Football 10/27/07 -- Augsburg 44, Gustavus 38

BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (10/27/07) -- Quarterback Jordan Berg (Jr., Gaylord, Minn./Sibley East HS) completed 47-of-69 passing for 558 yards, all single-game school records, while throwing five touchdowns, as his Augsburg College football team scored a 44-38 victory over Gustavus Adolphus in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football game on Saturday afternoon at Augsburg's Edor Nelson Field.

With his five touchdowns, including a game-winning 15-yard pass to Royce Winford (Jr., Brooklyn Park, Minn./Osseo HS) with 19 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Berg broke Augsburg's single-season touchdown passing record. He now has 26 touchdown passes, breaking the old record of 24, set by Derrin Lamker in 1997.

With the victory, Augsburg (4-4 overall, 2-4 MIAC) broke a nine-game losing streak to Gustavus (4-4 overall, 2-4 MIAC). The Auggies' last win over the Gusties came on Oct. 18, 1997, with a 41-35, two-overtime win at Gustavus. It was the Auggies' first home win over the Gusties since 1993. With the victory, Augsburg equaled its number of victories in the last three seasons combined (4-26). Also, combined with last week's win at Carleton, the two-game winning streak is Augsburg's first in a single season since 1999, when it started 3-0.

Three Auggie receivers caught passes for more than 100 yards, led by Winford, who recorded his third straight 200-yard receiving game and sixth triple-digit receiving game of the season with 17 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Winford also became the second Augsburg receiver to ever reach the 1,000-yard single-season receiving plateau. He now has 1,199 yards on 86 receptions and 14 touchdowns; Scott Hvistendahl (1995-98) had 1,213 receiving yards in 1996, 1,328 yards in 1997 and 1,860 yards in 1998. Winford's 86 receptions is now the second-most in school history, behind Hvistendahl's 112 in 1998; and his 14 touchdowns is also second-most, behind Hvistendahl's 15 in both 1998 and 1997.

Muneer Al-Hameed (Fr., Woodbury, Minn./Minneapolis Washburn HS) caught 11 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns for the Auggies, and Mike Nourie (So., Nicollet, Minn.) caught 10 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Jason Potts (Jr., Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) rushed 17 times for 74 yards and a touchdown for Augsburg.

Augsburg put together a season-high 617 yards of total offense and scored its most points in a single game since a 44-14 win over Dakota State (S.D.) on Sept. 7, 2002.

Meanwhile, Gustavus put together 532 yards of total offense, including 387 yards of passing by Jordan Stolp (Sr., Mankato, Minn.). Stolp completed 21-for-39 passing with four touchdown passes, including a 99-yarder to Chad Arlt (Jr., St. Michael, Minn.) in the third quarter.

The 99-yard pass ties both an NCAA Division III and MIAC record for longest pass from scrimmage. The 99-yard pass occured 25 times entering this season in NCAA Division III history. In MIAC history, the 99-yard pass has only happened once before; a 99-yarder from Greg Kaiser to Mark Warder of St. Thomas in a game against Augsburg in 1998.

With the 99-yarder as a springboard, Arlt caught 11 passes for two touchdowns and a Gustavus school-record 252 yards, breaking the old mark of 228 yards, set by Rich Ryan in a 1976 game against Washington University (Mo.).

Trailing 38-24 entering the fourth quarter, the Gusties tied the game with consecutive touchdowns, a five-yard pass to Cody Sukalski (Fr., Blue Earth, Minn.) and a one-yard TD plunge by Stolp.

Augsburg was forced to punt on its next drive, but on the Gusties' next possession, the Auggie defense held firm on a fourth-and-inches rush at the Augsburg 35-yard line, and took over on downs with 3:19 left. Augsburg then drove the ball 65 yards in 11 plays, with Berg completing 8-of-9 passes (plus a spike to stop the clock), including the game-winning 15-yarder to Winford with 19 seconds left. The extra-point kick attempt was blocked.

After a 20-yard kickoff return by Sukalski put the ball at the Gustavus 45-yard line, a long pass was intercepted by Augsburg's Rodney Powell (So., Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) after a struggle with a Gustavus receiver at the 2-yard line. The interception was Augsburg's 16th as a team this season, and Powell's third. David Tilton (Fr., Anoka, Minn.) also had an interception for the Auggies.

Berg's season throwing totals of 233 completions, 398 attempts and 2,670 yards are all second-most in a single season in school history, behind the records of 247 completions, 413 attempts and 2,951 yards by Lamker in 1997.

Gustavus running back Mitch Anderson (Sr., Sleepy Eye, Minn.) rushed 21 times for 116 yards, while Sukalski caught five passes for 37 yards and a touchdown, and Cameron Maurer (So., Morgan, Minn.) caught four passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Augsburg was led by Adam Mead (Fr., St. Francis, Minn.), who had 13 tackles (seven solo). Donovan Bates (Jr., White Bear Lake, Minn.) had 10 tackles (one solo) and a forced fumble, Garrett Adamson (Jr., White Bear Lake, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) had nine tackles (three solo), and Tony Landecker (Jr., Breezy Point, Minn./Brainerd HS) and Alex Glasenapp (So., Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) had eight tackles apiece, with Landecker ading a fumble recovery.

For the Gusties, Ethan Armstrong (Jr., Wheaton, Minn.) had 15 tackles (11 solo), while Jared Sieling (Sr., Watertown, Minn.) had 14 tackles (three solo), Joe Welch (So., Hastings, Minn.) had 13 tackles (four solo) and a blocked extra point, and Isaac Perry (Jr., Wabasha, Minn.) had 10 tackles (five solo). Gustavus recorded three sacks, including sacks by Patrick Riordan (Sr., Virginia, Minn.) and Christian Vanek (So., Prior Lake, Minn.) which forced fumbles.

Augsburg returns to MIAC play on Friday (11/2) at 7 p.m., hosting Bethel at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Gustavus returns to MIAC play next Saturday (11/3) at 1 p.m., hosting Concordia-Moorhead in St. Peter.