BOXSCORE MINNEAPOLIS -- Joey Sonnenfeld (SO, Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo HS) and Adam Carl (SR, Eagan, Minn.) caught touchdown passes from quarterback Ayrton Scott (SO, Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest HS), but their Augsburg College football team dropped a 17-14 decision to the University of St. Thomas in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest on Saturday afternoon at Augsburg's Edor Nelson Field.

Sonnenfeld caught seven passes for 113 yards, while Carl caught five passes for 92 yards. Scott completed 18-of-37 passing for 234 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing 19 times for 92 yards in the game.

St. Thomas rallied from a 14-7 deficit after three quarters with a five-yard rushing touchdown by Nick Waldvogel (FY, Mendota Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS) with 11:37 remaining, and a 23-yard field goal by Paul Graupner (SO, Minnetonka, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's HS) with 1:21 left.

The loss, which drops Augsburg's record to 4-4 overall and 3-4 in MIAC play, was the Auggies' third by three points or less this season. Augsburg has outscored its opponents by a 256-195 margin so far this season, but its margin of defeat in its four losses this year have been by a total of 35 points -- with 27 coming in one game.

Augsburg outgained St. Thomas by a 348-231 margin in the game, but could not overcome three drive-ending interceptions, including two pickoffs by Tommie defenders in the fourth quarter. A Scott pass was intercepted by Jeff Rada (SR, Maplewood, Minn./North St. Paul HS) with 5:57 left, and a final-drive pass to the end zone was picked off by Josh Carey (SR, Rogers, Minn.) with 13 seconds remaining.

Meanwhile, St. Thomas turned the ball over five times, with three interceptions and two fumbles, but the Auggies were unable to score on any of the ensuing drives.

The Tommies opened the scoring on a 25-yard scoring run by Jack Kaiser (SO, Prior Lake, Minn.), capping a 10-play, 61-yard drive with 3:53 left in the first quarter.

The Auggies rallied back on a four-play, 80-yard drive, ended on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Scott to Sonnenfeld. The touchdown reception was Sonnenfeld's 10th of the season, keeping him in the lead among MIAC receivers in both overall yardage per-game (99.6) and receiving touchdowns.

The game was a back-and-forth battle going into the second half, but Augsburg gained the lead late in the third quarter. A seven-play, 69-yard drive was capped on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Scott to Carl. Scott then threw a two-point conversion pass to Sonnenfeld to give the Auggies a 14-7 lead. Carl now has 18 touchdown receptions in his career, moving him into sixth place in school history in the career category. He has 19 touchdowns overall in his career. 

WIth his 234 passing yards, Scott now leads MIAC quarterbacks in overall passing yardage per-game (269.6) and passing touchdowns (22). He also ranks fourth among MIAC players in overall rushing yardage per-game (77.0). He now has 48 passing touchdowns in his career, moving him into second place in Augsburg history in the category. Jordan Berg '09 holds the Augsburg school record for passing touchdowns with 72 (2006-08).

Following the Carl touchdown pass, the Auggies got the ball back when a kickoff return was fumbled to the Auggies, with Derek Ruff (SO, Shoreview, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) forcing the fumble and R.J. Cervenka (SO, Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) recovering, at the Tommie 43-yard line. But Augsburg turned the ball back to the Tommies on downs, and nine plays and 52 yards later, Waldvogel enabled the Tommies to tie the game with his five-yard scoring run.

The teams traded the ball back and forth on the next five drives, before the Tommies pulled a trick play on a punt return. Sean Hamlin (JR, Maple Grove, Minn./Wayzata HS) caught the punt at the Augsburg 47-yard line, then threw the ball across the field on a lateral to Dan Noehring (SR, Lakeville, Minn./South HS), and Noehring ran the ball 40 yards to the Augsburg 13-yard line. Seven plays later, Graupner connected on the go-ahead 23-yard field goal.

Augsburg got the ball back following a short kickoff at its own 33-yard line, with no time outs, and drove the ball to the Tommie 31-yard line, but a pass was intercepted in the end zone to end the final threat.

Fenske completed 11-of-25 passes for 95 yards, while Kaiser rushed 20 times for 88 yards and Waldvogel rushed 11 times for 50 yards.

Defensively, Augsburg linebacker Michael Juberian (JR, Richfield, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's HS) recorded his eighth straight double-digit tackle game, leading all players with 14 tackles (nine solo), including 1.5 tackles for-loss. Juberian now has 121 tackles (49 solo), a total 21 more than the nearest competitor in the MIAC's overall statistics.

Felix Coleman (JR, Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson HS) had eight tackles (three solo), an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery in the game for the Auggies, while Enrico Barrozo (SR, Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) had seven tackles (four solo) and an interception. Chris DeVet (JR, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) had two sacks and three tackles for-loss.

For St. Thomas, Steve Dejewski (SR, Hartland, Wis./Waukesha Catholic Memorial HS) had 10 tackles (one solo), while Harry Pitera (SR, St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) had seven tackles (four solo), including a sack and two tackles for-loss. Cavan Metzler (JR, Green Bay, Wis./Notre Dame HS) had seven tackles.

Both teams are back in action next Saturday (11/9), with Augsburg hosting Macalester in nonconference play at 1 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field, and St. Thomas hosting Concordia-Moorhead at 1:10 p.m.