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This week
Augustana (5-3, 5-2 NSIC/3-0 NSIC South) travels to Minnesota State (6-2, 6-1 NSIC/4-0 NSIC South) Thursday in a rare midweek game that kicks off from Blakeslee Stadium at 7:06 p.m.
Television
CBS Sports Network will nationally telecast Thursday's contest with Minnesota State, marking the first time an event involving Augustana will reach a national audience. Todd Harris will handle play by play for the high-definition broadcast, while Doug Chapman will provide color commentary. Chapman is a former NFL running back who played for the Minnesota Vikings from 2000 to 2003. Krista Blunk will be Thursday's sideline reporter. Check your local listings to see if your provider carries CBS Sports Network. Midco Sports Network will run a live feed of CBS Sports Network's telecast. MidcoSN can be found on channels 26 and 622 for Midcontinent Communications subscribers. Additionally, Fox Sports North will run a taped delay of the broadcast Friday at 9:30 p.m.
The series
Thursday marks the 42nd meeting between Augustana and Minnesota State in a series that dates back to1931. The Vikings are 23-18 against the Mavericks. Augustana won the last meeting between the two schools--a 17-13 victory in Sioux Falls last season. Head coach Mike Aldrich is 1-0 against MSU. ?For more on the series, turn to page 13.
Last time out
A 164-yard, two-touchdown rushing effort by
Dajon Newell fueled a 35-3 Augustana win over MSU Moorhead last Saturday afternoon in Sioux Falls. Newell registered his second-consecutive 100-yard rushing game and fourth this season. His performance came on 29 carries.
Josh Hanson completed 11 of 18 passes for 153 yards and three scores.
Grant Gebhardt grabbed five of those balls and turned two into touchdowns. He finished with a game-high 87 receiving yards. The Viking defense held the MSUM offense to just 203 yards of total offense--a season low by an Augustana opponent. The Dragons managed just 86 yards through the air.
Ross Peterson logged a game-high nine tackles,
Ben Wardell notched a sack for 9 yards and
Keith Newman had his first career interception.
Football forecast
Saturday's forecast for Mankato, Minn., calls for a high of 51 degrees and a partly cloudy sky.
When on the tube
Thursday's television game is the fourth this season for the Vikings. Augustana is 2-1 in 2011 when playing on television. Minnesota Duluth topped the Vikings 20-12 in Sioux Falls in both teams' season openers on Sept. 3,a game that aired on Midco?Sports Network. Augustana's two television wins came at home against Concordia University St. Paul (37-13) on Oct. 1 and at Northern State (27-24) on Oct. 8. Those games were also on MidcoSN. Mike Aldrich's crew has outscored its opponents 76-57 when playing on the tube.
South-Division clash
Thursday's tilt features the NSIC South Division's top-two teams. Both Augustana and Minnesota State are perfect in divisional play, though the Mavericks, who are 4-0 in the South, hold a half-game lead on the Vikings, who are 3-0. Augustana secured a share of the NSIC South Division title last season after going 5-1 in divisional competition.
Shut 'em down
Augustana's defense stood up MSU Moorhead last Saturday, limiting the Dragons to just 203 yards of total offense. The output was a season low by a Viking opponent in 2011. Of that total, MSUM gained only 86 through the air-- the first time the Augustana defense has held an opponent to fewer than 100 passing yards this season. The Vikings also allowed only 12 Dragon first downs in their 35-3 victory.
Nearly blanked
The three points the Vikings allowed against MSU Moorhead last week is the fewest this season. Augustana had a shutout brewing before MSUM's Wes Kramer drilled a 37-yard field goal with 8:48 left in the third quarter. It was the fewest points Augustana has allowed since blanking Upper Iowa 38-0 last season on Nov. 13.
Strike early
Heading into last week's game against MSU Moorhead, Augustana had scored the first points of the game just once (a week earlier against Winona State). The Vikings experienced a repeat performance against the Dragons as
Dajon Newell (Lakeville, Minn.) ripped off a 16-yard run on Augustana's first drive to open scoring. The Vikings are 2-0 this season when scoring first.
All night long
Thursday's evening contest with Minnesota State is the second night game for the Vikings this season. Augustana and MSU haven't met at night since Sept. 15, 2007, when the Mavericks beat the Vikings 26-16 in Mankato, Minn. Since 2000, Augustana is 14-11 in night games.
Bag it up
A sack by
Ben Wardell (Sturgis, S.D.) last Saturday against MSU Moorhead was the first in three games for the Vikings. Wardell took down Dragon signal caller Kevin Koch for a loss of 9 yards in the second quarter. Prior to Wardell's sack, the Vikings hadn't had one since Sept. 24 when
Joel Slinden (Grove City, Minn.) ran down Southwest Minnesota State quarterback Tyler Peschong. Augustana has seven sacks this season.
For starters
Right guard
Tyler Lynch (Sioux Falls) will make his 46th career start on Saturday against MSU Moorhead, breaking a school record. Lynch's career with the Vikings includes 45 appearances--all starts--on the offensive line. Bryan Mohr, who played center for Augustana from 1987 to 1990, made 45 starts during his tenure with the Vikings. Mohr went his entire career with a start in every game.
On the surface
Augustana will play its first game this season on natural grass Thursday at Minnesota State. Blakeslee Stadium in Mankato, Minn., is one of two natural surfaces Augustana will play on this season. The other is in West Union, Iowa, where the Vikings will play Upper Iowa at North Fayette High School. Last season, the Vikings were 3-0 when playing on grass.
