NEW ULM, Minn. -- The "Derrin Lamker Era" has begun for Augsburg University football, as the new head coach claimed his first Augsburg victory with a 24-21 triumph at Martin Luther College on Sunday afternoon.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 24, Martin Luther 21
LOCATION: MLC Bowl, New Ulm, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 1-0 overall, Martin Luther 2-1 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg rallied from an early deficit with three straight scores to take a 17-7 halftime advantage, then held off a late Martin Luther comeback to gain the first collegiate victory for Derrin Lamker, a 1997 Augsburg alumnus who was named the 15th head coach in Augsburg football history in December.
• Making his first collegiate start at quarterback, Cade Sheehan (FY, Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS) completed 19-of-32 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns -- a 94-yarder to Braden Tretter (FY, Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) in the second quarter and a 21-yarder to Josiah Ferguson (SR, St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS) late in the third quarter. Sheehan also ran for a 15-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter.
• The Auggies outgained the Knights by a 311-156 margin in the first half, but could only convert on three of its seven first-half drives, with two drives ending on interceptions and two stalling on downs. But the Augsburg defense held firm, stopping two Martin Luther drives on downs, including an eight-play, 80-yard drive that stalled on the Augsburg 6-yard line in the second quarter. The Auggies also claimed two second-half interceptions -- one by Sydney Royalty (JR, Milwaukee, Wis./Rufus King HS) that stopped a Martin Luther drive late in the third quarter, and another by Kyle McDonough Jr. (SO, Cottage Grove, Minn./Park HS) at the Augsburg 42-yard line with 1:52 left in the game. The Auggie defense also forced two Martin Luther fumbles, one recovered by Jaylan Lomax (FY, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) with 58 seconds left in the first half, and another recovered by Antonio Neve (SR, Vadnais Heights, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) midway through the third quarter.
• Augsburg ended up outgaining Martin Luther by a 397-373 margin in the game, with 302 passing yards and 95 rushing yards. 
• Tretter led the Auggies with 169 receiving yards on seven catches, including the 94-yarder from Sheehan for a touchdown. Dominic Smith (SO, White Bear Lake, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) caught five passes for 78 yards, Mike Rodriguez (SR, Hastings, Minn./Hastings HS) caught three passes for 22 yards and Ferguson caught two passes for 28 yards. Also Augsburg's kicker and punter, Rodriguez connected on a 24-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter.
• Quran Al-Hameed (SR, Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury HS) rushed 23 times for 61 yards.
• Defensively, eight Auggie players had six or more tackles, led by linebacker Josiah Morrow (SO, Maple Grove, Minn./St. Louis Park HS), who had 10 tackles (five solo). Royalty had eight tackles (five solo), an interception and a pass breakup, and Shostrand had eight tackles (four solo), including two quarterback sacks. Lionel Gates Jr. (JR, Minneapolis, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) and Justin Tverberg (FY, Farmington, Minn./Hastings HS) also had eight tackles each.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Lamker is the fourth head coach in Augsburg football history to open his Auggie career with a victory, joining Bob Carlson (1940-41, 1946), Bill Caris (1972-75) and Jack Osberg (1991-2004). Osberg is serving as an assistant coach on Lamker's staff this season.

FOR THE FOES
• Austin DeNoyer rushed 18 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns, both in the second half, for Martin Luther. Quarterback Max Nordlie rushed 19 times for 91 yards and a touchdown, while completing 3-of-12 passing for 30 yards. Joshuah Kren rushed 16 times for 89 yards.
• Jacob Kieselhorst had 10 tackles, including two sacks, while Ben Riegsecker had 10 tackles and a sack, and Aiden Holien also had 10 tackles. Noah Norlie had nine tackles and two interceptions.