Captains Tommy Wilson (66), Jack Asquini (7), Frank Kalble (21) and Danny Lattner (84)
lead the Vikings into action. Augustana hosts Elmhurst for Homecoming at 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 1 at Lindberg Stadium.
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – After dropping a tough 27-24 decision at Carthage this past Saturday, Augustana will try to bounce back on October 1, when it hosts Elmhurst on Homecoming. Kickoff at Lindberg Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Both teams will enter that contest with overall records of 2-2 and 1-1 marks in CCIW play.
On the year, Augustana is averaging 25.8 points and surrendering an average of 24.0. The Vikings have averaged 86.2 rushing yards and 245.5 through the air for 331.8 total yards per contest. The defense is giving up 108.8 yards per game on the ground (just 2.7 per carry) and 240.2 passing for a total offense average of 349.0 yards per game.
Seniors
Jack Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) and
Frank Kalble (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) have been the leaders on defense all season. Asquini leads Augustana in solo (29), assisted (19) and total (48) tackles, as well as tackles for loss (eight) and sacks (2½). Kalble's 37 tackles include 24 solo stops, 10 of which came at Carthage. Kalble also forced two Red Men fumbles.
On offense, quarterback
Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) is 75 of 143 (52.4%) through the air for 979 yards. The sophomore has thrown for six touchdowns and has been intercepted twice. Through two CCIW contests, he leads the league in passing yards (263.5 per game) and ranks second in total offense (247.5). Sophomore
Ryan Hennessy (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) and senior
Danny Lattner (Fenwick HS, Riverside, Ill.) have been Fuller's top targets. Hennessy has 23 catches for 228 yards and two touchdowns and Lattner has 16 receptions for 310 yards and a pair of scores.
Sophomore
Ryan Pitra (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) is the team's leading rusher with 208 yards on 61 carries. He's rushed for a pair of touchdowns. Freshman
Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) has 93 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries.
The Viking kicking game has been strong. Junior
Jacob Stytz (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) has converted 13 consecutive extra point attempts this year and 53 straight over two seasons. He is four of five on field goals with a long of 43 yards and leads the CCIW in both field goals and kicking points through two games. Senior
Robert Martin (Strake Jesuit HS, Houston, Texas) is averaging 41.5 yards per punt. Of his 26 kicks, eight have been placed inside the opponents' 20, four have been fair caught and just one has gone for a touchback.
Coach Ron Planz's Elmhurst Bluejays nearly knocked off eighth-ranked Wheaton this past Saturday, falling 10-6 on the road. The previous week, they hammered North Park 42-10 at home. In non-conference play, they won at Loras (28-27) and lost at Olivet (27-13).
On defense, Planz returns seniors Andy Warsen and Sean Wetherell, who were first and second team All-CCIW, respectively, a year ago. Warsen, a linebacker, is Elmhurst's leading tackler with 44, while Wetherell, a safety, has37 stops and a pair of interceptions. The Bluejays have allowed just 106.8 rushing yards per game and 3.0 per carry. Their opponents have completed only 45.9% of their passes for 175.0 yards per game. Elmhurst has picked off nine opposition passes, including three by junior safety Tristan Bolas.
The Bluejays are averaging 22.2 points and 271.0 yards of total offense per game. Sophomore quarterback Orlando Hernandez (51 carries, 214 yards) and sophomore running back Jim Robley (41-150) are the Elmhurst's leading rushers. Hernandez is 49 of 101 (48.5%) through the air for 608 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions. Senior Connor Brewer (15 catches, 167 yards and five touchdowns) and junior Kaylon Miller (14-216-1) have been his favorite targets.
LAST WEEK...
09/24/16—CARTHAGE 27, AUGUSTANA 24
Penalties, late drive cost Vikings at Carthage
KENOSHA, Wis. – Backup quarterback Kyle Friberg led Carthage on a 13-play, 55-yard game-winning drive Saturday as the Red Men fought off Augustana 27-24 at Art Keller Field. The hosts improved to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the CCIW, while the Vikings fell to 2-2 on the year and 1-1 in the league.
