ST. CLOUD, Minn. – After weathering a pair of lightning delays, the Augustana football team's quest for three straight wins came up short on Saturday at St. Cloud State, as the Huskies jumped out to an early lead, and never looked back in a 26-14 win at Husky Stadium.
 
The loss evens the Vikings record at 2-2 heading into NSIC South play next weekend, while the host Huskies improve to 3-1 heading into NSIC North play.
 
The Vikings received the opening kickoff and drove the ball 48 yards in 10 plays, but the drive stalled, and rather than try the long field goal, Augustana went for it on fourth and three, but failed to convert, and turned the ball over on downs.
 
St. Cloud State took over and drove down for the game's first score, a 46 yard Adam Stage field goal to put the Huskies up 3-0, a lead that would quickly grow to 10-0, as Graham Miller picked off a Ryan Rubley pass on the first play of the ensuing drive, and returned it 29 yards for the touchdown, giving the Huskies the 10-0 lead with 5 minutes, 16 seconds left in the first quarter.
 
Shortly after the first quarter ended, the officials cleared the field for a weather delay. When things cleared up, and the teams returned, the Huskies drove the ball down for another touchdown, but a botched snap doomed the PAT, leaving the Huskies with a 16-0 lead.
 
Just as the Vikings took the field after the ensuing kickoff, lightning struck again, forcing a second delay, this one with 8:45 left in the first half, but neither team scored for the remainder of the half when play resumed.
 
The Huskies added 10 points in the third quarter, and led 26-0 in the fourth when the Vikings got on the board with a Rudolh Sinflorant six yard touchdown run, which capped an 11 play, 89 yard drive that cut the SCSU lead to 26-7 with 12:19 left in the game.
 
Late in the fourth quarter, the Vikings put together a 14 play, 80 yard drive that ended with Kyle Saddler's first-career touchdown pass, a four-yard strike to Jake Welsheimer with six seconds left in the game.
 
A true freshman, Saddler finished with 198 yards, completing 16 of 38, with the touchdown and a pair of interceptions in relief of Rubley, who went 3 for 10 for 32 yards and an interception before leaving the game after the first weather delay.
 
The Vikings look to rebound on Saturday, when they return home to Kirkeby-Over Stadium to host Wayne State at 1 p.m. The Wildcats come to Sioux Falls with a 2-2 record after dropping a 34-32, double-overtime contest in Wayne, Nebraska on Saturday afternoon.
 
NOTES: St. Cloud State leads the all-time series 22-15 … Augustana did not score in the first half for the first time since a game at Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 8, 2014 … Kirby Hora did not lead the Vikings in tackles for the first time this season, he finished with six … Avram Tynes recorded his first-career sack in the game … Kicker Jeff Glassburner posted his first touchback of the season on the second half opening kickoff … freshman Connor Jackson caught his first-career pass in the game on the Vikings first offensive play of the game, and finished with 3 catches for 28 yards  … Jordan Determan posted a career-high 12 tackles