SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana football team totaled a season-high 581 yards in a 50-10 offensive outburst over Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday afternoon at Kirkeby-Over Stadium. 

It was the Vikings' (7-0 overall, 6-0 NSIC) highest yardage total since 2019 and the most points they have scored since the first round of the 2023 NCAA Division II Playoffs. They also outgained the Golden Bears (1-6, 1-5) 306-207 on the ground, the most rushing yards for the Vikings since 2012. 

In his first home start, Rich Lucero Jr. was efficient again, going 21 of 28 for 256 yards and three touchdowns while adding a touchdown on the ground. Mack Molander also saw snaps under center, running for 93 yards and two touchdowns on six carries. Breylon Blount had 172 total yards on 19 touches and Isaiah Huber had eight catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. 

The defense allowed just 87 yards in the air as Logan Leonard led the way with an interception and a tackle. TJ Murray had a team-high five tackles and a sack while Kael Ryan and Ashton Toll had five tackles apiece. Ryan also forced a fumble. A trio of freshmen tallied four tackles as redshirt freshman Camron Maciejewski (A QB Hurry), true freshmen Marcus Vinson Jr. (1.0 TFL) and Brody Shuss each contributed defensively.

The offense buzzed down the field on the opening drive, going 82 yards on 10 plays to score a touchdown. Lucero completed six of seven passes for 85 yards on the drive and Blount caught three passes for 45 yards and a 22-yard touchdown strike to put the Vikings up 7-0. CSP countered with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to tie the game at 7-7 with 3:54 to go in the quarter. 

Blount and Lucero got right back to work on the second drive. Blount rushed for five yards and Jaxon Haynes caught a six-yard pass for first down. He then found DJ Page for 26 yards and Blount ran for four more yards. On the next play, Lucero hit Blount for a 26-yard touchdown and Sam Scholten connected with Jake Pecina on a two-point conversion to give AU a 15-7 lead into the second quarter. 
 
On their second drive of the second quarter, Augustana took advantage of a short field to extend its lead. Lucero hit Huber for five yards and Blount ran for four yards before a two-yard carry from Lucero moved the chains. Facing a third-and-seven, AU moved the chains on a pass interference penalty. Three plays later, Lucero scampered in from 13-yards out to make it 22-7 AU. 

On their next drive, the Vikings dominated the two-minute drill. In nine plays, AU got 81 yards in 1:43 of gametime, capped by a five-yard touchdown from Lucero to Huber to close the first half scoring for the Vikings. The Golden Bears got down into the red zone in the final 32 seconds of play, kicking a field goal as time expired to make it 29-10 at the half. 

Lucero went 16 of 21 for 197 yards and four total touchdowns in the first half while Blount added 154 total yards on 15 touches and two touchdowns. The Vikings outgained CSP 298-148 while limiting them to just 59 yards passing, 46 of which came on the final offensive play. 

On the first play of the second half, Leonard cleaned up a deep ball for an interception at the AU36 to set the offense up. Six plays later, Molander plowed ahead on a read option for a touchdown to make it 36-10. 

  After a pair of punts, CSP went 46 yards before a Ryan forced fumble and Richardson recovery gave the Vikings the ball right back. On the first play after the turnover, Max Grand scampered 56 yards for a touchdown to push the lead to 43-10. 

The lone score in the fourth quarter came following a goal line stand set up the offense at the AU1. Molander hit Max Minor for 19 yards to open the drive before gains of eight and 20 put the Vikings at their own 48. Levi Teetzel took the next two carries for 21 yards and Molander trotted into the end zone from 23 yards out to cap a 7-play, 99-yard drive to bring the game to its final score.  

The Vikings will have a week off before heading to Marshall, Minnesota on Oct. 25 to take on Southwest Minnesota State.