Football 10/9/04 -- Gustavus Adolphus 34, Augsburg 21

BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (10/9/04) -- Drew Stifter (Jr., Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS) claimed 141 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns, leading Gustavus Adolphus College to a 34-21 victory over host Augsburg College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football game Saturday afternoon at Edor Nelson Field.

Stifter rushed for 64 yards on 15 carries with touchdown scores of one and 29 yards, and caught eight passes for 77 yards, as his Gusties claimed their first victory of the season, now at 1-4 overall and 1-3 in MIAC play.

Augsburg fell to 1-4 overall and 1-2 in MIAC play, despite a near-record running day by quarterback Marcus LeVesseur (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS). LeVesseur rushed for 207 yards on 32 carries, just 10 yards shy of the school's single-game rushing record 217 yards by Marty Alger in a 1993 game.

LeVesseur rushed for one touchdown and completed 16-of-35 passes for 153 yards and another score, but threw three interceptions, including one returned for a nine-yard touchdown in the third quarter by Gustavus' Jon Horbacz (So., Hinckley, Minn.).

The teams combined for 878 yards of total offense in the game -- 466 for Augsburg, 412 for Gustavus. Gustie quarterback Jordan Stolp (Fr., Mankato, Minn./West HS), making just his third collegiate start, compiled 326 yards on 24-of-36 passing with two touchdowns and one interception.

Augsburg jumped on the board first, after a Gustavus drive stalled on a fourth-down rush at the Augsburg 24-yard line. The Auggies marched 76 yards in 11 plays, with LeVesseur throwing a two-yard touchdown pass to Yarzue Slowon (Sr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) early in the second quarter.

The Gusties scored on their next drive. After a 38-yard kickoff return by Wade Vrieze (So., Richfield, Minn.), the Gusties marched 62 yards in 10 plays, capped by a one-yard scoring rush by Stifter.

Augsburg took the lead again on its next drive, as LeVesseur scored on a one-yard plunge with 55 seconds left in the first half to complete a 15-play, 68-yard drive. LeVesseur rushed for 30 yards on nine carries in the drive.

But Gustavus scored in the last minute of the first half to cut the lead to 14-13, as two long pass plays from Stolp to Kerry Zajicek (So., Glencoe, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake HS), a 19-yarder and a 28-yarder for a touchdown, put the Gusties on the board again with six seconds left in the first half. The point-after-touchdown kick attempt was blocked by Augsburg's Chris Abbott (Sr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS), one of two PATs he blocked in the game.

Zajicek caught five passes for 113 yards in the game to lead all receivers.

Augsburg opened the second half with an impressive drive, working the ball to the Gustavus 20-yard line a 12-play excursion. But Vrieze picked off a LeVesseur pass to halt the drive at the Gustie 28. On the Gusties' first play, Stolp threw a 48-yard pass to Zajicek, and after an Augsburg penalty, Stifter rushed 29 yards for a touchdown, puting the Gusties ahead for good.

The next series of plays proved to be the eventual back-breaker for the Auggies. On the ensuing kickoff, Vrieze forced an Augsburg fumble on the kickoff return, recovered by the Gusties' Drew Hood (Fr., Mankato, Minn./West HS) at the Auggie eight-yard line. Augsburg's defense kept the Gusties out of the end zone, and an 11-yard field goal attempt by Gustavus' Stolp sailed wide right. However, Augsburg was whistled for an offsides penalty, giving the Gusties the ball on fourth down at the Augsburg 1.

A fourth-down rushing attempt was stacked up by Augsburg's Abbott and Taylor Kroger (Jr., Cottonwood, Minn./Lakeview HS), giving the ball to the Auggies on downs. But on the next play, a LeVesseur pass was intercepted by Horbacz, who returned it nine yards for the touchdown, giving the Gusties a 26-14 lead.

Augsburg scored on its next drive, as a 27-yard kickoff return by Slowon and a 42-yard rush by LeVesseur gave the Auggies good field position, and running back Jason Potts (Fr., Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) scored his first collegiate touchdown on a two-yard rush with 2:55 left in the third quarter. Potts rushed for 71 yards on 10 carries in the game.

