BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The NSIC Champion Augustana football team collected three individual awards while earning a league-best 18 all-conference accolades, announced by the league office Thursday. 

Jarod Epperson and Peyton Buckley were named Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, and Jerry Olszewski was named NSIC Coach of the Year. In addition, 11 Vikings were named First Team All-NSIC while seven made the second team. 

Epperson, a senior from Omaha, Nebraska, ran for 976 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 games. He led the NSIC and is ninth in the country with 6.34 yards per carry while slotting in at 17th in the country with 97.6 rushing yards per game. He was named NSIC and D2Football National Offensive Player of the Week for his Nov. 9 performance against USF and has scored multiple touchdowns in four games while running for at least 100 yards in five games. He is of two active players in the NCAA with at least 4,000 career rushing yards and 1,000 career receiving yards and is Augustana's all-time career rushing leader. 

A senior from Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Buckley was a swiss army knife for Mark Sipple's defense. Buckley totaled 76.0 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss and a sack and tallied 52 solo stops, fourth most in the NSIC. He's tied for third in the NSIC with eight pass breakups and tied for fifth with nine passes defended.Buckley has anchored a defense that finished in the top two of the NSIC in interceptions, red zone defense, scoring defense and fourth down conversion percentage. He is second in program history with 42 career passes defended (30 PBU, 12 INT) and was named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week on October 14.

Olszewski earns the coach of the year honor for the fourth time after guiding Augustana to its third NSIC Championship in four years. He was named AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year on Tuesday and led the Vikings to back-to-back conference titles for the first time since 1942. Olszewski has led Augustana to the NCAA Playoffs five times and became the program's all-time winningest coach Oct. 26 at MSU. Among active head coaches, he ranks 11th in total wins in NCAA Division II.

Augustana's 11 First Team All-NSIC members include three on offense, five on defense and three on special teams.
 
C.J. James | Offensive Line | Des Moines, Iowa
James, a first-team performer a year ago, earns All-NSIC honors for the third time in his career after starting all 11 games at left guard and center. He has now blocked for an Offensive Player of the Year, 1,000 yard rusher and two of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country in the last two seasons. 

Brock Fox | Offensive Line | Treynor, Iowa
Joining James on the line, Fox made nine starts, all at right guard. The senior has played 21 games in his Augustana career and protected a rushing attack that touted the Offensive Player of the Year and an efficient quarterback that was sacked less than 1.4 times per game. 

Will Davis | Defensive Line | Edina, Minn.
A senior, Davis totaled 30 tackles with 8.0 coming behind the line of scrimmage. In addition, he is second for the team with 4.5 sacks. Davis is credited with two pass breakups and a forced fumble while adding a pair of quarterback hurries. He makes the All-NSIC First Team for the second season in a row.
 
Haden Wallace | Linebacker | Kansas City, Mo.
The Vikings' second-leading tackler racked up 88 tackles on the year with 8.0 tackles for loss and two sacks. He secured a pair of interceptions and broke up four passes. Wallace, a team captain, earned first team all-conference honors for the second consecutive season after starting all 11 games at linebacker.

JayVian Farr | Defensive Back | Racine, Wis.
A starter in all 11 games, Farr earns his second NSIC honor and first All-NSIC First Team nod. The corner was avoided by opposing offenses all season, recording an interception and five pass breakups while eliminating top receivers game in and game out. 
 
Kade Lynott | Linebacker | Hawarden, Iowa
Lynott broke through in his senior campaign and earns his first All-NSIC First Team honor after being named to the second team last season. He led the team with 90 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks while adding an interception, forced fumble and three pass breakups. He also earned NSIC Defensive Player of the Week twice. 

Jake Pecina | Kicker | Forney, Texas
The sophomore was named to the All-NSIC First Team for the second consecutive season. Pecina led all NSIC kickers with 70 points while tying for the league lead with 11 made field goals. He also tied the program record with a 54-yard field goal against Winona State on October 19.  

Jorey Sorenson | Punter | Brandon, S.D.
In his first full season of action, Sorenson was solid for the Vikings punt game. He averaged 38.7 yards per punt, second best among qualified punters in the NSIC, while having 12 punts downed inside the 20. He had a season-long punt of 67 yards against Bemidji State
 
Isaiah Huber | Return Specialist | Rochester, Minn.
Huber, a junior wide receiver, is on the list twice, with his first team accolade for his return prowess. He is second in the NSIC with 24.3 yards per kick return and is third with 10.0 punt return yards per game. His 93.27 all-purpose yards per game ranks fifth in the NSIC.
 
On the second team, the Vikings totaled four players on offense and three on defense.
 
Jack Fisher | Wide Receiver | Rochester, Minn.
Fisher earns a second-team honor for the third-straight year after hauling in 42 receptions for 712 yards and five touchdowns. He strung together three consecutive 100-yard receiving games earlier this season and added a fourth game over 100 yards after a six catch, 108 yard day against Minnesota State on October 26.

Gunnar Hensley | Quarterback | Carlsbad, Calif.
Hensley has dazzled in his first year under center and has been named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week twice in nine starts this season. He currently ranks 10th in the country in completion percentage at 67.0 percent, 25th with 8.45 yards per attempt, 25th with a 155.1 passing efficiency and 29th with 225.7 passing yards per game. He has also thrown for 18 touchdowns, 44th most in the country. 

Isaiah Huber | Wide Receiver | Rochester, Minn.
Huber is the second wide receiver to find his name on the list after receiving a team-high 43 receptions with 518 yards and six touchdowns. He was on the receiving end of 110 yards against MSU Moorhead where he scored a pair of touchdowns.

Corbin Wirkus | Offensive Line | Baltic, S.D.
The third member of the offensive line to earn honors, Wirkus has made 11 starts, all at right tackle. The sophomore has played 19 games in his Augustana career and protected a rushing attack that touted the Offensive Player of the Year and an efficient quarterback that was sacked less than 1.4 times per game. 
 
Logan Leonard | Defensive Back | Minnetrista, Minn.
The junior finds himself on an All-NSIC list for the first time after recording four pass breakups and four interceptions with 47 tackles. He started all 11 games at defensive back while creating chaos for opposing quarterbacks.
 
Gradee Sherman | Defensive Line | Viborg, S.D.
Appearing in all 11 games on the Vikings' defensive line, Sherman recorded 6.5 tackles for loss as part of his 31 total tackles. He was credited with three sacks and two pass breakups while also recovering a fumble.

Myles Taylor | Defensive Line | Coon Rapids, Minn.
The captain appeared in all 11 games on the Vikings' defensive line while clogging up the middle for opposing running backs. Taylor recorded 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks while forcing a fumble. Of his 19 tackles, 11 were solo. 

Augustana hosts the opening round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs by hosting Minnesota State at noon inside Kirkeby-Over Stadium. Tickets to the game can be purchased at GoAugie.com/Tickets.