Central College quarterback Blaine Hawkins continued his record-obliterating ride through the 2021 football season, blistering Coe College with a school-record 503 passing yards and six touchdowns in a 55-21 thrashing Saturday.
Hawkins shattered his three-week-old mark of 424 yards--set at Simpson College Sept. 25--by halftime with 428. He completed 32 of 43 throws for 503 yards overall with no interceptions, just 2 yards short of the American Rivers single-game record. He extended his interception-free streak to 207 straight passes, nearing his school mark of 212 straight over nine games from Oct. 7, 2017 to Sept. 22, 2018. Hawkins also ran for a 1-yard score. Hawkins has thrown 19 touchdown passes in the last three games and 27 for the year.
The No. 11-ranked Dutch improved to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
Receiver Tanner Schminke (fifth-year, Boone) made a run at some records of his own with a career-high 12 catches for 255 yards and three touchdowns. just 4 yards short of Randy Busscher's 1974 mark against Ferris State (Mich.). Schminke's 13 receptions match the fourth-most in school history.
"Tanner had a great day," coach Jeff McMartin said. "He made a lot of big catches and had some great runs after the catch. We're not a team that people can just focus on one guy to shut down. You have to give Blaine Hawkins a lot of credit. He's great about getting the ball to the right people, against the right look. And he's not locked in on one receiver. He's got a lot of weapons out there to get the ball to and an offensive line that gives them time. That's all you can really ask for."
Hawkins and the rest of the Dutch starters left with 5 minutes left in the third quarter and a 55-7 cushion as Coe (3-2 overall, 1-2 conference) picked up a couple of fourth-quarter TDs. Central, using a pair of freshman back-up quarterbacks, attempted just one pass the rest of the way.
It's the fifth time the Dutch have scored more than 40 points this year and their third time above the 50-point mark.
Central outgained the Kohawks 614 yards to 416. The Dutch are averaging 56.7 points and 612.7 yards per game. Both would be school records over a full season.
The teams each struck for a score in the game's first two minutes as Central surrendered a 67-yard Nick Casey touchdown pass. But it was the Dutch fast-break offense in control the remainder of the half, with the squad reaching the end zone on its first six possessions before missing a 40-yard field goal try at the end of the half. It was the third time in six games that the Dutch haven't punted in the first half.
Central then scored on its first two second-half possessions before the Dutch emptied the bench.
Jeff Herbers (junior, Urbandale) had a career-best nine catches for 139 yards. Erik Knaack (fifth-year, Reinbeck, Gladbrook-Reinbeck HS) had five receptions for 54 yards and a TD, running back Jason Hopp (senior, Earlham) had three catches for 12 yards and a touchdown and tight end Billy Friis (senior, West Branch) caught a 5-yard scoring pass.
Hopp was the game's leading rusher with 64 yards on nine carries while Isaiah Walk (junior, Buffalo Center, North Iowa HS) had 31 yards on seven carries with a touchdown.
"As the game wore on, I think we were in a position where we could effectively run the ball and I thought both Jason and Isaiah had good yards," McMartin said.
Coe running back Soko Alphonso entered the game averaging 140.0 yards rushing, ranking seventh in the NCAA Division III, but was held to 27 yards on 11 carries as the Kohawks were forced to play from behind.
"What we've been able to do the last couple of weeks is kind of get rolling and scoring points," McMartin said. "That takes people out of their game plan and they have to start trying to keep up. If you're able to do it, that's a great way to go."
Dutch linebacker Josh Van Gysel (sophomore, Anthem, Ariz., Boulder Creek HS) and defensive back Dillon Hoit (junior, Solon) each notched interceptions.
"Dillon Hoit came up with a really big interception," McMartin said. "That was a pivotal play. He made a great play on the ball."
Free safety Brody Klein (sophomore, Rainier, Wash.) topped the tackle charts with 10, including five solo stops. Linebacker Nate Rahn (junior, Chadwick, Ill., Milledgeville HS) had eight tackles and sophomore defensive back Reece Miller (Center Point, Center Point-Urbana HS) had a career-high seven.
All-American defensive lineman Blade Durbala (fifth-year, Blairstown) had just three stops but was one of the game's key performers, McMartin said. Especially eye-catching was his strip sack and fumble recovery.
"That may be one of the top defensive plays of the year," McMartin said. "I mean, it was really impressive. He dominated today and was a major factor up front."
McMartin liked Central's line play.
"Coe has a very good defensive line and a big offensive line as well," he said. "But I thought we really controlled things up front. I give a lot of credit to both our defensive line and offensive line."
For the season, Hawkins has completed 126 of 169 passes (74.6%) for 1,971 yards. Schminke has taken over the team's receptions lead with 36 for 696 yards and eight TDs.
Central is off next Saturday but plays host to Loras College in an American Rivers game Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium.
McMartin said the Dutch will make good use of the extra time.
"Loras runs a pretty complex defensive scheme so we'll use this time to prepare," he said. "We'll also change the length and format of our practices this week because we want to get our bodies healed up and, at the same time, stay sharp and don't get out of rhythm."
Hawkins throws for record 503 yards as No. 11 Central routs Coe
/seasons/2021/boxscores/20211009_gbrn.xml
2021
Central
55
Coe
21
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 8 Central (6-0) | 21 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 55 |
| Coe (3-2) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
Oct 09, 2021