Eighth-ranked Thunder football team tops Augustana 41-34 at home

Wheaton, Ill. - The eighth-ranked Wheaton football team battled to earn a win at home against Augustana (2-1, 1-1 CCIW) on Saturday night under the lights at McCully Stadium, 41-34. Wheaton improves to 3-0 with tonight's win and 2-0 in CCIW play. The next contest for Wheaton is next Saturday against top-ranked North Central in the "Battle for the Little Brass Bell".

The Thunder offense was resilient tonight with 537 yards of total offense. Wheaton passed for 395 yards and ran for 142. Augustana amassed 446 yards of offense, with 248 rushing yards and 198 passing yards.

Thunder quarterback Ben Thorson completed 31 of his 45 passing attempts for a career-high 395 yards. Thorson threw two touchdown passes and ran for another TD. The receiving duo of Ben Bonga and Seth Kortenhoeven caught 22 of Thorson's completions. Running back Giovanni Weeks carried the ball 25 times for 109 yards, with three touchdown runs. Weeks had two receptions for 35 yards, with one touchdown catch.

Lawson Haigler led the Thunder defense with eight total tackles, including six solo stops. Isaac Parrish made seven total tackles, with one sack (-8 yards). Clay Campbell (PICTURED LEFT) and Max Smith each recorded six total tackles, with a tackle for a loss of one yard for Campbell. Jaden Ferlita and Peter Johanik each had sacks for the Thunder defensive line. Johanik had two tackles for loss (-5 yards) tonight.

Wheaton's Jack Allen received the opening kickoff and returned it 70 yards to the Augustana 26-yard line. Seven plays later Weeks reached the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run. The PAT kick that followed failed as Wheaton led 6-0 with 11:49 remaining in the first quarter thanks to Weeks' TD. The Vikings responded with a 21-yard field goal on their next drive to cut Wheaton's lead to 6-3 with 10:49 remaining in the opening quarter. The Vikings' defense forced Wheaton's first punt of the game on the next drive. Augustana running back Tyler Rivelli broke free for a 72-yard run to open the guests' drive that followed. Two plays later Rivelli scored on a one-yard touchdown run to give the Vikings a 10-6 lead with 6:39 remaining in the first quarter.

Late in the first quarter Wheaton started a 12-play drive of 95 yards that culminated with a three-yard touchdown run by Weeks (PICTURED AT RIGHT) early in the second quarter. Weeks' TD run and the PAT kick that followed gave Wheaton a 13-10 lead with 14:51 remaining in the second quarter. Augustana converted a 26-yard field goal with 6:18 left in the second quarter tie the game at 13-13. The Wheaton drive that followed was highlighted by 26-yard touchdown run by Weeks with 4:05 remaining in the first half. The PAT was good, and Wheaton led 20-13. The hosts maintained their 20-13 lead at halftime.

Augustana responded with the first drive of the second half by tying the game at 20-20. The six-play drive of 75 yards culminated with a two-yard touchdown run by Rivelli and a PAT kick with 13:08 remaining in the third quarter. Wheaton regained the lead late in the third quarter with a six-play drive that went 61 yards. The drive ended on a one-yard touchdown run by Thorson and a PAT kick as Wheaton led 27-20 with five seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Augustana again responded on the drive that followed. The Vikings' drive ended with a 14-yard touchdown run by Mike DiGioia. The guests' PAT kick went through the uprights to tie the game at 27-27 with 11:53 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Wheaton continued to show its resiliency on the drive that followed. Weeks opened the drive with a 10-yard run. Three plays later on third-and-seven, Thorson connected with Kortenhoeven on a key 19-yard pass to put the Thunder in Augustana territory at the Vikings' 43-yard line. The drive ended with 28-yard touchdown pass from Thorson to Bonga (PICTURED AT LEFT). Mateo Jesch converted the PAT kick and Wheaton again held a lead with a 34-27 advantage with 8:49 remaining in the game.

On the Vikings' drive that followed Bonga's touchdown, the Thunder defense held the guests to a three-and-out. On third-and -three at the Augustana 24-yard line, cornerback Max Wilson broke up a Vikings' pass to force the guests to punt. Kortenhoeven received the Vikings' punt at the Thunder 35-yard line, and he returned it 29 yards to the Augustana 36-yard line. Weeks was involved in all three plays that followed the key punt return, including a 32-yard touchdown pass from Thorson to Weeks. Jesch again converted the PAT to give the hosts a 41-27 lead with 5:27 remaining in the game.

Augustana moved the ball to the Thunder 43-yard line on the next drive. On third-and-four at the Wheaton 43, the Vikings threw and incompletion to setup a key fourth-and-four. Johanik stormed through the Vikings' offensive line to record a four-yard sack and give the ball back to the hosts. The Thunder offense used 2:20 off the clock as Augustana regained the ball with 37-seconds left at the guests' 37-yard line. Augie reached the end zone in two plays in a span of 20-seconds with a nine-yard touchdown pass to cut Wheaton's lead to 41-34 with 17-seconds left in the game. Wheaton recovered the onside kick on the kickoff that followed and the Thunder kneeled down on the play that followed to secure the win.