GAME NOTES (PDF)
This week: Unbeaten and No. 15-ranked Augustana (5-0, 4-0 NSIC) hosts winless Northern State (0-5, 0-4 NSIC) in a Viking Days battle on Saturday at Kirkeby-Over Stadium. Kickoff for the contest between the two South Dakota programs is set for 1 p.m.
Viking Days: A host of activities highlight this year's Viking Days celebration, including reunions, a gala, Viking Varieties and more. To check out the complete list of activities, visit www.augie.edu.
The series: Saturday will be the 32nd meeting between Augustana and Northern State in a series that dates back to the 1923 season. The Vikings own a 24-6-1 record against the Wolves and have won the last six contests. The last time NSU posted a win in the series was on Sept. 6, 2003, when they topped the Vikings 24-21 in Aberdeen, S.D. Last season, Augustana upended NSU?47-19 in Sioux Falls.
Five wins to start: Augustana's 5-0 performance to usher in the 2010 season marks its best start since the 1942 season when LA “Lefty” Olson guided the Vikings to an 8-0 campaign. Mike Aldrich is the only coach in Augustana football history to start his career with such a start; in fact, he is the only coach in history to start his career with four wins.
Record-breaking performance: The NSIC announced Monday that Drew Behrens (Pleasant Hill, Iowa) has been named Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the Vikings' 22-16 conference victory over Concordia University, St. Paul last Saturday. The sophomore hit a school-record five field goals and scored 16 of No. 20 Augustana's points. Behrens hit field goals from 46, 30, 20, 33 and 32 yards. The 46-yarder was a career long and is the longest field goal in the NSIC this season. The previous school record was held by Adam Brinkman, who connected on four field goals against South Dakota State on Oct. 19, 2002. He also broke the school record for field goals attempted (6) and points scored by kicking (16). Brinkman also previously held the record for field goals attempted in a game and points scored by kicking, having tried five field goals and scored 15 points in that same game against SDSU in 2002. Brinkman also scored 15 points with his leg against Northern State on Aug. 30, 2001. Behrens also landed two punts inside the 20-yard line and averaged 65.3 yards on seven kickoffs. He leads the conference in points scored by kicking (41), field goals (9) and field goal percentage (69.2).
100-plus for Joe: Senior Joe Clark (Rochester, Minn.) found his stride in Augustana's victory over Concordia University, St. Paul last Saturday, rushing 22 times for 132 yards. It was Clark's first 100-yard rushing game this season. It was also his ninth 100-yard rushing game of his career. The following is a breakdown of Clark's 100-yard rushing efforts:
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
Football forecast: Saturday's forecast calls for a high of 74 degrees and a partly cloudy sky.
National news: Augustana climbed five spots and is ranked No. 15 in the American Football Coaches Association poll released Monday. The Vikings received 268 points to move up from their No. 20 spot last week. Grand Valley State received 21 first-place votes and 644 points to again take the No. 1 position. Two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference teams are in this week's top 25. Besides Augustana, Minnesota Duluth checked in at No. 2. To view this week's complete poll, turn to page 10.
Here's the best: The highest national ranking an Augustana football team has ever received is when the 1989 squad was tabbed No. 11. According to a new release from Augustana Information Services dated Nov. 15, 1989, “Augustana was rated No. 11 in the final Division II Poll.” The Vikings finished the 1989 season 8-3-1 (6-2-1 North Central Conference) and advanced to the NCAA playoffs before falling to St. Cloud State 27-20 in St. Cloud, Minn.
Home sweet home: The Vikings are 7-1 in Kirkeby-Over Stadium. Augustana has outscored its opponents 304-151 in the facility.
Schulte still leads nation: Tyler Schulte (Sioux Falls) still leads the nation in receiving yards per game, though he was forced to sit with an injury during Augustana's NSIC?victory over Concordia University, St. Paul last Saturday. According to the latest NCAA statistics report, Schulte is first in the country with 153.75 receiving yards per game. He is also second in the nation in scoring with 15.5 points per contest. To view this week's complete national statistics breakdown, turn to page 7.
Interception specialist:?Junior Dan O'Keefe (Aberdeen, S.D.) has been intercepting passes at a consistent clip. The junior is averaging one pick per game--thanks to recording another interception last Saturday against Concordia University, St. Paul. O'Keefe leads the NSIC and is tied for second in the country in interceptions. He now has six interceptions in his three-year career. While the five-pick statistic is impressive, O'Keefe would have to increase his interception rate to set the season record. Pete Jaros picked off 13 passes during the 1988 season.
Nothin' but time: Augustana is a clear winner in the ever-important time of possession statistic. The Vikings usually have the ball around eight minutes longer than their opponents. Augustana averages 34 minutes, 2 seconds of possession, while the Vikings' opponents have the ball for an average of 25:57 per game. Augustana has had the ball longer than its opponents in all but on game (St. Cloud State) this season. The following is a breakdown of the battle for the ball:
Opponent Time of Possession
St. Cloud State - 4:34
Bemidji State + 10:24
U-Mary + 16:26
Southwest Minnesota State + 8:38
Concordia-St. Paul + 9:31
Closing in: Senior running back Joe Clark (Rochester, Minn.) is inching closer to becoming Augustana's all-time leading rusher. The shifty runner is just 214 yards from tying Chris San Agustin's (1987-1990) career record of 3,098 yards. Clark is hardly a stranger to the Viking record book; he already holds the record for rushing yards in a season (1,114 in 2008).
Take me to your leaders: Four seniors will serve as the Vikings captains for the 2010 season. Tyler Schulte, Chris Janisch, Eric Bergman and Dan Schoen have been chosen to lead Augustana this year; a special teams captain will also be named each week.
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 359-434-15. Augustana has recorded 30 winning seasons, including the past two years.
About Augustana: The 5-0 (4-0 NSIC) Vikings will look to keep their spotless record intact in the intrastate showdown on Saturday. Sophomore signal caller Josh Hanson continues to lead a high-powered Augustana offense that is averaging 422 yards of total offense per game--287 of that coming through the air. Senior running back Joe Clark, who notched his first 100-yard rushing game of the season last weekend, balances the potent offense. A hard-nosed defensive crew is holding opponents to just 64.8 yards per game rushing. Andrew Keel anchors that bunch with a team-leading 37 tackles on the year.
About Northern State: The Wolves and first-year head coach Tom Dosch will be on the prowl for their first win of the 2010 campaign on Saturday. NSU (0-5, 0-4 NSIC) features a balanced air and ground attack, averaging around 138 yards per game in each category. Montrel Richardson is the Wolves' leading rusher as he is running for 79.8 yards per contest. Nick?Wanner has completed 61 of 97 passes for 526 yards and two touchdowns but has been picked off three times this season. Defensively, Mike Bogdanovich leads the club with 30 tackles, including three for loss, and one interception.
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).