The Gusties followed up the Auggie score with the final TD of the game, as a nine-play, 76-yard drive was capped by an 11-yard scoring strike from Stolp to Clint Riegelman (Jr., Red Wing, Minn.). On a fumbled snap on the point-after kick attempt, holder A.J. Bouquet (Jr., Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS) scrambled and threw a successful two-point conversion pass to Jerry Millan (So., Ham Lake, Minn./Totino-Grace HS).

Augsburg had another chance to score on its ensuing drive, but penalties cost the Auggies dearly. The Auggies drove to the Gustavus nine-yard line, but were pushed back to the Gustie 34 on a personal-foul penalty. After an incomplete pass, the Auggies attempted a hook-and-lateral on fourth down, but could not get to the first-down marker, and turned the ball over on downs.

Augsburg ended up being whistled for 14 penalties for 105 yards in the game, while Gustavus committed just five penalties for 45 yards.

Gustavus used up 4:06 of fourth-quarter time on its next drive, and despite being forced to punt, the Gusties were able to pin the Auggies deep in their own territory and force the hosts into hurry-up mode. A 14-play, 77-yard drive was stalled at the Gustie 13 on downs, and after getting the ball back on a punt with 1:33 to go, the Auggies could not advance the ball far enough, turning the ball over again on downs to end the game.

Sean Smith (Sr., Plymouth, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) caught five passes for 78 yards for the Gusties, while Jamie Germscheid (Jr., Madison Lake, Minn./Cleveland HS) caught three passes for 36 yards.

With his 64 rushing yards, Stifter has edged closer to becoming the 24th Gustie player to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing barrier. He now has 983 career rushing yards.

Ricky Schreier (So., Maplewood, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS), a defensive back moved to wide receiver in the last two weeks, led the Auggies with 68 yards receiving on six catches. Shawn Johnson (Sr., Faribault, Minn.) caught four passes for 44 yards.

Gustavus' defense was led by linebacker Isaac Sieling (Sr., Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS), who had 19 tackles (two solo) and a pass deflection. Chris Thorson (Jr., Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) had 12 tackles (four solo), and Jared Sieling (Fr., Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS) had 11 tadckles (four solo) and a tackle for loss. Karl Spilseth (Sr., Willmar, Minn.) had a sack for the Gusties.

Jim Gunderson (Jr., Hastings, Minn.) led Augsburg's defense with 13 tackles (three solo), while Jordan Hastings (Jr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) had nine tackles (two solo) and two pass deflections. Kroger had eight tackles (one solo), including a tackle for loss.

Both teams return to MIAC play next Saturday (10/16) at 1 p.m., with Augsburg playing at Hamline and Gustavus hosting St. Olaf.

Gustavus at Augsburg Game Notes

THE GAME: The Augsburg College Auggies (1-3 overall, 1-1 MIAC) host the Gustavus Adolphus College Gusties (0-4 overall, 0-3 MIAC) in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football game on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 1 p.m., at Edor Nelson Field (capacity 2,000) in Minneapolis, Minn.

COACHES: Augsburg head coach Jack Osberg (Augsburg '62) is in his 14th season and has a 61-74 career mark. Gustavus head coach Jay Schoenebeck (Gustavus '80) is in his 11th season and has a 52-52 career record.

RADIO: This week's Augsburg football game will be broadcast on WMIN-AM 740. The game will also be cybercast online on Augsburg's website, through an arrangement with the campus online radio station, KAUG. Tom Witschen will handle play-by-play with Russ Bohaty on analysis. To listen online, go to http://www.augsburg.edu/athletics/ and click on the "Live Audio" link on Saturday. Gustavus radio is on KRBI-AM 1310, with Clay Kepner and Ken Ericson on the call. Gustavus games can also be heard online: http://www.gustavus.edu/oncampus/athletics/audio.cfm.

SERIES: This is the 62nd game in the all-time series between Augsburg and Gustavus Adolphus, a series the Gusties lead 49-12. Gustavus has won the last six games in a row in the series, and Augsburg head coach Jack Osberg is 3-9 in his career against Gustavus. The teams began the series in Augsburg's first year of football, 1926, and have played every year, with the exception of the 1991 season (game cancelled due to a blizzard), since 1956. Augsburg's last win in the series was a 41-35, two-overtime victory at St. Peter on Oct. 18, 1997.

