BEMIDJI, Minn. – Jason Greenway set a school record with a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown in the third quarter that put Augustana University (1-0) in front by three scores over Bemidji State (0-1) and the Vikings went on to win the season-opener 35-14 over the Beavers.
 
Immediately following Bemidji State's first score of the game, Greenway took a kick out of end zone and flew by the Beaver defenders down the right sideline for the Vikings first kickoff return for a touchdown since Grant Gebhardt returned one 92 yards for a score against Winona State Nov. 3, 2012. The 100-yard return gave Augustana a 21-6 lead over the Beavers.
 
The previous school record for longest kick return for a touchdown was held by Keith Harper who returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score against Nebraska-Kearney on Sept. 4, 1993.
 
With the win, Augustana improved to 49-41-4 all-time in season openers. The Vikings have won 9 of their last 10 openers and are 7-1 in season-openers since joining the NSIC in 2008.
 
Augustana finished the game with 341 yards of total offense and the Viking defense forced two turnovers in the game. The Vikings rushed for 114 yards, led by CJ Ham, who finished with 62 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Ham has now rushed for two or more touchdowns in a game five times in his career.
 
Trey Heid was 15 of 21 passing for 227 yards and a touchdown. Heid hit five different receivers on the night, led by Matt Heller who hauled in five passes for 86 yards. Charlie Hayes hauled in three passes for 74 yards and a touchdown while Ham caught five passes for 44 yards.
 
Senior linebacker Brandon Mohr matched his career-high with 16 tackles on the night. Mohr recorded eight solo stops, half a sack and 2.0 tackles for loss. Steven Miller doubled his career-high in tackles, finishing with 14, including seven solo stops and his first career sack.
 
The Vikings recorded three sacks in the game, one by Miller and another by Jamal Samaha who finished the game with four tackles. Mohr and Nate Sackett teamed up for half a sack for the Vikings. Senior defensive back Justin Brown picked-off the fourth pass of his career and Anthony Tatum recovered a fumble to account for the two forced turnovers on the night by the Vikings.
 
After a scoreless first quarter, Augustana got on the board first on an eight-yard touchdown run by CJ Ham on what would be the first of two rushing touchdowns for the senior from Duluth, Minn.  
 
Following Ham's touchdown run, the Viking defense forced Bemidji State to go three-and-out and the Beavers failed a fake punt attempt that set Augustana up at the BSU 25-yard line. After a 24-yard completion to Ham, Justin Greenway put the Vikings ahead 14-0 on a one-yard touchdown run with 3:01 remaining in the first half.
 
The Beavers used a 15-yard penalty to their advantage on the first drive of the second half and eventually scored on a one-yard run by quarterback Jordan Hein to make the score 14-6 after the Beavers missed the extra-point attempt.
 
That is when Jason Greenway returned a kick 100-yards for a score to put the Vikings in front 21-6 with 12:29 remaining in the third quarter.
 
Bemidji State chewed up nearly eight minutes off the game clock on its next two drives and cut Augustana's lead to just seven after Hein's second rushing touchdown of the game and an two-point conversion that made the score 21-14 with 2:53 left in the third.
 
The Vikings responded with a six-play 70-yard drive that ended on the first play of the fourth quarter on a five-yard touchdown run by Ham for his second score of the game. Augustana sealed the game on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Heid to Hayes with 8:15 remaining in the game that put Augustana in front 35-14.
 
Bemidji State put together another long drive but the Viking defense stifled the Beavers on fourth down from the Viking nine-yard line to keep the score 35-14.
 
Augustana will host St. Cloud State in its home opener Saturday, Sept. 12 at Kirkeby-Over Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.