SAINT PAUL, MINN.—The Hamline University football team's 2022 home opener pitted them against Minnesota Morris at Klas Field on Saturday afternoon. Both teams racked up over 400 yards of total offense, but it was the Pipers who capitalized on Cougar turnovers en route to a 34-21 victory.
Hamline now moves to 2-0 with a victory over Morris for the second-straight season. The Pipers defeated the Cougars 30-28 in their second game of the season in 2021. Minnesota Morris falls to 0-2 on the season.
Hamline 34, Minnesota Morris 21
Hamline's opening drive resulted in 58 yards on the ground for Nikolas Rocafort, which carried his team from their own 37 yard line to Morris's one yard line, where they were stopped on 4th-and-one.
It took Hamline just two plays to find the end zone on their next drive, which began on their own 45 thanks to Juan Bertaud's interception. Dorrayn Tapplin's 27-yard run set up Alejandro Villanueva's 28-yard touchdown pass to Ryder Hutton that made the score 7-0 with 6:12 left in the first quarter.
The Cougars quickly answered on their next two possessions. Marcus Reeb's 15-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Naughton with 1:12 left in the first made things 7-7, followed by a 12-yard touchdown toss to Ethan Tang with 7:32 left in the second that gave Morris a 14-7 lead.
Hamline used it as ignition, as they chewed over six minutes off the clock with a 16-play drive that ended with Villanueva's five-yard touchdown run that knotted things at 14-14 with 1:04 left in the opening half. The Pipers defense forced a Morris "three-and-out," which got them the ball back in great field position on the Cougar 35-yard line thanks to a 19-yard punt with 0:32 on the clock. On the first play, Villanueva found Charlie Wilson from 35 yards out to push Hamline's lead to 20-14 with 0:18 left in the half.
Wilson also prevailed on the ground, as his 56-yard run on Hamline's opening play of the drive with 10:18 left in the third pushed their lead to 27-14. The Pipers' final scoring drive of the game was set up by Ryan Kouri's interception with 5:32 left in the third quarter. The 12-play drive ended with Villanueva's eight-yard touchdown run that widened Hamline's lead to 34-14.
The Cougars registered the fourth quarter's lone touchdown with 10:57 left after they drove the ball from their own 33 yard line all the way down to the one, where Reeb's touchdown pass to Cameron Whitney narrowed the score to 34-21.
Villanueva went 12-for-15 passing for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Charlie Wilson racked up 139 yards of offense after he notched 68 yards rushing on just three carries, and caught five passes for 71 yards. He registered a rushing, and receiving touchdown. Rocafort led the Pipers rushers with 112 yards on 20 carries. Caleb Lueders paced the Hamline defense with 12 tackles (six solo) and a forced fumble. Kouri and Bertaud each registered interceptions for Hamline.
Marcus Reeb went 23-for-35 passing for 247 yards and three touchdowns for Morris.
The Pipers will host Carleton at Klas Field for Homecoming on Saturday, September 24 at 1 p.m.
