NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- Jerise Washington (SO, Roseville, Minn./Mounds View HS) set Augsburg College single-game school records for rushing yardage and touchdowns in a game, scoring four touchdowns and rushing for 245 yards as the Auggies claimed a 45-37 victory over St. Olaf College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football game on Saturday afternoon at St. Olaf's Manitou Field.
Washington scored a touchdown in the final minute of the first half, then scored three touchdowns in the second half for Augsburg, which improved to 5-1 overall, 4-1 in MIAC play. It's the first time Augsburg has been 5-1 after its first six games of the season since the Auggies' 1997 MIAC championship season (10-2 overall, 8-1 MIAC). It's the fourth time in the last six years that Augsburg has recorded at least five wins in a season. Augsburg claimed its first victory over St. Olaf (5-2 overall, 3-2 MIAC) since 2008.
Washington carried the ball 22 times for 245 yards, breaking the single-game school record for rushing yardage, 217 yards by Marty Alger in a 1993 game against Bethel. His four rushing touchdowns tied the Augsburg single-game school records for rushing touchdowns, overall touchdowns and total points. He also caught a team-high seven catches for 60 yards, giving him 305 all-purpose yards in the game.
Augsburg rushed for 387 yards as a team -- its second straight 300-plus-yard rushing performance -- while outgaining St. Olaf by a 500-485 margin in total offense. Augsburg has recorded 400-plus yards of total offense in each of its six games this season, averaging 469.8 yards per-game.
Auggie quarterback Ayrton Scott (FY, Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest HS) rushed for 147 yards on 21 carries, scoring two rushing touchdowns, while completing 12-of-15 passing for 113 yards -- his sixth straight 100-plus-yard rushing game to start his career. Entering the game as the No. 2-ranked individual in NCAA Division III football in total offense and No. 7-ranked rusher nationally, Scott now has 2,091 yards of total offense (348.5 yards per-game) -- 898 rushing yards and 1,193 passing yards.
The conference's rushing yardage leader (149.7 yards per-game), Scott is on pace to become the third Auggie in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, joining Marcus LeVesseur's 1,024 yards on 2004 and Alger's 1,011 yards in 1992. Scott has 127 carries on the year, and could become the fourth Auggie to reach the 200 mark in single-season carries -- joining LeVesseur's 256 carries in 2004, Brian Warden's 232 carries in 1999 and Wayne Graves' 217 carries in 1973.
Tyler Swanson (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) caught three passes for 35 yards for the Auggies.
For St. Olaf, Dan Dobson completed 24-of-33 passing for 313 yards and three touchdowns, with Joel Reinhardt catching eight passes for 100 yards, and Stephen Asp catching six passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Thai rushed 16 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns, with Dobson rushing 10 times for 44 yards.
Defensively, Enrico Barrozo (JR, Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) had nine tackles (seven solo), while Bryce Vee (SR, Coon Rapids, Minn./Blaine HS) had nine tackles (two solo), including 1.5 tackles for-loss and a pass break-up. Felix Coleman (SO, Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson HS) had seven tackles (four solo) and a pass breakup. Hakeem Bourne-McFarlane (JR, Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS) had six tackles (four solo), and a forced fumble and recovery on St. Olaf's final drive -- stopping the Oles at the Augsburg 41-yard line with 36 seconds left in the game.
For the Oles, Chad Curry, Erick Marigi and Colin Brown had seven tackles apiece, while Nick Nazarian and Joey Alarie had six tackles each.
The Oles struck first in the shootout, completing its opening drive with a three-yard touchdown pass from Dobson to Asp. But Augsburg struck back just as quickly, as a five-play, 55-yard drive was capped by Scott's first touchdown of the game, a two-yard rush. St. Olaf scored a defensive safety with 3:57 left in the second quarter, but Augsburg took the lead back on a 21-yard field goal by Wesley Waytashek (SR, Little Falls, Minn.).
St. Olaf took a 17-10 lead when Dobson threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Asp and converted a two-point conversion pass to Jake Schmiesing with 5:25 left in the second quarter, but Augsburg tied the game just before halftime, as an eight-play, 67-yard drive was capped by Washington's first score of the game, a nine-yard touchdown run with 58 seconds left in the half.
Augsburg needed just two plays to take the lead on its opening drive of the second half, as a 69-yard rush by Washington set up Scott's second score of the game, a six-yard touchdown 36 seconds into the third quarter. But St. Olaf struck back in quick fashion, as a four-play, 71-yard drive in 1:55 -- including a 49-yard pass from Dobson to Schmiesing -- set up a game-tying three-yard touchdown by Thai.
The game continued to go back-and-forth in the second half. Augsburg capped an 11-play, 83-yard drive with Washington's 17-yard touchdown run, but the Oles came back again, with Dobson completing a 22-yard touchdown pass to Cody Kragness to cap a seven-play, 57-yard drive.
Tied 31-31 after three quarters, the Auggies took the lead for good when Washington capped a 12-play, 77-yard drive with his third touchdown of the game, a three-yard run with 11:33 left in the third quarter. St. Olaf's Thai scored on a 22-yard run on the Oles' next drive, but the extra-point kick was blocked, and the Auggies held a 38-37 advantage. Augsburg then drove 75 yards in just four plays and 1:53, with Washington ending the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown run with 5:53 left.
St. Olaf was stopped on downs on its next drive, but an Augsburg drive also stalled, giving the Oles the ball at their own 13-yard line with 1:16 left. St. Olaf drove to the Augsburg 41, but Bourne-McFarlane's forced fumble and recovery gave the Auggies the ball for the final time with 36 seconds left.
Both teams return to MIAC play next Saturday (10/20) at 1 p.m., as Augsburg hosts Concordia-Moorhead at Edor Nelson Field, and St. Olaf travels to face crosstown rival Carleton.