Football 11/9/06 -- Augsburg 28, Hamline 17

BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (11/9/06) – Jordan Berg (So., Gaylord, Minn./Sibley East HS) threw for 346 yards and a touchdown, and Andy Roff (Fr., Plymouth, Minn./Osseo HS) returned an interception 62 yards for the game-clinching score midway through the fourth quarter, as Augsburg College finished its season with a victory, a 28-17 triumph over Hamline University in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football game Thursday night at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

Tight end Andrew Neumann (Sr., Somerset, Wis.) caught 10 passes for 95 yards for the Auggies, who finished the season 1-9 overall, 1-7 in MIAC play. Augsburg has beaten Hamline in 10 of the last 11 games in the all-time series between the two schools.

Hamline put together 501 yards of total offense – 352 passing yards and 149 rushing yards – in a losing effort, finishing its season at 3-7 overall, 1-7 in MIAC play.

Berg completed 34-of-44 passes with one touchdown and one interception for the Auggies, his second 300-yard effort in the final three games of the season. He also rushed for a 7-yard touchdown in the final minute of the first half. Berg, who transferred to Augsburg this season from Minnesota-Duluth, finished the season with 2,107 passing yards – fourth-best in a single season in school history. His 208 completions and 349 passing attempts this year were both second-most in a single-season in Augsburg history.

Four Auggies gained 60 or more receiving yards, led by Neumann's 95 yards on 10 catches. He became the fourth Augsburg player – and first tight end -- to reach the 2,000-yard plateau in career receiving yards, finishing with 2,006 career yards on 186 receptions (second-most in school history).

Royce Winford (So., Albertville, Minn./Osseo HS) caught eight passes for 83 yards, Mike Nourie (Fr., Nicollet, Minn.) caught six passes for 91 yards, and Ricky Schreier (Sr., Maplewood, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) caught six passes for 63 yards, including a 20-yard scoring reception from Berg in the second quarter. Schreier finished his career with 1,563 receiving yards on 140 catches. James Strand (Fr., Pequot Lakes, Minn./Brainerd HS) rushed for 46 yards on 11 carries, including a one-yard plunge in the third quarter.

Andrew Seymour (Jr., Sandstone, Minn./East Central HS) caught 10 passes for 138 yards to lead the Pipers, while Brent Nelson (So., New London, Minn./New London-Spicer HS) caught five passes for 53 yards and Sean Lewis (Fr., St. Paul, Minn./Tartan HS) caught three passes for 80 yards. Ben Ganske (Jr., Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial HS) rushed for a game-high 122 yards on 22 carries, scoring a touchdown on a one-yard run in the second quarter.

Hamline used two quarterbacks in the game in place of injured regular James Leary (So., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./South St. Paul HS). Cohlman Rutschow (So., Red Wing, Minn.) completed 14-of-24 passes for 209 yards, while Chad Schmigel (Jr., Ridgecrest, Calif.) completed 9-of-11 passes for 143 yards.

Augsburg's defense picked off a season-high three passes, including the 62-yard interception for a score by Roff. Tyler Judkins (Fr., Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) and Pat Hoban (Fr., St. Paul, Minn./Humboldt HS) also had interceptions.

Mike Matson (Sr., Cedar, Minn./St. Francis HS) led all players with 13 tackles (five solo), including a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. He finished his Auggie career with 355 tackles (146 solo), including 110 (46 solo) this season. Hoban had 11 tackles (four solo), and Sean Kelly (So., Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) had 10 tackles (six solo).

Tyler Schultz (Sr., Rollingstone, Minn./Lewiston-Altura HS) led the Pipers with 11 tackles (five solo), while Brody Anderson (Sr., Floodwood, Minn.) had eight tackles (two solo) and Adam Hespen (Sr., Brooklyn Center, Minn.) had seven takles (five solo), including a sack and interception. Russ Flaten (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn HS) had two sacks in the game.