SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The No. 17 Augustana football team returns to Kirkeby-Over Stadium Saturday to play host to No. 3 Minnesota State. The contest marks Augustana's first ranked foe of 2023.
 
Complete action can be followed on GoAugie.com/Live and the GoAugie app, presented by The Original Pancake House. The app can be downloaded in the app store or Google Play.
 
About the Game
The 51^st annual Shrine Game gets underway at 1 p.m. inside Kirkeby-Over Stadium where Augustana carries the nation's fourth-longest winning streak and Minnesota State has the country's fifth-longest winning streak. In addition, Augustana's 2023 Hall of Fame Class will be introduced at halftime. Tickets can be purchased at GoAugie.com/Tickets.
 
About the Mavericks
The No. 3 team in the country, Minnesota State is 7-0 after earning a nonconference win over Western Oregon last week. In the 45-14 win, Hayden Ekern tossed for four touchdowns and 228 yards while two running backs rushed for 66 or more yards.
 
For the year, Minnesota State averages 20 more points than its opponents while putting 39.29 points on the scoreboard. Ekern has tossed for 1,445 yards, an average of 206.4 per game, and 14 touchdowns. His top target is Tre-Shawn Watson and his 19 receptions for 336 yards. The ground game is controlled by Shen Butler-Lawson as he averages 146.6 yards per outing. That tops NCAA Division II while his 12 touchdowns rank second in the country.
 
Defensively, Jacob Daulton and Colton Hoffman have each recorded 30 tackles. Maven Kretche has sacked the opposing quarterback six times to lead the way for MSU who has gotten to the quarterback on 19 occasions.
 
About the Vikings
Augustana is 7-0 for the third time in program history and currently holds a No. 17 national ranking as one of 15 remaining unbeaten teams. Augustana is coming off a 48-28 win at Winona State with its third-straight 400-plus yard offensive day. Jarod Epperson rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns while the defense intercepted the WSU quarterback three times and held the ground game to just 47 yards. Jake Pecina was named the NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week after accumulating 12 points including a career-long 48 yard field goal.
 
The offense is paced by Casey Bauman and his 1,819 yards, 18 touchdowns and 67.7 percent completion rate. His passing efficiency ranks fourth in NCAA Division II while his 18 touchdown passes rank eighth in the nation. Yards and completions wise, his top target is Jack Fisher with 484 yards and 23 receptions. Canyon Bauer has hauled in a team-best five touchdowns as part of his 32.4 yards per game average. Epperson is up to 72.4 yards per game rushing while rumbling into the end zone six times in 2023.
 
Augustana's defense is led by Peyton Buckley's 46 tackles while his 4.9 solo tackles per game rank him second in the NSIC. He owns two interceptions, five tackles for loss and six pass breakups on the year, marking himself as one of the top defenders in the league. Buckley's fellow defensive captain, Haden Wallace, is second on the team with 36 tackles while Brayden Hoops has made 31 tackles on the year.
 
One Last Thing
Minnesota State is Augustana's longest active competitor in football with Saturday marking the 53^rd meeting. Over those 52 games, the two squads have averaged a score that sits at 25-24. Although MSU currently has the edge in the overall series by four games, Augustana holds the edge in contests played in Sioux Falls holding a 15-11 record.