Saturday was an atmosphere that is rarely seen at the Division 3 level. The stars were definitely aligned for a colossal matchup in Collegeville. Both teams entered the game undefeated and with sky high expectations for themselves. Nearly 13 thousand people showed up to witness what was supposed to be the best Tommie squad in years take on the Johnnies who were making a habit of playing with fire all season long.
The tailgate was epic. There were RVs, buses, No-Name steaks, pulled pork sandwiches, wild rice sausages, Stiftungsfest burgers, and scrambled eggs with the works boiled in a deep fryer. There was Kool-Aid and plenty of cold bevies to suit anyone’s fancy. As the smoke billowed from the various grills in the parking lot I took a moment to soak in the scene.
It was spectacular and everyone seemed to be enjoying the camaraderie. Tommies and Johnnies were mingling amongst each other. Was the world coming to an end? This was a pretty amazing scene and I only hoped the game would live up to it’s expectations for greatness.
The game started and it quickly became clear that the Johnnies were intent on imposing their will on the Tommie defense. They ran the ball with Jakob Reding and Kellen Blaser right at the Tommie’s front 7. Nearly every run was between the tackles and the Johnnie offensive line was pushing the Tommies around. They controlled the line of scrimmage allowing the Johnnie RBs to get 3, 4, and sometimes 5 yards a crack on 1st down.
The Johnnie running game was the key to the game. Like any good rivalry game, both teams took turns making big plays to grab the momentum from the other. Even when the Tommies stormed back to tie the score with 2 seconds remaining, you never had the feeling they would win the game. The Johnnies had run effectively on the Toms all day long and in the overtime period they had worn them down.
As the postseason draws nearer and the weather takes a turn for the worst, it is critical to be able to run the football. The Johnnies very effectively controlled the football through their running game and used it to impose their will on the Tommies.
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St. Olaf comes to Collegeville this week where it is Family Weekend. The leaves should be in their prime, so if the weather cooperates it should be a very picturesque time on campus. The Oles will be fired up to get revenge for the Johnnies overtime win in Northfield last season.
Email me at touchdowntommy@johnniefootball.com with questions/comments etc.
