MENOMONIE — A 24-point opening quarter lifted the University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic football team to a 37-34 win over Augustana College (Ill.) in the Blue Devils' home opener Saturday at Don & Nona Williams Stadium.
The Blue Devils scored the game's first 27 points, including 24 in the opening quarter, and held a 27-3 advantage at halftime.

Stout wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Al Wraalstad forced a fumble on the opening kickoff, and Cam Peterson recovered at the Augustana 22-yard line. Garrison Jackman converted a 37-yard field goal with 13:31 remaining in the first quarter to give Stout a 3-0 lead.

After forcing an Augustana punt, Stout struck on the first play of its next drive when Chase Pemberton found Davonte Evans down the middle for a 42-yard touchdown. Jackman's extra point made it 10-0 with 10:30 remaining in the quarter.

Another Augustana punt set the Blue Devils up inside the 50, and Pemberton and Evans connected again on the first play of the drive, this time for a 47-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 17-0.

Evans completed the first-quarter scoring with his third touchdown of the quarter, hauling in a 5-yard pass from Pemberton with 28 seconds remaining to put Stout ahead 24-0.

Pemberton completed 7 of 12 passes for 158 yards and three touchdowns in the opening quarter, with Evans accounting for all three touchdown receptions.

Stout added another three points in the second quarter when Jackman connected on a 31-yard field goal with 7:28 remaining. Augustana answered with a 48-yard field goal with 3:02 left in the half, leaving the Blue Devils with a 27-3 lead at halftime.

Stout's defense recorded an interception by Brooks Brewer in the first half and added four pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.

The Blue Devils controlled the third quarter, holding the ball for 10:25 and turning their longest possession of the game into a 12-play, 65-yard touchdown drive. Stout converted a fourth-and-1 at the Augustana 30-yard line before Matt Grzybowski scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:38 remaining in the quarter to make it 34-10.

Augustana answered with a 49-yard touchdown pass late in the quarter and added another touchdown with 2:44 remaining, cutting Stout's lead to 34-18 entering the fourth quarter.

Jackman connected on his third field goal of the game, a 41-yarder with 7:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, to give Stout a 37-18 advantage.

Augustana mounted a late comeback, scoring two touchdowns in the final six minutes. The Vikings cut the deficit to 37-26 with 5:23 remaining and then scored again just 14 seconds later to make it 37-34.

The Vikings recovered three Stout fumbles in the fourth quarter, including one with 1:10 remaining that gave Augustana possession at its own 41-yard line. Augustana drove to the Stout 19-yard line and lined up for a potential game-tying field goal, but the 37-yard attempt sailed wide with three seconds remaining.

Pemberton completed 16 of 33 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Evans caught four passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns. Jackman converted all three of his field-goal attempts, including a 41-yarder, and made all four extra-point attempts.

Brewer led the Blue Devils with 13 tackles and added an interception. Dawson Goodman recorded nine tackles, while Cole Saenger had seven tackles, including two for loss. Braxton Munnikhuysen and Kyler Lamb each finished with six tackles.

Evans becomes the first Blue Devils to score three touchdowns in a quarter since Carter Fonger rushed for three scores against UW-Eau Claire on Oct. 1, 2022.

Stout improved to 2-0 on the season with the victory and will travel to Arlington Heights, Ill., to face NCAA Division II Roosevelt University on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Morris Field.