GAME STATISTICS

MINNEAPOLIS (11/1/08) -- Augsburg College's #Jack Christopherson# (SO, Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo HS) hit a career-long 34-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining in regulation -- a play after a third-down, 22-yard field-goal attempt was blocked but recovered by the Auggies -- to give Augsburg a 22-20, come-from-behind victory over the University of St. Thomas in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football contest on Saturday at Augsburg's Edor Nelson Field.

Augsburg (5-3 overall, 3-3 MIAC) rallied from a 14-7, third-quarter deficit with two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter, but St. Thomas (5-3 overall, 4-3 MIAC) re-took the lead with 1:56 left, as running back Ben Wartman (SO, Prior Lake, Minn.) scored his third touchdown of the game on a seven-yard rush. The Tommies led 20-19 after a two-point conversion pass attempt was intercepted.

Wartman rushed for two 57-yard touchdowns, one in the first quarter and another in the third quarter, and ended up with 300 rushing yards on 37 carries -- just 14 yards shy of the MIAC's single-game rushing yardage record (314 yards by UST's Peter Ridley in a 2004 game against Carleton).

Augsburg then drove the ball on 12 plays to the St. Thomas 1-yard line, but a penalty pushed the ball back to the UST 5. On third-down-and-goal, Christopherson lined up for a 22-yard field-goal attempt, but it was blocked by St. Thomas' Brady Ervin (JR, Eden Prairie, Minn.). The ball deflected back into the Augsburg backfield and was recovered by the Auggies at the UST 16. Christopherson then connected on his 34-yard attempt with 12 seconds left to give the Auggies the win.

Augsburg quarterback #Jordan Berg *# (SR, Gaylord, Minn./Sibley East HS) completed 34-of-57 passes for 403 yards and three touchdowns, pushing him over the 8,000-yard barrier in career passing yardage. Already Augsburg's school-record-holder in every passing category, he now has 8,338 passing yards on 752-for-1,269 passing and 69 touchdowns in just 28 career games.

Berg hooked up with wide receiver #Royce Winford *# (SR, Brooklyn Park, Minn./Osseo HS) six times for 68 yards in the game-winning drive, part of a 15-catch, 158-yard performance for Winford, who went over the 3,000-yard mark for career receiving yardage on Saturday. Winford now has 236 catches for 3,144 yards and 37 touchdowns in his career, adding a 31-yard touchdown reception from Berg to give the Auggies a 19-14 lead with 9:30 left in the game. Also a cornerback on defense, Winford had an interception in the second quarter.

Winford edged closer to Augsburg's career record for receiving touchdowns, with his 37th scoring catch. Augsburg's career receiving touchdown record is 40, set by Scott Hvistendahl (1995-98). Winford's other career totals are also second to Hvistendahl's 285 catches for 4,696 yards in his career.

#Dan Brown# (FY, Osseo, Minn.) caught two touchdown passes for the Auggies -- a 34-yard strike in the first quarter and an 18-yard reception early in the fourth quarter. After Brown's 18-yard touchdown, the Auggies converted a successful onside kick, which led six plays later to Berg's touchdown pass to Winford to give the Auggies the lead. #Muneer Al-Hameed# (SO, Woodbury, Minn./Minneapolis Washburn HS) caught eight passes for 107 yards for the Auggies.

St. Thomas used two quarterbacks in the game -- starter David Sauer (Sr, Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori HS) completed eight passes for 63 yards, and Greg Morse (FY, St. Paul, Minn./Como Park HS) came in the game in the third quarter and completed five passes for 15 yards. Fritz Waldvogel (FY, Mendota Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS) caught seven passes for 67 yards for the Tommies.

Defensively, Augsburg's #Sean Kelly# (SR, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) led all players with 16 tackles (four solo) and had a fumble recovery, while #Garrett Adamson# (SR, White Bear Lake, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) had 11 tackles (four solo). #John Hibbs# (SO, Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS), #Adam Ebert# (JR, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) and #Adam Mead# (SO, St. Francis, Minn.) had seven tackles apiece, with Ebert adding an interception.

For St. Thomas, Zach Sturm (JR, Springfield, Minn.) and Tony Danna (SO, Lake Elmo, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) had nine tackles each, with Sturm adding an interception and Danna adding three tackles-for-loss and a sack. Bryan Villar (JR, Oakdale, Minn./Tartan HS) and Brady Ervin (JR, Eden Prairie, Minn.) also had interceptions for the Tommies.

Both teams return to MIAC play next Saturday (11/8) at 1 p.m., with Augsburg playing at St. John's and St. Thomas hosting Bethel.