ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana put it all together on both sides of the ball this past Saturday, pounding North Park 45-7 at the Holmgren Athletic Complex in Chicago, Illinois.  The Vikings improved to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the CCIW heading into a Senior Day showdown with 16th-ranked North Central on Saturday, November 7. Kickoff at Lindberg Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
 
Senior quarterback Sam Frasco (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) had another big day at North Park, tying the school record for rushing touchdowns in a game with five and eclipsing David Lee's single season record for total offense. With two games remaining, Frasco has rushed for 1,134 yards (eighth-best in school history) and thrown for 1,607 (fifth-most at Augustana in a single season). His 2,741 yards of total offense surpassed the 2,665 Lee amassed in 2010. With 6,350 for his career, Frasco stands just 329 away from Ken Anderson's career record. In addition, he now ranks third in career passing yards (3,753), eighth in career rushing yards (2,597) and tied for fourth in single-season (17) and career (35) touchdowns.
 
Receivers Sean Fitzgerald (Providence Catholic HS, Manhattan, Ill.) and Danny Lattner (Fenwick HS, Riverside, Ill.) have 41 and 39 receptions, respectively this year. Fitzgerald's have gone for 394 yards and six touchdowns and Lattner's for 542 yards and three scores.
 
Defensively, junior middle linebacker Jack Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) leads the Vikings with 59 assisted and 89 total tackles. His 11.4 tackles per game in league play are nearly two per game more than anyone else in the conference. He also has a team-best 11 tackles-for-loss this season. Junior cornerback Daniel Watson (Peoria HS, Peoria, Ill.) has team highs of 31 solo tackles and four interceptions.
 
Coach Jeff Thorne's North Central squad will provide a stiff challenge for Augustana Saturday. The Cardinals are 5-3 overall, but 4-1 in the CCIW. They're coming off a 33-15 win over previously unbeaten Illinois Wesleyan this past Saturday.
 
North Central averages 37.1 points and 437.1 yards of total offense per game. Defensively, the Cardinals have surrendered averages of 22.8 points and 353.2 yards per contest.
 
Dylan Warden, who threw five touchdown passes against the Vikings last year, has taken over quarterback duties for Thorne. A second team All-CCIW pick in 2014, he's completed 33 of 65 passes (50.8%) for 522 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions this year. Warden is also the team's second-leading rusher, with 265 yards and five touchdowns. Austin Breunig is  NCC's top ground-gainer with 901 yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
 
Alex Ulmer (32 catches, 506 yards, 3 TD's) and Ryan Kuhl (21-243-4) are the top Cardinal receivers. Ulmer was a first team All-CCIW return specialist in 2014. Warden also snared 14 passes for 127 yards before moving back to quarterback.
 
North Central also returns first team All-CCIW offensive linemen Pat Bolger and Eric Knaperek.
 
Weak side linebacker Justin Stuursma leads the Cardinals with 63 tackles and 12½  tackles-for-loss and ranks second with four sacks. Defensive end Eric Wilson leads with five sacks and cornerback Brandon Kibby has a team-high three interceptions.
 
 
SERIES RECORD...
 
Augustana leads 57-21 with one tie.
 

Year	Augustana	North Central	Results		Year	Augustana	North Central	Results
1923	6	20	L		1973	22	30	L
1924	6	12	L		1974	42	0	W
1926	20	0	W		1975	8	16	L
1927	12	0	W		1976	39	35	W
1928	20	0	W		1977	3	13	L
1929	2	0	W		1978	7	30	L
1930	0	32	L		1979	10	7	W
1931	2	0	W		1980	16	24	L
1932	7	6	W		1981	27	7	W
1933	6	6	T		1982	33	6	W
1934	14	13	W		1983	26	6	W
1935	12	0	W		1984	28	0	W
1936	0	7	L		1985	28	0	W
1937	12	6	W		1986	56	0	W
1938	6	7	L		1987	28	7	W
1939	24	7	W		1988	41	6	W
1940	20	12	W		1989	17	6	W
1941	6	9	L		1990	37	12	W
1942	13	7	W		1991	41	0	W
1946	0	18	L		1992	21	0	W
1948	14	7	W		1993	59	14	W
1949	21	7	W		1994	48	0	W
1952	26	18	W		1995	47	7	W
1953	26	20	W		1996	39	13	W
1954	14	13	W		1997	42	14	W
1955	14	7	W		1998	34	14	W
1956	7	14	L		1999	40	14	W
1957	0	26	L		2000	31	8	W
1958	19	26	L		2001	23	7	W
1959	23	7	W		2002	65	0	W
1960	13	7	W		2003	27	7	W
1961	16	33	L		2004	10	31	L
1962	7	14	L		2005	20	17	W
1963	16	13	W		2006	0	27	L
1964	6	0	W		2007	15	31	L
1965	33	20	W		2008	28	41	L
1966	10	7	W		2009	26	45	L
1967	35	20	W		2010	14	34	L
1968	47	14	W		2011	3	24	L
1969	37	13	W		2012	6	37	L
1970	35	0	W		2013	14	53	L
1971	35	12	W		2014	14	43	L
1972	37	7	W

 
 
 
LAST YEAR'S MEETING...
 
