SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Six hundred and fifty-one days. That will be the time elapsed since the last time the Augustana football team took to the field in a game setting. Since then, it has been over 80 practices due to the canceled 2019 season. All that ends Saturday as the Vikings host Minot State in the 2021 season opener at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.
 
The 1 p.m. kickoff is also the Be Bold, Wear Gold contest to support Cure Kids Cancer in partnership with Augiethon and the Sanford Health Foundation. Fans are encouraged to wear gold for pediatric cancer awareness at the contest.
 
Tickets to the contest are available at GoAugie.com/Tickets. Tickets have transitioned a digital first model with more information here. Complete action can be followed on Midco Sports, GoAugie.com/Live and the GoAugie app. The app can be downloaded in the app store or Google Play.
 
The Game
It's the season opener for both programs but is the final game to be played in Week One for the NSIC. The other six NSIC contests all take place Thursday night, placing the spotlight on the Vikings who are looking to make back-to-back NCAA Playoff appearances.
 
Augustana will also be facing a former head coach as Mike Aldrich led AU from 2010-2012.
 
The Beavers
Minot State is entering Aldrich's 5th year at the helm. The Beavers went 3-8 during the 2019 season, matching the most wins in a season during the Division II era. Minot State returns a majority of its offensive production from 2019 with senior quarterback Ben Bolinske (559 yards rushing, 1,376 yards passing and 14 total touchdowns) and sophomore running back Ali Mohamed (817 yards rushing, 168 yards receiving and 7 total touchdowns). The receiving corps returns junior Peyton Lamoureux and sophomore Cory Carignan as starters, but will have to replace the graduation of leading receiver Lavonte Bushnell. Senior Sebastian Gutierrez, junior Donovan Moore and junior Troy Kowal return as starters on the offensive line. The Beavers return a wealth of experience to the defense. The defensive is led by senior Jordan Will, who amassed 29 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 QB sacks.  Senior linebacker Derek Wax tallied 56 tackles in 2019 while sophomore defensive back Isaiah Bigby led the team with 66 tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions.
 
The Vikings
Augustana, tabbed second in the Preseason NSIC Coaches' Poll in the South Division and third overall, returns several key players from a team that advanced to the 2019 Division II Playoffs and ended with a 9-3 overall record as Jerry Olszewski was named the NSIC Coach of the Year.
 
In all, Augustana returns six starters on offense including four-year signal-caller Kyle Saddler. The defense returns four student-athletes that started all 12 games in 2019 including First Team All-South Division selections in Eli Weber and Logan Swanson. Looking all around the field, the Vikings have the experience and depth to compete at the top of the NSIC South Division and NSIC again. Saddler was second in the league in 2019 with 225.5 passing yards per game while then true-freshman Jarod Epperson racked up 732 yards rushing while playing in just 10 complete games. Fellow back, Rudolh Sinflorant, is a season removed from 905 yards rushing and an All-NSIC South Division selection in 2018. At the receiver slot, Sean Engel is a returning First Team performer. 

Defensively, Swanson is as good as they come in the NSIC with his eight sacks in 2019 and 15 tackles for loss. Weber, an Academic All-America selection, totaled four interceptions and ranked second in the NSIC with 13 pass breakups.  Luis Guarita earned an honorable mention to Don Hanson's All-America squad after ranking fourth in the nation with an 88.9 percent field-goal accuracy. He tied the school record with 16 made field goals in 2019, a mark of 1.33 made field goals per game which ranked him 11th in the nation. 
 
Who to Watch For
Gabe, a kindergartner, who has already battled cancer is the kickoff kick. This year's Sanford Children's Champion is just one of dozens of patients who rely on Sanford Children's for live-saving pediatric oncology care each year. At halftime of Saturday's contest, there will be a "Miracle Minute" following a three-minute video on Gabe to raise cash donations from the crowd.
 
One Last Thing
Augustana carries the nation's seventh-longest home winning streak into the game with six-straight wins. The Vikings went 6-0 at home in 2019, the third perfect home campaign in Kirkeby-Over Stadium history.