SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The No. 5 Augustana football team (8-0 overall, 7-0 NSIC) welcomes NSIC South foe Minnesota State (7-2, 6-2) for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Kirkeby-Over Stadium. It will mark the fifth game between the two in just over 24 months and the fourth in that same span at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.

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.

Seeking History
The Vikings are a single win away from clinching at least a share of the NSIC Championship. A three-peat would put Augustana in elite company, becoming the ninth team in the 93-year history of the NSIC to win three consecutive conference championships. The Vikings also control their own destiny to a third-straight outright NSIC Championship, a feat only accomplished three times: 2008-10 Minnesota Duluth, 1975-79 Minnesota Morris and 1953-55 St. Cloud State.

Really? Again?
Saturday will mark the fifth time in just over 24 months that the Vikings and Mavericks will matchup, having met in the NCAA First Round for the last two postseasons. The Vikings are 3-1 in the previous four meetings, winning by an average of 21.0 points per game in the three victories and the lone loss coming by a single point.

Scouting the Enemy
The Mavericks are 7-2 on the season and 6-2 in the NSIC after a 48-7 over Southwest Minnesota State last weekend. MSU is led by running back Sam Backer, who ranks second in the NSIC and ninth in the country with 13 rushing touchdowns to go along with 669 rushing yards.

MSU relies on their discipline and have been called for the fewest amount of penalties in the country at just 30. Their defense ranks seventh in the country with 13 interceoptions and their 97.4% red zone offense is also the best in the country.  

Last Time Against Opponent
A field goal split the uprights as time expired to help lift Minnesota State past the Augustana Vikings 20-19 in the first round of the DII NCAA Football Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.

The loss concludes another step in the right direction for the Augustana football program. The Vikings won their second consecutive outright NSIC Championship and hosted a playoff game for the second consecutive season. Jarod Epperson became the program's all-time leading rusher while head coach Jerry Olszewski became the program's all-time winningest coach.

Gunnar Hensley went 26 of 40 for 258 yards under center while Isaiah Huber racked up eight catches for 89 yards. Jack Fisher added four catches for 83 yards and Jarod Epperson led the ground game with 66 yards on 21 carries while adding a touchdown.

Myles Taylor and Gradee Sherman each recorded a sack while Haden Wallace had eight tackles and an interception. Also recording eight tackles was Peyton Buckley, including seven solo tackles. Jake Pecina knocked in four of six field goals for the majority of the Viking scoring.

Weekend Rewind
The Augustana offense flexed once more on Saturday The Augustana football team used a strong defensive effort to knock off Northern State 27-14 on Saturday afternoon at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.

Entering the game averaging over 240 yards per game on the ground, the NSU offense struggled against the front seven of the Vikings. AU held NSU to just 129 rushing yards on 31 carries while holding the NSIC's second-leading rusher Wyatt Block to just 76 yards on the ground, snapping a five-game stretch of over 100 yards rushing.

Zachary Richardson tallied a team-high seven tackles, including three for loss and forced a hurry. Alex Belongia had his first career interception while four other Vikings recorded a pass breakup.

Breylon Blount totaled 183 yards on 23 touches, including 153 yards and 8.1 yards per carry. Rich Lucero Jr. threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns in the air while completing 20 of 31 passes. The offense totaled 409 yards on the day, its sixth game on the year and third in a row with over 400 total yards.

This (Game)Day in History
Augustana has played on November 8th nine times in their history, going 3-6 in those games. The Vikings last won on this date in 2008, a 43-7 victory at Northern State. It will be just the third home game on this date in program history and the first since a 27-7 victory over Northwestern (Iowa) in 1975.