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Oct 20, 2007
DE PERE, Wis.
— St. Norbert College scored touchdowns on six of its first seven possession en route to a 52-27 win over Ripon College in a Midwest Conference tussle at Minahan Stadium. The Green Knights, 8-0 overall and 7-0 in the MWC, wrapped up a share of their eighth Midwest Conference title in nine years and became the first team nationally to qualify for this season's NCAA Division III Playoffs.
The Green Knights also boosted their regular-season winning streak to 25 games and won their 23rd consecutive Midwest Conference game.
The St. Norbert passing tandem of Cody Craig and Judd O'Connell had another big day. Craig completed 19 of 27 passes for four touchdowns and no interceptions, and tied the St. Norbert season record with 26 touchdown passes. O'Connell caught eight passes for 157 yards and four touchdowns, only the second time in St. Norbert history a receiver has caught four touchdowns in a game. Mike Whitehouse's four receiving touchdowns in 1988 against Lake Forest marked the only other occassion that's happened.
St. Norbert took the game's opening kickoff and wasted little time taking command, needing just six plays to march 59 yards when Craig found O'Connell on a 34-yard touchdown pass. Ripon's first drive stalled on when Alex Noskowiak intercepted a Tygh Walters pass, and the Green Knights cashed in again on an 8-yard touchdown from Craig to O'Connell midway through the first quarter.
Scott Perkins' 44-yard run for Ripon set up the Red Hawks at the St. Norbert 2, but Ripon would need three plays to score when Perkins dove in from the 2 to cut the deficit in half. But St. Norbert answered with another score, with Craig finding O'Connell again, this time for an 18-yard score on fourth-and-6.
St. Norbert continued to increase the lead in the second quarter. Gerald Danforth's run from 11 yards out and Joe Kandravi's 1-yard plunge gave the Green Knights a 35-7 halftime lead. St. Norbert had 339 yards at halftime to Ripon's 102, and held a 16-4 advantage in first downs at intermission.
Ripon (5-3, 5-2 MWC) turned the ball over on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, when Walters was intercepted at the St. Norbert 33 by Chris Manlick. O'Connell hauled in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Craig moments later for a 42-7 lead that all but ended any Ripon comeback hopes.
St. Norbert put up 517 yards of total offense, with 350 passing and 167 rushing. Nick Albert also had a 100-yard receiving day with five catches for 101 yards.
Jon Larsen led Ripon with 168 yards rushing on 18 carries to pace a rushing attack that totaled 370 yards. The Red Hawks mustered just nine passing yards however, the first time a St. Norbert opponent has been held to 10 yards or less passing since 1992. Walters was 2-for-9 for nine yards and three interceptions for Ripon.
St. Norbert converted on 9 of 16 third downs and both of its fourth-down opportunities.
Press release submitted by St. Norbert on Oct 20 2007 at 06:34 PM