We normally concentrate almost solely on the FBS here at CFT, with a pinch of FCS thrown in for good measure. This, though, merits a mention and, since The Fifth Quarter is no longer a thing, I’ll toss it out here.
Div. III powerhouse St. John’s (Minn.) opened its 2017 season Saturday against fellow Div. III member St. Scholastica (Minn.) in Collegeville. And, let’s just say it was one for the history books.
By way of the Associated Press, St. John’s kicked the living rosaries out of its overmatched opponent, scoring 14 touchdowns en route to a 98-0 woodshedding. Not only did the Johnnies set a school record for most points scored in a game, breaking the old mark of 77 set against Bethel in 1993, but they also set the Div. III record for most points scored against another Div. III school -- the old mark was 97 by Concordia against Macalester way back in 1977.
St. John’s finished eight points shy of breaking the Div. III all-division record for points in a game, which is still held by Rockford for their 105-point performance against Trinity Bible in 2003.
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Johnnies used a whopping 46 players -- on defense alone.
St. John’s made the Div. III playoffs each of the past three seasons, and have four national championships to its name (last coming in 2003). From 1953-2012, the Johnnies were coached by John Gagliardi (pictured), whose 489 career wins are the most of any coach at any level of college football. His retirement in November of 2012 earned him a shoutout from the POTUS.