DULUTH, Minn. – Some days are just not your day. That was the case Saturday in a 41-15 loss for the Augustana football team to Minnesota Duluth. Augustana remains in first place of the NSIC, but is now in a three-way tie for the top spot with an 8-2 record. The Bulldogs are one of those three teams, also with an 8-2 record.
 
With one game to play in the regular season, Augustana will claim a share of the NSIC Championship with a win in the regular-season finale on Saturday.
 
The Bulldogs scored on their opening drive, taking up 5:29 of game clock over 19 plays to take a 6-0 lead after the PAT failed. The UMD lead grew to 20-0 in the first quarter before the Vikings were able to get on the scoreboard.
 
Kyle Saddler had a 37-yard touchdown pass to Devon Jones to end the opening quarter. The pass went to about the five-yard line where Jones then ran in the rest of the distance.
 
However, UMD immediately responded to the momentum the Vikings built with a two-play, 63-yard scoring drive and tacked on one more touchdown in the second quarter to enter intermission leading 34-7.
 
The Bulldogs scored just once in the second half while the Vikings got two points on a safety after a bad snap to the UMD punter. Then with just under a minute remaining, Connor Neill scored his first-career touchdown as he rushed in from one-yard out for the final score of 41-15.
 
Augustana garnered 224 yards of offense through the air and 108 yards on the ground. The Bulldogs' offensive numbers showed just 284 yards with 172 through the air and 112 on the ground.
 
T.J. Liggett had a strong day on the defensive end as he recorded a game-high 12 tackles and intercepted a pass. He also had a 13-yard tackle for loss.
 
The Vikings, holding the nation's second-longest home winning streak at 10 games, return to Kirkeby-Over Stadium on Saturday for Senior Day. Kickoff against Southwest Minnesota State is slated for 1 p.m. as AU looks to complete its second-straight perfect season on its home turf.