University of St. Thomas Athletics
Gustavus Adolphus
Football loses 25-24 to Gusties
10/12/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
St. Thomas broke to a 21-3 second-quarter lead but visiting Gustavus rallied for a 25-24 victory in MIAC football Saturday spoiling the Tommies' Homecoming game at O'Shaughnessy Stadium.
Trailing 24-18 late in the game, Gustavus (4-2 overall, 3-2 MIAC) took its first lead of the day on Andy Traetow's 4-yard scoring run with 2:21 to and John Kurhajetz' PAT kick. That capped a seven-play, 48-yard drive after a shanked, 12-yard punt by the Tommies (3-3, 3-1).
The Tommies answered and drove 42 yards from their own 27 to the Gusties' 31-yard line in less than one minute as QB Nick Ambrasas completed six of seven passes with a no-huddle offense. But the drive stalled, and the Tommies decided against a 42-yard field goal try. The Tommies had converted 3-for-3 on fourth-down conversions on the day but Ambrasas' 4th-and-4 pass attempt at the GAC 25 was thrown left and the receiver moved right. The incompletion ended the Tommie comeback hopes.
St. Thomas outgained the Gusties 470-317 yards in total offense and had the ball for more than 35:00.
But on four drives inside the Gusties 30, UST came away with a total of three points. That included an end zone interception on the game's first drive, and a lost fumble at the Gustie nine-yard line late in the third period. That was just UST's second lost fumble by an offensive back in 16 games.
A key series came right after halftime with UST leading 21-10. Traetow took a short kickoff and returned it 10 yards to the Tommie 47. After a 28-yard completion from QB Sean Smith to Adam Britz, Ryan Hoag caught a 19-yard TD pass. A crucial PAT pass to Brett Boese for two points pulled the Gusties within 21-18 with just 25 seconds gone in the second half.
Early in the fourth quarter, St. Thomas had 2nd-and-goal at the Gustie 2-yard line but after a no gain and a third-down sack, the hosts settled for a 29-yard Andy Clark field goal that made it 24-18 with 10:50 left.
Gustavus drove to the Tommie 24, but Smith's first-down pass was tipped by UST's Paul Sommerstad and intercepted in the end zone by Tommie David Rains with 8:39 to go.
The Tommies' Jake Barkley rushed 11 times for 50 yards before leaving the game in the second quarter after aggravating a groin injury. Barkley still needs 27 yards to break the St. Thomas career rushing mark and 236 yards to break the MIAC career record.
For the Gusties, Smith completed 15-of-24 passes for 185 yards to six different receivers. Traetow rushed 19 times for 111 yards. The Gusties had four sacks and Dirk Erickson was in on 14 tackles.
For St. Thomas, junior RB Justin Kostner rushed 24 times for 80 yards. Kostner also had a 40-yard TD reception on a screen pass and a 1-yard scoring run. Ambrasas completed 24-of-34 passes for 261 yards and one TD with one interception. Senior WR Andrew Hilliard had a 38-yard touchdown run off an end around, and caught nine passes for 104 yards. Sommerstad had 10 tackles and Joe Fritze had eight for the Tommies.
It was the fifth time in the last six meetings in this series that the game was decided by three or less points. Last year at O'Shaughnessy Stadium, the Tommies held off a late Gustie charge and won 28-27.
St. Thomas can still reach the NCAA Division III playoffs and secure a share of the MIAC title if it wins its final four games -- at Carleton next Saturday, at home vs. Augsburg Oct. 26, at St. John's Nov. 2, and vs. Concordia in the Metrodome Nov. 8.
