St. John’s will open season ranked fifth, and four more things to know about Minnesota college football

St. John’s, ranked No. 5 in the D3football.com preseason top 25, will open its season Saturday at home against Minnesota Morris.

Beyond the game, the school will honor former Johnnies receiver Blake Elliott, who will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 9.

Elliott, who was second all-time in all NCAA divisions in receptions and touchdown catches when he finished his career in 2003, is the second player from the MIAC — Calvin Roberts of Gustavus Adolphus was the first — to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Former Johnnies coach John Gagliardi and former Concordia (Moorhead) coach Jim Christopherson are members of the Hall of Fame.

For the first time since 2021, the Johnnies will open the season with a new quarterback. Aaron Syverson, the Walter Camp Division III Player of the Year last season, went 36-5 over four seasons as a starter and set program and MIAC records for passes completed and attempted, passing yards and touchdown passes.

Here are four other Minnesota college football story lines this week:

Bethel, No. 12 in the D3football.com poll, also opens Saturday, at home against Northwestern (St. Paul) in the Royals’ first-ever night game at their campus. The Royals went 11-3 and reached the quarterfinals of the Division III playoffs last season in Mike McElroy’s first season as coach. Bethel has reached the playoffs the past four seasons.

St. Thomas (1-1) received votes in this week’s AFCA FCS Top 25 coaches poll. It’s the first time since the 2023 preseason poll that the Tommies have received votes.

The Tommies opened the season with a 35-13 victory over Lindenwood, which had received votes in the preseason poll, on Aug. 28 in St. Paul. Last week the Tommies lost 37-30 at No. 11 Idaho. Idaho has been in the FBS poll for 36 consecutive weeks.

This week, the Tommies travel to Marquette, Mich., to take on Division II Northern Michigan. It will be the first meeting of the Tommies and Wildcats. The Wildcats are 0-2 this season and have lost 24 consecutive games, the second-longest active losing streak in D-II to West Virginia Wesleyan’s 26-game skid.

The Tommies have been led by transfer quarterback Andy Peters, who has thrown for 436 yards and five touchdowns. Last week at Idaho, he threw for 264 yards and three TDs.

Minnesota State Mankato, ranked No. 3 in the D2football.com poll and No. 7 in the AFCA Division II poll, will visit Minnesota Duluth on Saturday. Both teams are 2-0.

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 24 in the AFCA poll, are playing their first home game after victories over Winona State at TCO Stadium in Eagan and at Concordia (St. Paul).

Minnesota Morris defensive lineman Chayce Meyer, a senior from Osakis, Minn., established a program record for tackles for loss with the 48th of his career in the Cougars’ season-opening, 17-16 loss at Concordia (Ill.) in River Forest, Ill.