COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris football team fell 49-0 to No. 4/5 St. John's University on Saturday afternoon in Collegeville, Minn.
 
On the opening drive, the Cougars began to gain some momentum. Bryson Drake completed a seven-yard pass to Carter Watnaas for a first down. Although UMM was making progress, the drive stalled before crossing into SJU territory. On their first possession, the Johnnies were also stopped before midfield. Dylan Young recorded a sack, while Gregory Ohman and Brenton Overall combined for a tackle for loss. St. John's eventually opened the scoring on the final play of the first quarter with a three-yard rushing touchdown.
 
The Cougars struggled offensively on their first drive of the second quarter. Oscar Weah Jr. picked up two yards on first down, but the drive stalled there. St. John's responded with another rushing touchdown on its next possession, followed by another scoring drive that extended their lead.
 
UMM's following drive didn't gain traction against the nationally ranked Johnnies. On their final possession of the half, SJU reached the red zone, but Jackson Viemeister intercepted a pass in the end zone to stop the scoring threat. A late rush by Drake gave the Cougars a first down, but the clock expired before the offense could run another play.
 
Minnesota Morris opened the third quarter with its best drive of the game. Drake and Weah Jr. each rushed for five yards to move the chains, with Weah Jr. adding a six-yard gain later in the drive. Unfortunately, the possession ended early due to a fumble. The Cougars couldn't keep pace with the high-powered Johnnie offense, which scored four more touchdowns in the third quarter.
 
In the fourth quarter, the Cougars crossed midfield for the first time following an eight-yard rush from Weah Jr. Although the drive didn't result in points, Trever Cockerill's punt pinned SJU back at their own 14-yard line.
 
Minnesota Morris forced a fumble on the next Johnnies possession, and Jonathan Kaiser recovered it at the SJU 36-yard line. Drake then connected with Cole Laitinen for a 12-yard gain to enter the red zone. The Cougars went for it on fourth down, but a bad snap resulted in a turnover on downs.
 
On the very next play, Dino Villalobos forced another fumble, giving UMM the ball back. A catch and run by Manny Guy gained 20 yards, putting the Cougars inside the red zone again. Hayden Charboneau rushed for nine yards to bring the ball to the SJU six-yard line. UMM went for it again on fourth down, but the pass was broken up.
 
Charboneau led the team in passing with 26 yards on four completions, followed by Drake with 19 yards, also on four completions. On the ground, Drake ran for a team-high 42 yards, with Weah Jr. adding 36. In the receiving game, Guy had UMM's biggest gain with a 20-yard reception.
 
Defensively, Viemeister, Villalobos, and Brennan Johnk all contributed to takeaways. Viemeister had an interception, while Villalobos and Johnk each forced a fumble. Dylan Young recorded the team's lone sack in the first quarter. Arian Saenz led the Cougars in tackles with 10, followed by Ohman with nine.
 
On special teams, Cockerill punted seven times, averaging 38.9 yards per kick with a long of 50. Juan "JT" Garza returned six kicks for a total of 114 yards.
 
Minnesota Morris travels to Crown College for a non-conference matchup on Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. in St. Bonifacius, Minn.