Three Johnson TD runs not enough for Cougars
(Story by Zach Koenig)
Three touchdown runs from Taylor Johnson (So. Lakeville, MN) could not prevent the University of Minnesota-Morris football team from falling 44-28 to Crown College on Saturday.
Receiving the ball to start the game, the Cougars drove down the field thanks to Johnson runs mixed in with passes from QB Jeff Karschnik (Sr. Windom, MN). Johnson capped the drive with a 7-yard TD rush, and the Rick Arterberry (Sr. Alex, OK) extra point gave UMM the early 7-0 lead.
Crown College answered with a 62-yard TD drive on their first possession to tie the score. After a stalled Cougar drive, Crown College again marched the length of the field and scored, upping their lead to 14-7, where it would remain until the end of the first quarter.
In the opening minutes of the second quarter, Crown College again found the end zone to increase their lead to 21-7. The Cougars answered back on the next possession when a 38-yard kick return from Matt Fragodt (Jr. Becker, MN) set up a drive that culminated with Johnson again reaching pay dirt, this time from six yards out, to move the Cougars within seven at 21-14.
Minnesota-Morris could not maintain that momentum, as Crown College upped the lead to 27-14 on the ensuing possession.
With six minutes left in the half, Karschnik led an impressive drive, connecting with Fragodt three times for 39 yards, the last reception a 12-yard strike into the end zone to narrow Crown College’s lead to 27-21.
After failed possessions by both teams, a Crown College field goal as time expired gave the visitors a 30-21 halftime lead.
With the game still within reach, Minnesota-Morris faltered in the third quarter, allowing two Crown College scores to put the visitors up 44-21.
Johnson’s final touchdown of the day in the waning minutes of the third quarter made the score 44-28, where it would stay until the end of the game.
Offensively, Johnson complemented his three TD rushes with 134 yards on 24 carries. Karschnik went 21-39 for 215 yards with one TD and no interceptions. Fragodt lead the receiving corps with 10 catches for 109 yards and one TD, while Brady Rose (So. Morgan, MN) caught three balls for 37 yards and Matt Throngard (So. Grantsburg, WI) had one catch for 17 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, Brady Janzen (Sr. Mountain Lake, MN) picked up his second sack of the season, while Adam Gertken (Fr. Richmond, MN) and Nate Lund (Fr. Cyrus, MN) led the team in tackles.
Now 3-4 overall and 3-3 in the UMAC, the Cougars will face Maranatha Baptist at the 2007 UMAC Dome Day on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 11:00 a.m. The Cougars defeated the Crusaders earlier this year 48-18 in Watertown, Wisconsin.
For more on the 2007 UMAC dome day
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| Minnesota - Morris | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Crown College | 14 | 16 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
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Box Score
