ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus College football team battled the Hamline University Pipers on the road Saturday. The Gusties offense exploded for 445 total yards and scored nine touchdowns while their defense held the Pipers to just 187 total yards and forced three turnovers in a 63-9 victory.
Gustavus opened the game with a statement, scoring 28 points in the first quarter alone. After forcing a three-and-out on Hamline's opening drive, the Gusties marched 68 yards on seven plays to go up 7-0 on a two-yard run by
Walker Britz. Gustavus' defense forced another three-and-out on the next possession by the Pipers and scored three plays later on a run by
Dylan Blount from the one-yard line to double the lead. The Gusties forced a fumble on the first play of the ensuing Hamline drive and recovered at the Pipers' 46-yard line. Five plays later, Britz ran in his second touchdown of the day to put the Gusties up 21-0. The Pipers scored their lone touchdown of the day on the following drive, but Gustavus answered right back with a nine-play, 58-yard drive capped off by the third touchdown of the quarter by Britz to take a 28-7 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
On the first play of the Gusties' first drive of the second quarter,
Caden Kleinschmidt hauled in a deep ball from Blount to score a 69-yard touchdown to put Gustavus up 34-7. The next drive for Hamline was just as short as
Connor McCormick forced a fumble on the Pipers' first play and
Ethan Bartell recovered the ball to set up the Gusties on Hamline's 35-yard line. Four plays later,
Walker Hennen punched it in from the goal line to give Gustavus a 40-7 lead with 5:51 to go in the opening half. The Gusties' defense forced a turnover on downs on the ensuing Pipers possession and then went on to score again as Blount rushed up the middle from three-yards out to put Gustavus up 47-7 before halftime.
The Gusties scored 16 more points in the second half.
Owen Forsythe kicked a 22-yard field goal in the third quarter to increase the Gusties' lead to 50-7. In the fourth quarter,
Alim Kamara picked off the Pipers at their own 27-yard line, which led to an eight-yard touchdown pass from Blount to
Alex Gross. Hamline went on to block the point-after attempt and returned it for two points, but Gustavus still led 56-9. The Gusties scored once more in the closing seconds of the game as
Trevor Johnson ran in a touchdown from one yard out to cement a 63-9 victory.
Gustavus ran for 173 yards and seven rushing touchdowns in the win, with Britz leading the way on the ground with 70 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Blount threw for 239 yards and had four total touchdowns: two through the air and two on the ground. Kleinschmidt led the receivers with 119 receiving yards.
Up next for the Gusties is a return home to Hollingsworth Field to host the Saint John's University Johnnies on Saturday, November 1 at 1:00 p.m.
