The College of St. Scholastica scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and benefitted from a pair of key plays to post a 34-21 nonconference victory over Lawrence University in the season opener for both teams.
St. Scholastica broke a 21-21 tie on Jake Jensen’s 4-yard touchdown run with 12:34 left in the game. Jensen then added a 1-yard scoring run with 4:50 left in the game to seal the victory.
Jensen ran 30 times for 128 yards to pace the Saints. Quarterback Alex Thiry was 18 of 23 for 211 yards and three touchdowns.
Lawrence took a 6-0 lead when Luke Barthelmess hit Jon Bruehl down the left sideline, and Bruehl went 94 yards for the touchdown. That is the third-longest touchdown pass in Lawrence history. Bruehl finished with five catches for 188 yards.
The Saints took a 7-6 lead with 5:42 left in the half, but Lawrence drove right back down the field. Barthelmess hit Tyler Mazur with a 26-yard scoring pass to give Lawrence a 13-7 lead with 4:09 left.
St. Scholastica then got a huge play in the final seconds of the first half. Jonny Bennett caught a pass from Thiry on the final play of the half, slipped a Lawrence tackler and dived just across the goal line for a touchdown to give the Saints a 14-13 lead.
Lawrence later tied the game at 21-21 on Mazur’s 1-yard run, and the Vikings were driving for the go-ahead score when a mixup in the backfield caused a fumble. The Saints recovered at their own 18-yard line, and then drove 82 yards for the go-ahead score.