Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns Saturday to break open a close game and win its 2016 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin opener 41-14 over Carroll at Lindberg Stadium. Coach Steve Bell's Vikings improved to 2-1 on the season. The Pioneers, playing their first CCIW contest since leaving the league after the 1991 season, dropped to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
 
The hosts led just 20-14 with 14:47 to play when they took over at the Carroll 48-yard line following a short Pioneer punt. On second down, senior Brandon Price (Providence Catholic HS, Plainfield, Ill.) broke off a 44-yard run down the right side, setting up Augustana at the Carroll four. On the next play, sophomore quarterback Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) rolled right and found junior Ryan Black (Jesuit HS, Tampa, Fla.) in the end zone. A successful two-point conversion was nullified when the Vikings were called for offensive pass interference. So instead, junior Jacob Stytz (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) came on to knock through the 35-yard point after for a 27-14 lead.
 
After a Pioneer three-and-out, Augustana took advantage of another short field, going 42 yards in three plays for another touchdown. Freshman Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) handled all three carries, going for 32 and nine yards before capping the drive with a one-yard scoring run. Stytz's PAT made it 34-14.
 
Augustana's final scoring drive started from its own 20 with 8:43 to play. Jarosz carried six times for 30 yards, eventually scoring on another one-yard burst. Fuller completed passes of 15 yards to sophomore Ryan Hennessy (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) and 32 yards to senior Danny Lattner (Fenwick HS, Riverside, Ill.).
 
The Vikings took a 13-0 lead early in the contest. They received the opening kick and drove 42 yards in seven plays. Stytz drilled a 43-yard field goal and Augustana led 3-0 less than three minutes in. On the Vikings' next possession, a 48-yard Fuller-to-Ethan Jennings (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) completion led to the first touchdown of the game. Sophomore Ryan Pitra's (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) one-yard plunge capped a six-play, 56-yard march.
 
Stytz's 35-yard field goal early in the second quarter put Augustana on top 13-0 before Carroll rallied to take the lead.
 
On the ensuing possession, Kyle Burlingame led the Pioneers on a 10-play, 75-yard drive. He capped it off with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Austin Piekarski, barely getting the throw away before the Viking pass rush reached him. On the next possession, Augustana lost a fumble at its own six-yard line and Carroll took advantage, with running back Bennett Kothe scoring from a yard out. Taylor Plehn's point-after put his team ahead 14-13.
 
It looked as though the half would end that way, with the Pioneers in possession as the clock ticked near one minute. However, senior Danny Watson (Peoria HS, Peoria, Ill.) broke up a Burlingame pass near midfield and sophomore linebacker Cassin Wolfe (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) came away with the interception, returning it to the Carroll 41. Fuller hit Jennings for 36 yards on first down and Pitra took it in from five yards out on the next play. Stytz's PAT gave Augustana a 20-14 lead at the half.
 
Fuller finished 19 of 32 passing for 316 yards and a touchdown. Price (seven carries) and Jarosz (nine) each ran for 72 yards and Jarosz and Pitra each had a pair of rushing touchdowns. Hennessy caught eight passes for 86 yards and Jennings had four catches for 134 yards.
 
Senior linebacker Jack Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) and senior safety Frank Kalble (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) were credited with 12 and 10 tackles, respectively, to lead a Viking defense that limited the Pioneers to 221 yards of total offense. A pair of freshman ends had big games as well. Daniel Tjaden (Assumption HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) had 3½ tackles for loss and two sacks and Mark Isom (Rich East HS, Park Forest, Ill.) had a sack and a fumble recovery.
 
On Saturday, September 24, Augustana travels to Kenosha, Wisconsin to take on Carthage. Kickoff at Art Keller Field is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.