SJU football beats No. 11 UW-La Crosse to open the season

The SJU Football team opened their season on Saturday with a 24-21 win over No. 10 UW-La Crosse. The Johnnies rose to No. 8 in the D3football.com poll following the win. The Johnnies outgained La Crosse 447 yards to 367 yards in total offense.

Head coach Gary Fasching said he was happy with the game.

“There was a lot to like about our game against La Crosse. Our team played hard from play one to the end of the game. I was especially pleased with the way our defense held together and was able to get a number of stops when we needed them. We tackled very well and played physical football,” Fasching said via email. “Offensively, our pass game was really good. nine different players caught passes in the game. Trey Feeney played very well and our offensive line was very solid. Corey Bohmert, our running back, was excellent. Very good win against a quality opponent.”

Senior defensive back Vincent Pyne led the defense with 11 tackles, and senior linebacker Andrew Molenaar had eight tackles, one sack and a tackle for loss.

The Johnnies saw a defense led by a new defensive coordinator, James Herberg. Herberg is in his second season with the Johnnies and acted as the defensive backs’ coach last season. Herberg said that he has high expectations for his defense this season.

“I want our defense ending 16 bars higher at the end of the season compared to where they are right now! 16 more weeks, including our bye week this week. Each week we need to raise the bar collectively as a defensive unit. If we can find a way
to improve and raise that bar each of those 16 weeks, we are going to achieve and accomplish amazing things,” Herberg said via email.

“However, the focus is just simply on this day at practice and this week at practice! So for the players it is simple in theory… be obsessed with the process of winning each day!”

Junior defensive lineman Landon Danner said he has enjoyed Herberg’s defensive scheme and the energy he has brought to the defense.

“I think James Herberg brings an incredible amount of energy and passion to the program, and you can tell how excited he is to be our new defensive coordinator,” Danner said via email. “Overall, I really like his defensive scheme because it allows us to play fast, physical and at a high standard without overthinking our individual responsibilities. It gives us the confidence to play aggressively and trust that everyone around us is doing their job.”

Molenaar also said he has enjoyed Herberg’s defense but noted that this game is just the first. “We are all bought into Herberg’s
defensive scheme. It allows our guys to step up, make plays and defend against a wide variety of offensive schemes. A great start for Herberg, but we know he is just as hungry for his second win as are we,” Molenaar said via email.

As the former defensive backs coach, Herberg said he brought that knowledge into his role as defensive coordinator.

“Understanding what happens on the back end (secondary) helps you troubleshoot issues all the way back down to the front seven. Having coached the secondary, really helped allow me the ability to keep much of the same language and verbiage for our players coming into a new defensive system as well,” Herberg said via email.

The game against La Crosse saw some notable changes on the defensive side. Danner moved from inside linebacker last season to defensive line this season. Additionally, senior linebacker Aiden McMahon was ruled out before the game due to injury.

“My transition to the defensive line has been great and has been a really smooth process as I’ve converted from linebacker. Coach
[Dumonceaux] and Coach Herberg have been great leaders throughout the process, guiding me in the right direction and giving me all the tools I need to become a successful football player,” Danner said via email.

Senior quarterback Trey Feeney was named MIAC Football Offensive Player of the Week after he threw for 386 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a 70.6% completion percentage. Senior wide receivers Riley Schwellenbach and Thomas
Jacobs combined for 187 yards, 11 receptions and a 35-yard touchdown by Schwellenbach.

With the Johnnies graduating three of their top four receivers by yards, Fasching said that multiple players have stepped up to keep the team’s success.

“Each year different players emerge and take on new and bigger roles. Riley is our veteran wide receiver. Last year he was our 3rd option in the pass game. This year he is our #1 option and has embraced that role. He is an explosive playmaker with great speed,” Fasching said via email. “We have many other players on the offensive side of the ball that have also stepped up, players like Thomas Jacobs and Charlie Plum. Many players wait for their opportunity and now are taking advantage of it.”

Schwellenbach echoed Fasching’s sentiment.

“I knew losing a lot of offensive weapons I would need to step up; however, we have a lot of talented receivers and tight ends that haven’t gotten to play as much because of how good the guys above them were. Many of us stayed up on campus to train and prepare for the season and I feel very confident that we will be a balanced and dangerous
passing attack just like years prior,” Schwellenbach said via email.

From the rush, senior running back Corey Bohmert ran for 61 yards on 14 attempts. 23 of those yards came in the last 2:34 of the game to seal the victory.

“One of my favorite moments of the game was when we got the ball back with just under three minutes to go,” Feeney said via email. “Both sides knew we were going to run the football, and our offensive line, tight ends and running backs took it upon
themselves to end the game and not give La Crosse the ball back. That’s huge. That’s winning football, and that’s going to be really important for us down the road.”

The Johnnies also saw a large incoming first-year class with the team bringing in 101 first-years, surpassing the team’s goal of 70.
Fasching said he attributes the large class to assistant head coach, defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Damien Dumonceaux’s hard work to bring in a strong class. Feeney said he especially liked this year’s class.

“I love the freshman class. They bring a ton of great energy, and they’re great kids. Scout team was unreal this week. They gave us a ton of different looks and made practice really competitive throughout the week. There are a lot of really good players in that group, and I think the future is really bright for a lot of them,” Feeney said via email.

The Johnnies have their bye this week before starting MIAC play against Hamline on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. in Collegeville. The Johnnies will play No. 5 Bethel at home on Oct. 3.

“The ultimate goal is to win the national championship, but personally, I want to beat Bethel and reclaim the MIAC championship,” Danner said via email. “We finally get to play them here in Collegeville on Family Weekend, so that game
is circled on the schedule. Last year, we came up just short against them, and they went on to win the MIAC championship. This year, I want to get that win against Bethel and bring the championship back to Collegeville.”