LAST WEEK: Augsburg picked up its first victory of the season with a 42-10 MIAC win at Carleton last Saturday in Northfield, Minn., while Gustavus also fell to 0-4 with a 42-27 home loss to Concordia-Moorhead at Hollingsworth Field in St. Peter, Minn.

MIAC OVERALL PER-GAME RANKINGS (4 GAMES): Total offense -- Augsburg 5th (310.5), Gustavus 6th (303.2); Passing offense -- Augsburg 6th (171.5); Gustavus 3rd (200.2); Rushing offense -- Augsburg 6th (139.0), Gustavus 8th (103.0); Scoring offense -- Augsburg 5th (27.8), Gustavus 6th (20.0); Total defense -- Augsburg 8th (411.0), Gustavus 9th (477.5); Passing defense -- Augsburg 6th (194.5), Gustavus 8th (207.8); Rushing defense -- Augsburg 8th (216.5), Gustavus 9th (269.8); Scoring defense -- Augsburg 6th (24.0), Gustavus 8th (36.5).

MIAC CONFERENCE-ONLY PER-GAME RANKINGS (2/3 GAMES): Total offense -- Augsburg 4th (353.5), Gustavus 5th (298.3); Passing offense -- Augsburg 6th (143.0); Gustavus 2nd (199.3); Rushing offense -- Augsburg 3rd (210.5), Gustavus 7th (99.0); Scoring offense -- Augsburg 4th (31.5), Gustavus 5th (19.7); Total defense -- Augsburg 5th (318.0), Gustavus 9th (453.7); Passing defense -- Augsburg 8th (198.5), Gustavus 9th (200.0); Rushing defense -- Augsburg 4th (119.5), Gustavus 9th (253.7); Scoring defense -- Augsburg 4th (19.0), Gustavus 8th (45.7).

NATIONAL STATISTICS: Among NCAA Division III players, Augsburg's Yarzue Slowon (Sr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) ranks 17th-best nationally in kickoff returns (28.1 yards per return), and Joe Cullen (Sr., Coon Rapids, Minn.) ranks 20th nationally in tackles for loss (2.1 per game). Gustavus' Isaac Sieling ranks fourth nationally in total tackles (15.5 per game). Jared Chapman and Tyler Ringquist rank 20th nationally each in forced fumbles (0.5 per game).

LAST YEAR: Gustavus recorded a 28-7 Homecoming victory over Augsburg on Sept. 27, 2003 at Hollingsworth Field in St. Peter. The Gusties rushed for three first quarter touchdowns with a strong wind at their backs to jump out to an early 21-0 lead.

Running back Drew Stifter led the Gustavus ground attack with 142 yards on 27 carries. His 25-yard touchdown carry up the middle on the squad's first play from scrimmage gave the Gusties an early 7-0 advantage and a lead they would never relinquish. Fellow running backs Shawn Naber and Adam Nelson each scored first quarter touchdowns on the ground. Naber plunged in from two yards out and Nelson scored on a 12-yard carry on the last play of the first quarter.

Augsburg failed to cross the 50-yard line until the Auggies got the ball at the Gustavus 33-yard line midway through the second quarter following a short Gustie punt into the wind. The Auggies took six plays to move the ball to the Gustavus 6-yard line. On third down and goal, quarterback Tony George's pass into the end zone was picked off by Matt Diercks, who returned the ball 100 yards for a touchdown to give Gustavus a 28-0 lead.

Augsburg finally got on the scoreboard when George hooked up with Shawn Johnson for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds remaining in the half. Neither squad was able to crack the scoreboard in the second half.

Gustie quarterback Sean Smith went 12-for-19 through the air for 101 yards. George was 16-for-43 and threw three interceptions, as the Auggies were forced into their passing game while playing catch-up the entire day. Gustavus out-gained Augsburg 274 yards to 250 yards on the day. The difference was the running game, as the Gusties ran the ball for a season-high 173 yards and held the Auggies to just 97 yards on the ground.

Defensively, Tyler Vrieze led the squad for the third time this year with eight tackles. Isaac Sieling and Loren Havemeier each had interceptions as the Gusties picked off three passes.

