Augustana closed out the 2017 season with a 1-9 record overall and a 1-7 mark in the CCIW. Four of the Vikings' losses were decided in the final minute by a margin of a field goal or less, including three in conference play.
 
Senior kicker Jacob Stytz (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.), who repeated as a first team All-CCIW selection, set a new single-season school record for field goals with 12, breaking Mike Clark's previous mark of 10 set in 2001. Stytz also closed his career with a string of 79 consecutive successful extra point attempts. He finished the year 12 of 15 on field goals and a perfect 17 of 17 on extra points. His 52-yard field goal at Carroll is the second-longest in school history (Clark's school record is 54 yards) and his 53 points led the team this year.
 
Other statistical leaders for Augustana included junior running back Ryan Pitra (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.), who rushed for 541 yards and six touchdowns on 133 carries despite missing the season's final two games. Freshman quarterback Alek Jacobs (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) was next with 452 yards and six scores on 120 attempts.
 
Junior Luke Bleyer (Williamsville HS, Springfield, Ill.) had a team-high 675 passing yards on 61-of-115 (53.0%) accuracy. He threw for five touchdowns and was intercepted eight times. Jacobs was 40 of 84 (47.6%) for 327 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions. Junior Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) was 48 of 83 (57.8%) for 517 yards, three interceptions and one touchdown before suffering a season-ending injury in the third game of the season.
 
Junior Ryan Hennessy (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) finished the year with a team-best 28 receptions for 278 yards and two touchdowns. With a season to play, he ranks third in school history with 99 career catches, trailing only Gary Fairchild's 113 receptions from 1970-73 and Paul Ander's 107 from 1965-68. Four other Vikings caught at least 20 passes this year, including sophomore Ethan Jennings (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.), whose 21 grabs went for a team-high 359 yards and two scores.
 
Sophomore safety Devin Haxby (Geneseo HS, Colona, Ill.) was Augustana's leading tackler in 2017 with 44 solo stops and 61 total. Freshman safety John Kappel (Wheeling HS, Wheeling, Ill.) was next with 56 total tackles and linebackers Cassin Wolfe (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) and Sam Francis (Oak Park & River Forest HS, River Forest, Ill.) recorded 52 and 51, respectively. Francis' 26 assisted tackles were a team best.
 
Senior Grant Burke (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.)—a second team All-CCIW selection—had a team-high 11 tackles for loss and sophomore end Daniel Tjaden (Assumption HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) led the team with 4½ sacks. Freshman corner Zach Stewart (Crown Point HS, Crown Point, Ind.) had a team-best eight pass breakups, as well as one of the Vikings' two interceptions. Junior corner Dario Ingardona (Rockford Lutheran HS, Cherry Valley, Ill.) led with two fumble recoveries.
 
2017 CCIW STANDINGS

School	CCIW	Overall
North Central	7-1	10-2
Illinois Wesleyan	7-1	9-2
Wheaton	6-2	8-2
Carthage	5-3	7-3
Millikin	5-3	7-3
North Park	2-6	3-7
Elmhurst	2-6	2-8
AUGUSTANA	1-7	1-9
Carroll	1-7	1-9

 
2017 AUGUSTANA FOOTBALL SUPERLATIVES 
 
INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS 
All-CCIW: Jacob Stytz, K – 1st team; Grant Burke, DL – 2nd team
CCIW Academic All-Conference: Matthew Albers, Travon Aldridge, Chandler Behrens, Luke Bleyer, Alex Bryan, Samuel Francis, Ryan Hennessy, Aleksander Jacobs, Nathaniel Magiera, Matthew McKay, Thomas McSorley, Hunter Menke, Daniel Oliger, Alexander Panning, Robert Papiernik, Noah Patterson, Ryan Pitra, Michael Riley, Luke Sawicki, Daniel Tjadenl, Chaz Williams   
 
SCHOOL RECORDS
Individual
Single-season field goals: 12, Jacob Stytz
 
Team
Single-season field goals: 12
Single-season kickoff return yards: 885
Single-season kickoff returns: 57
 
ADDITIONS TO AUGUSTANA'S TOP TEN LISTS
Career passing attempts: 325, Zach Fuller, 6th; 266, Luke Bleyer, 10th
Career pass completions: 169, Zach Fuller, 7th; 151, Luke Bleyer, 8th
Career passing yards: 2037, Zach Fuller, 8th
Career completion percentage: 56.8, Luke Bleyer, 5th; 52.0, Zach Fuller, 9th
Career receptions: 99, Ryan Hennessy, 3rd
Career receptions per game: 4.12, Ryan Hennessy, 2nd
Career extra points: 79, Jacob Stytz, 6th
Career field goals: 27, Jacob Stytz, 2nd
Career punting average: 39.24, Alex Bryan, 2nd
Career punt return touchdowns: 1, Austin Chausse, T-5th
Career kickoff return yards: 943, Travon Aldridge, 2nd
Career kickoff returns: 48, Travon Aldridge, 3rd
Career yards from tackles for loss: 115, Grant Burke, 4th
Career pass breakups: 22, Travon Aldridge, 2nd
Single-season field goals: 12, Jacob Stytz, 1st
Single-season punting average: 39.24, Alex Bryan, 6th
Single-season punt return touchdowns: 1, Austin Chausse, T-5th
Single-season kickoff return yards: 413, Travon Aldridge, 6th
Single-season kickoff returns: 23, Travon Aldridge, T-3rd
Single-season yards from tackles for loss: 50, Grant Burke,T-10th
Single-season pass breakups: 8, Zach Stewart
Single-season blocked kicks: 1, John Kappel, Luke Phelan, T-10th
 
NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS TEAM – TOP 25 
Fumbles lost: 2, T-2nd
Blocked punts: 2, T-22nd
 
NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS INDIVIDUAL – TOP 50
Punt return touchdowns: 1, Austin Chausse, T-6th
Field goals per game: 1.20, Jacob Stytz, T-14th
Field goal percentage: .800, Jacob Stytz, T-18th
Punting: 39.2, Alex Bryan, 37th
 
CCIW STATISTICAL LEADERS – TEAM 
PAT Kicking – 1.000 (13-13)
 
CCIW STATISTICAL TOP FIVE – INDIVIDUAL 
Kickoff return average: 18.0, Travon Aldridge, 2nd
Punting Average: 39.8, Alex Bryan, 2nd
Kicking points per game: 5.4, Jacob Stytz, T-3rd
Field goals per game: 1.25, Jacob Stytz, 1st
Fumble recoveries per game: 0.25, Dario Ingardona, T-3rd
Passes defended per game: 1.00, Zach Stewart, T-4th
 
TEAM AWARDS 
MVP: Grant Burke
Defensive Player of the Year: Grant Burke
Offensive Player of the Year: Ryan Pitra
Special Teams Player of the Year: Jacob Stytz
Defensive Rookie of the Year: John Kappel
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Alek Jacobs, Max Uranich
Jerry Freck Inspiration Award: Nathan Magiera