Box Score
DECATUR, Ill. – A three-touchdown outburst in the third quarter broke open a tight game Saturday as Augustana rolled to a 47-19 win over Millikin at Lindsay Field. The Vikings rushed for over 300 yards in the second half to improve to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the CCIW, while the Big Blue dropped to 1-5 on the year and 0-3 in the league.
 
Leading 14-12 at intermission, Augustana scored on three of four possessions in the third quarter to get some breathing room. The Vikings took the second half kickoff and went 76 yards in 10 plays to go up 22-12. Senior running back Eric Chandler (Cary-Grove HS, Cary, Ill.) carried three times for 55 yards on the march, including a key 23-yard run on 1st-and-24. Senior Mike McLean (Willowbrook HS, Villa Park, Ill.) capped the drive, going in untouched from the six on an inside counter.
 
After the Augustana defense forced a Millikin three-and-out, the Vikings went 78 yards in five plays with Benjamin Hodges (St. Charles North HS, Elburn, Ill.) scoring from six yards on an option to the right side. Sophomore quarterback Sam Frasco (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) and Chandler had runs of 24 and 18 yards, respectively. A 65-yard Frasco dash set up Chandler's three-yard touchdown run just before the end of the third quarter, giving Augustana a 34-12 lead.
 
Backup quarterback Chris Salazar (Providence Catholic HS, Plainfield, Ill.) threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to junior Kyle Frake (Central HS, Clifton, Ill.) and ran nine yards for another score in the fourth quarter.
 
A Sean Walker (Annawan HS, Annawan, Ill.) interception on the third play of the game set up Augustana's first drive, which featured a pair of Frasco scrambles. First, on third-and-six from the Millikin 38, Frasco bolted to his right for 33 yards. Three plays later, on third-and goal from the three, he dropped back, lost his footing temporarily, but regained it and sprinted to the right corner of the end zone for the game's first score. After a Millikin penalty on the point after, Coach Rob Cushman decided to go for two and Frasco rolled right and hit Zach Peruski (Plano HS, Plano, Ill.) to put the Vikings up 8-0.
 
Millikin's Sean Dunning, who rushed for 254 yards on the day, cut the deficit to 8-6 with a 31-yard touchdown run out of the Wildcat formation.
 
Penalties cost Augustana a pair of scores in the first half. A 26-yard Frasco keeper in the first quarter put the Vikings in position to attempt a 38-yard field goal. Conner Murray's (Conifer HS, Morrison, Colo.) first kick was nullified by a false start and his second attempt from 43 yards was no good. Frasco also had a 50-yard touchdown run called back in the second quarter.
 
The Vikings were able to extend the lead to 14-8 late in the second quarter when Frasco scrambled left and found Frake, who got his feet down in the back of the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown. A key play on the six-play, 84-yard drive came when Frasco hit sophomore Sean Fitzgerald (Providence Catholic, Manhattan, Ill.) behind the Big Blue secondary for 63 yards on third-and-10 from the Viking 16.
 
On the ensuing possession, it looked like Augustana had Dunning stuffed for no gain, but he was able to bounce it outside and go 75 yards down the left sideline to get Millikin within 14-12 at the half.
 
Frasco had his second straight huge game, rushing for 203 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and throwing for 149 yards and another score on eight-of-17 passing. Chandler added 108 yards and a touchdown on 13 totes as Augustana finished with 397 rushing yards on 52 attempts. Frake caught three passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns and junior Torre Harrell (Bloomington HS, Bloomington, Ill.) had three grabs for 26 yards.
 
After missing last week's game, senior middle linebacker Erik Westerberg (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) returned with a team-high nine tackles. Walker had seven solo stops in addition to his second interception of the season.
 
Cushman's bunch is back at Lindberg Stadium next Saturday, hosting North Park in a 6:00 p.m. contest.