University of St. Thomas Athletics
Gustavus Adolphus
Football explodes for 35-14 win over Gusties
10/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Freshman QB David Sauer of Rocori shined in his first career start as St. Thomas (3-4 overall, 3-3 MIAC) rolled to a 35-14 victory over Gustavus (1-7, 1-5) Saturday in MIAC football at UST's O'Shaughnessy Stadium.
Sauer completed 23-of-32 passes for 316 yards and three second-half touchdowns with just one interception. He completed 13-of-15 passes for 227 yards and no turnovers in the second half and led a comeback win. UST outgained Gustavus 456-250 yards.
The Tommies scored 21 points in a 3:04 span of the third quarter to rally from a 14-7 deficit. Freshman RB Jake Casey rushed 26 times for 100 yards, including TD runs of 2 and 17 yards.
The Gusties took the second-half kickoff and drove 63 yards to take a 14-7 lead, capped by Mitch Anderson's 8-yard run. Anderson finished with TD runs of 20 and 8 yards and gained 80 yards on 20 carries.
Sauer's 23-yard TD pass to junior P.J. Theisen pulled UST into a 14-14 tie. Theisen caught 10 passes for 156 yards for his fourth consecutive 100-yard receiving game. He now has 99 catches for 1,534 yards in 26 career games.
Three plays later, Tommie senior LB Andrew Ubbelohde intercepted a pass near midfield and returned it to the Gustie 41-yard-line. The Toms reached the end zone in five plays, capped by Casey's 17-yard run, to regain the lead at 21-14.
The ensuing kickoff bounced off a Gustie front-line man and was recovered by St. Thomas and its own 46-yard-line. On the next play, Sauer threw a 54-yard TD pass to senior Joel Korte for a 28-14 lead.
Senior J.J. Kirby caught an 8-yard TD pass -- his first career touchdown -- to cap a nine-play, 84-yard drive in the fourth quarter.
Korte finished with five catches for 106 yards.
Defensively, Ubbelohde was in on 15 tackles with his interception; junior CB Justin Nwadiashi had an interception, six solo tackles and broke up two passes in the end zone; senior DT Ben Kessler had a sack and seven tackles.
Next Saturday, St. Thomas plays at Hamline and Gustavus hosts Carleton.
