The Gustavus Adolphus football team closed out Gustavus Stadium with a 41-27 victory over Augsburg Saturday in the final game to be played on the site. The Gusties led 34-0, but the Auggies scored four straight possessions in the second half to cut the lead to 34-27 before Jordan Stolp (Jr., Mankato, Minn.) connected with high school teammate Tom Johnson (Jr., Mankato, Minn.) on a 10-yard touchdown strike with 3:22 to play.
Gustavus controlled play in the first half outgaining Augsburg 347-159 en route to a 34-0 halftime lead. Ray Wilson (So., Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and Mitch Anderson (Jr., Sleepy Eye, Minn.) each scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, while Stolp found first-year wideout Richard White (Fy., Prior Lake, Minn.) on a 15-yard pass play in the second quarter. The Gustie defense limited the Auggies to 29 rushing yards on 14 attempts.
The Auggies virtually abandoned their running game in the second half as quarterback Jordan Berg threw 45 times in the second half, completing 30. Berg led Augsburg to 27 straight points on four straight possessions in the second half to cut the Gustie advantage to 34-27, connecting twice with tight end Andrew Neumann (7, 4) and once each with wide receivers Mike Nourie and Royce Winford for touchdowns.
Berg finished 42-of-64 for 381 yards and four touchdowns, while his Gustie counterpart, Stolp, was 19-for-35 for 311 yards and two touchdowns. For Stolp, it was the fourth time in his career that he has topped 300 yards passing, and the second time this season (315, at Willamette).
Neumann led all receivers with 16 receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns, while Nourie (7-78) and Ricky Schreier (7-33) each caught seven passes. Royce Winford also topped the century mark for the Auggies, making six grabs for 112 yards. Chad Arlt (So., St. Michael, Minn.) led Gustavus with six catches for 103 yards, while Johnson (3-47) and Kerry Zajicek (Sr., Glencoe, Minn.) (3-41) each made three grabs.
Mitch Anderson narrowly missed his second straight 100-yard rushing game for the Gusties, picking up 96 yards on 13 carries, including a 40-yard scamper in the second half to set up Stolp’s TD pass to White. Ray Wilson added 58 yards on 12 carries. The Auggies carried the ball only 19 times for 30 yards with Arthur Minus making most of the headway. Minus finished with 23 yards on six carries.
Defensively, three Gusties recorded double-digit tackles, led by Jared Sieling (Jr., Watertown, Minn.) with 15 (5 solo, 10 asst.). Adam Miron (Sr., Princeton, Minn.) (4 solo, 9 asst.) and Kevin Hegland (Sr., St. Michael, Minn.) (5 solo, 5 asst.) followed with 13 and 10 stops, respectively. Sieling also picked up the game’s only sack. Mike Matson (5 solo, 3 asst.) registered eight stops to lead the Auggies.
Gustavus closes out Gustavus Stadium with a 206-100-8 record since the stadium structure was constructed in 1929. The Gusties have played on their current field since 1905, making it the oldest field in Minnesota and the 15th oldest in NCAA Division III.
Gustavus improves to 4-4 on the season, 2-4 in the MIAC and will travel to Concordia (3-5, 3-4 MIAC) next weekend, while Augsburg drops to 0-8 overall, 0-6 in the league and must face Bethel (7-1, 5-1 MIAC) in Arden Hills.