1965 Saint John's Johnnies football team

The 1965 Saint John's Johnnies football team was an American football team that represented Saint John's University as a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) during the 1965 NAIA football season. In their 13th season under head coach John Gagliardi, the Johnnies compiled an 11–0 record (7–0 against conference opponents) and won the MIAC championship. The team advanced to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics playoff and won the NAIA national championship with a 33–0 victory over Linfield Wildcats in the Champion Bowl. It was the second of four national championships for the Saint John's Johnnies football program under head coach John Gagliardi.

1965 Saint John's Johnnies football
NAIA national champion
MIAC champion
Champion Bowl, W 33–0 vs. Linfield
ConferenceMinnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record11–0 (7–0 MIAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumSaint John's Stadium
1965 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Saint John's (MN) $^ 7 –0 –011 –0 –0
No. 19 Concordia (MN) 5 –2 –06 –2 –0
St. Thomas (MN) 4 –2 –14 –4 –1
Gustavus Adolphus 4 –3 –05 –4 –0
Minnesota–Duluth 3 –4 –04 –5 –0
Augsburg 2 –4 –13 –5 –1
Hamline 2 –5 –03 –6 –0
Macalester 0 –7 –00 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll

On defense, the team opened the season with four consecutive shutouts and held seven of eleven opponents scoreless. In all 11 games, the defense gave up only 27 points, an average of 2.5 points per game.[1] They gave up an average of only 112.1 yards of total offense per game.[2] On offense, the Johnnies averaged 233 rushing yards per game, led by halfback Jim Shiely's 823 rushing yards.[2]

Coach Gagliardi was named NAIA Coach of the Year, and junior defensive back Pat Whalin was named to the first team on the Little All-America team. Eight Saint John's player were named to the 1965 All-MIAC team.

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 11River Falls*
W 16–0[3][4]
September 18Bemidji State*
  • St. John's Stadium
  • Collegeville, MN
W 7–0[5]
September 25at Macalester
W 48–0[6]
October 1at St. Thomas (MN)
  • O'Shaughnessy Field
  • St. Paul, MN
W 10–0[7]
October 9Hamlinedagger
  • St. John's Stadium
  • Collegeville, MN
W 34–6[8]
October 16at Minnesota–DuluthDuluth, MNW 17–8[9]
October 23Gustavus Adolphus
  • Saint John's Stadium
  • Collegeville, MN
W 34–0[10]
October 30at AugsburgMinneapolis, MNW 28–6[11]
November 6Concordia (MN)
  • Saint John's Stadium
  • Collegeville, MN
W 10–08,000[12]
November 27vs. Fairmont State*
W 28–74,325[13]
December 11vs. Linfield*
W 33–04,843[14][15][16]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming

Post-season

The Johnnies advanced to the NAIA playoffs and defeated Fairmont State in the semifinals by a 28–7 score at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota.[13] The game was played on a frozen field with a temperature of 15 degrees and a 23 mile-per-hour wind. Fullback Stan Suchta rushed for 124 yards and was named the game's most valuable player.[1]

On December 11, Saint John's faced the Linfield Wildcats from Oregon in the NAIA national championship game which was then known as the Champion Bowl. Saint John's dominated the game, intercepting four Linfield passes and holding Linfield to 43 yards of total offense (28 rushing, 15 passing). The final score was 33–0.[14] Suchta rushed for 91 yards and three touchdowns and was selected as the game's most valuable player.[1] The victory gave Saint John's its second NAIA Football National Championship in three years.[17]

Awards and honors

Coach Gagliardi was named MIAC Coach of the Year and NAIA Coach of the Year. He led Saint John's to its second NAIA championship in three years and compiled an 82–26–2 record in his first 13 years at the school.[18][19] Gagliardi later became the winningest coach in college football history and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[20]

Tackle Mike Collins received the "Golden Helmet" award presented by Coca Cola Co. and the Twin Cities Sportcasters Association as the top football player and scholar among Minnesota's college football teams.[21]

Three Saint John's players were included on the Associated Press' Little All-America team. Junior defensive back Pat Whalin was named to the first team, and offensive tackle Fred Cremer was named to the second team. Mike Collins received honorable mention.[22]

Eight Saint John's players were named to the All-MIAC team selected by the conference coaches: halfback Jim Shiely; offensive end Dave Griffen; offensive tackle Mike Collins (the only unanimous pick); center Dennis Sharkey; defensive tackle Fred Cremer; defensive end Joe Mucha; linebacker John Ford; and defensive halfback Pat Whalin.[23]

References
  1. "2021 J-Club Hall of Honor Class: 1965 SJU Football Team". Saint John's University. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  2. "MN Chapter of the National Football Foundation Announces Minnesota Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Football Foundation.
  3. "St. John's Blanks River Falls 16–0". Minneapolis Tribune. September 12, 1965. p. 7S – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Bob Hall (September 13, 1965). "Defense Paces Johnnies to 16–0 Victory Over River Falls". St. Cloud Times. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "St. John's Blanks Bemidji State 7–0". Minneapolis Tribune. September 19, 1965. p. 6S – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Bob Hall (September 27, 1965). "Stingy Johnnies May Force Revision of Dictionary". St. Cloud Times. p. 18.
  7. Bob Hall (October 2, 1965). "Jays Extend Shutout String to 5 Games: Blank Tommies 10–0". St. Cloud Times. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.(fifth consecutive shutout)
  8. "Johnnies Rip Pipers 34–6". Minneapolis Tribune. October 10, 1965. p. 13S – via Newspapers.com.(Gagliardi's 100th coaching victory)
  9. Bob Hall (October 18, 1965). "Clutch Performance Carries Jays to Win". St. Cloud Times. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "St. John's Rolls Over Gusties for 7th Win". Minneapolis Tribune. October 24, 1965. p. 9S – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Bob Fowler (October 31, 1965). "St. John's Powerful Defense, 'Dusty' Offense Rips Augs". Minneapolis Tribune. p. 10S – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Johnnies Boot Concordia 10–0". Minneapolis Tribune. November 7, 1965. pp. 1S, 12S – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Bob Fowler (November 28, 1965). "Johnnies Rip Fairmont 28–7". Minneapolis Tribune. pp. Sports 1, 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Bill Kirby (December 11, 2020). "Dec. 11, 1965: The Champion Bowl football game came to Augusta". Augusta Chronicle.
  15. Al Lightner (December 12, 1965). "Linfield Thrashed In Bowl: Johnnies Rip 'Cats 33 to 0". The Statesman Journal. pp. 15, 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. Bob Fowler (December 12, 1965). "Johnnies Rip Linfield 33–0". Minneapolis Tribune. pp. Sports 1, 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "65th Annual NAIA Football National Championship Media Guide" (PDF). NAIA. 2021. pp. 53, 56–57.(Saint John's NAIA national championshipa in 1963 and 1965)
  18. "Gagliardi Is Coach of Year". The Winona Daily News. November 22, 1965. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Gagliardi NAIA Coach of Year". The Minneapolis Star. January 6, 1966. p. 6D – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "John Gagliardi, Winningest College Football Coach, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 8, 2018. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  21. "Sunde, Collins Get 'Helmet' Grid Award". Minneapolis Tribune. January 12, 1966. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Whalin Named Little All-America". St. Cloud Times. November 30, 1965. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. Bob Fowler (November 21, 1965). "St. John's, Cobbers Lead Team". Minneapolis Tribune. p. 8S – via Newspapers.com.
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