GAME NOTES (PDF)
This week: No. 11-ranked Augustana (7-0, 6-0 NSIC) travels to Moorhead, Minn., on Saturday for a cross-division contest with Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division program Minnesota State Moorhead (2-5, 2-4 NSIC). Kickoff from Alex Nemzek Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
The series: Saturday will be the first meeting between Augustana and MSU Moorhead.
Lucky seven: With seven wins to start the 2010 season, Augustana has recorded its best start since the 1942 campaign when the Vikings went 8-0. For Mike Aldrich, the 7-0 start is the best for any first-year head coach in Augustana football history.
Eight would be great: An Augustana victory on Saturday would tie the record for most wins in a season at eight. The Vikings also had eight wins in 1936, 1937, 1942, 1988, 1989, 2008 and 2009. Augustana's 1988 and 1989 seasons were NCAA?playoff years.
In a rush: Senior running back
Joe Clark (Rochester, Minn.) rushed for 114 yards on 19 carries on Saturday at Winona State and became Augustana's all-time leading rusher, surpassing Chris San Agustin's career rushing mark of 3,098 yards. Clark now has 3,104 yards on 648 carries along with 37 touchdowns in his lustrous Augustana career. Clark is hardly a stranger to the Viking record book; he also holds the record for rushing yards in a season (1,114 in 2008).
Shut 'em out: The Viking defense pitched its second shutout of the season on Saturday at Winona State with a 17-0 victory over the Warriors. Earlier this season, Augustana blanked Bemidji State 10-0 on the road. The last time the Vikings had two shutouts in a season was in 1962 when they defeated Gustavus Adolphus and North Dakota 7-0. Since 2000, Augustana has held opponents scoreless seven times. Of those shutouts, the one over WSU was the first in the month of October. The following is a breakdown of Augustana's shutouts since 2000.
Date Opponent Score
Sept. 8, 2001 Southwest Minnesota State 70-0
Sept. 21, 2002 Minnesota State 7-0
Sept. 17, 2005 Minnesota, Crookston 47-0
Sept. 13, 2008 Minnesota, Crookston 59-0
Sept. 12, 2009 Minnesota, Crookston 49-0
Sept.. 11, 2010 Bemidji State 10-0
Oct. 16, 2010 Winona State 17-0
On the right side: The Vikings were hoping to return the favor last Saturday at Winona State, and they did just that. In 2009, the Warriors blocked an Augustana field goal late in the game that would have given the Vikings a one-point lead. But Augustana's 17-0 victory over the Warriors gave the Vikings a little revenge and positions them well to make a run at the playoffs.
Zac attack: Junior cornerback Zac?Kallas (Eden Prairie, Minn.?) intercepted two passes against Winona State last Saturday, plucking Warrior quarterback Evan Aber in the second quarter and Bryan Bradshaw in the fourth quarter. It was Kallas' second multiple interception game of his career; he also had two picks against Northern State on Nov. 7, 2009.
He's back: After seeing sparse action the past few games due to an injury,
Tyler Schulte (Sioux Falls) returned to the lineup with authority last Saturday against Winona State. The wide receiver caught six passes for 111 yards and one touchdown. His score was a 56-yard strike that gave the Vikings a 7-0 advantage. Schulte has caught 33 passes for 729 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. At this pace, the senior has a shot at matching or breaking the school record for touchdown receptions in a season; Matt Holmlund snagged 16 touchdown catches in 2000. Schulte is currently sixth in country in receiving yards per game with 121.5.
100-plus for Joe: Senior
Joe Clark (Rochester, Minn.) recorded his third consecutive 100-yard rushing effort of the season in last Saturday's victory over Winona State. It was also his 11th 100-yard rushing game of his career. The following is a breakdown of Clark's 100-yard rushing games:
Date Opponent Yards
Nov. 3, 2007 Western Washington 108
Sept. 27, 2008 Concordia-St. Paul 144
Oct. 4, 2008 Minnesota State 208
Dec. 6, 2008 Missouri Western State 122
Sept. 12, 2009 Minnesota, Crookston 150
Sept. 26, 2009 Concordia-St. Paul 166
Oct. 10, 2009 Southwest Minnesota State 177
Nov. 7, 2009 Northern State 167
Oct. 2, 2010 Concordia-St. Paul 134
Oct. 9, 2010 Northern State 106
Oct. 16, 2010 Winona State 114
Unbeatens: There are just two undefeated teams left in the NSIC, both of which sport 7-0 records. Minnesota Duluth and Augustana hold the distinction of being the lone pair of schools out of the conference's 14 teams that have a blemish-free record. These two teams, however, will not meet in the regular season this year.
Football forecast: Saturday's forecast in Moorhead, Minn., calls for a high of 53 degrees and a sunny sky.
