SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana football team hits the road for the first time in 2023 by traveling to Chadron State for a nonconference contest in Chadron, Nebraska. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. (CDT).
 
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
Augustana plays a nonconference game for the first time since 2012 and is on the road in a nonconference contest for the first time since 2008. To make this contest even more rare, Augustana has never played a sitting RMAC institution in regular season action.
 
About the Eagles
Chadron State prevailed 35-34 in its season-opener last week Thursday at Quincy. The Eagles jumped out to a 22-0 lead, all in the first quarter, Quincy jumped back into the game, taking a 34-29 lead late in the fourth quarter. However, the Eagles put together a 5-play, 20-yard drive to take a 35-34 lead with 36 seconds on the clock to win the game. The game-winning play was a Heath Beemiller 1-yard pass to Tommy Thomas.
 
Chadron State tossed for 224 yards, all coming from Beemiller with three touchdowns and two interceptions. On the ground, CSC rumbled for 147 yards with Preston Pearson garnering the bulk of the carries for 29 yards.
 
The Eagles were tabbed to finish seventh in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, a league that holds perennial national powers Colorado Mines and CSU Pueblo. Leading CSC is Hunter O'Connor, a junior defensive lineman who was named an All-America honoree in 2022 with 60 tackles including 24 for loss. He totaled 16 sacks, ranking second in NCAA Division II.
 
About the Vikings
Augustana is 1-0 for the fifth-straight year after its 38-7 win over UMary. In a balanced effort offensively, Casey Bauman threw for 226 yards while the ground game consisting of Kyle Graham, Rashad Lampkin, Jarod Epperson, Jack Teigen, Thomas Scholten and Bauman accounted for 203 yards.
 
The Augustana defense held steady by allowing just 75 yards rushing and 144 yards passing to aid in the victory. Much like the offense, the defense was well balanced with Brayden Hoops leading the way with seven tackles. Four Vikings then recorded four or more tackles while 25 Vikings in all had a tackle marked on their ledger.
 
One Last Thing
Devon Jones set a school record when he returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown. That took down a 56-year-old record previously held by Jim Moreland. For his efforts of 112 total return yards, including the touchdown, Jones was named the NSIC Player of the Week.