Green Knights Roll Past Ripon in Home Finale

From Sports Information Director, October 29, 2011 | Football
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College held Ripon College to 212 yards under its season rushing average en route to a convincing 37-21 Midwest Conference win at Kolstad Field at Schneider Stadium.

The Green Knights (6-3, 6-2 MWC) held the Red Hawks to 135 yards rushing, with 53 coming in the fourth quarter. Ripon (5-4, 4-4) came into the game averaging 347.5 yards per game on the ground. The win was St. Norbert's 12th in the last 13 games in the series.

St. Norbert scored twice on its first three possessions to take a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. Craig Fagan plunged in from three yards out, and Mike Fabrizio hit Joe Green on a 20-yard touchdown pass.

Ripon answered on a Jacob Gahart 34-yard field goal midway through the second quarter, but St. Norbert's Taylor Pasterski countered on a 27-yard field goal. Gahart nailed a Schneider Stadium record 45-yard field goal with 3 seconds left before halftime to trim the deficit to 17-6.

St. Norbert fumbled on its second play from scrimmage in the second half to set up a Ripon touchdown, a 17-yard scramble by Matt Miller. The Green Knights needed only 2:29 to respond with Kevin Hansen hitting Green on a 12-yard touchdown and a 24-13 lead.

The Green Knights broke the game open in the fourth quarter, with Hansen hitting Green again on a 25-yard score. Hansen then found Andy Pennenberg for a 46-yard touchdown with 5:32 remaining. Ripon scored its last points after a fumbled punt, with Tom Sawyer hitting Ben Garland on an 18-yard touchdown pass.

St. Norbert outgained Ripon 458-275 in total offense. Fagan rushed 22 times for 133 yards, while Hansen completed 8 of 13 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns. Green caught six passes for 122 yards and three touchdowns.

Ripon averaged 2.6 yards per carry, getting 135 yards on 51 rushes. T.J. Pierce led the Red Hawks with 69 yards on 13 carries. Garland caught five passes for 101 yards. Sawyer completed 5 of 6 passes for 51 yards.

St. Norbert punted just once in the game, coming when a pass interference penalty was picked up by the officials. The punt was St. Norbert's only one in the last two meetings against the Red Hawks.

Mike Gradus and Ben Nantell had 10 tackles apiece, with Gradus getting two sacks.