SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The two-time reigning NSIC Champion and No. 20-ranked Augustana football team opens its road slate on Saturday afternoon, traveling to Bismarck, N.D., for a matchup against UMary. Kickoff slated for 2 p.m.
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.
Scouting the Enemy
The Marauders are 1-1 on the season and 0-1 in the NSIC after falling 42-7 to Wayne State last weekend. UMary has a pair of pass catchers with at least 150 yards in the air as Luke Bodine (154 yards, four TDs) and Karsyn Jablonski (150 yards, one TD) help lead an aerial attack that averages 273 passing yards a game.
UMary was picked to finish 12th in the NSIC Preseason Poll and sixth in the North Division. Jordan Polo Solomon is projected to start under center and has gone 21 of 34 passing for 206 and a touchdown while seeing action in both games.
Weekend Rewind
The Augustana football team opened its NSIC schedule with a 37-7 victory over Jamestown on Saturday afternoon at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.
Gunnar Hensley was efficient, going 21 for 27 with 225 yards and a pair of touchdowns while tallying a 172.2 QB Rating. Jaxon Haynes had eight catches for 93 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career while Marcus Parker ran for his first two career touchdowns on three carries. Ryan Kenny and Max Grand spearheaded the backfield, running for 55 yards and a touchdown and 51 yards, respectively.
This (Game)Day in History
Augustana has played on September 13 nine previous times, going 6-3 in those games. It will be the first game on September 13 since 2014 and first one on the road since 2008, a 59-0 win at Minnesota Crookston.
It will be just the fifth road game on this date and second since 1980. In that 2014 home matchup, the Vikings fell in overtime to then-No. 3-ranked Minnesota Duluth 23-22 after a failed two-point conversion.
Welcome to the Skoldiers
80 different Vikings have played over the first two weeks, including 20 Vikings that have made their AU debut.
Josh Larsen, a transfer from South Dakota, has made two starts at left guard. Neal May, a Minnesota State transfer, four catches for 70 yards and 87 return yards. Klayton Sattler has three catches for 41 yards.
Defensively, true freshman Brody Shuss had six tackles, including one for loss, RJ Eckhardt had his first career tackle go for a loss on fourth down and Ashton Toll has a half sack.
Vikings in the National Rankings
Plenty of statistics have jumped off the page through two games for Augustana.
As a team, The Vikings are 58.1 percent on third down, the 10th best conversion rate in the country. The offense is 17th in nation with 46 first downs and their team completion percentage (67.5%) is 20th. Augustana is one of 45 teams to have not thrown an interception and the line allows 1.0 sacks per game, 25th in the country.
The yardage margins have also learned in the Vikings favor. Augustana is fourth with 350.5 passing yards a game and 15th in total offense with 460 yards a game. Defensively, Augustana is 41st in total defense with 297 yards allowed per game and 43rd with 160.5 passing yards allowed per game.
The special teams have swarmed the opponents, ranking 17th with 12.71 kick return yards allowed per return while the return team averages 27.5 yards per return, the 31st most in the country.
