ARCATA, Calif. – No. 11 Humboldt State racked up 707 yards of total offense and held No. 24 Augustana University to a season-low 279 yards of offense to defeat the fifth-seeded Vikings 45-31 in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs on Saturday.
 
No. 4 seed Humboldt State advances in the NCAA Playoff to play No. 1 seed Northwest Missouri State next Saturday in Maryville, Mo. 
 
Augustana finishes the season 9-3, marking just its second season with nine or more wins in program history. The Vikings made their fifth NCAA Playoff appearance in program history and are now 1-4 all-time in NCAA postseason play.
 
The Lumberjacks were led offensively by Ja'Quan Gardner, who rushed 44 times for 246 yards and two touchdowns, and Chase Krivashei, who hauled in 18 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns. HSU quarterback Robert Webber finished the day 34 of 43 passing for 460 yards and four touchdowns. 
 
HSU ran 103 offensive plays in the game, while Augustana ran a total of 53 for 279 yards. CJ Ham tied the single season record at Augustana with his 16th rushing touchdown of the season. He finished the game with 54 rushing yards on 15 carries while also catching three passes for 24 yards and a score.
 
Jason Greenway returned his third kickoff for a touchdown this season taking the opening kickoff in the game 99 yards for a score. He finished the day with 194 yards on four returns. Trey Heid was 15 of 25 passing for 176 yards and a touchdown.
 
Senior linebacker Brandon Mohr led the Vikings with 12 tackles while Kirby Hora added 11 and Trevor Naasz 10. Jamal Samaha recorded his eighth sack of the season to tie Augustana's single season record to go along with his four tackles.  
 
The Vikings got off to a fast start and a 7-0 lead on the first play of the game when Jason Greenway took the game's opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. On HSU's first possession of the game, the Lumberjacks drove to Augustana's 32 yard line and lined up to go for it on fourth down and two.
 
Zach Richter got into the backfield and dropped the ball carrier for a four-yard loss to turn the Lumberjacks over on downs.
 
On Augustana's first drive of the game, the Vikings drove into HSU territory but turned the ball over when Charlie Hayes was stripped of the ball and the Lumberjacks recovered at their own 25.
 
Humboldt State tied the game at 7-7 on its next drive going 75 yards on nine plays ending with a 21-yard touchdown catch by Chase Krivashei with 5:30 remaining in the first quarter.
 
The Viking offense had a tough time moving the ball early in the game as the Lumberjacks out-gained Augustana 220 yards to just 50 for the Vikings on offense. Krivashei gave Humboldt State a 14-7 lead just under two minutes into the second quarter with a nine-yard touchdown catch from Robert Webber.
 
Augustana went three-and-out on its next possession but the defense came up big again when Chad Curry stepped in front of a Webber pass at midfield and returned it to the Humboldt State 35-yard line. The Vikings were able to turn in it into points with Lucas Wainman connecting on a 19-yard field goal to make the score 14-10 with 7:31 left in the first half.
 
On the very next drive but HSU, Augustana forced the Lumberjacks to punt for the first time in the game and the snap sailed over the punter's head and was recovered by Augustana's Nate Winter in the end zone for a touchdown that put Augustana in front 17-14 with 4:26 remaining in the first half.
 
The Lumberjacks tied the game at 17-17 on a 20-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining in the first half and that is where the score would stay heading into the break.
 
The Vikings finished the first half with just 88 yards of total offense, including just 24 passing yards. Humboldt State accumulated 352 yards of offense, including 282 yards through the air.
 
Humboldt State started with the ball in the second half and both the Lumberjacks and the Vikings would punt on their first possessions of the half. On HSU's second possession of the game, the Lumberjacks went 92 yards on eight plays scoring on a 37-yard touchdown catch by Marquis Deadwiler to make the score 24-17 with 8:26 left in the third quarter.
 
The Vikings looked to go deep on the very first play of the next drive but Ronnie Hicks intercepted a Trey Heid pass to give his team the ball back setting up another score. The Lumberjacks scored 11 plays later on Krivashei's third receiving touchdown of the game to give HSU a two-score lead at 31-17.
 
Augustana turned to the swing pass on its next drive to quickly move down field before Heid found Justin Greenway for a 43-yard pass and catch to set the Vikings up at the HSU four-yard line. Two plays later, CJ Ham scored on a two-yard run for his single-season record tying 16th rushing touchdown of the year. The touchdown brought the Vikings within a touchdown at 31-24 with 2:17 remaining in the third quarter.
 
The Lumberjacks methodically worked their way down the field once again on their next drive going 79 yards on 11 plays ending with a 13-yard touchdown run by Gardner that gave HSU a 38-24 lead with 12:33 remaining in the game.
 
The flurry of scoring would continue as Jason Greenway returned the kickoff 47 yards to midfield. The Vikings would end up going for it on fourth down and four from the HSU eight-yard line and Heid found Ham on a fade in the corner of the end zone to make the score 38-31 but the Lumberjacks answered with a 90-yard drive on eight plays extending their lead back to two scores on an eight-yard touchdown run by Garnder making the score 45-31.
 
Augustana was moving towards the HSU goal on its very next possession but the Lumberjacks intercepted their second pass of the game and returned it to midfield before running out the clock on offense on the Vikings.
 
Seniors Jason Greenway, Jackson Rynda, Justin Brown, Justin Greenway, Logan Ferrozzo, Chad Curry, Garrett Earl, CJ Ham, Steven Miller, Brandon Mohr, Brian Long, Cole Snyder and Jamal Samaha played the final games of their careers, making it to the NCAA Playoffs.