Box Score

Austin Duncan set a school record for rushing yards in a season and the Piper football team came within inches of their first win over St. John's in nearly two decades but had to settle for a 20-14 setback in Collegeville Saturday. 

Duncan carried the ball 35 times for 154 yards to up his seasonal total to 1,302, besting Eric Johnson's mark of 1,290 in 1996. But his individual exploits had to share center stage with a determined effort by Hamline on both sides of the ball.

Hamline hadn't beaten the Johnnies in a football game since 1994 when current HU head coach Chad Rogosheske was a player. However, after surrendering an early field goal, HU marched 62 yards in seven plays with QB Gabe Martinez throwing a 1-yard scoring pass to RB Kevin Eskuri and a 7-3 lead.

Midway in the second quarter, Corey Gardner picked off a pass at the HU 41. The Pipers promptly went 59 yards in seven plays with Martinez finding Noah Pesola for a four-yard TD and a 14-3 lead. 

SJU came back for a TD of its own to cut the margin to 14-10 at halftime. The Johnnies added 10 points in the third quarter but the Pipers took advantage of a short punt and moved the ball to the SJU 1 but Duncan was stopped just short of the goal line on fourth and goal early in the fourth quarter.

With 6:08 left in the game, Jack Swanberg turned in the Pipers' second interception of the day. HU got as far as the SJU 16 but Martinez's fourth down pass fell incomplete and the Johnnies held on from there to push the Pipers to 2-7 overall (1-7 MIAC). 

Duncan had his seventh 100-yard plus game of the season, losing just two yards all day. He has now carried the ball 282 times for 1,302 yards and is the only MIAC player this season with over 1,000 yards on the ground. His total of 1,436 All-Purpose Yards also leads the league.

Hamline wraps up the 2013 season next Saturday, November 16 with the battle for the Paint Bucket at Macalester. Game time is 1:00 p.m.