University of St. Thomas Athletics
8-2
Gustavus Adolphus
6-4
Braddock's 5 TDs ties record in home win
11/15/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Brenton Braddock tied a St. Thomas record with five rushing touchdowns in a career-best 261-yard day to lead the No. 22-ranked Tommies to a 57-35 win over Gustavus in Saturday's regular season-ending football game at O'Shaughnessy Stadium.
The Tommies (8-2 overall, 6-2 MIAC) started the day with slim NCAA Playoff hopes. But their victory and Bethel's 62-61 overtime loss to Augsburg gives St. Thomas a more reasonable chance for one of the remaining Pool C at-large bids. The Division III field will be announced Sunday at 5 p.m.
Bethel finished 7-3 and is most likely out of consideration. The other conference 8-2 team, Concordia-Moorhead, lost 35-32 to the Tommies and is behind them in NCAA consideration.
St. Thomas secured its sixth consecutive top-two MAC placing and kept alive hopes for a fifth NCAA playoff berth in six years. UST broke a school record for regular-season points with 457 in 10 games and also set a school record for fewest punts with 16 in 10 games. St. Thomas scored 45 or more points in six of its 10 contests.
Braddock, a fourth-year junior, may have played his final home game as he's on track to graduate in 2015. He has 1,967 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns in three UST seasons. He's been the backup to Jack Kaiser this season and came on after Kaiser left with a first-quarter leg injury. Braddock rushed 41 ties and had TD runs of 5, 5, 20, 25 and 47 yards to tie Jake Barkley's 202 school record for rushing TDs.
UST rolled up 504 yards of total offense, had no turnovers, and converted 12 of 18 on third and fourth downs. The Toms trailed 14-7 late in the second quarter before scoring 29 consecutive points.
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Team Stats
GAC 7, UST-MEN 0
GAC - Luke Martinez 1 yd run (T. Schleusener kick), 7 plays, 65 yards, TOP 2:16
GAC 7, UST-MEN 7
UST-MEN - Brenton Braddoc 5 yd run (Paul Graupner kick), 16 plays, 71 yards, TOP 7:35
GAC 14, UST-MEN 7
GAC - Mitch Hendricks 5 yd run (T. Schleusener kick), 6 plays, 67 yards, TOP 1:57
GAC 14, UST-MEN 14
UST-MEN - Brenton Braddoc 5 yd run (Paul Graupner kick), 11 plays, 66 yards, TOP 4:37
GAC 14, UST-MEN 21
UST-MEN - Charlie Dowdle 5 yd pass from John Gould (Paul Graupner kick) 6 plays, 45 yards, TOP 1:13
GAC 14, UST-MEN 28
UST-MEN - Charlie Dowdle 20 yd pass from John Gould (Paul Graupner kick) 11 plays, 69 yards, TOP 5:22
GAC 14, UST-MEN 36
UST-MEN - Brenton Braddoc 20 yd run (Charlie Dowdle rush), 2 plays, 51 yards, TOP 0:29
GAC 14, UST-MEN 43
UST-MEN - Brenton Braddoc 25 yd run (Paul Graupner kick), 4 plays, 45 yards, TOP 1:23
GAC 21, UST-MEN 43
GAC - Luke Martinez 3 yd run (T. Schleusener kick), 9 plays, 76 yards, TOP 2:52
GAC 28, UST-MEN 43
GAC - Matt Boyce 27 yd pass from Mitch Hendricks (T. Schleusener kick) 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:18
GAC 28, UST-MEN 50
UST-MEN - Brenton Braddoc 47 yd run (Paul Graupner kick), 3 plays, 55 yards, TOP 1:30
GAC 35, UST-MEN 50
GAC - Luke Martinez 5 yd run (T. Schleusener kick), 4 plays, 60 yards, TOP 0:40
GAC 35, UST-MEN 57
UST-MEN - Matt O'Connell 6 yd run (Paul Graupner kick), 6 plays, 46 yards, TOP 2:39
