MINNEAPOLIS -- Making his collegiate football debut, quarterback Ayrton Scott (FY, Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest HS) accounted for 294 yards of total offense, leading Augsburg College to a 41-20 victory over Concordia University-Wisconsin in a nonconference contest at Augsburg's Edor Nelson Field.
Scott rushed 22 times for 155 yards, while completing 9-of-18 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns. The rushing yardage was the most for an Augsburg quarterback since Marcus Brumm rushed 21 times for 162 yards in a 31-28 Auggie win over Carleton on Oct. 10, 2009.
Running back Phil Putratz (JR, Mazeppa, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS) rushed 15 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns for the Auggies, marking the first time two Auggies have reached the century mark in rushing since the 2009 game against Carleton. Putratz rushed for a 15-yard touchdown with 4:50 left in the first quarter, then contributed the Auggies' final score on a nine-yard run with 8:47 left in the game.
Traditionally a passing team, Augsburg (1-0 overall) gained more net rushing yards (246) than passing yards (156), as the Auggies outgained Concordia-Wisconsin (0-1 overall) by a 402-293 margin. Augsburg also forced two interceptions -- one returned for a 38-yard touchdown by Felix Coleman (SO, Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson HS) early in the fourth quarter, which gave the Auggies a 35-7 lead.
Augsburg scored on its first drive of the game, completing a 13-play, 96-yard, 6:06 march with Putratz's first touchdown. Ten of the 13 plays were rushes, including Scott gains of 16, 14 and 13 yards, along with Putratz's 15-yard scoring run. On the next drive, Hakeem Bourne-McFarlane (JR, Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS) -- in his first start as a defensive back after spending the last two seasons as a starting wide receiver for the Auggies -- claimed an interception, and two plays later, Scott threw his first collegiate touchdown pass, a 29-yard strike to Tyler Swanson (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS).
The Falcons got on the scoreboard with 2:16 remaining in the second quarter, as Austin Damaschke (SO, Bristol, Wis./Westosha Central HS) threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Erik West (SR, Plymouth, Wis.), capping a six-play, 54-yard drive.
Augsburg scored on its first two possessions of the second half, as a six-play, 73-yard drive ended with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Scott to Wesley Waytashek (SR, Little Falls, Minn.), and a five-play, 47-yard drive was capped with Swanson's second touchdown reception of the game, a 17-yarder from Scott.
The teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter, as following Coleman's interception return score, Concordia's West caught his second touchdown pass of the game, a 10-yarder from Damaschke with 10:54 left. Putratz scored his second touchdown of the game on his nine-yard run with 8:47 left, and Concordia's LaCurt Evans (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park HS) ended the scoring with a two-yard run with one second left in the game.
For Augsburg, Swanson caught three passes for 63 yards, while Waytashek had two receptions for 37 yards and Jerise Washington (SO, Roseville, Minn./Mounds View HS) had two receptions for 28 yards.
Concordia's Damaschke completed 15-of-22 passing for 160 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing 10 times for 36 yards. Garret Wenzelburger (SO, Hartland, Wis./Milwaukee Lutheran HS) had six receptions for 86 yards, while West caught four passes for 36 yards and two scores. Carlton Austin (SR, Kingsford Heights, Ind./La Porte HS) rushed 10 times for 67 yards.
Defensively, Bryce Vee (SR, Coon Rapids, Minn./Blaine HS) led the Auggies with nine tackles (two solo), while Enrico Barrozo (JR, Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) had eight tackles (five solo) and Kaleb Williams (Sr, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) had seven tackles (two solo). Andrew Swanson (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) had a quarterback sack, and Chris DeVet (SO, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) and Lincoln Buege (JR, Rochester, Minn./Century HS) combined for a sack.
For Concordia, Matt Upson (SR, New Berlin, Wis./Brookfield Central HS) led all players with 15 tackles (three solo), including a half-sack with Garett Nekolny (SR, Coral Springs, Fla./North Broward HS). John Palese (JR, West Bend, Wis./Milwaukee Lutheran HS) had eight tackles (five solo), and Ben Bobowski (SR, Shelby Township,Mich./Eisenhower HS) had seven tackles (three solo).
Augsburg is idle next week, and opens Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Sept. 15 at 1 p.m., with a game at Gustavus. Concordia-Wisconsin returns to Minnesota next Saturday (9/8) at 1 p.m. for a game at Macalester.