Box Score

HOLLAND, Mich.— Despite a near-record performance by junior quarterback Sam Frasco (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.), Augustana couldn't come away a winner Saturday at Hope. The host Flying Dutchmen held off the Vikings 37-27 to improve to 1-1 on the year. Augustana falls to 0-2.
 
Frasco rushed 17 times for 191 yards and three touchdowns and completed 23 of 33 pass attempts for 259 yards and another score. His 450 yards of total offense were just nine shy of Ken Anderson's school record, set against North Park in 1968. Frasco's passing attempt, completion and yardage totals were all career highs.
 
Hope took the opening kickoff and drove 83 yards in 12 plays for the go-ahead score. A Robert Kish to Jake Helm 17-yard touchdown pass capped the drive and Aaron Mick's PAT put the hosts up 7-0.
 
After the teams traded punts, the Vikings responded with a three-play, 58-yard drive to tie it. Frasco busted off a 22-yard run to start the march, hit Sean Fitzgerald (Providence Catholic HS, Manhattan, Ill.) for 34 yards on the next play and then connected with senior Antonio Owens (Naperville North HS, Chicago, Ill.) from two yards out for the touchdown. Conner Murray (Conifer HS, Morrison, Colo.) tacked on the point after to make it 7-7.
 
On Hope's next possession, Kish connected with Helm again, this time from nine yards out. Mick's extra point attempt failed and the Dutchmen led 13-7 after one quarter.
 
Augustana put together another nice drive in an attempt to answer, but after going from its own seven-yard line to the Hope 18 in seven plays, Frasco was intercepted by Cody Lindemulder. Lindemulder's pick set up a 26-yard Mick field goal which put the hosts up 16-7.
 
A Frasco one-yard scoring run on the Vikings' next possession got them within 16-14 at the half. The key play of the seven-play, 83-yard march was a third-and-one, 60-yard Frasco-to-Owens completion.
 
On its second possession of the second half, Augustana went on a 64-yard, seven-play drive to take its only lead of the day. Frasco completed three passes, broke loose for a 31-yard run and finished off the march with a seven-yard scoring jaunt. The point after failed and the Viking lead was 20-16.
 
However, the Dutchmen responded with touchdowns on their next two drives to go up 30-20 after three quarters. First, a Kish-to-Taylor Brynaert 20-yard scoring strike capped an eight-play, 78-yard drive, then Kish connected with Matt Kroll from 11 yards out to finish off a five-play, 77-yard march.
 
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Frasco got loose and went 67 yards for his third rushing touchdown of the day. Murray's point after cut the deficit to 30-27, but Hope came right back on the next possession, going 64 yards in nine plays with Bill Brown scoring on a one-yard run. Mick added the extra point to account for the final score.
 
The Vikings piled up 527 yards of total offense and averaged 7.3 yards on their 72 plays from scrimmage. Frasco spread his completions around, with Fitzgerald snaring seven passes for 102 yards, Owens grabbing five for 75 and senior Kyle Frake (Central HS, Clinton, Ill.) catching five for 49 yards.
 
Augustana will play its home opener on Saturday, September 20, when Loras visits Lindberg Stadium for the second annual Knowlton Kickoff Classic. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.