SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Matt Heller caught seven passes for a career-high 169 yards and two touchdowns to lead Augustana University to a 41-20 victory over Upper Iowa University (5-4, 2-3 NSIC South) on Saturday afternoon at Kirkeby-Over Stadium. Augustana, ranked seventh in the NCAA Super Region 3 rankings, improves to 7-2 (4-1 NSIC South).
 
Augustana has scored 41 or more points in all five home games this season, including scoring 41 points three times.
 
Augustana jumped out to a 31-3 lead at the half and held off a productive second half for the Peacocks. Upper Iowa out-scored the Vikings 17-10 in the second half and got within 14 at the beginning of the fourth quarter but the defense came up big all afternoon long to hold the Peacocks out of the end zone.
 
Kirby Hora led the defensive charge for the Vikings finishing with a career-high 14 tackles. The Vikings broke-up eight passes on the day and recorded three turnovers, including two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
 
Jackson Rynda pitched in with nine tackles (seven solo) and a pass break-up while Nevin Andreas and John Waters both pitched in with eight tackles.
 
Trey Heid finished the day passing for 269 yards and three touchdowns completing 13 of 25 passes with an interception. Heid had the deep ball working all afternoon, completing six passes of 25-plus yards, including touchdowns of 39 and 40 yards by Heller.
 
Justin Greenway put up two scores for the Vikings this afternoon, picking up a one-yard touchdown run and a 37-yard touchdown catch on a swing play. The Upper Iowa defense, ranked second in the NSIC in rushing yards allowed per game, held Augustana to just 91 yards on the day. CJ Ham rushed 21 times for 59 yards while Heid added 31 yards on 11 carries.
 
Lucas Wainman broke his own school record hitting a 54-yard field goal in the win. Wainman finished was 2 for 3 hitting from 54 yards and 31 yards while the third attempt was blocked. He also punted six times for 270 yards (45.0 yards per punt) pinning two inside the 20-yard line. Wainman also averaged just over 60 yards on kickoffs, drilling two touchbacks.
 
After sputtering to a three-and-out on the first offensive series of the game, Augustana rolled to a 28-point halftime lead behind explosive plays in all three phases of the game.
 
Upper Iowa drove the ball into Viking territory on its first drive of the game but the defense forced them into fourth and one from the 37 before the Peacocks were called for a false start and would be forced to punt.
 
Heid then led the Viking offense on an 80-yard drive that ended with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Heller giving Augustana a 7-0 lead with 6:28 remaining in the first quarter. Augustana forced Upper Iowa to go three-and-out on its next possession and the Vikings put together another long drive that ended with a score.
 
Ham moved Augustana into Upper Iowa territory with a 46-yard gain on a swing pass and two plays later Justin Greenway plunged into the end zone with his first score of the day, a one-yard run that gave Augustana a 14-0 lead.
 
Upper Iowa put together another sustained drive on its next possession but Zac Johnson came up with a huge play in the backfield stopping Upper Iowa on fourth and one to turn them over on downs. The Vikings would give the ball right back to the Peacocks when on the first play of Augustana's drive, Nick Corley stepped  in front of a Heid pass for an interception.
 
Augustana would hold Upper Iowa to a field goal as Brady Beuschel connected from 29 yards to make the score 14-3 with 11:54 to play in the first half.
 
Jason Greenway quickly gave Augustana an 18-point lead on the ensuing kickoff when he returned the kick 96 yards for a touchdown to increase the Vikings' lead to 21-3. The kick return touchdown was Greenway's second of the season, which ties six other players for the most in NCAA Division II in 2015. Jason Greenway returned a kickoff for a school record 100 yards and a touchdown in the season-opener at Bemidji State on Sept. 5.
 
Wainman extended Augustana's lead to 24-3 in a big way, breaking his own school record with a 54-yard field goal with 3:31 remaining in the first half. Wainman set the previous record of 53-yards on Sept. 7, 2013 against MSU Moorhead.
 
Five plays into UIU's next drive, Chad Curry picked-off a tipped pass for his first interception of the season (sixth career) giving the offense a chance to extend the lead with 1:52 to play before the half. On the first play of the drive, Jason Greenway took a swing pass 37 yards for a touchdown turning on the jets to push the Vikings' lead to 31-3 where it would stay at the half.
 
Upper Iowa came out hot in the second half scoring twice in the third quarter to cut Augustana's lead to 31-17 after a touchdown catch by Trey MacTaggart with 6:57 to play in the third.
 
Lucas Wainman made it 34-17 with a 31-yard field goal late in the third quarter but Upper Iowa put together another long drive on its next possession but the defense held the Peacocks to a field goal. Beuschel connected from 22 yards to get his team within 14 at 34-20 with 14:48 remaining in the game.
 
The two teams traded punts on their next two possessions as the Viking defense was able to force Upper Iowa to go three-and-out on its drives putting the ball back into the hands of the offense.
 
With 7:03 remaining in the game, Heid and Heller connected from 39 yards to put the Vikings in front 41-20.
 
Augustana turned Upper Iowa over on its final two possessions, getting an interception by defensive tackle Jake Wargo and a fumble recovery by Mitch Gade to keep the Peacocks from finding the end zone.
 
Augustana will play its final regular season road game next Saturday traveling to Winona, Minn. to take on Winona State. Kickoff between the Vikings and Warriors is set for 1 p.m. at Warrior Stadium.