D3football.com Poll – Week 8 | NPI (Oct. 26)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Saint John’s University stayed at No. 11 in the latest D3football.com Top 25 poll and moved up two spots to No. 18 in the third National Power Index (NPI) released earlier today (Sunday, Oct. 26).
Eight teams in NCAA Region 6 were ranked in the top 25, including six in the top 15: Bethel (No. 4), Wisconsin-Whitewater (No. 8), Wisconsin-River Falls (No. 9), Wisconsin-La Crosse (No. 10), SJU (No. 11), Wisconsin-Platteville (No. 13), Wisconsin-Stout (No. 23) and Wisconsin-Oshkosh (No. 25). Chapman (5) and Whitworth (5) received votes.
Junior quarterback Trey Feeney (Moorhead, Minn.) finished 33 of 41 passing for 409 yards and six touchdowns (to one interception) as the Johnnies (6-1, 5-1 MIAC) handed Carleton its first MIAC loss – 49-10 – yesterday (Oct. 25) during Family Weekend in Collegeville.
A pair of Johnnie receivers, junior Riley Schwellenbach (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) and senior Dylan Wheeler (St. Paul, Minn./Mounds View), eclipsed 100 receiving yards on the afternoon. Schwellenbach caught eight passes for 126 yards and a touchdown, while Wheeler totaled 111 yards and three touchdowns on 10 catches.
Sophomore wideout Carson Hegerle (West Fargo, N.D.) amassed 199 all-purpose yards – 70 receiving, 62 on kickoffs and 67 on punt returns – and two touchdowns, including a 57-yard punt return for a score in the fourth quarter.
The Knights entered the game averaging 41.5 points and 501.3 yards per game, but finished with just 187 yards of offense and was held to (-7) yards rushing. Carleton quarterback Jack Curtis – the MIAC’s leading passer – finished 29 of 36 passing, but averaged just under 6.7 yards per completion with none longer than 18.
The Johnnies’ defense sacked Curtis five times, including twice by senior lineman Zach Frank (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial), and sophomore safety Will Peroutka (Rosemount, Minn.) recorded his first collegiate interception.
SJU visits Gustavus Adolphus (3-4, 3-3 MIAC) for a 1 p.m. kickoff this Saturday, Nov. 1, at Hollingsworth Field in St. Peter.
