Monmouth’s ‘Road to Salem’ full of high-ranked obstacles

Release Date: November 14, 2005

MONMOUTH, Ill. — One year after being the only 9-1 team in the nation left out of the NCAA Division III playoffs, the Monmouth College Fighting Scots have another interesting distinction. They are one of two teams with the hardest possible road to the 2005 national championship game.

It’s hard to argue that fact, considering that, if the seeds hold to form around them, coach Steve Bell’s Scots would have to defeat, in order, teams that are ranked No. 3, No. 2, No. 1 and No. 4 in the most recent D3football.com poll. If Monmouth can run the table against that stiff competition, the reward would be a spot in the Stagg Bowl Dec. 17 in Salem, Va. The other West Region team facing a similar fate is Central, which drew second-ranked UW-Whitewater as its opening foe.

“I was surprised that they didn’t break up some of the top teams in the West,” said Bell, whose team enjoyed a weekend off Saturday. That’s a pretty tough row to hoe, but it should be.”

The first stop on Monmouth’s road to Salem is an eight-hour trip to Collegeville, Minn., on Saturday to meet third-ranked Saint John’s University. Kickoff is scheduled for noon at Clemens Stadium, which was renovated in 1997 and now features the popular artificial surface that Monmouth has seen in its road games at Lake Forest and Carroll.

The facility was built in 1908, and for more than half of their seasons there, the team has been coached by the legendary John Gagliardi. In 53 seasons at Saint John’s, Gagliardi has posted 407 victories. He is such an integral part of small college football that the equivalent of the Division III Heisman Trophy is named after him. Clemens Stadium seats 7,000 fans, and the Johnnies report an average attendance of nearly 9,000 fans this fall.

“I’ve actually coached there twice,” said Bell, who grew up in Virginia, Minn., and then graduated from and coached at Bemidji (Minn.) State University. “I’m familiar with the ‘aura’ at Saint John’s. It’s a great place to play. I’m going to tell the kids that this is the closest they’re going to get to playing in a Division I atmosphere.”

Gagliardi’s teams won the national titles in 1976 and 2003, and the 10-0 Johnnies are certainly a strong contender to gain another crown thanks to a balanced offense and stingy defense that have posted statistics similar to Monmouth’s units.

Quarterback Alex Kofoed has thrown for 2,486 yards and 19 TDs, with receiver Kyle Gearman catching 47 passes for 784 yards and nine scores. Running back Corey Weber has gained 645 yards and rushed for 15 touchdowns, and three other SJU backs have gained between 299 and 351 yards. That trio includes Mike Lofboom, who has 33 catches for 513 yards to rank third on the team in receptions. Weber is No. 2 in that category, catching 35 passes for 293 yards and two TDs.

Up front, three senior starters have paved the way for the Johnnies, who are averaging 43.5 points per game. The trio includes two-time All-MIAC tackle Matt Nelson.

“They’re obviously very good,” said Bell. “The one thing that stands out is how fast they are. There’s going to be a speed difference in this game compared to what we’ve seen. They’re not overpowering size-wise, but they’re athletic, and they can run.”

On the defensive side of the ball, nose tackle Damien Dumonceaux is the leading tackler with 60 stops, including 13.5 for loss. Defensive end Kevin McNamara has added 10.5 tackles in the opponents’ backfield, while John Cloeter leads the team with four interceptions. Dumonceaux is an All-MIAC player, as are cornerbacks Mike Zauhar and Tony Steffensmeier and defensive tackle Jason Good, a second-team All-American in 2004.

When talking Xs and Os, it seems clear that the main concern for the Fighting Scots’ offense will be keeping the Johnnies’ talented front four out of quarterback Mitch Tanney’s face. When given a proper pocket to throw, Tanney has shown time and again that he has the talent to deliver, as evidenced by his 74.4 percent completion rate and his status as the No. 1-ranked quarterback in Division III. He has thrown for 2,469 yards and 33 TDs this fall, including 65 completions for 827 yards and 13 scores to his top receiver Evan Haffner.

“If we can protect Mitch, I feel really good about what we can do offensively,” said Bell. “We want to give him time to make good decisions and get the ball downfield. Of course, we’ll have to do well running the ball, too.”

The Scots expect leading rusher Dante Daniels (851 yards, 12 TDs) to be back in action. Bobby Gibbs has rushed for 326 yards this year, while Tanney has added 235 yards and five rushing touchdowns this season.

“I’m very excited,” Bell concluded. “You practice from August to November to play the best. Why not right off the start? This game will be a great measuring stick for our program.”

NOTES: A Monmouth College tailgate gathering at Clemens Stadium is planned for 10 a.m. on game day. President Mauri Ditzler will be in attendance … In all, Gagliardi has coached college football for 57 years, which ties him with another legendary coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg, for the most years of service in the history of college football. Monmouth did not fare well in its game against Stagg’s University of Chicago team in 1903, losing 108-0 … Saint John’s is the winningest team in DIII history with 525 victories in 95 seasons. Monmouth, which has a slightly longer gridiron history, has won 474 games … Monmouth’s breakthrough win came against St. Norbert by a 28-20 score, and the Scots also defeated Carroll by a touchdown. Similarly, Saint John’s has stayed perfect after overcoming a pair of close calls. The Johnnies defeated UW-Eau Claire 35-28 in the season opener and they posted a 20-16 triumph on Oct. 15 over league-rival and playoff participant Concordia-Moorhead. Both of those narrow wins came on the road. At home, the Johnnies won four games by an average score of 51-8 … Red will be the color of choice for both teams’ fans, as the Johnnies wear red jerseys with white pants and helmets for their home games … Weather in central Minnesota could certainly be a factor for the Nov. 19 contest. The early forecast for Collegeville calls for mostly cloudy skies with a high of 43. Snow is in the forecast Monday through Thursday.

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