NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College football team scored in all three phases and got 16 points from its defense and special teams in a 32-7 victory over the University of Northwestern in the season opener for both teams on Saturday at Klein Field at Manitou.
St. Olaf (1-0), which returned just six starters combined on offense and defense from last season, got a defensive touchdown from senior Noah Barrett, a blocked punt for a safety by sophomore Alec Mahoney, and a recovery of a muffed punt in the end zone from fifth-year senior Tony Avila-Tovalin to start its season with a win over Northwestern (0-1) for the second season in a row. The Oles have won four of the five meetings between the two programs who first met in 2013.
Offensively, senior Gus Gartzke recorded the third 100-yard rushing performance of his career by carrying the ball a career-high 27 times for 100 yards. The Oles outrushed the Eagles by a 188-46 margin and outgained the visitors by a 329-128 differential overall to overcome three interceptions. Sophomore Ethan Hess connected on field goals of 21, 28, and 42 yards and all three of his extra points in the win.
Senior Toby Kahl led the St. Olaf defense with eight total tackles, including one for a loss, while juniors Angelo Wilson and Sawyer Chell tallied the first interceptions of their respective careers. Sophomore Josh Kerber had a pair of tackles for a loss among his six total tackles.
After both teams were forced to punt on their first possessions of the season, St. Olaf's defense put the first points on the board when Barrett – a D3football.com All-Region selection a year ago – fell on a fumbled snap in the end zone for a touchdown five minutes into the game. Northwestern responded later in the quarter when Basil Demco hit Will Schleicher for a 13-yard touchdown pass one play after finding Trey Ulmer for a 39-yard game to get the Eagles into the red zone.
Early in the second quarter, sophomore Soren Floden pinned Northwestern at its one-yard line with a 51-yard punt that eventually led to a safety. After the St. Olaf defense forced a three-and-out, Mahoney blocked a punt that went out the back of the end zone to break the 7-7 tie. The Oles drove inside the five-yard line on the next possession, but Michael Montoya intercepted a deflected pass for the Eagles' defense to keep the visitors within two points.
St. Olaf increased its lead to 12-7 at the half on a 21-yard field goal by Hess in the final seconds of the second quarter and quickly stretched the lead to 19-7 in the third quarter. After Northwestern's defense forced the Oles to punt to start the third, the Eagles muffed the punt at the 20-yard line and Avila-Tovalin fell on the ball in the end zone after the ball bounced down to the goal line.
A quick three-and-out by the St. Olaf defense gave the Oles the ball right back, leading to a 42-yard field goal by Hess that gave St. Olaf a 22-7 lead. The 15-point margin remained intact until Hess added another field goal – this one from 28 yards – midway through the fourth quarter on a possession that started after Mahoney made a stop a yard short of the sticks on a fake punt by the Eagles.
Later in the fourth, Chell's first collegiate interception set St. Olaf up in Northwestern territory before junior Luke Crosby hit sophomore Jackson Kauck for a 32-yard gain down to the 10-yard line. Two plays later, junior Rob Htoo rumbled in from three yards out for his first collegiate touchdown to complete the scoring.
After an early bye, St. Olaf will be back at Klein Field at Manitou on Saturday, Sept. 20 for a 1 p.m. kickoff against Concordia-Moorhead in the battle for "The Troll."
Defense and special teams lift St. Olaf to season-opening win
/seasons/2025/boxscores/20250906_fw2w.xml
2025
Northwestern (Minn.)
7
St. Olaf
32
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern (Minn.) (0-1) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| St. Olaf (1-0) | 7 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 32 |
Sep 06, 2025