There’s nothing quite like Autumn in Collegeville. The air gets crisp, the leaves turn over Lake Sagatagan, and Clemens Stadium turns into a sea of red and white packed with thousands of fans ready for Johnnie football. Entering the season sitting at #11 in the country, expectations are right where they always are: national title or bust.
As someone who spends every Saturday screaming from the stands, here is the honest, unfiltered breakdown of what lies ahead.
The Good: Championship Infrastructure & Veteran Trench Warfare
A Monster Front Line: Michael Bougie anchoring the offensive line as a Preseason First-Team All-American sets the tone up front. SJU returns three starting offensive linemen, meaning our pass protection and power-running game should be as dependable as ever.
Trey Feeney Under Center: Quarterback Trey Feeney is fully settled into the system. Having a senior caller who knows how to operate under pressure in big-time MIAC games gives us a massive operational advantage out of the gate.
Defensive Continuity: With seven returning starters on the defensive side of the ball, the unit shouldn't suffer from early-season miscommunications. The front seven is set to be absolute granite.
The Bad: Weapon Turnover and Final-Game Logistics
Replacing Elite Pass-Catchers: While senior wideout Riley Schwellenbach is primed for a breakout year after a 50-catch campaign, the receiving corps lost a massive chunk of its production to graduation. Feeney will need new targets to step up quickly when defenses key in on the run.
The "TCO Stadium" Regular Season Finale: Ending the season against St. Olaf at TCO Stadium in Eagan is great for metro exposure, but losing a true home game at Clemens Stadium on November 14 feels like a quiet tax on our natural home-field advantage.
The Ugly: Week 1 Gauntlet & MIAC Minefields
Trial by Fire in Game One: Hosting #10 UW-La Crosse right out of the gate on September 5 is terrifying. There are no warm-up games here. If the new wideouts or secondary rotations stumble early, our playoff seeding takes an immediate hit before conference play even begins.
The St. Thomas Void vs. MIAC Spoils: Ever since St. Thomas left Division III, every top MIAC team treats their game against us like their personal Super Bowl. Games against Bethel (Oct. 3) and Concordia (Oct. 17) aren't just rivalry matchups—they are absolute wars where one slip-up ruins an entire campaign.
At the end of the day, the standard in Collegeville doesn't drop. We have the line, we have the QB, and we have the defense to make a deep run into late November. Bring on UW-La Crosse.
