ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana fell in its 2016 home opener this past Saturday, as Central scored 42 second-half points to win 45-17 at Lindberg Stadium. Coach
Steve Bell's Vikings, now 1-1 on the season, will look to bounce back in their College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin opener versus Carroll on Saturday, September 17. The Pioneers, who are returning to the CCIW after 24 years in the Midwest Conference, will visit Lindberg Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
Saturday's contest was a 3-3 defensive struggle until midway through the third quarter, but Central scored touchdowns on six straight possessions to pull away for the win. The sophomore combination of
Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) and
Ryan Hennessy (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) connected on touchdown completions of three and seven yards for Augustana.
Carroll will bring a 0-1 record into its first CCIW contest in 25 years. The Pioneers dropped a 27-24 decision to Lakeland at home on September 3.
Coach Mark Krzykowski's quarterback is senior Kyle Burlingame, a 2015 first team All-Midwest Conference North selection. Burlingame threw for 2,284 yards and 26 touchdowns last year and was eight of 17 for 134 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the loss to Lakeland. Senior running back Bennett Kothe rushed 29 times for 150 yards and a touchdown in Carroll's season opener. He was a first team All-Midwest North selection in 2015, when he rushed for 633 yards and two touchdowns and caught 14 passes for 204 yards and an additional two scores. Senior Brandon Ehrke (four receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown) was Burlingame's prime target against Lakeland.
On defense, Krzykowski returns All-Midwest North second teamers Peter Menges and Dillon O'Donoghue. Menges, a senior end, led the Pioneers with 10 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2015. O'Donoghue is a junior defensive back and the brother of former Augustana linebacker Mike O'Donoghue. He had 46 tackles and three interceptions a year ago. Sophomore linebacker Marcus Lindstrand led Carroll with seven tackles in its season opener, while junior defensive end Jordan Alonzo had six stops, including three for loss.
The all-time series between the Vikings and Pioneers sits at 21-14-2 in favor of Augustana. The last meeting occurred in 1991, with Coach Bob Reade's squad posting a 17-0 win. Carroll's most significant victory in the series came in 1988. The Pioneers' 24-21 win marked the Vikings' first regular season loss in eight years (71 games) and their first CCIW loss in a span of 62 games.
During Bell's 15 seasons as head coach at Monmouth, his Scots won 12 of 14 contests versus Carroll, including a 38-14 win in the 2014 Midwest Conference third-place game, Bell's finale at Monmouth.
LAST WEEK...
09/10/16—CENTRAL 45, AUGUSTANA 17
Big second half leads Central past Augustana 45-17
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Central exploded for 42 second-half points Saturday to spoil Augustana's 2016 home opener, downing the Vikings by a score of 45-17 at Lindberg Stadium. The Dutch improved to 2-0 on the year, while Augustana fell to 1-1.
The first half was dominated by the defenses, with each team managing just a first-quarter field goal. Central scored on its initial possession. After forcing a Viking three-and-out on the opening possession of the game, the Dutch drove 49 yards in 14 plays before their drive stalled. Kicker Aaron Marcellus was called on and with a stiff wind at his back, he knocked through a 40-yard field goal to give his team a 3-0 lead. They key play of the drive was a third-and-13 completion from Riley Gray to Sam Markham that went for 14 yards.
After the teams traded punts, the hosts drove 48 yards in 12 plays to get the equalizer. Sophomore
Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) quarterback completed a 19-yard pass to classmate
Ryan Hennessy (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) on third-and-10 and kept the march alive later with a six-yard run on fourth-and-four. Junior
Jacob Stytz (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) capped it off with a 35-yard field goal into the teeth of the wind with 54 seconds left in the period.
Both defense posted goose eggs in the second period. The best scoring opportunity came after a deflected punt gave the Dutch excellent field position at the Augustana 21. However, the Viking defense stiffened and Marcellus couldn't cut through the wind with his 30-yard attempt. The teams went to the break tied at 3-3.
The complexion of the contest changed entirely in the second half. After each team punted on its first two possessions, the Central scoring onslaught began. A short Viking punt into the wind set up a five-play, 33-yard Dutch scoring drive. Donny Groezinger finished it with a two-yard touchdown run. Marcellus' point after made it 10-3. A 32-yard Gray-to-Markham completion led to a 1-yard touchdown sneak by Gray on Central's next possession and a 17-3 Dutch lead.
Fuller completed passes of 26 and 43 yards to
Danny Lattner (Fenwick HS, Riverside, Ill.) as Augustana answered with an eight-play 73-yard scoring drive. Fuller hit Hennessy with a three-yard touchdown pass to get the Vikings back within one score at 17-10.
Gray stayed on a roll however, hitting Markham with scoring strikes of 32 and 21 yards to put the Dutch up 31-10 early in the fourth. Groezinger added a seven-yard touchdown run and a 76-yard Zack Martinelli punt return for a score made it 45-10 with 8:14 to play.
A seven-yard Fuller-to-Hennessy touchdown pass with 4:34 remaining accounted for the final score.
Central piled up 500 total yards on 91 offensive snaps. Gray was 17 of 26 passing for 193 yards and two touchdowns and added 79 yards and a touchdown on eight rushing attempts. Markham finished with 14 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns and Groezinger carried 25 times for 88 yards and a pair of scores.
Fuller completed 19 of 40 pass attempts for 256 yards and two touchdowns, but the Viking ground game produced just 34 yards on 33 attempts. Hennessy snared seven passes for 88 yards and two scores. Junior linebacker
Danny Giffels (Prairie Ridge HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) was credited with a team-high 12 tackles.
Augustana will be back at home on Saturday, September 17, hosting Carroll to start CCIW play. Kickoff at Lindberg Stadium is slated for 6:00 p.m.
2016 AUGUSTANA VIKINGS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/RESULTS
| DATE |
OPPONENT |
SITE |
TIME/SCORE |
| September 3 |
Mount St. Joseph (Austin E. Knowlton Kickoff Classic) |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
W, 21-10 |
| September 10 |
Central (Austin E. Knowlton Kickoff Classic) |
HOME |
L, 17-45 |
| September 17 |
*Carroll |
HOME |
6:00 pm |
| September 24 |
*Carthage |
Kenosha, Wis. |
1:00 pm |
| October 1 |
*Elmhurst (Homecoming) |
HOME |
1:00 pm |
| October 8 |
*Illinois Wesleyan |
Bloomington, Ill. |
1:00 pm |
| October 15 |
*Milikin |
Decatur, Ill |
6:00 pm |
| October 22 |
*North Central |
HOME |
1:00 pm |
| October 29 |
*North Park |
Chicago, Ill. |
1:00 pm |
| November 5 |
*Wheaton (Senior Day) |
HOME |
1:00 pm |
* - College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin game
2016 CCIW STANDINGS
| School |
CCIW |
Overall |
| Carthage |
0-0 |
2-0 |
| Illinois Wesleyan |
0-0 |
1-0 |
| North Central |
0-0 |
2-0 |
| Wheaton |
0-0 |
2-0 |
| AUGUSTANA |
0-0 |
1-1 |
| Elmhurst |
0-0 |
1-1 |
| Millikin |
0-0 |
1-1 |
| North Park |
0-0 |
1-1 |
| Carroll |
0-0 |
0-1 |
was introduced as the 19th head coach in the storied history of Augustana football on January 9, 2015. In 15 seasons as the head football coach at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, Bell fashioned a 112-44 (.718) overall record. During his tenure at Monmouth, his teams won four Midwest Conference championships (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011) and finished second six times. Augustana finished 4-6 in his first season. Bell is a 1992 graduate of Bemidji State University with a degree in physical education.
