Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – After falling behind 14-0 Saturday, Carthage responded with 55 unanswered points to defeat Augustana 55-14 at Lindberg Stadium in the Vikings' 2017 home opener. Augustana fell to 0-4 on the year and 0-2 in the CCIW, while the Red Men improved to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the league.
 
The Vikings took the opening kickoff and marched 76 yards in 12 plays for the go-ahead touchdown. Junior quarterback Luke Bleyer (Williamsville HS, Springfield, Ill.) completed four of five passes for 54 yards and rushed twice for an additional 18 yards. His final completion of the drive went 10 yards to sophomore Tom Dolis (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) in the end zone. Senior Jacob Stytz (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) added the point after and the hosts led 7-0 less than six minutes in.
 
The next seven possessions yielded just one first down as the teams took turns punting to each other. Early in the second quarter, Augustana recovered a Carthage fumble at the Red Men 26-yard line. After a delay of game penalty on the Vikings, Bleyer hit sophomore Ethan Jennings (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) on a post pattern for 31 yards and a touchdown. Stytz's PAT made it 14-0 Augustana with 13:46 left in the half.
 
Shawntrel Garner's 40-yard return of the ensuing kickoff set the Red Men up in good field position and they responded with their first sustained drive of the game. Jamel Davis carried five times for 35 yards on the march, including the final four yards for the touchdown. Lance Unland's extra point attempt was wide and the Viking lead was 14-6.
 
The visitors cut the deficit to 14-13 when Amani Dennis picked off a Bleyer offering and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown and Unland added the point after. On the next possession, Dennis intercepted Bleyer again, setting Carthage up at the Augustana 20-yard line. Four carries later, Davis was in the end zone and Unland's kick made it 20-14 Red Men with 4:20 left in the half.
 
Carthage forced a Viking three-and-out on the next series and Tommy Bazarek brought an Alex Bryan (Wethersfield HS, Kewanee, Ill.) punt back 57 yards to the Augustana one. It took three carries, but Davis got into the end zone for his third touchdown of the half with 16 seconds left before intermission. Unland's kick put the Red Men up 27-14 at the break.
 
Carthage extended the lead to 34-14 on its second possession of the second half. Quarterback Kyle Friberg hit Manny Jones from 17 yards out to cap a six-play, 61-yard drive. On the next series, Albert Rogalski returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown to make it 41-14 midway through the third quarter.
 
Early in the fourth, the visitors went 80 yards in eight plays, with change-of-pace quarterback Bobby Suchecki hitting James Cobbs from a yard out for a touchdown and a 48-14 lead. The final score of the night was set up by another interception deep in Viking territory. The Red Men needed to go just 10 yards on two Chady Bitre runs to reach the end zone. Unland's point after accounted for the final.
 
Davis finished the night with 177 yards and three scores on 20 carries. Freshman quarterback Alek Jacobs (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) was Augustana's leading ground gainer with 77 yards on 14 carries.
 
Next Saturday, September 30, the Vikings are back in action at Elmhurst. Augustana will square off with the Bluejays at Langhorst Field at 1:00 p.m.