COLLEGEVILLE, MN (December 6, 2024) - Fresh off their first NCAA Tournament win in 33 years, the Susquehanna University football team travels to Saint John's University for the third round of the playoffs against the Johnnies. Kickoff is 12 p.m. Central Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time from St. John's Clemens Stadium. The sixth-ranked River Hawks come into the fray 10-1, achieving their third straight ten-win season, while the third-ranked St. John's are 11-0.
Susquehanna broke through last week with a thrilling 42-35 victory over Hobart College in the second round as the offense moved the ball effectively against the first ranked scoring defense in Division III. St. John's on the other hand won their second-round contest 24-13 over UW-La Crosse behind a steady defensive effort and an electric passing attack.
Going into Saturday's game, the River Hawks will look to continue their strong rushing attack that has been their bread and butter all season. They rushed for 251.1 yard per game in the regular season and rushed for 190 yards on 54 total attempts against Hobart. First-year running back Rahshan La Mons rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries, and quarterback Josh Ehrlich rushed for 54 yards and two touchdowns on 15 attempts.
Ehrlich was also efficient in the passing game, going 16-21 for 198 passing yards and three touchdowns passes with zero turnovers. With that performance, Ehrlich moved to number one all-time in program history in passing yards in a season (2,590) and touchdown passes (31). Six different players caught passes on the day, but Kyle Howes and Hunter Morgenroth were the only two with over 50 receiving yards. Morgenroth finished with six receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown, and Howes finished with four receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. Howes' touchdown reception was number 15 on the season, tying Mark Bartosic's record set back in 2000.
The River Hawks will look to maintain that production against a Johnnies defense that allows just 62.7 rushing yards per game and 202.9 passing yards per game. They also excel in pressuring the quarterback as they rank tied for second in Division III in total sacks with 44, tied with DePauw. Susquehanna's offensive line allowed two sacks against Hobart and just 16 overall on the season, so winning the battle in the trenches will be key.
On defense this will be Susquehanna's greatest challenge of the year, particularly in the pass defense. Saint John's quarterback Aaron Syverson has put together an excellent campaign as he leads all of Division III in passing yards (3,916) and is second in Division III in passing yards per game (356.0) and passing touchdowns (46). He also shined in their first playoff game, going 27-39 for 357 passing yards and three passing touchdowns against UW-La Crosse.
While he's the engine that makes the offense go, he's got three quality receiving options that make his job easier. Those top targets are wide receivers Dylan Wheeler, Marselio Mendez, and tight end Joey Gendreau. Both Wheeler and Mendez each have over 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns in 2024, with Wheeler catching 78 passes for 1,093 yards and 20 touchdowns, and Mendez catching 67 passes for 1,070 yards and 13 touchdowns. At tight end Gendreau has been Syverson's security blanket with 57 receptions for 712 yards and four touchdowns.
Against Hobart, the River Hawk pass defense put together a solid performance as Statesmen quarterback Johnny Colombi completed just 14 passes for 239 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception. However, it was the run defense where Susquehanna struggled the most. Hobart running back E.J. Taylor rushed for 194 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 carries, including two 70+ yard touchdown runs to keep the game close.
The Johnnies in the regular season rushed for 133.5 yards per game and 18 rushing touchdowns but had their ground game kept in check against UW-La Crosse as they rushed for just 75 yards as a team. Primary ball carrying duties were split between Corey Bohmert and Will Blakey who rushed for 69 and 42 yards, respectively, on 19 total carries. However, four sacks taken by Syverson for –36 yards lowered the team total.
Susquehanna is expecting an hard-fought battle as they embrace the role of the underdog going into this playoff clash on Saturday Dec. 7, the first ever meeting between these two programs. The winner will take on the winner of the Wartburg-Bethel matchup, which takes place at the same time as this game with kickoff at 12 p.m. Central Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