AUGGIES PICK UP FIRST VICTORY OF SEASON AT CARLETON: Quarterback Marcus LeVesseur (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) set a new Augsburg single-game record with four rushing touchdowns, rushing for 158 yards and throwing for 137 more, as Augsburg sprinted past host Carleton 42-10 last Saturday at Laird Stadium in Northfield. Augsburg won its first game of the season after three last-minute losses to start the season.

LeVesseur, in his second collegiate start at quarterback, was a part of all six Auggie touchdowns, as he rushed for four and threw for the other two, both to wide receiver Yarzue Slowon (Sr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS). LeVesseur's touchdowns, on rushes of five, 11, 10 and three yards, broke the previous school record for single-game rushing touchdowns of three, and tied a school single-game record for overall touchdowns of four.

Augsburg outgained Carleton by a 350-231 margin, pouring out 213 rushing yards compared to just 92 for the Knights. LeVesseur was a part of 295 of the 350 Auggie offensive yards, rushing for 158 yards on 26 carries and completing 12-of-20 passes for 137 yards. The game marked LeVesseur's second-straight 100-yard rushing game, after rushing for 135 yards on 23 carries in last Saturday's loss to St. Thomas.

After a close start to the game, with Augsburg leading just 14-10, the Auggies erupted with 28 straight points in the late second quarter and second half. Augsburg dominated the second half, outgaining Carleton by a 165-124 margin. Augsburg also dominated defensively, with four sacks.

A 10-play, 60-yard drive produced Augsburg's first touchdown, as the Auggies pounded out 44 yards on the ground and capping it off with LeVesseur's five-yard rushing score. But Carleton tied it up on the ensuing kickoff, as R.J. Jackson returned the kickoff 95 yards for the Knights' first special-teams touchdown of the season.

After a 26-yard kickoff return by Slowon, Augsburg went to the air on its next drive, as LeVesseur completed three of four passes, including a 21-yard strike to Ben Bothun (Sr., Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd HS) and a seven-yard touchdown strike to a leaping Slowon in the front corner of the end zone.

Carleton cut the lead to 14-10 on a 29-yard field goal by Pat Barry. That was the closest Carleton would get, however, as Augsburg took control after that point. Deep in Carleton territory late in the second quarter, a special-teams rush by Augsburg's Craig Pike (Sr., Pine Island, Minn.) forced Carleton punter Luke Muellerleile to attempt a pass from his end zone, which fell incomplete and gave Augsburg the ball at the Carleton 16-yard line. A pass-interference penalty put the ball on the seven, and two plays later, LeVesseur threw his second touchdown pass to Slowon, a left-side swing pass from the option, to give the Auggies a 21-10 lead with 59 seconds to go in the half.

A 52-yard return of the second-half kickoff by Slowon put the Auggies in excellent field position at the Carleton 26, and four plays later, LeVesseur scored on an option keeper to the right side.

After successfully converting a fourth-and-short play in its own territory on an earlier drive in the third quarter, Carleton was forced to attempt a fourth-down conversion late in the quarter, but Pike sacked Carleton quarterback Darren Caspers, giving the Auggies the ball on downs at the Carleton 45.

On the Auggies' first play on the ensuing drive, LeVesseur appeared to complete a touchdown pass to Slowon, but an official inadvertently blew the whistle after a pass-interference penalty, so the ball was placed at the point of Slowon's catch, the Carleton 12. Two plays later, LeVesseur scampered 10 yards for his third rushing touchdown of the day. A 10-play, 52-yard drive, with 22 yards coming on six rushes by LeVesseur, gave the Auggies the final margin of victory, as LeVesseur scored on a three-yard plunge for his fourth score.

Slowon caught three passes for 42 yards, while Bothun had two catches for 37 yards and Andrew Neumann (So., Somerset, Wis.) caught two passes for 29 yards. Steve Houser (Jr., Zimmerman, Minn./Elk River HS) rushed for 33 yards on six carries.

Defensively, Augsburg was paced by Mike Matson (So., Cedar, Minn./St. Francis HS), who had 2.0 sacks among his six tackles (three solo). Pike had 1.5 sacks and seven tackles (two solo). Chike Ochiagha (Jr., Savage, Minn./Holy Angels HS) led the Auggies with nine tackles (two solo), while Ross Peroutka (Jr., Faribault, Minn.), Jim Gunderson (Jr., Hastings, Minn.) and John Golnitz (Sr., Green Bay, Wis./Preble HS) had seven tackles each.

