NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College football team scored the game's first 35 points on its way to a 41-14 victory over the visiting College of St. Scholastica in the first-ever meeting between the two programs on Saturday afternoon at Klein Field at Manitou.
St. Olaf (4-3, 3-2 MIAC) scored touchdowns on each of its first five possessions to open up a 35-0 lead midway through the second quarter and cruised to the victory the rest of the way. The Oles piled up 503 yards of offense – the program's most since recording 505 yards in a 46-40 double-overtime win over Luther on Sept. 10, 2016 – to keep St. Scholastica (0-5, 0-5 MIAC) winless on the season.
Junior Jordan Embry went over the 100-yard mark for the fourth time this season, carrying the ball 20 times for 126 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Oles, who also got 229 yards and three touchdowns through the air from first year quarterback Theo Doran.
Senior Isaac Coutier was Doran's favorite target, catching seven passes for 144 yards and a touchdown while also running for an 18-yard touchdown. First year Nour Tayara and sophomore Derek Hansen also caught touchdowns from Doran in the win.
After forcing a three-and-out to start the game, St. Olaf went right down the field on its first possession, covering 57 yards in nine plays, capped by an 18-yard touchdown run out of the wildcat by Coutier. The rushing touchdown was the first of the junior's career on his first-career rushing attempt.
Sophomore Ben Hestorff registered his first collegiate interception on the first play of the ensuing drive for the Saints and, three plays later, Doran found Tayara from 17 yards out for the first touchdown grab of Tayara's young career.
The Oles extended their lead to 21-0 after one quarter when Embry drove his way into the end zone on an 11-yard run on a fourth-and-one play with 2:50 to go in the quarter. Embry had 71 yards on 12 carries in the first quarter alone.
Doran connected with Hansen for a seven-yard score three minutes into the second quarter to push St. Olaf's lead to 28-0 on Hansen's fourth touchdown out of his 11 catches this season. The score came after first year Azariah Williams blocked a 35-yard field goal attempt by the Saints.
The St. Olaf defense again stopped St. Scholastica in the red zone – this time on a fourth-down play – on the next drive before the offense made it five-straight scoring drives to stretch the lead to 35-0. Doran found Coutier in behind the secondary for a 43-yard touchdown a play after a 33-yard pass to junior Siegel Howard III.
The Saints got on the board with a 26-yard interception return with exactly one minute remaining in the opening half. Both teams scored one touchdown in the second half, starting with a 20-yard run by Embry midway through the third quarter that made it a 41-7 game after three quarters.
Byron Bishop threw an eight-yard touchdown to Mitchell Adrian with 10:31 left in the fourth quarter for the lone offensive touchdown of the game for St. Scholastica. Mitchell caught 14 passes for 105 yards for the Saints, while Bishop was 26-for-50 for 206 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Defensively, sophomore Luke Stanga had a team-high seven tackles and was one of four Oles with half of a sack in the game. Hestorff added four tackles to go with his first-career interception.
St. Olaf hosts nationally-ranked Bethel for Senior Day on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 1 p.m.
St. Olaf scores early and often in 41-14 win over St. Scholastica
/seasons/2021/boxscores/20211023_v8e3.xml
2021
St. Scholastica
14
St. Olaf
41
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Scholastica (0-5) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| St. Olaf (4-3) | 21 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 41 |
Oct 23, 2021