WINONA, Minn. – The No. 22 Augustana football team moved to 7-0 in 2023 with a 48-28 win at Winona State Saturday. The Vikings outscored WSU 24-0 over the final 35 minutes to pull away for the victory.
 
Augustana is tied atop the NSIC standings at 6-0 with the 7-0 overfall record while Winona State falls to 3-4, 3-3.
 
Jarod Epperson ripped off for a 144-yard game, a season-best, and three touchdowns while Rashad Lampkin had a season-best 83 yard game. Defensively, Augustana recorded three interceptions, one each to Seth Baker, JayVian Farr and Peyton Buckley.
 
After falling behind 14-3, Augustana scored its first touchdown of the game on a 31-yard Jarod Epperson rush. Winona State then answered again to push its lead to 21-10. That's when Augustana's offense took off, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown from Kyle Graham and another Epperson touchdown run, this time a 40-yard rush.
 
The final score for Winona State came with 2:48 remaining in the second quarter, but the Augustana defense clamped down the remainder of the contest while the offense fired on all cylinders.
 
With 24 seconds remaining in the half, Bauman hit Matt Francis for a two-yard touchdown to give the Vikings a 31-28 lead heading into the break.
 
On Augustana's first possession of the second half, a 3-play, 23-yard drive concluded with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Bauman to Devon Jones to stretch the lead to 38-28.
 
Jake Pecina connected on his second field goal of the game, this time a career-best 48-yarder to boost the lead to 41-28 with less than two minutes left in the third quarter.
 
Augustana's offense then chewed up 6:01 of game clock for the final touchdown of the game. That came courtesy of a four-yard Epperson carry to finish the 11-play, 60-yard drive.
 
Haden Wallace led Augustana with seven tackles and forced a fumble. Will Davis had 1.5 sacks as part of a four-sack day for AU.
 
In all, Augustana racked up 455 yards of offense, an average of seven yards per play, with 214 yards from rushing and 241 yards through the air from Bauman.
 
The Vikings return home Saturday for a battle of the undefeated. Minnesota State and Augustana, tied atop the NSIC, will compete at 1 p.m. at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.
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