SIOUX FALLS –  Both the Vikings and the Beavers both enter Saturday's game with identical 1-1 records, as both teams lost their season-opening games, only to bounce back with wins in Week 2. Augie fell 35-7 at home to MSU Moorhead in the opener, and then won 28-20 at Minot State, while Bemidji State lost 30-20 at Winona State to open the season, and then rebounded with a dominating 54-17 win at Concordia-St. Paul last week. 
 
Augustana got the ball to start on Saturday at Minot State, and put together a 12 play, 75 yard drive for a touchdown and an early 7-0 lead, only to see the Beavers answer with a quick-strike 2 play, 71 yard touchdown drive to tie the game at 7-7. Both teams would add another touchdown in the first quarter, to send the game into the second quarter tied at 14.
 
Minot State got a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown for the only score in the second quarter, but the PAT failed, giving the Beavers a 20-14 lead at halftime.
 
The second half belonged to the Vikings, as their first drive of the half resulted in a 3-yard Rudolh Sinflorant touchdown run, the first of his career, which capped a nine-play drive and put AU in front 21-20. Jordan Determan capped the scoring later in the third with his first-career interception return for a touchdown, a 75-yard pick-six with less than four minutes left to salt away the Vikings win.
   
Week 3 Quick Hits
-     The 2017 season marks the ninth season with Kirkeby-Over Stadium as the Vikings home field
-      The Vikings enter the game with a 24-12 all-time record at Kirkeby-Over Stadium
­-      Jerry Olszewski won his 60th career game as a head coach last week at Minot State, his 28th at Augustana    
-      Coach Olszewski shares a last name with two players on the Bemidji State roster... they are not related
-      Three different Vikings rushed at least 10 times last week at Minot State
        • Rudolh Sinflorant - 15 rush, 92 yds, TD
        • Ryan Rubley - 11 rush, 57 yds, TD
        • Ryan Bradberry - 10 Rush, 65 yds
-    Jordan Determan returned an interception last week at Minot State, the first pick-six for  AU since Avram Tynes
      did so at Concordia St. Paul on Nov. 14, 2015    
-    The Vikings won last week after trailing at halftime for the first time since Winona State on Oct. 29, 2016 at K-O
-    The defense shutout an opponent in the second half last week for the first time since Sept. 20, 2016 at U-Mary
-    The offense increased its output 295 total yards from Week 1 to Week 2 (127 in Week 1 to 422 in Week 2)
-    Center Jake Lacina is the son of former Minnesota Viking and Augustana hall of famer Corbin Lacina... a center
-    Quarterback Ryan Rubley's dad, T.J., played in the NFL, CFL?and WLAF... as a quarterback
-     The Vikings play a team nicknamed the 'Beavers' for the second straight week