National news: Augustana climbed three spots and is ranked No. 11 in the American Football Coaches Association poll released Monday. The Vikings received 364 points to move up from their No. 14 spot last week. Grand Valley State received 23 first-place votes and 647 points to again take the No. 1 position. Three Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference teams are in this week's top 25. Besides Augustana, Minnesota Duluth checked in at No. 2, while St. Cloud State is No. 24. Initially, No. 11 was thought to be the highest ranking for a Viking football team. However, upon further review it was discovered that Augustana was ranked No. 6 on Sept. 19, 1989.
On the up and up: Since making their first appearance in the poll on Sept. 20, the Vikings have made a jump every week. To view a breakdown of where Augustana has been ranked this season, turn to page 6.
Stop the run: Augustana's run defense is one of the best in the country. The Vikings are allowing just 60.3 rushing yards per game. In conference games, Augustana allows just 59.0 yards per contest. The Vikings have held their opponent to less than 100 yards rushing in all but five games this season.
Paper or plastic?:?The Vikings' defensive line has been giving opposing quarterbacks fits all season. Augustana averages 3.4 sacks per game--a statistic that ranks seventh nationally.
Ben Wardell leads the Vikings with five sacks, while
Ryan Isaacson (Sioux Falls) and
Eric Bergman (Clear Lake, Minn.) each have four. Ten different players have recorded a sack for Augustana this season.
On the road again: The Vikings have been quite comfortable in enemy waters so far in 2010. Augustana has allowed just 16 total points on the road (5.3/game). The Vikings have scored 49 points on the road and are averaging 16.3 points per contest when not at home.
We like Mike: The Mike Aldrich era is officially underway. The first-year head coach served as the Vikings' defensive coordinator the past four seasons and has a plethora of experience coaching in the collegiate ranks, including stops at Louisville, California Lutheran, College of the Sequoias and St. Olaf.
They're back:?The Vikings return a total of 17 starters from last year's squad (seven on offense, six on defense, and four specialists).
According to the coaches: The NSIC's 14 head coaches picked Augustana to finish third overall in their Preseason Coaches' Poll. Minnesota Duluth was tabbed the preseason favorite by the conference's 14 head coaches. Augustana was also picked to finish second in the seven-team NSIC South Division. The Vikings, who received one first-place vote in the South Division rankings, received 125 points in the overall rankings and 27 points in the South Division rankings.
The house that Bob built: 2010 marks the second season in the lavish Kirkeby-Over Stadium for the Vikings. Made possible by a lead gift of $6.1 million by Bob and Kari Hall, K-O Stadium has gained the reputation of being one of the best football facilities in NCAA Division II.
Bob Hall, who serves as Augustana's equipment manager, has been instrumental in the construction of several athletic facilities on campus. As Bob has always said, “It's for the kids.”
History lesson: Augustana is in its 88th year of competition in 2010. The Vikings own an all-time record of 361-434-15. Augustana has recorded 30 winning seasons, including the past two years.
About Augustana: Just one win away from tying a school record, the Vikings (7-0, 6-0 NSIC) will look for their eighth win in as many games on Saturday. Augustana's defense orchestrated its second shutout of the season last Saturday against Winona State, and the defensive unit has been strong, if not dominant, all season long. The Vikings are allowing just 250 yards of total offense per game and only 60.3 yards rushing per outing.
Andrew Keel leads his team with 48 tackles, including 4.5 for loss.
Josh Hanson,
Joe Clark and
Tyler Schulte are an oppressing defensive coordinator's nightmare. Hanson has thrown for 1809 yards, Clark has rushed for 541 yards and Schulte has caught 11 touchdowns this season. Hanson is also a threat on the ground as he has racked up nearly 300 yards rushing.
About MSU Moorhead: Joel Beard and the Dragons (2-5, 2-4 NSIC) are hoping to snap a three-game losing skid on Saturday. MSU Moorhead gave Bemidji State a scare last week before falling 14-6. The Dragons average 285.9 yards of total offense per game, with more than half of that coming through the air. Kevin Koch has completed 78 of 163 passes for 999 yards and six touchdowns; his favorite target has been Brandon Thompson, who has caught 20 passes for 230 yards and one score. Defensively, Jake Larsen leads the Dragons with 70 tackles.
The Augustana Coaches' Show: Live from the Gateway Lounge in Sioux Falls, The Augustana Coaches' Show airs each Monday at 5 p.m. Join Jeff Fylling and Augustana head coaches as they discuss various topics surrounding Viking athletics.
Stay connected: Follow Augustana all season long on its official online home, www.GoAugie.com. You can also get the latest news and updates on the Vikings on Facebook (www.facebook.com/GoAugie) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/GoAugie). To view video highlights and the latest episode of the Augustana Sportscene, log onto the Vikings' official YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/GoAugie).
