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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — The Augustana football team fell 34-24 to Minnesota Duluth in the home finale on Saturday. The Vikings fell behind 21-6 but could not recover to complete the comeback.
Thomas Scholten tossed for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns, all in the second half, to help push the comeback attempt.
Prior to AU’s first touchdown of the game, Brady Pfeifer connected on three field goals for the Vikings including a career-long of 50 yards. After a 32-yard field goal from Pfeifer, the Vikings trailed 21-9 with 3:39 remaining in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs scored in the opening. Minutes of the fourth quarter to push a 27-9 advantage, however, that set up the Vikings’ first touchdown of the contest.
Scholten led the Vikings on a 9-play, 75-yard drive concluding with an eight-yard touchdown into the hands of Riley Zuhde. On the drive, there were also completions of 32 yards to Jack Fisher and 14 yards to Devon Jones.
After UMD again scored a touchdown, Augustana rallied to make it a 10-point deficit at 34-24 when a 2-play, 35-yard drive concluded with a 14-yard pass to Jones. The two-point conversion was successful with 2:25 remaining in the game.
Augustana attempted an onside kick, but the Bulldogs recovered to run out the clock.
T.J. Liggett led the Vikings’ defense with nine tackles and Eli Weber recorded eight. Grayson Diepenbrock totaled six tackles and added to both his career and season records with another sack, now at 9.5 in 2022 and 25 in his career.
Augustana closes the season at Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.
