ST. PAUL, MINN. - Cougar Football kicked off their 2024 season with a big, 34-13, win over FCS opponent St. Thomas giving them their first home loss in 31 games and their first home regular season loss in 42 games. 

Sioux Falls stunned the Tommies with 393 yards of total offense compared to just 172 yards of offence by St. Thomas. Through tonights game USF recorded 24 first downs compared to just eight for UST. Overall, the Cougars were locked and loaded on both sides of the ball tonight. 

SCORING RECAP: 

Camden Dean rushed for 1 yard in the first quarter before Bennett Brueck connected with Mark Leonard for the two-point conversion to give The Coo an 8-7 lead and never looked back. 

Nick Hernandez split the uprights in the second for a 30-yard field goal to give Sioux Falls an 11-7 lead going into the half. 

Matt Grzybowski rumbled in for a 3-yard touchdown, followed by a successful PAT by Hernandez, to give USF an 18-7 lead in the third quarter. 

Brendan Holt recovered a fumble following a failed two-point conversion to return it 90 yards to make it 20-13 at the end of the third. 

Dylan Rudningen recorded his first touchdown of the night on a 4-yard carry to put The Coo up 27-13 following another successful PAT by Hernandez. 

Rudningen sealed the deal with a 2-yard touchdown at the end of the fourth 34-13 with Scott Dickson splitting the uprights during the PAT. 

KEY COO 

Camden Dean completed 17 passes for 189 yards on the night while rushing for 65 yards on 16 carries and recording one touchdown. 

Dylan Rudningen broke free for two touchdowns on the night while rushing for 70 yards on 23 carriers. 

Matt Goehring led the defense with seven tackles on the night, four solo and three assisted, sharing a tackle for a loss of 2yards with Isaiah Ward. 

Andy Henson and Alex Macksam recorded sacks on the night. Henson with a sack for a loss of 7 yards and Macksam for a loss of 4 yards. 

UP NEXT 

Sioux Falls (1-0, 0-0 NSIC) will hit the road next weekend to take on Northern State (0-1, 0-0 NSIC) in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Kickoff is slated for 6pm at Dacotah Bank Stadium. 

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