LEVESSEUR NAMED MIAC, NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Quarterback Marcus LeVesseur (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) earned two major weekly awards on Monday, being named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette Division III Co-National Offensive Player of the Week.

LeVesseur, making his second collegiate start at quarterback last Saturday, set a school record with four rushing touchdowns and threw for two more as Augsburg gained its first victory of the season with a 42-10 triumph at Carleton.

A factor in all six Augsburg touchdowns on Saturday, LeVesseur was a part of 295 of Augsburg's 350 yards of total offense, rushing for 158 yards on 26 carries and completing 12-of-20 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for touchdowns of five, 11, 10 and three yards and threw scoring strikes of seven and two yards.

LeVesseur's touchdowns, on rushes of five, 11, 10 and three yards, broke the previous school record for single-game rushing touchdowns of three, set by Marty Alger in a 1993 game against St. Olaf, Mike Strandness in a 1994 game against Carleton, T.J. Bramwell in a 2002 game against Dakota State (S.D.) and Ben Paul in a 2003 game against Carleton.

His four touchdowns tied a school single-game record for overall touchdowns of four, set three times before by Auggie receivers: Karl Sneider in a 1966 game against Macalester, Scott Hvistendahl in a 1998 game against Mayville State (N.D.), and Mark Johnson in a 2001 game against Carleton.

LeVesseur is in his first season of college football after earning two NCAA Division III national championships at 157 pounds as an Auggie wrestler. He is 84-0 after two seasons at Augsburg, and has yet to lose a collegiate match.

In his first two collegiate starts over the last two weeks, LeVesseur has thrown for 286 yards (22-of-50 passing) and rushed for 293 yards (49 carries, 6.0 yards per carry). So far this season, LeVesseur leads the Auggies in rushing, with 330 yards on 67 carries (4.9 yards per carry), as well as passing (33-of-71, 6 TDs, 4 INTs, 440 yards, 115.5 efficiency rating).

FIRST COLLEGIATE CATCH, FIRST COLLEGIATE TD: Augsburg's Ty Closson (Sr., Northfield, Minn.), primarily a blocking tight end throughout his career, made his first collegiate reception a positive one, as he caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from LeVesseur in the fourth quarter on Saturday against St. Thomas.

MOVING UP THE SACK LADDER: Augsburg defensive end Joe Cullen (Sr., Coon Rapids, Minn.) currently has a team-high four sacks this season and 17.0 on his career. His career total moves him into fifth place in school history in career sacks; the school record is 28.5, set by Bob Anderson from 1992-95. Fourth on the record list is Matt Chappuis, who had 22.5 sacks from 1998-2001.

MOVING UP THE RECEIVING YARDAGE LADDER: Augsburg wide receiver Yarzue Slowon (Sr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) now has 1,577 receiving yards on 115 catches (13.7 yards per catch), putting him in sixth place in school history in receiving yards. He has the potential to become just the fourth Augsburg player ever to surpass 2,000 career receiving yards; the school record is 4,696, set by Scott Hvistendahl from 1994-98 (third-best in Division III history, fifth-best in NCAA all-divisions history). Slowon is in his third Augsburg season; he played his freshman year at North Dakota State.

HOUSER CLOSING IN ON 1,000 CAREER RUSHING YARDS: Running back Steve Houser (Jr., Zimmerman, Minn./Elk River HS) has the potential to eclipse the 1,000-yard career rushing milestone this season. A two-year starter, Houser now has 842 career rushing yards on 213 carries (4.0 yards per carry). Augsburg's school record for career rushing yards is 2,226, set by Marty Alger from 1991-95. Three running backs in school history have eclipsed the 2,000-yard barrier -- Alger, Wayne Graves (2,059 yards, 1970-73) and Dan Roff (2,042, 1978-81).

NEW ADDITION TO AUGGIE DEFENSE: Chris Abbott (Sr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS) has been added to the Augsburg defense, and is listed as a starting cornerback for Saturday's game. Abbott was a late addition to the Auggie roster, having transferred from South Dakota State University. He appeared in 12 games over the last two seasons at SDSU as a reserve defensive back, with nine tackles (six solo).

