Box Score
WHEATON, Ill. – After waiting out a 90-minute lightning delay at McCully Stadium Saturday, Augustana put up a pair of touchdowns late but ran out of time, falling 24-15 to 15th-ranked Wheaton. Coach Rob Cushman's Vikings are now 2-2 on the season and 0-1 in the conference heading into a homecoming date with Elmhurst on Saturday, October 12.The Thunder improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the CCIW.
 
Down 24-0 when the game was delayed with 8:25 remaining, Augustana scored twice late to account for the final. First, sophomore quarterback  Sam Frasco (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) hit Brandon Price (Providence Catholic HS, Plainfield, Ill.) with a 23-yard scoring strike with 1:49 left, capping a nine-play, 57-yard drive. After Nick Krantz (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) recovered Conner Murray's (Conifer HS, Morrison, Colo.) perfectly executed onside kick, Frasco and Price hooked up on a fourth-and-eight screen pass which the freshman took 38 yards to the end zone. Frasco connected with Benjamin Hodges (St. Charles North HS, Elburn, Ill.) for the two-point conversion to make the score 24-15. The Vikings then recovered another onside kick. However, with just 13 seconds remaining they got off just two plays before time ran out.
 
Augustana dug itself a hole with early mistakes. After winning the toss and electing to receive, the Vikings coughed up the opening kickoff and it took Wheaton just four plays to go 28 yards for the go-ahead score. Charlie Velling carried it in from three yards out and Sam Cote's point after gave the Thunder a 7-0 lead. On Augustana's next possession, Frasco scooted 33 yards down the left sideline on an option keeper, but the Vikings were whistled for an illegal chop block which nullified the gain and stalled the drive.
 
Cote's 39-yard field goal with 5:21 left in the first quarter capped a 13-play, 38-yard drive and put the hosts on top 10-0.
 
Augustana came up with a pair of first-half takeaways, but couldn't convert either into points. A Sean Walker (Annawan HS, Annawan, Ill.) interception of Jordan Roberts late in the first quarter stopped a Wheaton drive and the Thunder lost a fumble at their own 21 with just under 10 minutes left in the half. Freshman Connor Griffin (Mount Carmel HS, Chicago, Ill.) came away with the recovery, but after the offense gained just one yard on three plays, Murray's 37-yard field goal attempt went wide right.
 
A key defensive stop near midfield set up Augustana's final possession of the first half. It appeared Wheaton had forced another Viking three and out, but an unsportsmanlike conduct call gave the visitors their initial first down of the game. They eventually drove to the Thunder 40 with just under a minute remaining, but an unsportsmanlike call of their own ended the march, sending the teams to the locker room with the hosts leading 10-0.
 
Wheaton took control in the third quarter, taking the second half kickoff and driving 75 yards in 10 plays for a score. Roberts connected with Hunter Thorson for a 16-yard touchdown pass and Cote's PAT made it 17-0 Thunder. Late in the third, running back Keegan Kemp broke loose for a 48-yard run to the Augustana two-yard line. He was rewarded on the next play by getting to carry the ball into the end zone to put Wheaton up 24-0 with Cote's conversion.
 
With 8:25 showing on the clock in the fourth quarter, the lightning warning system sounded and the teams wouldn't take the field again for another hour and a half. Murray attempted a 32-yard field goal on the first play after the delay, but it went wide left, keeping the Vikings scoreless.
 
A stiff Wheaton defense made life difficult for Augustana most of the day. Led by Frasco's 56 yards on 15 carries, the Vikings finished with 117 rushing yards. Senior Eric Chandler (Cary-Grove HS, Cary, Ill.) added 44 yards on 15 totes. Frasco ended up 16 of 28 for 165 yards through the air with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Augustana finished with 282 yards of total offense.
 
The Thunder ended up with 392 total yards, 239 on the ground and 153 through the air. Griffin, fellow freshman Michael Daniels (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) and junior Bo Goshorn (Romeoville HS. Romeoville, Ill.) led the Viking defense with seven tackles each.