Scots football to face #6 St. John’s in second round of NCAA tournament
Billy Lopatto - Contributing Writer
On Sunday night, the #23-ranked Monmouth Fighting Scots football team found out they will be playing the St. John’s University Johnnies, ranked 6th in the nation, in the second round of the NCAA Division III football tournament. This is the first time the Scots will be in the big dance since 2019, when they lost in the first round to Wisconsin-Whitewater 35-10. It is also the first time the two teams will play each other since 2005, a first-round NCAA playoff game where the Johnnies disposed of the Scots 62-3.
“I’m a little emotional.”, said head coach Chad Braun in a post-selection show speech to his team. “20 years ago, I got to go up to St. John’s for my first playoff berth, so here I am 20 years later getting to go up there. The difference is that we had a team 20 years ago that was just happy that it was the first time we’d ever been in the NCAA playoffs. I got a team that’s going to go up there on a mission this year.”
The Scots come into the second-round game with a 9-1 overall record and 9-0 in MWC play, finishing their regular season with a more-than-decisive 69-0 win over Knox College in the Turkey Bowl. The offense has been hot for the boys in red all season long, putting up a combined 504 points through all 10 games. Additionally, the Scots average 6.4 yards per play, 448.3 yards per game, and put up a total of 4483 yards throughout the season. Together, those yards have translated into 247 first downs and 36 touchdowns. On the defensive end of the ball, the Scots pack just as much of a punch as they do on offense. Throughout the season, the Scots have only allowed a combined 64 points from their opponents in 10 games, which is an average of only 6.4 points allowed per game.
Going along with a low point allowance, the Scots have only allowed six touchdowns all season, an average of less than a touchdown per game.
Comparatively, the Johnnies come into the 29th’s game with a 9-1 overall record, but an 8-1 record in MIAC play. The Johnnies finished their regular season with a very rousing 63-21 win over the St. Olaf Oles on Saturday. On offense, St. John’s has scored a combined 505 points over their 10 games. On defense, the Johnnies have only allowed 88 points to be scored against them all season. They have also allowed only 11 touchdowns from opponents, and only three points in the first quarter all season long.
The Scots and Johnnies will face off in Collegeville, Minnesota, on Saturday, Nov. 29, with kickoff scheduled for Noon.
Jeremiah Williams hurdles another player. Photo by Nayeli Perez.