Closing in
Kicking specialist
Drew Behrens (Pleasant Hill, Iowa) is just one field goal shy of tying the all-time record at Augustana. ?With his 32-yard boot last week, Behrens nailed the 30th field goal of his career. The record of 31 career field goals is shared by Adam Brinkman (2000 to 2003) and Ryan Grossman (2005 to 2008). Behrens has a chance to create some space between himself and Brinkman and Grossman as he is just a junior in 2011.
Year Made Att. Long Pct.
2009 4 11 27 36.4
2010 16 27 46 59.3
2011 10 17 40 58.8
TOTAL 30 55 46 54.5
Let's make it six
Augustana is shooting for six straight wins. After opening the season with three losses, the Vikings answered with five consecutive victories. Augustana rattled of nine straight wins to open the 2010 season. But before last season, extended win streaks were hard to come by. In the post World War II era, Augustana has strung together five straight wins just four times. The Vikings did it in 1959 under Bob Burns, in 1977 under Joel Swisher, in 1992 under Jim Heinitz and last season under Mike Aldrich. Besides 2010, the last time Augustana has won six straight was in 1942 when?LA “Lefty” Olson's squad went 8-0. That streak went to nine games with a win to opened the 1945 season (there was no football in 1943 or 1944 because of World War II).
Three or more
Josh Hanson (Watertown, S.D.) aired it out for paydirt three times last Saturday against MSU Moorhead, establishing a season high for touchdown passes. Hanson, who finished 11 of 18 for 153 yards against the Dragons, has thrown for at least three touchdowns five times during his career, peaking with a five-score effort last season against U-Mary on Sept. 18, 2010.
Sept. 18, 2010 U-Mary 5
Sept. 25, 2010 Southwest Minnesota State 4
Oct. 23, 2010 at MSU Moorhead 3
Nov. 27, 2010 Grand Valley State 3
Oct. 22, 2011 MSU Moorhead 3
Tight-end production
Tight end
Isaac Jorgensen (Sioux Falls), one of the top players at his position in the NSIC, snagged his first touchdown catch of the season last week against MSU Moorhead. The junior plucked a 9-yard pass from
Josh Hanson (Watertown,?S.D.) in the second quarter to give his team a 29-0 advantage. Jorgensen, who has three career touchdown catches, has eight receptions for 101 yards this season.
A look back
It took some late-game heroics for Augustana to knock off Minnesota State when the teams met last season in Sioux Falls.
Josh Hanson (Watertown, S.D.) found himself sidelined with an injury in the third quarter, leaving back-up quarterback
Ryan Schuetz (Gretna, Neb.) in charge of the offense. Trailing 13-10 with 26 seconds left, Schuetz connected with now-graduated wide receiver
Tyler Schulte on a 36-yard pass to complete a 17-0 comeback victory. The touchdown capped a 70-yard drive that began with 1:18 left in the contest.
What the coaches say
The NSIC coaches picked the Vikings third overall and first in the South Division in their preseason poll. Augustana received 145 points overall and 33 points and four first-place votes in the South Division edition of the rankings. Minnesota Duluth was the preseason favorite with 11 first-place votes and 167 points. The Bulldogs were also picked to win the North Division with five first-place votes and 35 points.
All-America nods
Defensive backs Dan O'Keefe (Aberdeen, S.D.) and
Zac Kallas (Eden Prairie, Minn.) accepted a total of four preseason All-America certificates prior to the start of this 2011 season. Consensus Draft Services picked O'Keefe for its team. D2football.com, Lindy's and Sporting News reserved a spot for Kallas.
We like Mike
Mike Aldrich commenced his career as a head coach in eventful style. He immediately rattled off nine wins and led the Vikings to their first playoff appearance in more than two decades. Aldrich also doubles as Augustana's defensive coordinator. The 2010 Region 5 Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Liberty Mutual?Coach of the Year, Aldrich owns a career record of 16-5.
History lesson
Augustana is in its 89th season of competition in 2011. The Vikings owns an all-time record of 370-438-15. The Vikings have posted 32 winning seasons, including the past three years.
Stay connected
It's easy to know the latest on Viking athletics. You can follow Augustana on its various social media outlets, including Twitter (twitter.com/GoAugie), Facebook (facebook.com/GoAugie) and YouTube (youtube.com/GoAugie). To learn more, visit GoAugie.com/stayconnected.
Augustana Sportscene
Augustana Sportscene is a 30-minute weekly television show highlighting Augustana athletics and is hosted by Director of Athletics Bill Gross. The show includes Viking highlights, interviews with various coaches and student-athletes and promotion of upcoming Augustana athletic events. Augustana Sportscene airs Monday's at 10:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. on Midco Sports Network and at various times on Mediacom's MC22.
Augustana Coaches' Show
Live from Rookies in Sioux Falls, The Augustana Coaches' Show airs On ESPN 99.1 each Monday at 5 p.m. Join Jeffy Fylling and Augustana head coaches as they discuss various topics surrounding Viking athletics. You can also stream the show live at www.ESPN991.com.
Video webcasts
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and Penn Atlantic have again teamed up to webcast each conference football game in 2011. A complete broadcast schedule is available at www.northernsun.org.
On the radio
Veteran radio man Jeff Fylling is back as the “Voice of the Vikings” for 2011. Join Fylling and color anaylyst and former Augustana quarterback John Schultz for each week's broadcast on KIKN-FM 100.5. You can also stream the broadcast at kikn.com/stream.
