It’s no secret that Piper football is off to a hot start in this still-fresh football season.
Beating Crown College and the University of Minnesota Morris by 32 and 21, respectively, is plenty of reason to be excited. The true test of this Hamline squad’s schedule started on Sept. 23, when they kicked off MIAC (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) play against the Carleton Knights.
Going into this high-stakes match, Hamline has lit it up in the passing department, tossing over 270 yards in both games, with the match at Crown resulting in over 330 passing yards. Even those high marks are dwarfed by the performances that Carleton has strung together against Pomona-Pitzer and that same Morris team.
Matching up against an offense that is averaging over 400 passing yards per game so far is a daunting task for any team, at any level.
“Well, offensively, we have to hold on to the football, because they do have a really good
offense, so the best defense is for our offense to be out there. That’s kind of the approach we’re
gonna try and take,” Head Coach Chip Taylor said in an interview on Thursday, Sept. 21. “Defensively, we gotta limit the big plays, because they’ve got three receivers over there, and a quarterback that can strike really fast, so we have to make sure we keep the ball in front of us and play smart defense.”
Holding onto the ball was a focus in this matchup for Hamline, considering Carleton already had three lost fumbles on the season, while the Pipers have only lost one. Ball security is not the only aspect that could prove to be the X-factor, either.
Speaking about position groups that could make or break this game against Carleton, Taylor said that “… it starts with our quarterback. Just talking to him about finishing every drive with a kick. Preferably an extra point, ideally field goals, and then if you have to, it’s a punt, but we can’t throw the football to the other team.”
Junior Alejandro Villanueva is Hamline’s starting quarterback for the season, having returned from an injury at the end of last season. Fifth-year Alec Ralph was another passing leader in the game against Carleton, having just returned from an entire season on the bench due to injury.
Hamline’s wide receiver—senior Charlie Wilson—has been electric through three games, averaging over 130 yards per game and hauling in four touchdowns against Morris and another four against Carleton. In terms of deeper stats, he is averaging just over 17 yards per catch and already has over a third of his yards from last year in two games.
On Saturday, Wilson logged his season highs in offense against Carleton, with 216 rushing yards and a long reception of 75 yards.
He has also surpassed his season total of touchdowns from last season. Wilson, and this historic start he is on, is only one piece of a Piper team ready to split from the past.
Last season, Hamline football got off to this exact start, winning games against Crown and Morris, then failed to win another game for the rest of the season. This campaign, according
to Taylor, is going to be different.
“It started in the offseason with our leadership classes, identifying twelve guys in the leadership class, and then having that sprinkle through. Because the reality is, you’re right. We’re in the same position as last year, and when adversity hits, how do we handle it? So, I think our culture, as far as being a brotherhood and being selfless… is what’s gonna help us propel through some of the hard, difficult times coming with the MIAC schedule,” Taylor said.
On Saturday, Hamline fell to the Knights, with a final score of 27–31. The Knights led for the first 30:00 but the Pipers turned things around in the third quarter, returning from 6–17 with two touchdowns by Wilson, one of which was a season-high 75 yards. The game saw four lead changes, the last of which gave Carleton the game in the last 1:52.
The Pipers return to their home field on Saturday, Sept. 30 for the homecoming game against St. Olaf at 1:00 p.m.