OSBERG NOW AUGSBURG'S ALL-TIME FOOTBALL VICTORY LEADER: Augsburg head coach Jack Osberg has been the architect of a rebirth of Augsburg College football since he was named head coach in 1991. Last season, Osberg passed his former coach, Edor Nelson, to become the winningest coach in school history. Osberg, a 1962 Augsburg graduate, is in his 14th season with the Auggies and has a 60-74 career record. Nelson went 56-118-10 from 1947-69. Osberg also has the most MIAC wins (49-67-0) of any Augsburg coach, and his career overall winning percentage of .448 is second-best in school history. Augsburg has had seven .500-or-above seasons under Osberg, the second-most for a coach in school history. Nelson had eight in his 23 years. Bill Caris (1972-75) was 19-19, for the school's best winning percentage of .500. Osberg has the third-longest tenure among current MIAC football coaches, behind St. John's John Gagliardi (56th season, 52nd at St. John's in 2004) and Bethel's Steve Johnson (16th season).

HIGH-PROFILE AUGGIE WRESTLERS PULLING DOUBLE-DUTY: Augsburg has developed a reputation as the most dominant team in small-college wrestling. Augsburg has won a record eight NCAA Division III national titles (1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002), while finishing second seven times (1984, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2004).

This season, several Augsburg wrestlers are pulling double-duty as members of the football team. The highest-profile wrestler playing football this season is quarterback Marcus LeVesseur (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), who has won two straight national titles at 157 pounds. He is 84-0 in his two seasons at Augsburg.

Another wrestling All-American, Joe Cullen (Sr., Coon Rapids, Minn.), is a two-time All-MIAC football honorable mention selection on the defensive line. He finished seventh nationally at 197 pounds in the 2004 wrestling national championships. Andrew Neumann (So., Somerset, Wis.), also a 197-pound wrestler, is Augsburg's starting tight end. Last season, Neumann caught 44 passes for 498 yards and a touchdown, the most catches and yards for an Auggie tight end since 1997.

Greg Brendemuehl (Jr., Medford, Minn.), a 2003 wrestling All-American (125 pounds, 6th place), is in his first season as a defensive back for the Auggies, joining fellow wrestler Kirk Rall (Jr., West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) in the backfield, with Rich Miller (Jr., Anoka, Minn.) at linebacker. Transferring to Augsburg this year is Zak Jensen (Jr., Hopkins, Minn.) from Northern Illinois, who will play football (defensive line) and wrestle. He was a two-time state wrestling qualifier (2000, 2001) at Hopkins HS.

One other football/wrestling connection: Johnny Grygelko (Fr., Loretto, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS), grandson of former Augsburg coach John Grygelko (1972-80), is a linebacker this season. He was a two-time state competitor in high school wrestling.

A story on Augsburg's football/wrestling connection is online on the Wrestling Mall website: http://www.wrestlingmall.com/htmls/news.asp?Cat=3&View=9470.

Another story on the football/wrestling connection was in Wednesday's Minneapolis Star-Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/stories/503/5018086.html.

SCOUTING THE GUSTIES: Gustavus is off to an 0-4 start for the first time since 1993 and for only the second time in the 89-year history of the program. Coach Jay Schoenebeck's young squad has been tested by a demanding schedule. The combined record of the four teams that the Gusties have played this season is an impressive 14-3. Wheaton (Ill.) is 4-0 and ranked seventh, Hamline is 2-2, Saint John's is 4-1 and ranked fourth, and Concordia is 4-0 and ranked 23rd (rankings are from 10/3 d3football.com poll). The Gusties are coming off a disappointing 42-27 Homecoming loss to Concordia last Saturday.

The Gustie offense is under the direction of freshman quarterback Jordan Stolp. Stolp got the Gusties off to a quick start last week as he ran for two touchdowns and threw for another in the first half. Gustavus led 21-14 at the intermission. Unfortunately, the Cobber defense shut the Gustie offense down in the second half and went on to claim the 42-27 win.

Middle linebacker Isaac Sieling had a big day for the defense, as he compiled 21 tackles. End Jared Chapman gave the Gusties a lift in the second half when he forced a fumble that linebacker Jared Sieling picked up and ran back 25 yards for a touchdown to cut the Concordia lead to 28-27.

