MINNEAPOLIS – Putting together a complete performance that produced 603 yards of total offense, the Augsburg University football team opened Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play with a dominating 50-13 win over the College of St. Scholastica on Saturday afternoon at Edor Nelson Field.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 50, St. Scholastica 13
LOCATION: Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 3-0 overall (1-0 MIAC), St. Scholastica 1-2 overall (0-1 MIAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• St. Scholastica opened the scoring in each half with touchdown drives, but Augsburg answered each time with long scoring runs -- 24 straight points in the first and second quarters and 26 points in the third and fourth quarters. The Auggies produced 603 yards of total offense -- 278 rushing yards and 325 passing yards -- while limiting the Saints to 223 yards (122 rushing, 101 passing). Augsburg averaged 7.2 yards per offensive play, while limiting the Saints to 3.6 yards per-play.
• Quarterback Cade Sheehan (SO, Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS) completed 26-of-38 passing for 295 yards and four touchdowns against one interception -- his fifth game with four or more touchdown passes in his career. 
• Braden Tretter (SO, Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) caught 12 passes for a career-best 182 yards and two touchdowns -- a 13-yarder in the second quarter and an 85-yarder in the third quarter. Dominic Smith (SO, White Bear Lake, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) caught four passes for 23 yards and a six-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Michael Ims (JR, Northfield, Minn./Northfield HS) caught four passes for 37 yards and Devin Schelske (SO, Pocatello, Idaho/Century HS) scored on a 15-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
• Running back DJ Monroe (SO, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) rushed 25 times for 187 yards, the most rushing yards for an Auggie since Quran Al-Hameed rushed for 190 yards in a 2019 game against Hamline. Monroe capped his day with a three-yard rushing touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, the final score for the Auggies on the day.
• Augsburg's defense forced 10 St. Scholastica drives to end in punts -- with seven "three-and-out" drives. 
• Linebacker Brandon Sjostrand (JR, Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS) led the Auggies with seven tackles (three solo), with a tackle for-loss, pass breakup and quarterback hurry.
• Defensive back Lionel Gates (SR, New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) had six tackles (four solo), and lineman Jaylan Lomax (SO, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) had six tackles (two solo), with two tackles for-loss, a half-sack and a pass breakup. 
• Jariel Lopez-Barrera (JR, Minneapolis, Minn./St. Louis Park HS) had four tackles, with a sack, pass breakup and a forced fumble, and Justin Tverberg (SO, Farmington, Minn./Hastings HS) had four tackles. Shaquille Young (SR, St. Paul, Minn./Tartan HS) had a fumble recovery to go along with three tackles.
• Kicker Nathan Wangensteen (FY, Chisholm, Minn./Chisholm HS) connected three field goals for the Auggies, the most in a single game since Nick Schlieman connected on three in a 2004 game against St. Olaf. Wangensteen is now 5-for-6 on field goals this season.

FOR THE FOES
• Nick Schlender rushed 17 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns for St. Scholastica -- a 44-yarder in the first quarter and a 31-yarder in the third quarter.
• Donald West completed 11-for-28 passing for 101 yards, with Wyatt Lahr catching five passes for 44 yards.
• Jake Kukowski had 11 tackles (six solo), with a forced fumble and fumble recovery, and Henry Ellefson had 10 tackles (five solo).

UP NEXT
• Augsburg has an MIAC game next Saturday (10/1) at 1 p.m. at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.