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| Photos by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com |
On Oct. 8, 2005, the Northwestern (Minn.) football team grabbed a bunch of headlines by playing, and beating, two teams in the same day. The Eagles rolled past Trinity Bible, a non-Division III school, 59-0, then went up the road a few miles to defeat Macalester 47-14. Adam Johnson covered both games for his Around the West column for D3football.com, plus we present the original game stories and photo galleries from that day.
By Adam Johnson
D3sports.com
Debate if you must the validity of the Northwestern College historic doubleheader on Saturday.
Did Northwestern really play two separate squads based on skill level against the two different opponents?
Was it a publicity stunt that resulted in embarrassing two teams?
No matter your thoughts, the one point that can’t be disputed is that it was one long day of football for Northwestern. From the early hours of Saturday morning until the final pair of twice-worn game pants was deposited into the laundry bin late Saturday night, every Eagles player and coach had a day to remember.
9:41 a.m.: As players and coaches walk around the athletic complex getting ready for the game, Northwestern athletic director Matt Hill sits in his corner office explaining his decision to schedule two games on one day.
“This is not a publicity stunt,” Hill says with sincere compassion. “There’s not a press release coming out of this office. Our intent was to play ten games.”
Hill blames organizations with whom he checked the validity of the doubleheader with for leaking the information and causing the media circus.
10:36 a.m.: Players in game pants and t-shirts begin to line the main hallway. Some players read scripture from bibles opened in their laps. Others watch a Northwestern highlight tape on a projection screen in a side room. Several players get their ankles and wrists taped in the training room. Nearly everyone wears headphones preparing for the first game.
10:45 a.m.: Head coach Kirk Talley’s whistle summons the team to the gymnasium. Talley introduces special guests, including all media, and his father.
The day starts off with a pregame meeting. Photo by Adam Johnson, D3football.com |
“Today is an awesome day,” Talley tells his team.
10:52 a.m.: Senior Tom Yang leads the team gathering. He reads scripture and leads a team prayer.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on today,” Yang admits. “There’s a lot of hype.”
The team ends the gathering in unison. “Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, praise the Lord.”
They sing a team song and follow it up by singing Happy Birthday. The historic day includes not only two games but also Yang’s birthday.
11:09 a.m.: Trinity Bible linemen walk out to the field and meet up with the skill position players. The overmatched Tigers have a total of 22 players in uniform.
12:21 p.m.: Steven Boggess runs in a 5-yard touchdown to make it 19-0 Northwestern.
An official, when asked if he is working both games, replies, “No. We could though, we’re in good shape.”
12:36 p.m.: The first half ends with Northwestern winning 27-0.
3:14 p.m.: Players from both teams walk from the field. The scoreboard remains lit 59-0, highlighting the mismatch that just took place.
- Game 1: Northwestern 59, Trinity Bible 0 Game story | Photo gallery
3:37 p.m.: Players, coaches and media gather in a side classroom. Nobody seems comfortable, as news conferences are not an everyday occurrence in Division III.
“For me the joy is watching all the kids play,” Talley says.
His seniors started and played the first two series of the game as it was the last home game of their careers. The “Trinity team,” the Northwestern players who practiced for Trinity all week, soon came in and played the rest of the game.
Freshman linebacker Lee Nelson speaks at the between-games news conference. Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com |
4:06 p.m.: Players find areas to relax in the athletic center. Some lay on couches upstairs. Others line the hallway downstairs lying on their backs with their feet up on the wall.
“That Subway needs to get here quick,” says Josh Peterson about the sandwiches that were ordered for the team.
Peterson quarterbacked the “Trinity team” but eagerly awaited his opportunity to punt for the “Macalester team.” He’s one of two Josh Petersons on the team.
4:14 p.m.: Long cardboard boxes arrive with six-foot submarine sandwiches. Players devour their chunks of the sandwich leaving lettuce and fixings strewn throughout the hallway.
“We’re pounding them with fluids,” says head trainer Dave Hieb.
4:31 p.m.: Players clean the hallway of lettuce and empty sandwich boxes.
“Let’s play another one” echoes several times from the hallway as players put on their half dried game pants.
5:00 p.m.: “Anybody seen the white boards?” assistant coach Beau Taylor asks outside the coaches offices.
Several minutes later assistant coach Scott Hvistendahl searches for his responsibility, “Do we have the game balls?”
5:08 p.m.: Players board several vans and a team bus known as the “Silver Bullet.”
5:20 p.m.: Players are loose, making fun of one another and chatting on their trip south down Snelling.
7:01 p.m.: Northwestern kicks off for the second time on Saturday under the lights at Macalester Stadium. Similar to the first game, the Eagles get off to a quick start.
8:22 p.m.: After three rushing touchdowns from Steven Boggess, the second quarter ends. Northwestern leads 33-0 and has outscored its opponents 92-0 through six quarters.
Players and coaches relax at the end of a long day, while above, fans enjoy the game under the lights. Photos by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com |
Boggess is the only player to score touchdowns in both games.
10:28 p.m.: The scoreboard at Macalester Stadium reads 47-14. The lights are on but the field is empty. Northwestern has won two games in one day.
- Game 2: Northwestern 47, Macalester 14 Game story | Photo gallery
More than 12 hours of the day have been devoted to football. The players are tired and craving their beds.
“We’ll see if my roommate wakes me up for church tomorrow,” says senior Joe Steffenhagen.
