SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Junior wide receiver Charlie Hayes caught 11 passes for a career-high 266 yards and four touchdowns to lead Augustana University (2-0) to a 41-27 victory over St. Cloud State University (1-1) on Saturday afternoon at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.
 
The 266 receiving yards by Hayes is the most by a Viking receiver since Tyler Schulte had 210 receiving yards against Southwest Minnesota State on Sept. 25, 2010. The effort by Hayes was also one yard shy of the single game record of 267 receiving yards that was set by Sam Holsen against Wayne State on Oct. 24, 2009.
 
Junior quarterback Trey Heid had a huge game for the Vikings tossing for a career-high 394 yards and four touchdowns while completing 18 of 31 passes. Heid also caught a pass for a touchdown from receiver Matt Heller on a reverse pass that allowed the Vikings to take a 34-27 lead with 11:17 remaining in the game.
 
Today marked the fifth time Heid has thrown for 300 or more yards in a game in his career.
 
CJ Ham led the Viking rushing attack this afternoon, picking up 88 yards on the ground on 20 carries, including a 16-yard run in the game.
 
For the second straight game, Steven Miller recorded a career-high 14 tackles to lead the Vikings defensively. The Vikings held a strong SCSU rushing attack quiet, as the Huskies were only able to gain 89 yards on the ground this afternoon. Miller recorded five solo tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a big fumble recovery that gave Augustana the ball back with 2:50 to play and a two-score lead.
 
Augustana and St. Cloud State combined for 43 points in the first half as the Vikings were able to take a 24-19 lead into the locker room.
 
St. Cloud State opened up the scoring in the game going on an 11-play, 82-yard drive, that took up nearly six minutes of the clock, going up 7-0 after a two-yard touchdown run by Jaden Huff. The Vikings marched right down the field to tie the game on an 18-yard touchdown catch by Hayes.
 
The Huskies scored on the first play of the second quarter on a 14-yard touchdown catch by Matt Hentges but missed the extra point and would take a 13-7 lead. Less than two minutes later, Heid hit Hayes for a 33-yard touchdown and the Vikings took their first lead of the game at 14-13 after a Lucas Wainman extra-point.
 
Wainman would finish the game 5-for-5 on extra-point attempts to go along with field goals from 26 and 29 yards. Each team punted just once in the game, as the Huskies were 9 of 12 on third down conversions and the Vikings were explosive on offense.
 
After the Vikings took the one-point lead, Justin Brown put the ball back into the hands of his offense with is second interception of the season, fifth of his career, and Augustana was able to build a two-score lead.
 
On the first play from scrimmage, Heid found Hayes for a 43-yard completion to the SCSU 48-yard line and five plays later it was Hayes making a leaping catch in the corner of the end zone to put Augustana in front 21-13 with 8:38 remaining in the first half.
 
The Huskies put together another long drive when Jameson Parsons made it a two-point game at with a 17-yard leaping touchdown catch of his own. SCSU missed the extra-point attempt and the Vikings would cling to a 21-19 lead.
 
Augustana drove the ball down the field in the final 1:27 of the first half and Wainman drilled a 26-yard field goal that gave Augustana a 24-19 halftime lead.
 
Neither team had to punt the ball until their first possessions of the second half, and on Augustana's second drive of the third quarter, Wainman gave the Vikings a 27-19 lead after a 29-yard field goal with 4:44 remaining in the third. The Vikings got into SCSU territory on the drive after a career-long 64-yard reception by Hayes.  
 
St. Cloud State was able to tie the game on the first play of the fourth quarter after a 1-yard touchdown catch by Sam Hartman and a successful two-point conversion catch by Matt Hentges that made the score 27-27 with 14:49 left in the game.
 
Jason Greenway put the Vikings into great field position on the ensuing kickoff after a 25-yard return and the big plays kept coming for the Vikings, including a 25-yard scramble by Heid and a 29-yard reception by Hayes put the Vikings deep into SCSU territory. Facing third down and two yards to go from the Huskies' five-yard line, Heller completed a reverse pass to Heid who juked and spun his way into the end zone giving Augustana a 34-27 lead with 11:17 to play.
 
SCSU drove into Augustana territory on its next drive but the Viking defense came up with two timely tackles for loss on third and fourth down by Zac Johnson and Cole Salm to turn the Huskies over on downs.
 
Four plays later, the Vikings would put the game away with Hayes' fourth touchdown catch of the game putting Augustana in front 41-27. On the drive, Heller got behind a defender and broke-off a 55-yard reception that set up the Viking offense at the SCSU five-yard line.
 
With 6:06 remaining in the game, St. Cloud State put together another long drive getting down to the Viking three-yard line before Miller came up with a huge fumble recovery to put the game away.
 
Augustana will hit the road next weekend traveling to Moorhead, Minn. to take on MSU Moorhead at 1 p.m. at Scheels Field.