11/08/14—NORTH CENTRAL 43, AUGUSTANA 14
 
Vikings fall 43-14 at 20th-ranked North Central
 
NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Dylan Warden threw five touchdown passes Saturday to lead 20th-ranked North Central to a 43-14 win over Augustana at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. The Vikings fall to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the CCIW, while the Cardinals improve to 7-2 this season and 5-1 in the league.
 
The hosts gave Augustana a couple of early opportunities. On the game's second play from scrimmage, sophomore linebacker Jack Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) separated running back Oshayne Brown from the ball. Senior defensive end Sean McIntyre (Genoa-Kingston HS, Genoa, Ill.) was there to make the recovery and the Vikings were in business at the North Central 25-yard line. However, three Brandon Price (Providence Catholic HS, Plainfield, Ill.) rushes yielded just three yards and Conner Murray's (Conifer HS, Morrison, Colo.) 39-yard field goal attempt hooked wide left as Augustana came away empty.
 
After Warden's first touchdown pass—a 15-yarder to Peter Sorenson—and a 27-yard touchdown run by Matt Randolph gave the Cardinals a 13-0 first-quarter lead, the Vikings set themselves up in good field position again early in the second quarter. Sophomore linebacker Erik Johnson (Warren HS, Gurnee, Ill.) stopped a fourth-and-one Warden keeper on the first play of the period and Augustana took over at the North Central 41. Sam Frasco (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) was eventually sacked on a fourth-and-five pass attempt and the Cardinals took over on downs.
 
Warden hit Sorenson for a 12-yard touchdown and connected with Ryan Kuhl from 31 yards out to give the hosts a 26-0 lead midway through the second period before the Vikings put together a crisp march to get on the board.  Frasco and senior running back Benjamin Hodges (St. Charles North HS, Elburn, Ill.) had runs of 19 and 10 yards, respectively, to start the drive and Frasco then hit senior Kyle Frake (Central HS, Clifton, Ill.) for a 38-yard completion to the Cardinal eight-yard line. Two plays later, sophomore wide out Danny Lattner (Fenwick HS, Riverside, Ill.) went into the end zone from five yards out on a reverse. Murray's point after made it 26-7.
 
North Central responded with a nine-play, 62-yard drive to go up 33-7. Warden and Sorenson hooked up for their third touchdown of the half—a two-yard completion—to cap things off. Augustana drove to the Cardinal 25 before the first half clock ran out.
 
Kuhl's 53-yard touchdown reception from Warden with 6:30 left in the third quarter gave North Central a 40-7 lead and Dom Zavaglia's 36-yard field goal early in the fourth made it 43-7.
 
The Vikings closed out the scoring with Lattner's second rushing touchdown of the day, a four-yarder with 2:56 remaining. Frasco rushed six times for 36 yards and completed four of six passes on the 15-play, 55-yard march.
 
Frasco finished the day with 74 rushing yards on 17 attempts and 79 passing yards on nine of 15 completions. Frake had six catches for 74 yards. Johnson led the Vikings defensively with 12 tackles, including two for loss. Warden was 14 for 18 through the air for 196 yards and five touchdowns. Brown bounced back from his early fumble to rush for 127 yards on 20 carries.
 
Augustana closes the 2014 season on Saturday, November 15. The Vikings host Millikin at Lindberg Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
 
 
LAST WEEK...
 
10/31/15--AUGUSTANA 45, NORTH PARK 7
 
Vikings dominated both sides of the ball in 45-7 win at North Park
 
CHICAGO, Ill. – A dominating performance on both sides of the ball helped propel Augustana to a 45-7 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin victory over North Park on Saturday, October 31 at the Holmgren Complex in Chicago. The Vikings were clicking on all cylinders and built a 24-0 lead at half-time and never faltered in winning for the third time this season.
 
Senior quarterback Sam Frasco (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) was the ring-leader on offense as he accounted for 367 yards of total offense and had a part in all six of Augustana's touchdowns. Not to be lost in the lopsided win, however, is the performance of the defense, which limited North Park to just 146 yards of total offense.
 