Season’s over
The Lewis & Clark abbreviated football season came to an end Saturday in a 55-24 loss to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Pioneers were outscored by over 30 points per game in their four losses. Hopefully, a plan is being formed by the administration for the Pioneers to compete in the NWC.
Mr. Everything
Gustavus quarterback Jordan Stolp hadn’t been able to do much right in the Gusties 0-5 start. On Saturday, he did everything right. The sophomore quarterback threw five touchdowns and ran in another one finishing the day 20-38 for 252 yards and no interceptions. Stolp also was 6-6 kicking PATs as the Gusties picked up their first win of the season 42-27 over Augsburg.
Crisco or butter
As hard as they tried, the Concordia Cobbers couldn’t give away the game on Saturday. In their 24-7 defeat of Hamline, five players combined for 10 fumbles with Hamline recovering eight of them. Kevin Williamson and Brian Schumacher each fumbled three times losing two of them each. Levi Devries contributed two lost fumbles and Cory Johnson and Eric Rodel each lost one respectively.
Career day in the loss
Whitworth quarterback Joel Clark always gets up for the Linfield game. On Saturday he got way up. The junior quarterback threw for a career high 400 yards of 22-for-44 passing and five touchdowns. The Pirates gave Linfield a run for the second straight year but lost the game 47-32.
Buena Vista wide receiver Jesse Schmidt notched a career-high 173 yards receiving on seven catches and two touchdowns. Schmidt, who ended the day with the third most receiving yards in a single game in school history, climbed into fourth place on the school's all-time career receiving yardage list. His Beavers did little to support his performance and came up short to Coe 45-14.
All that way for 2
Not many players get a chance to run 90 yards untouched on a football field in a game; most players who do get six points as a reward for their cardiovascular feat. On Saturday, Bethel’s Kirby Carr accomplished the feat but received a measly two points for it. Trailing 9-0, Bethel lined up to defend a PAT from St. John’s Anthony Schmidt. The kick was blocked back to Schmidt who picked it up and ran for the end zone. As he was hit the ball squirted loose and directly into Kirby Carr’s hands. Carr went untouched to the end zone claiming the two points.
Notes, scribbles and things you likely didn’t know
->UW-Whitewater's 663 total yards of offense were the most ever allowed in a game by UW-Stevens Point.
->Concordia-Moorhead kicker Brian Halverson is the school’s all time leading scorer with 205 points passing head coach Terry Horan’s old record of 200 points.
->UW-Eau Claire quarterback Jesse Krzyzanowski completed his first 15 passes in the Blugolds’ 21-11 win over UW-River Falls.
->Macalester rushed the ball 34 times for 1 yard.
Around the MIAC
St. Olaf beat Carleton 44-14 despite being outgained 464-417 in total offense and 25-19 in first downs. … Gustavus defeated Augsburg 42-27 for their first win of the season. . … Concordia rolled Hamline 24-7 behind 5 sacks and 2 interceptions. … SJU dropped Bethel 30-9 holding the Royals to just 188 yards of total offense.
Around the IIAC
Coe dominated Buena Vista 45-14 behind four touchdowns from running back/wide receiver Neil Suckow. … Central trounced Cornell 41-6 behind Andrew Lehn’s 19 tackles, one for loss and one sack. … Wartburg beat Dubuque 29-15 after sprinting to a 29-0 lead. … Luther outlasted Simpson 23-20 after trailing by 14 at halftime.
Around the NWC
Linfield beat Whitworth 47-32 in their closest game of the year. … Puget Sound defeated PLU 23-13 ending a 17 game losing streak to the Lutes. … Willamette outlasted Southern Oregon 34-28 in double overtime.
Around the SCIAC
CMS defeated Lewis & Clark 55-24 in the Pioneers final game of their shortened season. … Redlands defeated La Verne 32-14 behind 220 yards and two touchdowns from running back Karl Mikolon. … Occidental beat up Colorado College 34-10 despite possessing the ball for just over 21 minutes. … Cal Lutheran shut out Menlo 54-0 holding the Oaks to 139 yards of total offense.
Around the WIAC
UW-Eau Claire defeated UW-River Falls 21-11 behind two touchdowns and 63 yards from receiver Tony Hull. … UW-La Crosse beat up UW-Platteville 45-27 behind 285 yards and four touchdowns from quarterback John Schumann. … UW-Oshkosh surprised UW-Stout 34-27 with a touchdown run by Andy Moriarty with 14 seconds to play. … UW-Whitewater crushed UW-Stevens Point 44-12 piling up 663 yards of total offense.
Games to Watch
No. 5 St. John’s at No. 13 Concordia at Moorhead, Minn., 1:00 p.m.: In a rematch of last year’s MIAC championship deciding game, this year’s game pits two undefeated teams with very strong defenses against each other. While the Cobbers tend to play smash mouth offense and run the ball more than 75% of the time, the Johnnies have a better split between the pass and the run. Both teams have a propensity to turn the ball over so whoever wins the turnover battle should win the game. Whoever wins this game should be the favorite for the MIAC crown with possible contention from St. Olaf.
No. 20 Coe at Wartburg, Waverly, Iowa, 1:00 p.m.: These two teams have shared two of the past three IIAC championships. Coe is the favorite this year bringing their undefeated record into Waverly. The Knights need a big win to show they haven’t slipped as far as some critics think. A win on Saturday and the Knights are right back in the IIAC championship mix. In order to win, they’ll need to stop Neil Suckow, who’s coming off a four-touchdown game.
