area college update
GAME OF THE WEEK
St. John's at St. Thomas, 1:10 p.m. Saturday: For the second consecutive season, the rivals meet in their MIAC opener. Each team has opened the season with a road victory at Wisconsin-River Falls and a home victory over Wisconsin-Eau Claire. St. Thomas, ranked No. 2 in the d3football.com poll, has won 27 consecutive MIAC games — one shy of the MIAC record held by St. John's. The Johnnies defeated the Tommies 12 consecutive times between 1998 and 2009, but the Tommies have won the past three meetings — the past two by a combined score of 106-28.
WEEK 3 STORY LINES
• Bethel senior safety J.D. Mehlhorn, a senior from Lakeville, has been named to the 22-player roster for the 2013 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. The student-athletes on the team are recognized for community service and off-the-field achievements. Mehlhorn traveled to Slovakia this summer to volunteer with inner-city children.
• Concordia (St. Paul) has already equaled its 2012 victory total. The Golden Bears, who were 2-9 last season, have beaten Minot State and Bemidji State to open a season 2-0 for the first time since 2004. The Golden Bears, who are ranked No. 25 in the d2football.com poll, play host to St. Cloud State (2-0), which is ranked No. 24, on Saturday.
• In his first two seasons with SW Minnesota State, Tyler Tonderum was primarily used as a kick returner. His career rushing total heading into this season was 16 yards. Tonderum rushed for 83 yards in the Mustangs' season-opening, 49-35 loss to St. Cloud State. Last Saturday in Moorhead, Minn. Tonderum rushed for a school-record 343 yards on 42 carries in the Mustangs' 27-20 victory over MSU Moorhead. Tonderum's effort is the best in all divisions of NCAA football this season. Tonderum's 213 rushing yards per game leads Division II.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Damon Treat, WR, St. Cloud State: The 5-7 senior from Fairfield, Calif., has made a big contribution to the Huskies' 2-0 start. Treat has reached or surpassed 100 receiving yards and 100 kickoff return yards in each of the Huskies' victories. On the season, Treat has caught 11 passes for 256 yards and two TDs and returned eight kickoffs for 227 yards.
Josh Treimer, CB, Bethel: The 5-11 senior from Burnsville had three first-half interceptions in the Royals' 30-17 victory over Wartburg. Treimer, who had two interceptions in 2012, returned his second interception 27 yards for a TD.
BY THE NUMBERS
28: Victories (in 31 games) for MIAC teams in nonconference games since the beginning of the 2012 season.
427: Rushing yards (a school record) for St. Scholastica in a 47-10 victory over Iowa Wesleyan in Duluth last Saturday.
500: Victories since 1946 (the modern era in college football) for St. John's. The Johnnies' .765 winning percentage (500-150-10) since 1946 is the best in all divisions of college football.
joel rippel
