FARMINGTON, Minn. -- Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) football teams went an even 5-5 in their non-conference contests to open the 2026 season last weekend. Saint John's earned the conference's biggest win of the new year, topping UW-La Crosse, 24-21, at home in a battle of nationally-ranked programs.
Only one game is on this weekend's slate, as Concordia (1-0) will host St. Olaf (0-1) at 7:00 p.m. in the Lefse Bowl. The winner will take home the vaunted Troll Trophy, which holds the distinction of being labeled the "Ugliest Rivalry Trophy in College Football" by ESPN's College GameDay.
Stat Pack
The latest MIAC Football Stat Pack can be viewed here.
In the Polls
Never Forget
A quarterback on the 1981 and 1982 Saint John's football teams, Tom Burnett became an American hero on September 11, 2001, when he and three other passengers rushed the cockpit of the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93, forcing the plane to crash into a Shanksville, Pennsylvania field. Burnett -- who was traveling in his role as chief operating officer of Thoratec, a company specializing in manufacturing heart pumps for patients in need of transplants -- called his wife, Deena, from the plane, telling her, "We have to do something. I'm putting a plan together... We're waiting until we get over a rural area. We're going to take back the airplane."
All 44 passengers on board were killed, though the courageous actions of Burnett, Mark Bingham, Todd Beamer, and Jeremy Glick saved countless additional lives by preventing the plane from hitting another heavily populated national landmark. The four men -- all of whom had backgrounds in college athletics -- were posthumously recognized for their bravery and sacrifice by ESPN in 2002 with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Burnett is memorialized at the National 9/11 Memorial in New York City at the South Pool, on Panel S-68, along with the other passengers from United Airlines Flight 93. With gifts from Tom's family and friends, a scholarship fund focused on leadership was established at Saint John's University in Tom's honor.
National Notables
- Augsburg senior linebacker RJ Chakolis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Hopkins) logged 3.5 tackles for loss against UW-Stevens Point in Week 1, tied for the eighth-most in NCAA Division III this season. His 16.0 total tackles are the third-most in D-III this fall.
- Carleton sophomore running back Evan Olds (Littleton, Colo. / Thunder Ridge) is tied for sixth in NCAA Division III with an average of 11.0 receptions per game this season.
- Hamline junior quarterback Daylen Cummings (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial) ranks sixth in NCAA Division III with an average of 29.0 completions per game this season.
- Macalester junior quarterback Jack Scully (Menlo Park, Calif. / Sacred Heart Prep) was one of 19 NCAA Division III passers to throw for at least four touchdown passes in Week 1.
- Macalester senior linebacker Jason Weaver (Roselle Park, N.J. / Pingry) collected 13.0 solo tackles against Martin Luther in Week 1, the most in any NCAA Division III game this season.
- Saint John's senior quarterback Trey Feeney (Moorhead, Minn. / Moorhead) completed more passes than any NCAA Division III quarterback in Week 1, connecting on 36 of his 51 throws against UW-La Crosse on 9/5. Feeney ranks third in D-III with 386 passing yards on the season.
Record Watch
Bethel senior quarterback Cooper Drews (Princeton, Minn. / Princeton) moved up two spots to No. 5 on the MIAC's leaderboard for career passing touchdowns in overall games last week. Drews tossed two touchdown passes in a loss to North Central on 9/5, giving him 88 for his career. Former Augsburg signal-caller Ayrton Scott ranks fourth in MIAC history with 97 career touchdown throws. Drews is just outside the MIAC career top-10 in passing yards, attempts, and completions, needing 1,086 yards, 136 attempts, and 24 completions to crack each list.
Around the MIAC
- Augsburg senior linebacker RJ Chakolis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Hopkins) collected a game-high 16 tackles (6.0 solo) with 3.5 tackles for loss, a strip-sack, and a fumble recovery in the Auggies' 17-12 loss at UW-Stevens Point on 9/5.
- Bethel sophomore wide receiver Aiden Eckert (New Richmond, Wis. / New Richmond) caught seven passes for 125 yards in the Royals' loss to No. 1-ranked North Central on 9/5. It was the first 100-yard game of Eckert's collegiate career.
