Berger's Big Day Through Air Leads St. Norbert Past Lawrence

From Sports Information Director, September 19, 2009 | Football
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE -- Rob Berger had his second 300-yard passing game of the season as St. Norbert College rolled to a 45-3 Midwest Conference win over Lawrence University in front of a sun-splashed Family Weekend crowd of 2,636 at Minahan Stadium. It marked the 12th consecutive win for St. Norbert in the series between the Fox River Valley rivals.

Berger completed 16 of 25 passes for a career-high 329 yards two weeks after throwing for 317 yards in a win over then No. 17-ranked Wartburg. Berger threw three touchdown passes with one interception.

St. Norbert (3-0, 2-0 MWC) took a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. The Green Knights marched 62 yards in eight plays on their first possession and scored on a 9-yard touchdown run by John Weninger just six minutes into the game. St. Norbert then went 86 yards on eight plays on its next series finished off on a 14-yard aerial from Berger to Jeremy Gezella.

The Vikings (0-2, 0-2 MWC) kept it close until the late stages of the first half. Berger hit Gezella in stride for an 80-yard touchdown pass just 2 minutes 52 seconds before halftime. The Green Knights then got a quick stop of Lawrence and Roger Nault connected on a 35-yard field goal as time expired in the first half for a 24-0 lead.

Lawrence had its best drive of the game late in the third quarter, when it needed 11 plays to move 63 yards to score on Cody Robel's 25-yard field goal with 2:07 left in the period. St. Norbert answered with 26 seconds left in the quarter on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Berger to Logan Krueger for a 31-3 lead.

On the first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter, Lawrence's Dan Behnke was leveled on a running play by St. Norbert defensive back Dan Sjoquist. Defensive lineman Mike Lunde picked up the ball at the Viking 29-yard line and rumbled into the end zone for a 38-3 advantage.

St. Norbert recovered another Lawrence fumble at the Viking 35 to set up its final scoring drive of the game. Joey Kobs plunged in from four yards out with 6:21 left in the game for a 45-3 score.

The Green Knights rolled up 444 yards of total offense with 349 coming through the air. Gezella hauled in six passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Weninger was the leading rusher with 38 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown.

Lawrence totaled 183 yards of total offense. Sam Ausloos was the Vikings' leading passer and rusher, completing 4 of 15 passes for 60 yards and rushing 10 times for 39 yards.