UST Football Notes/Oct. 12

October 12, 2000
Thur. Oct. 12, 2000

2000 St. Thomas Football 5-Game Notes:

.Young Lineup -- St. Thomas starts seven sophomores and a junior transfer QB on offense, and starts three sophomores and one freshman on defense. UST has five new starters from tackle to tackle, yet ranks 18th nationally in rushing. Center Matt McLaughlin (SO-Minnetonka), 6-5, 265, was a U of Minnesota walk-on (third-team Gopher center) transferred to UST this fall.

.Barkley Watch -- RB Jake Barkley (SO-Plymouth/Robbinsdale Armstrong) ranks eighth in NCAA Division III rushing at 159 ypg... he has scored seven TDs in the last four games and on the season has gained 797 yards in five games with a 7.5 ypc average... he's had four consecutive 100-yard rushing games, with four TD runs of 68 or more yards... he's had TD runs or receptions of 68, 83, 75, 46, 32, 14 and 81 yards... Barkley had rushing yards in only six games in 1999 , but finished with 365 yards. In his last seven MIAC games dating back to last season, he rushed for 126 yards at Augsburg (1999); 97 vs. Bethel (1999); 48 at Concordia (1999); 272 vs. Concordia (2000); 196 at Carleton (2000); 137 vs. SJU (2000); and 130 at Augsburg (2000)... Barkley has 1,519 all-purpose yards in 13 career games, including 1,162 rushing yards... Barkley has a 3.88 gpa in Entreprenuership.

.Last Week -- The Toms won 16-0 at Augsburg -- their first shutout victory in Coach Don Roney's three seasons... UST overcame several mistakes -- five turnovers and 13 penalties for 143 yards -- to run their MIAC winning streak away from O'Shaughnessy Stadium to 11 games... The Toms have won 28 of the last 30 meetings vs. the Auggies in the series... Barkley's 81-yard TD run staked the Toms to a 7-0 halftime lead. Soph Sean O'Leary's third-period sack in the end zone resulted in a safety and a 9-0 lead. A blocked punt by junior Conor Casey in the fourth-quarter was recovered at the Auggie 2-yard-line and led to UST's final TD on sophomore Nick Whitehead's short scoring run. Casey, who had 1.5 sacks and one other tackle for loss among his 5.5 tackles, was named MIAC Special Teams Player of the Week.

.Defense -- The Toms led the MIAC in fewest yards allowed in 1999, but graduated eight of those starters. Last Saturday, they held Augsburg to only five net rushing yards on 32 carries and just 153 total yards. The UST defense contributed four sacks and now has 25 sacks in five games.

.New QB -- Junior QB Nick Ambrasas of Faribault Academy and St. Paul Arlington, in his first career start, completed 9-of-20 passes for 103 yards and one interception in the win at Augsburg. Ambrasas, a former U of M walk-on, transferred to St. Thomas last January. He relieved sophomore starter Alex Jadin in three of the first four UST games. UST ranks 18th nationally in rushing (233 ypg) but has completed just 44% of its passes for 125 ypg, three TDs and 10 interceptions.

.Kaiser Tradition -- Even though UST graduated 3X All-MIAC quarterback Greg Kaiser, they feature two other Kaiser brothers on defense -- junior DE Andy Kaiser and freshman LB John Kaiser.

.MIAC Race -- St. John's and Bethel (4-0) lead the MIAC race, one game ahead of Gustavus and St. Thomas (3-1). The Toms still must play at St. Olaf and Gustavus, face Bethel in the Metrodome, and play Macalester and Hamline at home.

.Ludtke Watch -- UST senior running back Marcus Ludtke ran for 38 yards last Saturday and now has 1,741 career rushing yards. He played his first two seasons at Concordia-Moorhead.

.Miscellaneous -- The Toms have finished 7-2 in the MIAC in each of the last four seasons... the Toms have beaten St. Olaf six of the last seven meetings... In Don Roney's three seasons, the Tommies are 0-3 vs. St. John's, 0-3 vs. Bemidji State, 1-1 vs. both Gustavus and Bethel, and 15-0 vs. the other six conference teams... the Toms may have the nation's tallest kicker -- 6-foot-9 sophomore Brian Lynch, who was a backup on the Toms' 1999-2000 MIAC championship basketball team... UST hasn't allowed a touchdown in its last six quarters.

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