Junior running back Drew Stifter needs 81 more yards to become the 24th player at Gustavus to reach 1,000 yards rushing in a career. Stifter has rushed for 919 yards in 18 games as a Gustie for an average of 51.0 yards per game.

Complete Gustavus notes are online: http://www.gustavus.edu/oncampus/athletics/news.cfm?view=home&id=785.

NEXT WEEK: Augsburg takes a short jaunt to the Midway area of St. Paul next Saturday (10/16) at 1 p.m., playing at Hamline University in an MIAC contest. Gustavus hosts St. Olaf next Saturday at 1 p.m.

AUGSBURG TWO-DEEP ROSTER -- OFFENSE
RT -- 75-Matt Siems (So., 6-2, 285), 70-Jason Weber (Fr., 6-4, 230)
RG -- 51-Tony Madline (So., 5-8, 260), 64-Ryan Koelsch (Sr., 5-10, 250)
C -- 65-Adam Hoffmann (Sr., 6-1, 240), 50-Chris Howell (Fr., 6-3, 265)
LG -- 77-John Streefland (Jr., 6-1, 265), 67-Lowery Smith (Jr., 6-1, 255)
LT -- 78-Zak Jensen (Jr., 6-3, 285), 66-Ryan Shea (Jr., 6-7, 355)
TE -- 80-Andrew Neumann (So., 6-4, 225), 46-Ty Closson (Sr., 6-2, 205)
FL -- 2-Yarzue Slowon (Sr., 6-0, 180), 5-Micah Young (So., 6-0, 170)
SE -- 14-Ben Bothun (Sr., 5-9, 200) *, 19-Shawn Johnson (Sr., 6-3, 200)
WR -- 10-Ricky Schreier (So., 5-6, 160), 85-De Hanuman (So., 5-5, 160)
HB -- 23-Steve Houser (Jr., 5-10, 190), 28-Jason Potts (Fr., 5-8, 165)
QB -- 7-Marcus LeVesseur (Jr., 5-8, 170), 9-Keith Hagen (So., 6-5, 210)

GUSTAVUS TWO-DEEP ROSTER -- DEFENSE
LDE -- 94-Karl Spilseth (Sr., 6-4, 250), 96-Nate Klobes (So., 6-4, 220)
LDT -- 91-Chris Cornwell (Jr., 6-3, 258), 41-Kevin Burke-Rook (So., 5-8, 215)
RDT -- 53-Nick David (So., 5-9, 260), 91-Chris Cornwell (Jr., 6-3, 258)
RDE -- 90-Kris Storvick (Sr., 6-3, 235), 51-Nate Zilka (Jr., 6-3, 220)
SLB -- 54-Jay Frederickson (Jr., 6-2, 220), 44-Justin Redfield (Jr., 5-10, 200)
MLB -- 99-Isaac Sieling (Jr., 6-2, 220), 57-Taylor Beahrs (So., 6-0, 200)
WLB -- 4-Jared Sieling (Fr., 6-1, 200), 52-Adam Miron (So., 6-0, 215)
CB -- 29-Loren Havemeier (Jr., 5-10, 185), 37-Brad Maiers (So., 6-0, 180)
CB -- 21-Brian Evans (So., 5-10, 175), 32-Wade Vrieze (So., 5-9, 175)
S -- 36-Tyler Ringquist (Jr., 6-1, 190), 47-Jon Horbacz (So., 5-10, 200)
S -- 2-Chris Thorson (Jr., 6-0, 180), 16-Kevin Hegland (So., 6-0, 180)

