Skip To Main Content

Upcoming and Recent Events

Augustana University Athletics

Vikings Football week five
Josh Jurgens

Augustana Set to Start NSIC North Play vs. Minnesota Crookston

The Vikings and Golden Eagles kickoff at 1 p.m. at Ed Widseth Field

9/26/2018 4:35:00 PM

By: Elliot Nathan

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana football team will head back on the road Friday evening, traveling to northern Minnesota for a Saturday afternoon matchup with the Golden Eagles of Minnesota Crookston. The Vikings are a perfect 2-0 on the road this year and will be facing UMC at the Golden Eagles home venue for the first time in more than four years (Sept. 6, 2014). All-time, the Vikings are 7-0 against Minnesota Crookston and have outscored UMC 360-10. Augustana's average margin of victory of 50.3 points is the best in program history against any opponent. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Ed Widseth Field in Crookston, Minnesota.

Augustana is set to turn the page as they start a series of four Northern Sun Conference north division games over the next month. After inter-division matchups, the Vikings will round out their regular season with three more NSIC south opponents. Augustana currently stands at 2-2 (2-2 NSIC South) on the year and continues to be one of the most explosive offensive teams in the country. Behind quarterback Kyle Saddler, the Vikings passing attack ranks 1st in the NSIC and 8th in the nation at 326 passing yards per game. Looking at the total offense, the Vikings are 10th in the nation (DII) at nearly 500 yards per game and stand third in the NSIC (UMD, Minnesota State). The Vikings offense will look to take full advantage of a Golden Eagle defense that stands second-to-last in the NSIC, allowing 42 points per game.

With another 100-yard performance last week, Rudolh Sinflorant continues to show that he's the real deal. The sophomore now has 519 yards and five touchdowns this season, standing second in the NSIC in rushing. With more than half the season to play, the Florida native is nearly halfway to the programs single-season rushing record, which is held by Joe Clark (2008) with 1,114 yards. Out wide, Sioux Falls native Nickel Meyers is leading the team with 88.8 yards per game and 25 receptions this season.

The Vikings will not only be looking to get back into the win column, but they'll also hope to play spoiler against the Golden Eagles. UMC will be celebrating homecoming Saturday afternoon and will be trying to notch back-to-back wins for the first time in more than 11 years. With a 29-21 win over Minot State last week, Crookston recorded their first win in nearly three years (Nov. 7, 2015) and snapped a 26-game losing streak. In the last five years, Crookston is 3-55 (.051) overall. Augustana has notched shutouts in five of seven all-time games vs. Crookston, and look for Kirby Hora (9.0 tackles), Cody Kujawa (2.0 sacks), along with the rest of the defense to have a strong performance vs. UMC.

Last Time Out: Loss, 51-13 to Sioux Falls

The Vikings racked up nearly 500 yards of total offense against their cross-town rival including 378 yards of passing from Kyle Saddler, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with Sioux Falls. Sparked by four rushing touchdowns from Gabe Watson, the Cougars built a big lead and didn't look back.

With 33 first downs in the game, the Vikings now lead both the NSIC and nation (DII) in first downs with 122 on the year. In addition, a pair of receivers set career highs for the Vikings last week. Nickel Meyers hauled in 10 grabs for a career-best 131 yards, and Brett Shepley racked up 91 yards on 7 catches. Hora once again led the team with 10 tackles.

Scouting The Enemy:

Last Saturday, for the first time in nearly three years, Minnesota Crookston football (1-3, 1-3 NSIC North) left the field as winners, knocking off Minot State 29-21. Squaring up with the Beavers, the Golden Eagles used a balanced effort that totaled 400 yards of offense and limited MSU to just 253. Crookston snapped a 26-game losing streak, while also giving head coach Mark Dufner his first career win. In the last five years, Crookston is 3-55 (.051) overall.

When These Two Square Up:

Augustana and Minnesota Crookston first played in the fall of 2004 with the Vikings locking up a 34-7 win. That result has proved to be the closest final score over the last 15 years, as the Vikings have won all seven matchups and outscored the Golden Eagles 360-10. Augustana's average margin of victory of 50.3 points is the best in program history against any opponent.

The two non-division opponents haven't matched up since 2016, an afternoon game that saw Augustana roll to a 56-3 win. Then senior quarterback Trey Heid threw for 253 yards and four touchdowns while becoming Augustana's all-time leader in touchdown passes in the win.


Game Notes:
  • All-time, the Vikings are 7-0 against the Golden Eagles and have outscored UMC 360-10.
     
  • Augustana's average margin of victory, 50.3, is the best in program history against any opponent.
     
  • Augustana is averaging 31 points per game, ranking 6th in the NSIC and 50th in the nation (DII).
     
  • Behind quarterback Kyle Saddler, the Vikings passing attack ranks 1st in the NSIC and 8th in the nation at 326 passing yards per game.
     
  • In terms of total offense, the Vikings are 10th in the nation at nearly 500 yards per game and stand third in the NSIC (UMD, Minnesota State).
     
  • Rudy Sinflorant now has 519 yards and five touchdowns this season, standing second in the NSIC in rushing.
     
  • Sinflorant, a Florida native is nearly halfway to the programs single-season rushing record, which is held by Joe Clark (2008) with 1,114 yards.
     
  • Out wide, Nickel Meyers is leading the team with 88.8 yards per game and 25 receptions this season. The Sioux Falls native finished with 10 grabs for a career-best 131 yards in week four.
     
  • With 33 first downs in week four, the Vikings now lead both the NSIC and nation (DII) in first downs with 122 on the year.
     
  • Also in week four, WR Brett Shepley finished with a career-best 7 grabs for 91 yards.
     
  • Saddler's 61 attempts vs. Sioux Falls are one away from the all-time school record, which was set in Oct. of 1995 by Pat Graham (62 vs. Minnesota State).
     
  • Saddler becomes the first Viking to surpass 50 plus attempts since QB Josh Hanson had 53 attempts at U-Mary (Sept. 2012).
     
  • In week four, the Vikings blocked both a punt and a field goal for the first time in two years. Cody Kujawa (punt) and Logan Swanson (field goal) were credited on the plays.  
     
  • Junior DB Michael Kloza is second in the NSIC with three (3) interceptions. The school record is 13, set by Pete Jaros in 1988.
     
  • All-America linebacker Kirby Hora has racked up 36 tackles, 6th in the NSIC and 67th in the country.
     
  • The Vikings are 33-27 all-time under head coach Jerry Olszewski, with coach 'OJ' earning his first ever win as a Viking at MSU Moorhead in the 2013 season-opener, 41-28.
Print Friendly Version