Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
Notables
-The CSS defense held Iowa Wesleyan to 0 net rushing yards
-CSS outgained Iowa Wesleyan in total offense 313 yards to just 113
-The Saints scored all of their points in the second and third quarters, and gave up all their points in the first and fourth
-The Saints defense forced four turnovers and recorded seven sacks in the contest
-First road victory in the tenure of head coach Kurt Ramler
-CSS increases streak of consecutive UMAC wins to 13 and its 15th straight UMAC road win
MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica football team opened the UMAC season with a 41-14 road win over the Iowa Wesleyan Tigers Saturday in Mount Pleasant, Iowa featuring an impressive showing on both sides of the ball.
Iowa Wesleyan actually got on the scoreboard before the Saints in this contest. With 3:27 remaining in the first quarter, Tiger quarterback Zandro Diaz found Raul Becerril on a 16 yard connection putting Iowa Wesleyan up on the CSS 7-0.
The Saints would respond in a big way in the second quarter beginning with a Shane Finnegan touchdown catch thrown by Tyler Harper. The touchdown not only tied the game at 7 apiece, but it also marked Finnegan's first collegiate touchdown reception.
The next Iowa Wesleyan drive resulted in a lost fumble deep in their own territory making for a very short field for the Saints offense. Three plays later Harper ran the ball in for a 5-yard touchdown scamper giving the lead to the Saints 14-7.
CSS would add another touchdown before the half with a Harper to Jason Kazlauskas connection of 57 yards with 3:51 to go in the second quarter. Kazlauskas currently leads the team in touchdown receptions with two, having caught what proved to be the game winning score last week vs. Ripon College.
After forcing Iowa Wesleyan to punt in their first drive of the second half, St. Scholastica took the ball and rolled with it completing a nine play drive with another Harper touchdown run this time for just 1-yard putting the Saints up 27-7 after Mike Theismann's first missed extra point of the season.
The third quarter would end with two more Saints touchdowns scored just 1:27 apart. First Preston Robinson ran the ball in from 14 yards deep for the first touchdown of the freshman's career, then John Mike intercepted a Diaz pass and returned it 35 yards for the score with just 21 seconds remaining in the quarter. Mike would finish the day with two interceptions.
Those two touchdowns would prove to be the last for CSS as Iowa Wesleyan would add one of their own with 1:29 to go in the fourth quarter setting the final score at 41-14 with St. Scholastica coming out on top.
Harper finished the day 11-for-20 passing with 166 yards and two touchdowns while Robinson led the way rushing with six carries for 78 yards with a long of 42 yards. Chris Gassert took the bulk of the carries running the ball 15 times for 57 yards.
The Saints (2-0, 1-0 UMAC) will next be in action next Saturday as they host Crown College at 3 p.m. at Public Schools Stadium. Catch all the exciting CSS football action live at Saints Sports Net.