The Vikings look to start the 2017 season the same way they did in all four previous seasons under head coach Jerry Olszewski, with a win, but to achieve that goal, Augustana needs to replace the signal caller who played a large part in all four of those season-opening wins. In total, The Vikings lost more than 14,000 career yards of total offense with the loss of quarterbacks Trey Heid to graduation and Chase Marso to Harvard Medical School. Additionally, Augustana lost its two top receivers in Matt Heller and Charlie Hayes to the total of more than 5,700 career yards.
Despite what career yards and records the Vikings lost the graduation, the season starts with plenty of optimism, as the culture built under fifth-year head coach Jerry Olszewski did not graduate, and with a strong defense and depth along the offensive line, Augustana starts the season poised to make noise in the Northern Sun.
Picked to finish fourth overall and second in the south division in the NSIC?Preseason Coaches Poll, the Vikings play two of the teams picked ahead of them in the overall poll; hosting Bemidji State on Sept. 16, and playing at Minnesota State on Oct. 7.
Week 1 Quick Hits
-           Saturday's game marks the start of the 33rd season in the booth for legendary Augustana broadcaster Jeff Fylling
-           Augustana owns a 50-41-4 overall record in Week 1 games since 1920
-           The 2017 season marks the ninth season with Kirkeby-Over Stadium as the Vikings home field
-           The Vikings enter the season with a 24-11 all-time record at Kirkeby-Over Stadium
-           The Vikings won all four season-opening games under head coach Jerry Olszewski, 10 of their last 11 season-openers and 8 of their first 9 NSIC?games
-           Augustana scored at least 20 points in eight consecutive season-opening games
­-         Olszewski earned his first-ever win as a Viking at MSU Moorhead in the 2013 season-opener, 41-28     
-           All of the quarterbacks on the roster today combined for exactly zero starts, zero pass attempts and a total of one snap in an Augustana uniform
-           Gage McClanahan took the lone snap of the quarterbacks on the roster, a kneel down on the final play of the 56-3 win over Minnesota Crookston at Kirkeby-Over Stadium on Sept. 17, 2016
-           Trey Heid started all but one game over the last four seasons. Chase Marso, filled in for an injured Heid in a 31-25 loss at Upper Iowa on Oct. 4, 2014
-           Center Jake Lacina is the son of former Minnesota Viking and Augustana hall of famer Corbin Lacina
-           Quarterback Ryan Rubley's dad, T.J., played in the NFL, CFL?and WLAF