so I expect them to come out tough. I’ll call this a close one. St. John’s 24, Gustavus 20.
DustySJU: Having narrowly survived an all-out attack from the Oles this past weekend the effort St. John’s shows today in St. Peter will be an important indicator of how serious it is in claiming the top spot in the first regional rankings due out in 10 days. Consecutive slow starts versus Carleton and St. Olaf have forced St. John’s to score on 4 of its 5 final drives over the past 2 games. Gustavus Adolphus, on the other hand, will be playing in front of a homecoming crowd in their new “football stadium” and—decidedly in St. John’s favor—on plastic. While “AK-11” struggles on the real-stuff, there will be no excuses about the footing later today. The Gusties are battling through a two game losing streak to upper-tier MIAC rivals while St. John’s continues its unblemished path toward the postseason. There’s always a chance for GAC but today will play out like the other Saturdays this season. St. John’s 35, Gustavus 13.
Mr. Shoes: Let’s see, the past two weeks I thought that we would beat Carleton and St. Olaf easily, but a little nervous about the first an really nervous about the second. When you consider that the margin of victory for Carleton was three times that of St. Olaf, I guess it all makes sense. Hm. That said, Gustavus poses an interesting situation. Like St. Olaf, they’ve got a high-powered offense that can really sling the ball around the field. Unlike STO, they don’t have a smash-mouth running game nor do they have a sturdy defense. My gut tells me they’re definitely a better team than Carleton but not as good as St. Olaf. Simple math would indicate that the Johnnies therefore beat Gustavus by…2 points. However, as my friends can attest, despite my math minor I can’t do arithmetic. St. John’s 38, Gustavus 20.
Sjusection105: This is a big game for the Johnnies. This is week 7, with 4 regular season games remaining, including today’s contest. The Johnnies are coming off consecutive weeks of come-from-behind 4th quarter victories. Gustavus is playing their first Homecoming game in their new stadium with their new offensive scheme. There are a lot of variables in this game and I honestly feel that the Johnnies can blow this game wide open. With that being said, I am also a bit nervous coming into this game.
The Johnnies need to come out very focused and make a statement early to set the tone. When the Johnnies hosted the Gusties as their Homecoming guests in 2003 Blake Elliott returned the opening kick-off for a touchdown. This not only set the tone for that game but it was also a boost that, I feel, set the tone for the remaining portion of the season which included a thriller over St. Thomas, the 409 victory over Bethel and was highlighted by the National Championship Game victory over Mount Union.
Who will provide the spark? Who will step up to make a statement for the Johnnies? We will find out later today. St. John’s 31, Gustavus 7.
TC: As the Gusties look to show off their new stadium on Homecoming, a win over the Johnnies would be the crowning achievement of their 2007 season. I certainly don’t see that happening, but if Alex Kofoed comes out flat like he has in other road games this year, the upset is certainly a possibility. Defensively, it shouldn’t take the Johnnies long to solve the Gusties’ new-look offense, but Gustavus still has the talent to score some points. St. John’s 28, Gustavus 20.
Touchdown Tommy: I am a little nervous about this week’s Johnnie game. It has “letdown” written all over it. I hope I am pleasantly surprised and the game is over, for all intents and purposes, by halftime. That said, I wouldn’t bet the farm on a Johnnie blowout. Turnovers and takeaways go a long way towards determining the winner. This is no secret. Gustavus brings an interesting new offensive attack and if the Johnnies can adjust quickly I think they can force GAC senior QB Jordan Stolp into 3rd and longs leading to bad decisions. A couple of early touchdowns for the Big Red allow the defense to bring the pressure and get GAC playing catch-up. This season the Johnnies have played really well in Collegeville and struggled a bit on the road. This game has the potential to be no different. St. John’s 21, Gustavus 17.
