University of St. Thomas Athletics
Bethel
14-Point 4th Quarter lets Football win 28-21
10/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Senior RB Peter Ridley ran two yards for the winning score with 1:16 to play and the St. Thomas football team extended its winning streak to three with Saturday's 28-21 victory over host Bethel before a Homecoming crowd of 6,200 on the Royals' campus.
St. Thomas (4-1 overall, 3-1 MIAC) used two long scoring drives in the last 13:00 to rally for the victory and end a nine-game home conference win streak of the Royals (3-3, 2-2).
Bethel, which reached the Division III playoffs in 2003, had beaten UST six of the previous eight meetings including a 40-6 decision 13 months ago on the same field. St. Thomas improved to 3-0 on the road this season.
In his first college start, Ridley scored three TDs and recorded his first 100-yard rushing game -- 32 carries for 155 yards. His clutch play helped the Tommies stay in the conference title race.
The Toms trailed 7-0, 14-6 and 21-14 before taking their first lead 59 minutes into the game. UST has rallied from deficits in all four of its season victories with three of those games going down to the final seconds.
Coach Don Roney's Tommies had no turnovers while Bethel was intercepted once and lost two fumbles, the latter on a kick return in the final 65 seconds which denied a Royals' comeback try.
Bethel had a total-offense advantage of 377-335 yards, but the Tommies outgained the Royals in the pivotal fourth quarter 148-17 yards.
The Tommies won without two key injured players. Their All-America candidate at linebacker, junior Andrew Ubbelohde, left on the game's first series. Starting RB Walter Dosh didn't make the trip.
UST sophomore QB Ryan Jansen threw a 24-yard TD pass to sophomore P.J. Theisen with 6:54 to play, and freshman Adam Valenta's PAT kick tied the score at 21-21.
Jansen, who completed 14-of-24 passes for 160 yards on the day, is now 3-0 as a starter. He also threw a key two-point conversion pass late in the first half which netted a 14-14 halftime tie. Jansen also directed the winning drive of nine plays, 62 yards in the final 4:15. Ridley had 32 rushing yards on the march and Bethel was flagged for a key 15-yard facemask penalty on third down to keep the winning drive alive.
Junior DT Ben Kessler's sack on 3rd-and-10 forced Bethel to punt and preceded UST's winning drive. That continued a streak with Kessler now having at least one sack in eight consecutive games.
UST junior WR Joel Korte had six catches for 101 yards. Tommie senior punter Chris Husby came up huge as he averaged 44.4 yards on five punts. UST freshman LB Justin Thom had eight solo tackles as he replaced the injured Ubbelohde; junior DB Jeremy Krentz added an interception. Senior LB Joe Skaja had a fumble recovery; senior DB Steve Groth recovered a fumbled squib kick that iced the game with 1:00 left; and sophomore DT Mike Rouse also had a sack.
For Bethel, RB Phil Porta rushed 27 times for 184 yards and a TD; and freshman QB Ben Wetzell made his first career start and tossed two touchdown passes as he completed 11-of-21 for 167 yards and one interception.
St. Thomas plays Carleton next Saturday at O'Shaughnessy Stadium (1 p.m.) for its 2004 Homecoming game.
Elsewhere, Concordia edged St. John's 21-20 on a 30-yard field goal in the final 1:00. The Cobbers remain unbeaten in the MIAC (5-0) while St. John's (4-2) and UST (4-1) still actively in the race. Bethel (2-2), St. Olaf (2-2) and Augsburg (2-2) are also still in the chase for a top-three finish.
