Matt Boyce Leads Posse in Gustavus Adolphus Gusties 63-14 Victory
You’ll have to excuse the defensive backs who have played against Gustavus Adolphus wide receiver Matt Boyce this season. The hardest working guy on the field is so skilled and so precise in what he does that he makes it all look so effortless. They have to be getting pretty irate by this point. Saturday afternoon the Carleton Knights got to see that first hand as Boyce caught eight passes, for 161-yards and 2 touchdowns. That gives him 11 on the season, tops in the country at the Division-III level.
The Gustavus Adolphus offense is the peak of efficiency to say the least. They had the ball 11 times in the game, and scored touchdowns on nine of those possessions. The only two times they had the ball and did not score was when they had it with 15 seconds left at the end of the first half, and on their last possession of the game. By that point it was a 49-point lead.
The Gusties first score was actually generated by the special teams. The Knights were forced to punt after going three-and-out on their first possession. The punt was blocked by Josh Curtis. George Buchner scooped it up and ran 20-yards for the score and just 64-seconds into the game it was 7-0.
Carleton showed some moxie, moving 75-yards in 11-plays in their next possession before scoring. Quarterback Zach Creighton’s five-yard touchdown pass to Chris Madden capped off the drive and tied the score. From there it was all bad.
GAC put together their own extended drive on their first possession. Moving 65-yards in 13-plays, QB Mitch Hendricks seemed to find an open receiver anywhere he looked. The Gusties Gunslinger threw with incredible precision, completing six of eight passes, including a five-yard score to Boyce.
Carleton turned the ball over on downs on their next possession, they would pay quickly. Hendricks found Gabe Boyce for 11-yards to get the drive started, then went up top to brother Matt for 68-yards and the touchdown.
Next possession was another extended drive, eating up six minutes on the clock as the team moved 58-yards in 12-plays. Gabe Boyce made the four-yard reception for the touchdown and it was 28-7.
Each team would score one more time before half. DaiVon Poole found a hole and raced 26-yards to cap off a 45-yard drive. Hendricks was a perfect 4-4 on the possession. Creighton’s second touchdown pass to Madden gave the Knights 14. It was an impressive drive by the Carleton quarterback as he took his team 76-yards in just 48 seconds.
Coming out of the locker room at half, the Gusties continued to roll on offense. Running back Karim Ortiz helped move the ball down the field, carrying the rock six times for 30 yards, before Hendricks found Gabe Boyce for a nine-yard touchdown.
The next three possessions ended in scores by running backs. Ortiz scored from four-yards out to make it 49-14, and Poole punched it in from five-yards out to increase the lead to 42. The final score came on a two-yard run by Matt Berkner to complete the 63-14 rout.
Hendricks finished with another outstanding day, going 20-29 for 270 yards and 4 TDs. Ortiz had 57-yards rushing and a TD, and Poole had 56-yards on the ground and 2 scores. Gabe Boyce joined his brother with 2 touchdown receptions and 8-catches, as he finished with 64-yards receiving.
Creighton was 16-22 for 140-yards and 2-touchdowns for Carleton. He also had 73-yards on the ground. Madden had 7-catches for 97-yards and 2 TDs.
By Robert Pannier