NEW ULM, Minn. – Scoring three touchdowns on fumble recoveries, Augsburg University's defense played a huge role in its 45-7 victory over Martin Luther College in a nonconference football game on Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 45, Martin Luther 7
LOCATION: MLC Bowl, New Ulm, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 2-0 overall, Martin Luther 0-3 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg's defense scored three touchdowns on fumble recoveries -- a 25-yard return by Michael Harris III (SO, St. Paul, Minn./Tartan HS) and a 73-yard return by Jariel Lopez-Barrera (JR, Minneapolis, Minn./St. Louis Park HS) in the first quarter, and a 29-yard return by Lopez-Barrera in the third quarter.
• Augsburg outgained Martin Luther by a 351-to-287-yard margin, but was efficient in scoring its 45 points. The Auggies ran just 49 offensive plays and held the ball for 24:07, compared to 76 plays and 35:53 of possession for the host Knights.
• The Auggies opened the scoring on a four-play, 62-yard drive, as wide receiver Tyrone Wilson (FY, Ellendale, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva HS) caught his first collegiate touchdown pass, a 50-yarder from quarterback Cade Sheehan (SO, Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS). 
• Sheehan completed 14-of-22 passing for 236 yards in the game, with Wilson catching three passes for 77 yards. Braden Tretter (SO, Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) caught four passes for 98 yards, and Dominic Smith (SO, White Bear Lake, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) caught four passes for 43 yards.
• Linebacker Hamsa Kahin (SO, Eden Prairie, Minn./Edina HS) forced both fumbles that resulted in defensive touchdowns for the Auggies in the first quarter.
• Running back Isaiah Thompson (JR, Detroit Lakes, Minn./Detroit Lakes HS) scored his first touchdown of the season on a 33-yard score late in the second quarter. Thompason led the Auggies with 47 rushing yards on six carries.
• Kicker Nathan Wangensteen (FY, Chisholm, Minn./Chisholm HS) connected on the longest field goal for an Auggie since the 2017 season, closing the first half with a 42-yard field goal.
• DJ Monroe (SO, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) capped a six-play, 81-yard drive to open the second half with a one-yard rushing touchdown.
• Lopez-Barrera scored his second touchdown of the game -- and Augsburg's fourth defensive touchdown in its first two games -- midway through the third quarter, picking up a fumble and returning it 29 yards for a score.
• Linebacker Justin Tverberg (SO, Farmington, Minn./Hastings HS) led the Auggie defense for the second game in a row with 10 tackles (nine solo), while Lionel Gates (SR, Minneapolis, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) had seven tackles (seven solo). Camdin Carlson-Mathies (SR, Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) and Shaquille Young (SR, St. Paul, Minn./Tartan HS) had six tackles each. 
• Tramone Nevels (JR, Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest HS) claimed his second career interception in the third quarter.

FOR THE FOES
• Rees Roecker scored Martin Luther's lone touchdown with 5:13 left in the game, on a three-yard rushing score. 
• Carson Oestreich rushed 21 times for 86 yards, while Roecker rushed 21 times for 59 yards.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg opens Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play next Saturday (9/24) at 1 p.m., hosting St. Scholastica at Edor Nelson Field.