Box Score
Augustana had its playoff chances dampened as Winona State edged the Vikings 23-21 Saturday afternoon in front of 3,003 fans at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.
The loss, Augustana’s first setback in its new stadium, dropped the Vikings to 7-3 overall and 6-3 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, while Winona State improved to 7-3 overall and 6-3 in the conference.
Augustana reached into its bag of tricks to get on the scoreboard first. On first and 10 at the Winona State 24, quarterback
Luke Butler threw a backward pass to receiver
Tyler Schulte who then tossed the ball to a wide open
Joe Clark in the end zone with 5:13 left in the quarter to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead.
The Augie special teams set up its second touchdown. After Dan O’Keefe blocked a Warrior punt, the Vikings took over at the WSU 33. Two players later Butler found
Sam Holsen for a 21-yard touchdown pass with 13:27 left in the second quarter to put the Vikings in front 14-0.
But the Warriors had some tricks of their own. Quarterback Greg Preston lined up as wide receiver, took a pitch and threw a 54-yard scoring pass to Derrick Engel to cut the lead in half at 14-7 with 11:56 left in the half.
Like Augustana, Winona State’s special teams set up a touchdown right before intermission. The Warriors blocked a punt and recovered the ball at the Viking 14 with 1:03 left in the half. Two plays later, Rayon Simmons plunged in from 1-yard out to tie the score 14-14 at the break.
Winona State appeared ready to take its first lead of the game at the outset of the third quarter. A 57-yard pass from Preston to Kyle Melcher gave the Warriors a first-and-goal at the Viking 1. On second down, Simmons fumbled the ball into the end zone where Augustana’s
Nick Andreas recovered ball.
Winona State bounced back on its next possession as the Warriors drove to the Viking 9 where the drive stalled. WSU settled for a 26-yard field goal by Billy Emmanuel to give the visitors a 17-14 lead with 1:51 left in the period.
But Augustana had a quick answer. Schulte caught a short screen pass and broke free down the right sideline for a 68-yard score to put the Vikings back in front 21-17 with 46 seconds left in the stanza.
The fireworks continued in the fourth quarter. On Winona State’s next possession, Preston hooked up with Engel for a 52-yard strike to cap a 6-play, 77-yard drive. Emmanuel missed the PAT, leaving the Warriors with a 23-21 lead with 13:40 left in the game.
Augustana had a chance to regain the lead when the Vikings took over the ball at the Warrior 49 with 8:55 left on the clock. The Vikings began the drive with a 26-yard gain to Schulte to put the ball at the WSU 23. A holding penalty pushed the ball back to the 33, forcing the Vikings into a first-and-20. On third down, Butler again found Schulte, this time for a 16-yard gain to the Warrior 13.
After Butler scrambled for 8 yards to the Winona State 6 on third down, the Vikings faced a fourth-and-3. Andrew Behrens lined up for a 23-yard field goal, but WSU’s Matt Ulrich blocked the kick, preserving the lead for the Warriors with 4:33 to play.
Winona State was then able to convert 2 first downs, enabling the Warriors to run out the clock.
Butler finished the day by completing 16 of 29 passes for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns. Schulte had 6 catches for 117 yards and a score to go along with his 24-yard touchdown pass. Holsen, who had a school-record 267 yards receiving last week, had 62 yards on 4 catches. Clark led the ground game with 69 yards on 13 carries.
Preston led Winona State by throwing for 325 yards on 20 of 33 passing. Engel had 106 yards and 2 touchdowns on 2 catches, while Drew Alexander and Melcher had 85 and 82 yards.
Defensively,
Josh Niedenfuer,
Andrew Keel,
Brandon McMichael and
Brady MacIver all had 9 tackles for the Vikings.
Augustana concludes the season next Saturday when the Vikings entertain Northern State in a 1 p.m. contest at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.