MIAC Roundup: Gusties hold off Auggies in shootout

Gustavus defensive back Brady Miller tries to bring down Augsburg receiver Ray Guyton Jr. during Saturday’s shootout at Minneapolis. Gustavus held off the Auggies to win their MIAC opener 42-37. (John Nicholson/Augsburg Athletics)

MIAC STANDINGS

Concordia 1-0 3-0
St. John’s 1-0 3-0
Gustavus 1-0 2-1
St. Thomas 1-0 2-1
Hamline 0-0 1-1
Augsburg 0-1 2-1
St. Olaf 0-1 1-2
Bethel 0-1 0-3
Carleton 0-1 0-3

MIAC SCOREBOARD
Saturday’s games

  • St. Thomas 63, Carleton 0
  • Gustavus 42, Augsburg 37
  • Concordia 31, Bethel 7
  • St. John’s 56, St. Olaf 7
  • Hamline, bye

Saturday, Sept. 23

  • St. John’s at St. Thomas, 1:10 p.m., Target Field
  • Augsburg at Carleton, 1 p.m.
  • St. Olaf at Bethel, 1 p.m.
  • Hamline at Gustavus, 1 p.m.
  • Concordia, bye

Augsburg’s Quinn Frisell edged out Michael Veldman of Gustavus in the quarterback shootout, but the Gusties had the difference maker in Jamison Beulke, who ran for 99 yards and the clinching touchdown in Gustavus’ 42-37 victory on Saturday in Minneapolis.

Frisell completed 27 of 44 passes for 451 yards and five touchdowns, including strikes of 89 yards to Kyle Hughes in the third quarter and 75 yards to Tiras Bolton with 4:58 to play in the fourth quarter. That cut the Gustavus lead to six points with plenty of time on the clock.

Veldman hit on 35 of 48 passes for 430 yards and four touchdowns, two scores coming on passes of 8 yards to Brice Panning in the first quarter and 11 yards to Josh Kirk early in the second as Gustavus (1-0 MIAC, 2-1 overall) built a 14-0 lead.

Beulke’s short touchdown run 9:43 before the half put Gustavus up 21-0 .

Less than two minutes later, Frisell hit Heenie for 27 yards and a touchdown, but Veldman answered with a 4-yard TD pass to Cam Hufendick with 4:50 to play, making the score 28-7 Gustavus.

In the third quarter, Frisell rallied Augsburg (0-1, 2-1) with a 22-yard scoring pass to Heenie and his long strike to Hughes. Tyler Hanson’s 34-yard field goal made it 28-24 with 2:17 left in the third qyarter.

Veldman hit Panning again, this time for 27 yards and a touchdown at 11:24 of the fourth quarter, but Frisell answered wth a 6-yard TD pass to Heenie at 7:51.
Beulke ran 7 yards for his second touchdown of the game with 5:16 to play. Frisell’s 75-yarder to Bolton gave the Auggies a fighting chance.

Gustavus recovered the on-sides kick on the Augsburg 40-yard line and drove to third and goal at the 17-yard line before Matt Bowlin Veldman and returned it to the Augsburg 20 with 1:36 to play.

Frisell threw seven consecutive passes and drove the Auggies to the Gustavus 39, but the Gusties’ Drew Fredrickson intercepted a Frisell pass to end the threat.
Beulke added 185 yards rushing on 14 carries for a total of 284 all-purpose yards.

St. John’s 56, St. Olaf 7

Quarterback Jackson Erdmann passed for 194 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for another as St. John’s (1-0, 3-0) tuned up for next week’s collision with St. Thomas by thrashing St. Olaf (0-1, 1-2) at Northfield.

Seven Johnnies scored touchdowns, and Zack Barwick kicked field goals of 33 and 39 yards. Danny Pietruszewski led the St. John’s rushers with 74 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Concordia 31, Bethel 7

Chad Johnson rushed for 191 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries for Concordia (1-0, 3-0) at Moorhead.

Bethel (0-1, 0-3) scored first just 19 seconds into the game on a 69-yard pass from Jake Marsh to Joel Koenecke. Bethel reeled off the next 31 points, with Johnson scoring from 11 yards in the second quarter, 3 yards in the third quarter and 1 yard with 30 seconds to play in the fourth.