St. John’s football opens season with blowout win

After a 2023 season where St. John’s missed out on the national tournament, the Johnnie football team opened their much-anticipated 2024 season last Saturday with a 49-0 win over Carthage. Gary Fasching, head coach of the Johnnies, earned his 100th career win, and senior quarterback Aaron Syverson threw for 285 yards and four touchdowns on the way to the win.

The Johnnies looked prepared and excited to play right out of the gate. Senior defensive back Mateo Cisneros, senior linebacker Hayden Sanders and Fasching are especially proud of the way the defense played.

“I was tremendously impressed with how our team came out and set the tone for the game,” Fasching said. “Defensively, to pitch a shutout in college football is not easy and our defense looked fast and physical.”

Johnnie fans haven’t seen a start like this in six years; you’d have to go back to 2018 to find an opening game where the Johnnies held their opponent scoreless. Much of this defensive success has to do with turning the ball over back to the offense.

“This defensive unit has lofty goals for the year,” Sanders stated. “I am extremely proud of our guys and the first step we took in that journey on Saturday. Getting a shutout in the first game of the season is an awesome way to set the tone for the rest of the year. We have a goal as a defense to keep the total points against under 100 points, so I think we’re off to a pretty good start.”

The Johnnie defense forced three turnovers against Carthage, all interceptions. Cisneros had one of them.

“An interception is a great way to start off the season and definitely gives me some confidence,” Cisneros said.

The other two Johnnies who picked off Carthage were senior linebacker Jack Bjork and senior defensive back Cage Linton.

While SJU’s defense shutout Carthage, the Johnnies offense started off the 2024 season with 49 points scored. Since 2014, the Johnnies have only scored 49 or more points three times in the opening game of the season (2017, 2018 and 2024). The high score was mainly due to the Johnnies passing offense and their ability to throw the ball down the field.

“The other important factor [in the win] was that we were able to connect on some big plays, especially on the offensive side of the ball,” Fasching said.

Being able to connect on big plays usually stems from the quarterback position. Syverson is a key leader on the team this season and Fasching appreciates the role he has grown into.

“Aaron is a veteran who has played a lot of football for us. He is well respected by his teammates and understands the importance of the team,” Fasching said. “The sign of a great quarterback and a player in general is that they make everyone around them better and I see that with Aaron.”

Junior wide receiver Dylan Wheeler, who caught nine passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns, seconded the respect he has for his quarterback.

“I’m really fortunate to have Aaron as a quarterback,” Wheeler said. “He’s incredibly talented and humble and a great leader on our team.”

The Johnnies are proud of their week one performance, but tougher tides loom ahead as Wartburg comes rolling into Clemens Stadium this Saturday. Wartburg comes into the game ranked fifth in the American Football Coaches Association’s (AFCA) Top 25 poll. For reference, after their win over Carthage, the Johnnies moved up two spots from fourteenth to twelfth.

“Wartburg is a tremendous football team. They have been a final four team each of the past 2 seasons, and last year were one play away from playing for the national title,” Fasching said. “We will need to be at our very best to beat them on Saturday. Our guys will be ready.”

Wartburg’s passing attack led the way in their first game of the season as quarterback Carter Markham threw for a career best 301 passing yards. Cisneros, aware of the challenge, complimented his coaches and the preparation they provide for him.

“Our defensive coaches always have a great game plan, so if we can execute that and come ready to play then I have full confidence in our defensive backs and our entire defense,” Cisneros said.