Sam Thiel/Winonan

Alex Jensen snagged a pass from Jack Nelson for the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter, leading the Winona State University football team to a 28-24 victory over Augustana Saturday in Winona.

With Winona State down 24-21, Jensen grabbed the Nelson pass despite the blanketed defense in the end zone. The touchdown not only capped off a four-play 39-yard drive, but also sealed a game that had both teams never gaining a lead more than one touchdown throughout the entire game.

The Vikings had one last opportunity to reclaim the lead, but linebacker Morgan Weaver posted sacks on consecutive plays to make sure that the Warriors got the victory.

With the win, Winona State improved its record to 6-4 overall, making it the 17th season in a row that the Warriors have had a winning season under head coach Tom Sawyer.

“With the things that we have overcome this season, just to be guaranteed a winning record is really important to our program,” Sawyer said. “More importantly, the way that these kids have fought around and dug deep is just great to see.”

Winona State started off the contest in exciting fashion, with Chichi Ojika taking the football 62 yards to the end zone for the touchdown on the first possession of the game, for a 7-0 advantage.

“I just saw out of the corner of my eye that nobody was there, so I took the first gap and it was a good way to open up the game,” Ojika said. “It helped give us the momentum right away.”

Ojika ended his day with 117 rushing yards, his sixth 100-yard game of the season. He now has 1,136 yards on the ground this season, which is the seventh-most by a Warrior player in a single season.

Augustana made a comeback in the second quarter, scoring a couple of touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead. An interception by Mitch Lunder at Augustana’s 29 yard-line gave Winona State back the ball.

Warrior Jordan Kos scored from three yards out for a tie at 14.

Augustana was the first team to record a touchdown in the second half, this time a 31-yard scoring pass to take a 21-14 lead. The Warriors answered back, with Nelson finding Alan May for the two-yard score to tie the game at 21.

The Vikings took their last lead of the game with 9:48 remaining, when Ben Albrecht hit a 27-yard field goal.

Winona State started what would be the game-winning drive, with Nelson connecting with Alan May for 13 yards and Tony Mueller for 15. The Warriors found the end zone two plays later, this time Nelson hitting Jensen for the go-ahead score.

High winds made it a tough day for the quarterbacks, but Nelson ended his day with a 44.4 percent completion rate (12-of-27) as well as 141 passing yards and a couple of touchdowns. Mueller was his number one receiver on the day, grabbing five passes for a total of 80 yards.

Defensively, the Warriors were stifling the entire game, allowing the Vikings to just 88 yards on the ground and only 2.5 yards per carry. Winona State sacked the Vikings quarterback three times, with Weaver getting two of the three and William Sherard getting the other.

The Warriors also created a trio of turnovers, as Mitch Lunder and Ryan Gerts picked off the Vikings passes while Turrell Foster scooped up a fumble.

Weaver also led the Warriors in the tackling department, recording nine on the game while Anthony Cantanese added eight and Tevin Ivy, Ian Murray and Patrick Lazzara each chipped in six as well for the Warriors.

The win gave the Warriors a little momentum as they head up to Minneapolis to play Concordia-St. Paul in the Metrodome for not only the final game of the regular season for Winona State but also the final college football game to be played in the Dome.

“We just are going to come ready to play,” Ojika said about the matchup in the Dome. “We know that if we win this game and get a little help from the rest of the conference, we can get a chance to have that extra 12th game, so that’s what everyone’s trying to rally around as we head towards this next game.”

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