DULUTH, Minn. — The College of St. Scholastica football team rallied to down Lawrence University 31-24 in a nonconference game Saturday at Public Schools Stadium.
Matthew Johnson scored two touchdowns in a span of 3:26 in the fourth quarter to give St. Scholastica the lead for good.
Travis Newohig ran 15 times for 131 yards to pace the Saints (1-0). Alex Thiry completed 10 of 17 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns for St. Scholastica.
Freshman Sam Wagner had a big game for the Vikings (0-1). He returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in the third quarter.
It was Wagner who gave Lawrence its first lead of the contest after St. Scholastica kicked a 35-yard field goal early in the first quarter. Wagner took the ensuing kickoff and went 88 yards for the score and the Vikings led 7-3.
Tyler Mazur then capped a nine-play, 52-yard drive with a two-yard scoring run to put Lawrence up 14-3.
The Saints then blocked Mazur’s punt on the next possession and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 14-10. Cody Robel connected on a 39-yard field goal to give Lawrence a 17-10 lead at the half.
Jonny Bennett caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Thiry midway through the third quarter to tie the game at 17-17.
Freshman Mason Garcia returned the ensuing kickoff 52 yards to give Lawrence a first down at the St. Scholastica 31. Luke Barthelmess connected with Wagner six plays later on a 21-yard scoring pass to give Lawrence a 24-17 lead.
Johnson then caught a 19-yard pass from Thiry with 9:08 left in the game to tie the score at 24-24.
After Lawrence went three-and-out on its next possession, the Saints moved 56 yards in four plays to take the lead for good. Johnson scored on a run from five yards out to put the Saints up 31-24.
Lawrence got the ball two more times after that but was unable to score.