- Carleton senior wide receiver Tyler Dimond (Grafton, Mass. / Grafton) scored a touchdown on one of his two catches in the Knights' loss to UW-Whitewater on 9/5. Dimond's touchdown grab was the 27th of his career, moving him into sole possession of third place in program history. Former Carleton All-American receiver Jim Bradford (1988-91) holds the Knights' record with 32 career receiving touchdowns.
- Concordia senior punter Mitchell Druley (Norwood Young America, Minn. / Central) punted five times in the Cobbers' 28-0 road win over Nebraska Wesleyan on 9/5, pinning the Prairie Wolves inside their own 20-yard line three times and inside the five once. Druley averaged 44.2 yards per punt and had a pair of 52-yard boots. Druley also recorded touchbacks on three of his five kickoffs and landed NWU on its own nine-yard line on a third-quarter kickoff. He went 4-for-4 on PAT tries in the game.
- Gustavus junior quarterback Dylan Blount (St. Clair, Minn. / St. Clair) passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns in the Gusties' 29-3 victory over Central on 9/5. Blount went 21-for-29 in the game and threw scoring strikes in the first and fourth quarters.
- Hamline junior quarterback Daylen Cummings (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial) completed 29-of-39 passes for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Pipers' 31-21 win over Crown on 9/5. Making his first collegiate start, Cummings also carried the ball 11 times for 55 yards.
- Macalester senior linebacker Jason Weaver (Roselle Park, N.J. / Pingry) led the Scots with 13 tackles -- all solo -- two tackles for loss, a strip-sack, and a fumble recovery in a 34-21 win over Martin Luther on 9/5. Weaver's strip-sack in the first quarter gave Macalester the ball on the Knights' 11-yard line, setting up a go-ahead touchdown run that would give the Scots the lead for good. Weaver's 13 solo tackles in the win tied the 42-year-old program record, originally set in 1984.
- Saint John's senior quarterback Trey Feeney (Moorhead, Minn. / Moorhead) completed 36-of-51 passes for 386 yards and three touchdowns in the Johnnies' 24-21 victory over nationally-ranked UW-La Crosse on 9/5. His 36 completions were the third-most by an SJU quarterback, while his 51 attempts are tied for seventh-most in a single game in program history. UW-La Crosse allowed more than 300 yards passing in only one game last season, giving up 307 yards through the air to eventual national champion UW-River Falls in November 2025. Feeney's 386 passing yards are the most by a Saint John's passer in a season-opener since 1990.
- St. Olaf senior running back Bryon Sauvy (St. Michael, Minn. / STMA) carried the ball 18 times for 81 yards and a one-yard touchdown in the Oles' loss to Loras on 9/5. Sauvy's score capped a 15-play, 64-yard drive to give the Oles their first touchdown of the season.
- St. Scholastica first-year wide receiver Brayden Dent (Green Isle, Minn. / Central) scored on two of his three receptions in the Saints' loss to Wisconsin Lutheran on 9/5. Dent finished the game with 117 receiving yards and touchdown receptions of 42 and 59 yards.
Up Next
Week 2 | Saturday, September 12, 2026
Stat Leaders
*2026 overall statistics
Passing
| # |
Player, School |
Stats |
| 1 |
Trey Feeney, Saint John's |
386 YDS, 3 TD |
| 2 |
Cooper Drews, Bethel |
278 YDS, 2 TD |
| 3 |
Dylan Blount, Gustavus |
270 YDS, 2 TD |
Rushing
| # |
Player, School |
Stats |
| 1 |
Jax Mattern, Concordia |
93 YDS, 0 TD |
| 2 |
Mason Hughes, Concordia |
82 YDS, 0 TD |
| 3 |
Bryon Sauvy, St. Olaf |
81 YDS, 1 TD |
Receiving
| # |
Player, School |
Stats |
| 1 |
Aiden Eckert, Bethel |
125 YDS, 0 TD |
| 2 |
Kelly Storms, Macalester |
122 YDS, 2 TD |
| T3 |
Brayden Dent, St. Scholastica |
117 YDS, 2 TD |
| T3 |
Jacob Ginskey, Gustavus |
117 YDS, 1 TD |
Defense
| # |
Player, School |
Stats |
| 1 |
RJ Chakolis, Augsburg |
16 TKLS |
| 2 |
Torrin Smith, Gustavus |
2.5 SACKS |
| 3 |
Multiple |
1 INT |