AUGSBURG TWO-DEEP ROSTER -- DEFENSE
DE -- 37-Craig Pike (Sr., 6-2, 255), 94-Derick Kelly (Fr., 6-4, 215)
NG -- 99-Chike Ochiagha (Jr., 5-10, 270), 95-Kasey Yoder (Jr., 6-0, 210)
DT -- 47-Joe Cullen (Sr., 6-0, 215), 42-Jake Koelln (Jr., 6-0, 255)
ALB -- 4-Jordan Hastings (Jr., 6-4, 195), 45-Kyle Voelz (Sr., 5-10, 210) *
SLB -- 44-Mike Matson (So., 6-1, 210), 25-Tim Stowe (Sr., 5-8, 196)
MLB -- 41-John Golnitz (Sr., 6-3, 220), 8-Zach Manship (Jr., 6-1, 200)
WLB -- 32-Taylor Kroger (Jr., 5-11, 200), 8-Zach Manship (Jr., 6-1, 200)
CB -- 20-Chris Abbott (Sr., 6-1, 185), 33-Greg Brendemuehl (Jr., 5-7, 155)
SS -- 34-Jim Gunderson (Jr., 5-11, 195), 29-Jason Jenkins (So., 6-0, 210)
FS -- 21-Ross Peroutka (Jr., 6-0, 190), 17-Troy Deden (So., 5-11, 210)
CB -- 22-Andy Matzke (Jr., 6-1, 190), 48-Ryan Stockhaus (So., 5-8, 150)

GUSTAVUS TWO-DEEP ROSTER -- OFFENSE
WR(X) -- 8-Sean Smith (Sr., 6-2, 190), 18-Tom Johnson (Fr., 6-4, 195)
WR(H) -- 88-Patrick Weineke (So., 6-5, 215), 17-Kerry Zajicek (So., 6-3, 198)
LT -- 66-Andy Klaers (So., 6-5, 280), 71-Andrew Liska (Fr., 6-5, 250)
LG -- 76-Brian Trussell (Sr., 5-10, 225), 77-Joe Cupka (Jr., 6-2, 280)
C -- 68-Dan Teigen (Jr., 6-1, 260), 67-Paul Shneider (So., 5-9, 220)
RG -- 79-Mark Iverson (Jr., 6-4, 265), 63-Ian Ruppel (Fr., 5-11, 270)
RT -- 70-Anders Haugen (Sr., 6-5, 295), 64-Chris Kappler (Fr., 6-0, 290)
TE -- 85-Jamie Germscheid (Jr., 6-5, 220), 81-Andrew Dammann (So., 6-3, 220)
WR(Z) -- 3-Clint Riegelman (Jr., 6-4, 210), 10-Bobby Bonine (So., 6-1, 185)
QB -- 11-Jordan Stolp (Fr., 6-3, 185), 15-A.J. Bouquet (Jr., 6-2, 185)
TB -- 5-Drew Stifter (Jr., 5-10, 205), 27-Jerry Millan (So., 6-0, 215)
FB -- 5-Drew Stifter (Jr., 5-10, 205), 31-Blake Theisen (Fr., 5-11, 215)
(WR-H and FB alternate on field depending on offensive formation)

AUGSBURG SPECIALISTS
K -- 1-Nick Schlieman (Jr., 6-4, 250), 96-Kyle Danner (So., 6-0, 180)
P -- 1-Nick Schlieman (Jr., 6-4, 250), 9-Keith Hagen (So., 6-5, 210)
LS -- 25-Tim Stowe (Sr., 5-8, 196), 80-Andrew Neumann (So., 6-4, 225)
SS -- 80-Andrew Neumann (So., 6-4, 225), 25-Tim Stowe (Sr., 5-8, 196)
H -- 11-Erik Bohnhoff (So., 6-6, 190)
KR -- 2-Yarzue Slowon (Sr., 6-0, 180), 7-Marcus LeVesseur (Jr., 5-8, 170)
PR -- 2-Yarzue Slowon (Sr., 6-0, 180), 28-Jason Potts (Fr., 5-8, 165)

GUSTAVUS SPECIALISTS
K -- 1-Kase Niles (So., 6-2, 170), 11-Jordan Stolp (Fr., 6-3, 185)
P -- 22-Mike Leonard (Jr., 5-10, 190), 29-Loren Havemeier (Jr., 5-10, 185)
PR -- 29-Loren Havemeier (Jr., 5-10, 185), 33-Micah Fransen (So., 6-1, 190)
KR -- 29-Loren Havemeier (Jr., 5-10, 185), 32-Wade Vrieze (So., 5-9, 175)
LS -- 16-Kevin Hegland (So., 6-0, 180), 81-Andrew Dammann (So., 6-3, 220)

* ROSTER NOTES -- Ben Bothun wears 14 in home maroon jersey, 87 in road white jersey;
Kyle Voelz has changed his jersey from 58 to 45 in both home and road uniforms.