The Carthage offense had done little in the second half. The Red Men had recorded just two first downs in the half when Friberg and company took over at their own 35 trailing 24-20 with 7:10 remaining in the game.
The sophomore—who had come on in relief of starter Ethan Olles on the previous possession—first converted a 3rd-and-16 with a 26-yard completion to Kyree Sago. After a 23-yard completion to James Cobbs got Carthage to the Augustana 22, a holding penalty and a
Michael Daniels (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) sack left the Red Men with a 3rd-and-24 at the Viking 36. This time, Friberg found Javier Rhoades for 27 yards to the Augustana nine.
After a pair of rushes for no gain and a three-yard pass it looked like the Red Men would be facing a tough fourth down situation. However, the Vikings were called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, giving Carthage a first down and new life. Two plays later Jamel Davis went in from the one for the go-ahead touchdown and Lance Unland's point after put the hosts ahead 27-24 with just under a minute to play.
Augustana sophomore quarterback
Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) led his club on one final drive, connecting with senior
Andrew Garcia (West Leyden HS, Melrose Park, Ill.) for completions of 13 and 21 yards to reach the Red Men 25-yard line. The drive stalled there and junior
Jacob Stytz (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) was called on to attempt a game-tying 42-yard field goal. Stytz's attempt went wide left—his first missed kick of the season—and Carthage ran out the clock.
The Red Men jumped on top 14-0 in the first quarter. Olles hit Jamahl Wright with a 12-yard touchdown pass with 5:06 left in the period, capping a seven-play, 46-yard drive and putting his team on top 7-0. On Carthage's next possession, Joe Godlevske recovered Nick Anzelmo's fumble in the end zone for a touchdown with 31 seconds left in the quarter. That finished off an eight-play, 77-yard march.
The Vikings answered early in the second, going 43 yards in seven plays with freshman
Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) scoring on a two-yard run. They tied it with 2:03 left before halftime. Starting from his own 41, Fuller connected with
Danny Lattner (Fenwick HS, Riverside, Ill.) for completions of 15 and 21 yards before hitting the senior again from 18 yards out for a touchdown. Stytz's PAT made it 14-all.
It looked like the half would end that way when the defense stopped Carthage at its own 30 with a minute and a half left. An offside call on Augustana gave Olles another opportunity though and he found Cobbs for 29 yards to the Viking 36. Four plays later he hit Cobbs again for 12 yards and a touchdown. Unland's point after attempt was no good, but the Red Men led 20-14 at the half.
On the opening possession of the second half, Augustana marched 77 yards in 16 plays to take its first lead. Sophomore
Ryan Pitra (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) made a nice juggling catch for 10 yards and a touchdown and Stytz tacked on the go-ahead PAT. Stytz's 30-yard field goal with 9:53 to play gave the Vikings a 24-20 advantage.
Pitra finished with 67 yards on 20 rushes. Fuller completed 20 of 42 passes for 211 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Lattner caught nine passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. Senior linebacker
Jack Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) had a game-high 11 tackles, while senior safety
Frank Kalble (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) had 10 solo stops and a pair of forced fumbles. Punter
Robert Martin (Strake Jesuit HS, Houston, Texas) had a nice day. He averaged 42.0 yards with a long of 60 and put half of his eight kicks inside the Carthage 20.
Augustana will look to get back on the winning track when it hosts Elmhurst for Homecoming on Saturday, October 1. Kickoff at Lindberg Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 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 |
W, 41-14 |
| September 24 |
*Carthage |
Kenosha, Wis. |
L, 24-27 |
| 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 |
| North Central |
2-0 |
4-0 |
| Wheaton |
2-0 |
4-0 |
| Carthage |
1-1 |
3-1 |
| Illinois Wesleyan |
1-1 |
2-1 |
| AUGUSTANA |
1-1 |
2-2 |
| Elmhurst |
1-1 |
2-2 |
| Millikin |
0-1 |
1-2 |
| Carroll |
0-1 |
0-3 |
| North Park |
0-2 |
1-3 |
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.
