When 63 just isn't enough
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The rivalry between Coe and Cornell is considered the oldest football rivalry west of the Mississippi River and it dates back to 1891 when Cornell embarrassed Coe 82-0 in a rutted Mount Vernon cow pasture. Nine of the 11 Coe players participating in the game on that dreary day were in uniform for the first time. Most of the regular team members had been unable to catch the train in time, so inexperienced volunteers were suited up for the venture.
The rivalry has spanned two conferences as Coe and Cornell were members of the Midwest Conference until 1997, but left that conference together and joined the IIAC in 1998.
“This game is a big deal to a lot of people,” Coe head coach Erik Raeburn said. “The guys find it pretty easy to get up for this.” They say in a rivalry like this you throw out the season records and the stat sheets but on Saturday both teams threw out more than that — they threw out their defenses, too.
“I was glad we won but was embarrassed by how we played defense,” Raeburn said.
Although it took an uncharacteristic eight minutes to get the scoring started, it didn’t take long after that for the offensive floodgates to open.
The teams split everything just about square down the middle with Cornell holding a slight edge in several categories. Each team scored nine touchdowns. Cornell was in possession for 20 more seconds than Coe and they took the total offense by a mere 74 yards — 688-614. First downs were 37-34 in favor of Cornell and neither team fumbled the ball. A game that saw touchdown after touchdown scored on helpless defenses was finally decided by a freshman’s foot with two seconds left. It was the only field goal of the game.
Tied at 63, Coe’s Brad McCloskey intercepted Cornell quarterback Matt Lovely with 53 seconds to play. Coe quarterback Joe Brannen proceeded to take over with completions of 13, 25 and 11 yards to set up the game winning kick. Brannen finished with 446 total yards and seven touchdowns (five passing, two rushing).
Somehow, Cornell had come up short after posting 63 points. No other team in the history of Division III football has posted 63 points and walked off the field defeated.
The teams ran up 1,302 yards of total offense and the combined 129 points is the most ever scored by two teams in Division III football history. It was one point less than the 130 points posted the last time the schools’ basketball teams faced one another.
The 113th matchup between Coe and Cornell gave fans some things they’d never seen before and few would deny it was one of the most exciting chapters of this storied rivalry.
All he does is catch touchdowns
St. John’s wide receiver Blake Elliott, who had 10 catches for 138 yards, tied a NCAA Division III record by catching a pass in his 40th consecutive game. He also crossed the 100-yard receiving mark in a game for the 20th time in his collegiate career.
My school record is better than your school record
The following players set school records Saturday.
St. Olaf freshman Nick Rost tallied 320 all purpose yards in setting the school rookie record in a 47-14 win over Macalester.Macalester sophomore defensive back Tim Burns set the school solo tackle record with 14. He also assisted on one tackle.Wartburg senior defensive back/receiver Cody Kelley set the school record with his 21st career interception.Gustavus sophomore Loren Havemeier set the school record with 95 punt return yards including a 79-yard return for a touchdown. Simpson senior quarterback Mike Donnenwerth tied his own school record of five touchdown passes in a game.Buena Vista junior halfback T.J. Miller set the school and conference record with a 99-yard run in a 42-21 loss to Simpson.Coe junior quarterback Joe Brannen tied the school record with five touchdown passes in their 66-63 shootout victory over Cornell.Colorado College junior wide receiver Jake Craig set a school record for single game receiving yards with 12 catches for 236 yards.Who’s your daddy?
To revisit Week 7, Buena Vista quarterback Eric Wiebers connected on a school record 94-yard pass to Jesse Schmidt in an 18-15 loss to Loras. It broke the previous school record, a 90-yarder from his father, Rollie Wiebers, to Dan Richardson against Luther in 1978.
Quote machine
“Things are starting to come together. We feel like we’re starting to play better football, and I feel that our team is ready to finish the season strong.”
— Central coach Rich Kacmarynski, whose team needs to win its remaining games to keep its streak of 42 consecutive winning seasons alive. The Dutch opened 1-4 in conference for the first time since 1950.
Conference ramblings…
IIAC: After a scoreless first quarter Wartburg downed Upper Iowa 35-7…Coe and Cornell set the Division III record for combined points in a game as Coe won 66-63. … Simpson rode Donnenwerth’s 308 yards and five touchdowns to victory over Buena Vista. … Central got their first IIAC win of the season downing Dubuque 36-14. … Luther stormed back with 17 fourth-quarter points to stun Loras 24-10…
MIAC: Bethel’s defense once again found the end zone as they downed a determined Carleton team 41-14. … St. John’s shut down the Concordia-Moorhead passing game in a 24-12 victory. … Gustavus used three scoring plays of more than 50 yards to down Hamline 28-7. … Augsburg scored with just over a minute to play to knock off St. Thomas for the first time since 1995. … St. Olaf used Nick Rost’s 320 yards of total offense to down Macalester 47-14 in a non-conference battle.
NWC: PLU picked up win 303 for Frosty Westering as the Lutes scored on their first four possessions to roll over Lewis & Clark 48-7…Whitworth rode Cam Collings’ foot to a 13-7 victory as he kicked field goals of 41 and 33 yards…Linfield survived a late surge by Menlo to win 30-24…Willamette had a bye and will play PLU on Nov. 1.
SCIAC: It was a slow day in the SCIAC as Cal Lutheran, Pomona-Pitzer and Redlands all had byes and the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps/Occidental game was postponed due to wild fires in California… . La Verne was shutout 42-0 by Azusa Pacific in a non conference match up. …Whittier fell 45-28 to Chapman in a non conference battle.
Games of the Week
No. 2 St. John’s at St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.: On paper this isn’t much of a game but it is all St. Thomas has left to play for this season in this storied rivalry. It’s the 103rd meeting between the two schools and this one is extra special. A St. John’s victory will tie Coach John Gagliardi with Grambling’s Eddie Robinson for No. 1 on the all time wins list at 408 career wins. The Johnnies are the clear cut favorite but that’s why they play the games. Expect a media circus and get to the game early.
Coe at No. 6 Wartburg, Waverly, Iowa: Coe handed Wartburg its only IIAC loss last season and will look to do it again this year when it travels to Wartburg in a must-win situation. “We won’t be scoring 66 points against Wartburg,” Coe coach Erik Raeburn said after their 66-63 shootout victory against Cornell. Defense will likely decide this game and right now Wartburg’s defense is one of the best in the country.
Carleton at Hamline, Griffin Stadium, St. Paul: This should be a battle to the finish between two struggling programs in the MIAC. Carleton has lost 33 consecutive games since the 2000 season and Hamline hasn’t beaten an MIAC opponent this season. It should be a very close hard fought game. Carleton coach Chris Brann could pick up his first collegiate coaching victory.
Pacific Lutheran at Willamette, Salem, Ore.: Willamette will look to distance itself from PLU in the NWC standings and remain undefeated in conference for their season finale with Linfield. PLU looks to add to Frosty Westering’s career wins total while keeping alive a glimmering playoff hope