TACOMA, Washington – Austin Wagner rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns and Brennan Schon came away with 90 receiving yards and a touchdown as the Puget Sound football team beat La Verne – the defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champions – 31-29, in Baker Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The victory marks the third consecutive season in which the Loggers (1-0) won the first game of the year.

The Leopards (0-1) reached the end zone in the game's opening drive, but the Logger defense stymied La Verne through the third quarter.

Hans Fortune (228 yards, 2 TD) connected with Schon for a 10-yard score early the second quarter to even the score. The 7-7 tie carried into halftime, and it was the Logger defense that regained the lead for the Maroon & White.

Puget Sound turned the ball over on downs deep in La Verne territory early in the third quarter. The Leopards attempted a run on the ensuing play, but Zach Blair made the stop in the end zone for the safety.

The Leopards connected on a 35-yard field goal with four minutes left in the third quarter to take a 10-9 lead, but the Logger offense poured it on in the fourth quarter.

Fortune connected with Aiden Santino for a seven-yard score, and Max McGuinn completed a pass to a wide open Monty Newman for the two-point conversion.

The Puget Sound defense remained strong and kept La Verne from crossing midfield, forcing the Leopards to punt. On second-and-four from Puget Sound's 25-yard line, Wagner took a handoff and sprinted up the left sideline for a 75-yard touchdown to give the Loggers a 24-10 lead.

La Verne didn't go quietly, however. The Leopards scored back-to-back touchdowns as they appeared poised to tie the game, but Cooper Zurfluh blocked an extra-point attempt as the Loggers held on to a 24-23 lead.

Wagner answered the call once more, this time with a 34-yard touchdown run that ultimately put the game out of reach, 31-23, with just over four minutes to go.

The Leopards scored a touchdown with 1:17 left to play, but Puget Sound shut down the potential game-tying two-point conversion to seal the win.

Puget Sound heads to Occidental for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 10. Click HERE to learn about the Loggers' pre-game party.