The Vikings wasted no time in this contest as they took the opening kickoff and marched 68 yards on six plays with the payoff coming when Frasco hit freshman Justin Pope (Whale Branch HS, Beaufort, S.C.) with a two-yard scoring toss on a third and goal situation. Frasco's 49-yard run on the first play from scrimmage set the tone for the drive, and ultimately for the day.
 
Augustana forced a turnover on the ensuing kickoff when North Park returner John Wilkinson coughed up the football and senior Josh Symbal (Huntley HS, Huntley, Ill.) fell on it at the North Park 34. Eventually the drive resulted in three points when freshman Jacob Stytz (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) drilled a 24 yard field goal. That made the score 10-0 with just over five minutes gone in the game and North Park had yet to run a play from scrimmage.
 
The Augustana defense turned the hosts away on a fourth and five situation from the Viking 26 and Frasco put the finishing touches on the drive that took 6:18 and lasted through the end of the first and the beginning of the second periods. He scored on a five-yard run and Stytz was perfect with the extra point to make it 17-0 with 13:15 left before halftime.
 
After forcing a North Park punt, thanks to three straight incompletions once North Park reached the Vikings' 31, Augustana drove 80 yards in eight plays with Frasco scampering 20 yards for the touchdown. Stytz was again good on the extra point and with 4:19 before halftime the score was 24-0.
 
That's the way the score would stay until midway through the third quarter when Frasco got loose again and ran 35 yards for a touchdown with 6:47 left in the third. Frasco hit junior Danny Lattner (Oak Park Fenwick HS, Riverside, Ill.) with a 27-yard pass on the play just before Frasco's scoring jaunt. Stytz connected on the extra point to make the lead 31-0.
 
Frasco ran 11 yards for a touchdown with just :15 showing in the third quarter to cap a 10-play, 78-yard drive to make it 38-0. His 20-yard pass to freshman Ryan Hennessy (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) was the big play on the drive.
 
North Park finally got on the board with 11:45 left in the game on a 50 yard touchdown pass from quarterback T.D. Conway to Devin Childress to cut the lead to 38-7.
 
Augustana had the answer, however and once again it was Frasco. He scored on a 23-yard run just one play after hitting Lattner for 26 yards on a third and three situation. After Stytz nailed the extra point the score was 45-7 with 5:35 to play and that is the way the game would end.
 
Frasco rushed for 189 yards on 15 attempts—an average of 12.6 per carry—and tied a school record with five rushing touchdowns. He also was 13 of 15 in the passing department for 178 yards and one touchdown. The 367 yards of total offense give him 2,741 on the season, breaking David Lee's previous school record of 2,665. He got some help in the running game from freshman Ryan Pitra (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.), who had 113 yards on 27 attempts.
 
Hennessy led the receivers with five catches for 76 yards, while Lattner had four receptions for 79 yards.
 
It would be hard to overlook the accomplishment of the Viking defense on the day, as it limited North Park to only 30 yards rushing on 22 attempts. Conway was just 11 of 29 in the passing department for 116 yards and 50 of those came on the touchdowns to Childress. He was also sacked twice.
 
Junior linebacker Jack Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) led the defense with 16 total tackles (five solo and 11 assists) with three tackles for loss. Sophomore Keith King, Jr. (Peoria Richwoods HS, Peoria, Ill.) helped out with five total tackles, two of which were quarterback sacks for 18 yards.
 
Augustana is now 3-5 on the season and 2-3 in the CCIW while North Park falls to 2-6 and 1-4. The Vikings host North Central on Saturday, November 7 at 1:00 p.m. at Lindberg Stadium.
 
 
2015 AUGUSTANA VIKINGS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/RESULTS

DATE	OPPONENT	SITE	TIME/SCORE
September 5	Mount St. Joseph (Austin E. Knowlton Classic)	HOME	W, 42-39
September 12	Albion (Family Weekend)	HOME	L, 49-60
September 19	Loras	Dubuque, Iowa	L, 52-56
October 3	*Elmhurst	HOME	W, 9-3
October 10	*Wheaton	Wheaton, Ill.	L, 14-31
October 17	*Illinois Wesleyan (Homecoming)	HOME	L, 7-21
October 24	*Carthage	HOME	L, 27-39
October 31	*North Park	Chicago, Ill.	W, 45-7
November 7	*North Central (Senior Day)	HOME	1:00 p.m.
November 14	*Millikin	Decatur, Ill.	1:00 p.m.

* - College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin game
 
 
2015 CCIW STANDINGS

School	CCIW	Overall
Wheaton	5-0	8-0
Illinois Wesleyan	4-1	7-1
North Central	4-1	5-3
Carthage	3-2	4-4
AUGUSTANA	2-3	3-5
Millikin	1-4	2-6
North Park	1-4	2-6
Elmhurst	0-5	3-5