COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. -- The Augsburg University football team played a close contest with No. 5-ranked Saint John's University in the first half, but the Johnnies scored 24 unanswered points to pull away in a 45-20 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference decision on Saturday afternoon.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Saint John's 45, Augsburg 20
LOCATION: Clemens Stadium, Collegeville, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 1-3 overall (0-2 MIAC), Saint John's 4-0 overall (2-0 MIAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg scored a pair of touchdowns to tie the game at 14-14 with 9:21 left in the second quarter. But Saint John's scored three touchdowns and added a field goal, taking a 38-14 advantage with 8:01 left in the fourth quarter. The Auggies were outgained by a 505-251 margin by the Johnnies, ranked No. 5 in the latest D3football.com Division III national poll. Saint John's held Augsburg to just two net yards rushing in the game. The Johnnies also claimed an interception and five quarterback sacks.
• Quarterback
Marcus Freeman (JR, Brooklyn Park, Minn./Park Center HS) completed 22-of-33 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns -- a 57-yarder to
Tyrone Wilson (JR, Ellendale, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva HS) to open the scoring in the first quarter, a 16-yard pass to
Devin Schelske (SR, Pocatello, Idaho/Century HS) in the second quarter, and a five-yarder to
Tyrique Givance (SR, Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) in the fourth quarter.
• Wilson ended up catching seven passes for 144 yards, his second 100-plus-yard receiving game of the season. Givance caught six passes for 29 yards, Schelske caught four passes for 28 yards, and
CJ Ritchie (SO, Blaine, Minn./Irondale HS) caught four passes for 36 yards.
•
Tramone Nevels (SR, Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest HS) had nine tackles (five solo) to lead Augsburg, while
Gerald Shepherd Jr. (SR, Minneapolis, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) had seven tackles (four solo), including a half-sack, shared with
Hamsa Kahin (SR, Eden Prairie, Minn./Edina HS). Kahin had five tackles (two solo), as did
Dylan Owens (JR, Andover, Minn./Andover HS),
FOR THE FOES
• Aaron Syverson completed 24-of-35 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns for the Johnnies, with three touchdowns caught by Dylan Wheeler, who had seven receptions for 96 yards.
• Caden Wheeler rushed 15 times for 136 yards and a touchdown.
• Cooper Yaggle had 10 tackles (four solo), with a sack and 2.5 tackles for-loss. Hayden Sanders had nine tackles (four solo).
UP NEXT
• Augsburg hosts Hamline in the annual rivalry game for "The Hammer" traveling trophy next Saturday (10/12) at 12 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field, in the Auggies' Homecoming game.
